His lips met mine tenderly, and I fully surrendered to the kiss. As we kissed, the fire surged, igniting a passion more ancient than the ruins we found ourselves within. Warm and tender, his lips left a trail of fire as they followed the contours of my neck, sending a delightful shiver cascading down my spine.
As our lips parted, we hesitated, fully aware of the indiscretion we were about to commit. Yet, caught up in the fervor of the moment, we chose not to care. We fell back into each other’s arms, yielding to our desire and letting the moment lead us.
His hand, which had been resting firmly on my hip, moved upward, tracing the curves of my body until it reached my neck. Never having been with a man before, a nervous anticipation coursed through me at his touch. I bit my bottom lip as he untied my cape, letting it drop to the ancient earth floor. His fingers traced the line of my collarbone and then moved down to the string of my bodice, which he slowly unlaced. I was on fire with a passion that burned within me. The nervousness I had felt moments before quickly turned into a longing that felt beyond my control.
His kisses continued their descent down my neck and onto my chest, kindling an ache deep in my belly. My hands, timid at first, moved upto his chest, growing more confident as the fire within me grew. I found myself unbuttoning his shirt, as a wave of yearning surged through me, mingling with the scent of desire that hung heavy in the air. My hands trembled as they met his skin and I traced the lines of his chest, feeling his warmth beneath my fingertips. His breathing became heavy at my touch as we explored each other’s bodies. He pulled me closer, kissing me deeply, his hands unpinning my long auburn locks and sending them cascading onto my shoulders.
In a flurry of passion, our bodies intertwined, and a spark of magic ignited within me, awakening something ancient. His deep green eyes locked on mine as our bodies joined as one.
“You are everything and more, Cora,”he whispered softly into my ear.
In that moment, our hearts beat together in a symphony of desire and our souls danced. Our passion intensified until we reached a crescendo, and my body was flooded with what I could only describe as pure magic. I could have stayed lost in his embrace forever. In that moment the boundaries that defined our stations had no claim over us, and we gave in to what we truly desired—each other.
After we lay entwined, the cold slowly seeped back in. The firelight flickered off the old gray stone walls, casting shadows across our faces. Despite the dim light, I could see the passion fading from James’s eyes as reality began to set in, just as the cold returned. We were both keenly aware that this fleeting moment of passion would be the entirety of what we could ever share together. Our worlds were destined to remain apart, as he belonged to the nobility, and I was a woman with no significant standing. Nonetheless, in that brief moment, we were equals, our love being the only thing of true standing.
Chapter Forty-Three
Shivers
Alistair walked back in with an arm full of wood, startling Nora out of her reading. Her face was flushed from the steamy scene she’d just been engrossed in, and she quickly shut the book, hoping he wouldn’t notice. She watched him walk over to the fireplace, his rugged appearance with an arm full of logs igniting a fire within her, sparked by the spicy scene in the book. At that moment she longed for a do-over of last night, but as he turned around, the look in his eyes quelled her hormones and set her nerves on edge instead.
“We might have a bit of a problem if the power doesn’t come back on soon,” he said, setting the logs down and stacking them in the wood ring by the fire.
“What kind of problem?” she asked, his concerned tone bringing her quickly back down to reality.
“A ‘last of the firewood’ kind of problem.”
“We should probably call the rental company to see if they can bring some over,” Nora suggested, getting up and walking over to the stove to make another cup of tea.
“We should check on Betty to make sure she has everything she needs and isn’t low on wood as well.”
“Good idea.”
Nora set the kettle down, walked over to grab her coat off the peg board, and slipped her boots on. When she opened the door, a sharp gust of cold wind burst into the cottage, blowing her hair back. She grabbed her hat out of her pocket and yanked it down over her ears. Alistair followed behind her as she walked out into the cold wintry air. The snow was still coming down in thick flurries, but the cold was now much more bitter.The winds must be bringing the arctic air down from the north, she thought.
“God, it’s freezing,” Nora said, zipping her jacket up to her chin.
“At least the snow has just about stopped,” Alistair said, looking out toward the loch.
Just before they got to the stairs, Nora saw something scurrying off to her right. She stopped just as the scruffy little dog came bounding down the sloping hill toward them. As soon as he caught sight of them, he slowed and then stopped.
“Hey, little guy. Where have you been?” Nora asked as the dog sniffed the air in her direction. She slowly crouched down to get on the dog’s level, trying not to scare it. The dog came closer until it was only feet away.
“It’s okay,” she said as he stepped forward and sniffed her mitten, eyeing her hesitantly.
“You’re a good boy,” she said, and the little dog’s tail began to wag. Cautiously he took another step closer, and Nora was ableto pet him. He was too friendly to be a stray, but he had no collar. She removed her mitten and ran her hand over the soft fur of his ears. He looked up at her with his mismatched eyes, and she felt something deep within her stir. As if the dog sensed the shift within her as well, he stepped closer.
“You have a way with animals,” Alistair said, watching the interaction.
Within a few moments, the dog was sitting at Nora’s feet as if she were his owner.
“What are we going to do with him? He has no collar, but he must be someone’s pet. We can’t just leave him out in this kind of cold. He’ll freeze to death,” Nora said, giving him a scratch behind his ears.
“Let’s see if he will follow us. We can’t leave him in the cottage alone; he might destroy the place.” The dog looked up at him and let out a small low growl then turned toward Nora and wagged his tail again. “Or should I say follow you,” he said, eyeing the dog skeptically.
Nora agreed and stood up. Alistair walked up the stairs, and Nora followed with the little black dog at her heels. When they got to Betty’s cottage, Alistair knocked, but no one answered. He glanced up at the chimney, and Nora’s eyes followed. No smoke billowed from its top. Nora walked to the window to the right of the door.
“Betty,” he called out with another knock, but still nothing. “Can you see anyone?” he asked Nora as she cupped her hands to the window and looked in.
