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“None of them could do this,” Martha went on, exhaling a sigh he could not interpret. “Not a one. No one could, except you.”

If she was trying to keep him from kissing her, she was doing a poor job of it. The temptation was reaching heights and depths and strengths he had never heard of, and the only reason he had not given in was …

Why was it that he hadn’t given in?

Martha suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowing. “Is that one of them?”

One of what?

He looked over, his head swimming with thoughts of kissing her, only seeing a brief flash of pink on the other side of the rock wall.

Ah, right. The piglets.

“How in the world did that one get over the wall?” he pondered aloud.

“There must be a hole somewhere,” Martha said, eying the entire portion of the wall they could see. “A weakening, perhaps, where some of the rock has given way.”

Benj exhaled in irritation, his previously pleasant thoughts gone now. “I’ll come out tomorrow and examine the lot of it. It should span most of the property, so no doubt there is more to be mended.”

“I can help.”

He smiled over at her, irritation abating. “I couldn’t ask that.”

“You didn’t,” she quipped. “I offered. More than that, I could bring my cousin’s husband out as well. You’d like Mr. Cummings, and I think he’d like you as well. You’re not exactly neighbors, but with distances like this, who is?”

She had a point there.

“I don’t want to steal your time with your family, Martha,” Benj told her softly. “Not for hard labor on a worthless estate.”

“It’s not worthless,” she retorted almost defensively, reaching out to take his arm firmly. “And I am giving my time to you while I am here because it is worth that as well. Believe me, it is no sacrifice.” She squeezed his arm gently. “Now help me over this wall so I can get your piglet.”

If more romantic words had ever been spoken, he wasn’t sure what they were. Before he could change his mind, Benj cupped her cheek in one hand and pressed his lips to hers. To her credit, Martha did not jerk in surprise, though she did stiffen.

For a moment.

Then she leaned into his kiss, her hold on his arm tugging him closer. He did not dare press further, kiss more deeply, give in to the roaring fire within his chest, for fear that any of it would consume him completely. His thumb stroked against her cheek as his lips took hers again, tenderly caressing their softness, their sweetness, their fullness. It was a heady delight, and her fervency humbled him to the core.

Benj broke their kiss as gently as he could while shuddering with restraint. He brushed a loose portion of her hair behind her ear before brushing his lips over her brow.

“Forgive me,” he whispered, barely finding his voice. “I had to try.”

“Good,” she breathed as her fingers moved against his sleeve. “I’m rather pleased you did. I wouldn’t have known … would never have …”

He smiled and turned her face up to his, seeing where his thumb had left an additional smear of dirt against her cheek. “Speechless again? I rather like that.”

Her nose wrinkled up on an almost laugh. “At least one of us does.” Sliding her hand from his arm to rest in his hand, Martha tilted her head. “Shall we fetch your stray piglet, my lord?”

Benj brought her dirty hand to his lips, making her laugh in earnest when he playfully sniffed it first. “We shall, Miss Smith, and with any luck, his sibling will be somewhere close.”