“Yes,” she answered.
“Liar,” he returned. The coach careened unexpectedly, throwing her toward him, and this time, he wrapped his arms around her and, settling her back to his front, arranged the blanket over both of them.
Once again, that warm, safe feeling wound itself around her.
Mostly.
Because she was also afraid to move. Because she felt his smooth skin behind her, brushing against the parts her chemise did not cover.
Warm and smooth, and…
Jasper shifted. “It’s going to be a while. Relax.”
Ha! How was she to relax?
“We’ve a few hours more. You should try to sleep.” He tightened his arms around her, and that safe feeling took over. How was it that she could feel utterly uncertain one moment and then so secure the next? She gave up wondering and snuggled into him.
As they drove, the storm gradually subsided and eventually, listening to the slow rumble of the wheels, Nia’s mind meandered. She examined events of the past few days, and eventually revisited points they’d agreed upon while writing up their marriage agreement.
Specifically, the one involving consummation.
What had he said?
“It will be my responsibility to ensure that you wish to say yes.”
And then he’d incited that tingling feeling.
The notion that he considered it his duty to ensure that she would want his attentions played over and over in her mind. He could not have meant that he’d convince her through debate; he’d been referring to physical acts.
Kissing? Touching?
Affection, to the best of her knowledge, had never been an aspect of her parents’ marriage. Nor had she witnessed it amongst anyone she could bring to mind.
Aside from allowing a gentleman to lead her onto the dance floor at a ball or bow over her hand while being presented to her, she’d experienced little, if any, affectionate gestures amongst the people with whom she’d been allowed to associate.
Not that she’d wanted or invited them.
She’d had Goldie, of course. When they were children, her younger sister would often climb into Nia’s bed and curl up beside her, oddly enough soothing both of them, but that had been a very long time ago. As they’d grown older, they’d drifted apart. Especially after Nia made her come-out.
Nia had been paraded around like a shiny new toy and Goldie had been… left behind.
“Are you sure she seemed happy, my sister?” Nia asked abruptly. “With Lord Standish.”
Jasper didn’t answer immediately, almost as though he was searching his mind to ensure he gave the most accurate answer. “I am.”
“But how do you know?”
He took his time answering. “Even when they are both conversing with other people, from across a crowded room, Standish seeks her out. And when she catches him watching, her eyes go soft…”
Nia had not expected to hear such a detailed answer. “You noticed this?”
“They reminded me of my parents. That sort of awareness is not common amongst the ton.”
His arms were wrapped around her, supposedly to keep her secure. But Nia’s hands covered his, and she realized her fingers were stroking the backs of his.
He was worried about me.
He recognized love between Goldie and Lord Standish.
