Someone moaned—he thought it might well be himself—and passion exploded, his cock hardening beneath her firm bottom. He wanted her, wanted everything, now, this moment, before his next breath. He’d never felt this crippling urgency for a woman, and it scared him, but he could not—would not—withdraw from their embrace.
His hands crept to her waist, pulling her closer, one going up behind her head to lock the two of them together, the other slipping down to grasp her buttock and knead it. If he could have opened himself up and pulled her inside him, he would have done.
It was anyone’s guess where this would have ended, if a log hadn't popped in the fireplace. Had he been able to choose, they’d both be naked on the lovely new carpet, and he’d be balls-deep between her thighs.
But the loud sound jerked them both from their sensual interlude, and Hecate rose quickly from his arms, blushing and straightening her skirts. “My goodness, Mr. Finn. Well, that was very pleasant.” She smiled. “And quite to be expected after your emotional turmoil.”
He did his best to hide the uncomfortable evidence of how much he’d enjoyed it, by shifting on the chair and offering a silent prayer of gratitude that robes were a lot looser around a gentleman’s manly parts than breeches.
She returned to her chair and sat, and he watched her pull her composure back into place. “So now you have some memories. Not good ones, but it shows you are improving.”
“Indeed I am.” He stood, a bit shakily, but he managed it. “In fact, I have improved so much that I am now happy to introduce myself. My name is Finn Casey, and I am well acquainted with your brother, Richard Ridlington.”
He gave her a little formal bow, then took a few moments to enjoy the look of utter astonishment on her face.
*~~*~~*
“Richard?” Hecate gasped the word. “You knowRichard?”
“I do. We took rooms together in Brussels. I heard about his intended nuptials hours before they took place.” He grinned. “How did that work out, by the way?”
She smiled back. “Extremely well. They’re expecting twins.”
“Good God.” He shook his head. “Well he was always the one to try and do better than everyone else. I enjoyed his friendship.”
“I must make sure to tell him. They live here in Devon, too, at their new home, Branscombe Magna. It’s not that far from here.” She chuckled. “Talk about coincidences.”
“The world can indeed play some strange tricks, sometimes.” He paused, and a frown creased his brow. “I cannot…”
“What?”
“I remember Waterloo. I remember my home, now. Ireland. Ahane, just southwest of Cork. Green fields, like velvet they were.”
“And your family?” Her voice was soft as she asked the question.
“My mother. My father died when I was ten or so, but we managed well enough. An inheritance from our uncle set us on the right road. My sisters. Three of them. One left for Dublin, and what a to-do that was,” he huffed out a laugh. “You’d think she’d gone to live with the Devil instead of a husband.”
“Three sisters? My goodness.”
He looked up at her. “I can’t remember if I went home after Waterloo, Hecate. After the battle…there’s nothing. Nothing at all.”
She gazed at him. “It’s August now, Finn. August 1816. Waterloo was fourteen months ago. You have no recollection of those months? None at all?”
“Nothing. It’s blank.” He closed his eyes. “Dear God. How can I have lost an entire year?”
“It will return, Finn. I’m sure of it. You have begun to reclaim Waterloo and you remember your life until that point…”
“I do,” he answered. “Just a regular life, my family, the military…”
“A wife? Children?” She posed the question delicately. “Anyone we should get in touch with?”
He smiled at her. “No ties, Hecate. But I should send a note to my mother. Unless she already knows I’m all right…” He ran his hands through his hair. “What a mess.”
“It is a muddle indeed, but we shall persevere. It’s only been a little more than a week since you stared death in the face, so give yourself a little more time. You have come a long way, but there is still a distance to go. Getting you back up to your fighting form must be our priority, since the health of the body can be very closely linked to the health of the mind.”
She wondered how he would handle the news that there had been tragic losses in Ireland as well, if what she’d seen in her vision was true. “In the meantime, you must rest. You’ve eaten solid food, you’ve stayed down here with me, warm and comfortable for quite some time. I think that qualifies as quite a hectic morning’s activity for someone who has been bedridden for at least a week. So it’s back to bed for you, Finn. Have a long, restorative nap and we’ll see about getting you down here for dinner. How does that sound?”
He nodded, his eyes looking heavy. “I’ll confess that I could use a rest. And believe me, it goes against everything I am to admit that.”
