As he began rocking into her, she surrendered to flooding sensations, swiftly finding a rhythm with him that made her blood dance. He thrust, she responded, he thrust again and she mirrored that movement. Mutual fire rose higher and higher until it consumed her. When he touched her just above where they were joined, she shattered into pure passion, no body, only emotion and intoxicating pleasure.
As she convulsed, she clutched his torso, needing him to hold her so she didn’t fly to pieces. Instinctively understanding, he secured her in his embrace as he thrust a last time and culminated with a deep groan, burying his face in her hair.
She held him, shaken to her core. A dizzy interval passed before she said unsteadily, “I think this means we’re compatible?”
He laughed, rolling onto his side and bringing her with him so that they were face to face as he drew the top blanket over them. She loved being skin to skin with him. That was another kind of intimacy as powerful in its way as their mating had been.
“Very compatible indeed,” he said. “I wonder if it would have been like this if we’d made it to Gretna Green and married then.”
“I don’t think so,” she said. “We were young and much simpler then. I don’t think we would have brought as much to our bed.” She nipped his shoulder. “Mind you, I think we would have figured it all out quickly!”
He drew her closer. “As you said earlier, this is the right time for us. Though . . .” He paused, then continued in a more serious voice with echoes of pain, “Then I would have been able to come to you with a more open heart. More than I can manage now.” He gently stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “But though I might not be able to love as well as you deserve, I would die for you.”
“I hope you don’t have to,” she said with equal seriousness. “I will say in return that I would kill for you.” She’d already proved that she could kill. As horrible as that had been, she’d do it without a moment’s hesitation to protect Richard.
“What a bloodthirsty pair we are!” He slid his fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp and the nape of her neck. “I’m thinking we won’t need such skills in England.”
“I expect you’re right.” She hadn’t realized how much he loved to touch, but she liked it very well. Especially since he was awakening a matching craving for touch in her.
She nuzzled against him, sure she would never get enough of this closeness. “I wonder how long we’ll have until the Adamses return.”
“Not long enough. I’d like to spend the next week here with you.” His fingers wandered to her breast and began doing delicious things.
With a sigh, she pushed his hand away. “We were lucky to get this much time alone, so we’d best marry quickly and make it legal.”
“Very true.” He rose and stretched, tawny and beautiful. “I shan’t mind trying this in a real bed.”
She laughed as she stood. She was ready to laugh at anything. “Isn’t a first time supposed to be special? Burlap sacks in a warehouse attic will never be forgotten.”
Feeling much less shy than she had earlier, she pulled her shift off over her head, leaving her as bare as he was since he seemed to have lost his drawers somewhere. “In case you’re wondering what you’re getting . . .”
He caught his breath, his eyes darkening. “You are so beautiful. You always were. You always will be. And you’d better cover yourself up before I forget that we won’t be alone much longer!”
She tugged the shift on again, feeling agreeably naughty. “Once we’re properly dressed, maybe we can take a nap till the others return? Neither of us got much sleep last night.”
She looked outside and felt another thrill at the sight of that grand waving American flag. She wasn’t exactly an American, but she knew what side she was on in this war.
“A nap would be lovely.” He paused in his dressing to kiss her temple. “And after that, we can devote ourselves to our next job.”
“Which will be?”
Looking like the mischievous seventeen-year-old boy she’d eloped with, he said, “Forgery!”
Chapter 30
Callie was not the least bit surprised to discover that Richard was a meticulous forger. Such a multitalented husband she was acquiring!
After the long, sleepless night and the exuberant dawn victory celebration, she and Richard had dressed and lain down on the pallet together and slept until noon. Luckily they’d fallen asleep facing each other and holding hands, not doing anything that might embarrass their housemates.
When Callie woke and saw Richard, she had an intense desire to roll over and wrap herself around him to find out if she’d dreamed the passion of the previous hours. The same desire was in his eyes, but they controlled themselves, mostly because he’d gotten to his feet before she could pounce on him.
After a lunch of sausage rolls, Josh, Molly, and Trey went out again, and it was time for Callie and Richard to get to work. While she made alterations to the gown she would wear for her wedding, Richard started on his forgery.
He began by reading all the documents written in Matthew’s own hand that Callie possessed. Fortunately she’d sent a box of important papers to Baltimore when the Adamses evacuated so she had a number of examples.
With samples in front of him, Richard started to practice writing in the same style, with particular attention to duplicating Matthew Newell’s signature. Callie asked, “Is it more difficult to copy his handwriting because you’re left-handed?”
“Yes, but I am a very good forger,” he said, amusement in his gray eyes.
