Leaning back a little, he searched her face. “If you’ve changed your mind just—”
“No. I, um…I’m just not used to doing it like this.”
He gave her a funny look. “You’re certain?”
His determination to make sure she was all right and that she was willing stood in such contrast to the only other experience she’d had, it almost made her weep.
“Yes.” She needed this more than she’d known – needed him to replace her ugly memories with one of beauty. So she placed her palm against his cheek and kissed him.
“Try to relax then,” he murmured against her lips.
She did as he instructed and allowed him to give her what she required – the illusion of being wanted and cared for in ways she knew she never would be. Clinging to him, she turned to him for guidance and let him set the pace.
“You’re perfect,” he murmured while pressing his cheek to hers. “Better than I imagined.”
Wanting to be as bold as he, she chose to return the sentiment. “So are you.”
Heat flashed in his eyes right before he brought his mouth back to hers. Passion travelled the length of her spine, prompting a gasp right before the sensation peaked and she shattered.
A swift movement followed and then a satisfied growl filled her ears as he came undone in her arms.
16
He had to be out of his bloody mind, James decided as he and Mrs. Lawson – Mina – set off once more. After thanking the Mitchells for their hospitality over a quick cup of tea and a slice of bread, they’d gone to find James’s coachman.
Propped against one corner of the carriage, diagonally across from Mina, James studied her profile as she gazed out the window. What the hell had he been thinking to claim her in such a rushed manner, like some common whore he could toss aside after? He must have taken leave of his senses. Thank God he’d at least had the presence of mind to withdraw at the very last moment.
He’d wanted to form a closer bond, but this was really taking the idea a step too far. Not that he hadn’t considered bedding her. Of course he had. Multiple times. But given his rising suspicions about her, he’d decided it would be unwise to press for anything more than a temporary friendship.
Too late for that now. They were officially more than travel companions, more than partners with a common goal, and a hell of a lot more than friends. And if she’d meant to keep him in the dark about herself forever, she’d failed spectacularly, because his eyes were now wide open. He saw her for exactly who she was – a woman who’d never taken a lover in her life.
Which begged the question: what the hell was going on?
Determined to get to the heart of it, he took a deep breath and braced himself for the subject he meant to address. “Mina?”
She turned away from the window and faced him, her cheeks flushing the moment their eyes met. “Yes?”
“I do not wish to cause you discomfort or embarrassment, but I’d like to discuss what occurred between us this morning.”
“Must we?” Apprehension shadowed her words. “It doesn’t change anything.”
Was she truly that naïve? “On the contrary, it changes everything. First and foremost, the way I see you.”
She clenched her jaw and dropped her gaze. Her posture stiffened. “I don’t know why it would when all we did was act on our mutual attraction. Aside from that, I am still the adulteress who shamed her husband. This is what I do, Mr. Dale, and while I’ll admit I liked it better with you than with anyone else, you do not owe me anything, if that’s where this is going.”
Disappointment slashed through him. “Why do you persist in lying to me?”
Her gaze snapped back to his. “What do you mean?”
“If I were to hazard a guess, you’ve only been with one man prior to me – your husband – and not very often, I’ll wager.”
“Mr. Dale, I—”
“You cannot fool me any longer, Mina. I know what it means to have an experienced lover, and you don’t fit the description.” She turned away from him again, forcing her gaze back to the view. “I’m sorry. That’s not a criticism. In fact, I’m immensely glad to know you’re not the person I believed you to be for the past two years. I just wish you would be honest with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I like to think of you as a friend and as such I want to advise you as best as I can, but doing so isn’t easy unless you confide in me.”
