from an evil duke, the two of them had had a most satisfying day together. Tabetha’s heart leapt, because she hoped they would go on to have a most satisfying night.
Because rather than burying her memories deeper, his… intimate attentions had summoned some of them to the fore.
Rock stared up at the sky and then sighed. “We’d best set up camp before dark.”
In that moment, she would have agreed to anything. “What do I need to do?”
Holding her hand, he walked her into the trees, showing her which twigs and sticks would burn. They had to be dry. Dead.
“How many will we need?” Tabetha released his hand to scour the ground for their supply.
“As many as you can find.” He stole one quick kiss before returning to where he’d parked the gig.
After making several trips while he used a rope and folded canvas to build a makeshift shelter, she hovered beside him, watching as he spread a second canvas over the ground, and then a quilt for the two of them to share. The second quilt he’d retrieved from the pack on the gig was immediately claimed by Archie.
“Let’s see what you’ve found.” Rock sorted through the treasure she’d collected and then went about arranging them. He sparked a flame to the kindling on his first attempt, impressing Tabetha as she watched him nurture the flickering spark into a full-fledged fire. She thrilled watching his hands work, knowing that not only was he efficient at performing manly tasks, driving a horse, and beating villains to a pulp, but those hands were more than capable of providing her with the most illicit pleasure imaginable.
While they worked, the sky had turned its darkest blue, almost black. A few stars already twinkled and the forest, where she’d been wandering a few minutes before, was now a maze of dancing shadows. An owl hooted in the distance, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Will it burn all night?” She wasn’t afraid, not with Rock beside her, but she wasn’t altogether comfortable.
“I’ll keep it going. Are you hungry?”
“Famished.” She hadn’t realized until he asked.
He turned around then and grasped the handles of the basket they’d been digging into throughout the day. Tabetha’s mouth watered as he drew out some cheese, bread, fruit, and then a bottle of wine.
“We’ll have to both drink from the bottle as there aren’t any glasses.”
“Food has never looked so wonderful to me.”
“You worked hard.” He winked at her as he sliced an apple in half.
She stuffed some of the cheese into the bread and then bit off a piece of her makeshift sandwich. “I’ve never done anything like this before, have I?” she asked as he handed her a section of the apple.
“I don’t think so.” He studied her. “You like it, though, don’t you?”
Tabetha was glad she’d ignored the niggling part of her that would have complained and resisted such accommodations. She didn’t need a soft mattress, a maid, a bath, or perfumes. All she needed was…
Her husband.
“I am quite enjoying watching the particularly thorny twigs get eaten by the flame.”
“Ah, yes. Wicked little buggers. We’ll burn those first then.” He tossed another one on top and then popped a bite of fruit into his mouth. His gaze didn’t leave her face, though.
“What? Why are you watching me like that?”
“You keep surprising me.” It was almost as though he was thinking out loud.
“In good ways, I hope.” She tore off another piece of bread. “I have a feeling I’ve never eaten so much food in one sitting in my life.”
“I doubt you have either, and yes. In good ways.”
“How have I surprised you?”
But he simply shook his head vaguely. “You are stronger than I imagined.”
“And?” She knew she was fishing. She was flirting. Like they had at dinner the evening before.
“You certainly aren’t prude.”
“Did you think I would be?”
“I wasn’t sure.”
“But now you know.” Tabetha held his gaze. She most definitely was not prude. Could he guess her thoughts by the look in her eyes? Feeling flushed, she edged away from the fire and onto the quilt. “Not being prude was good for my memory,” she reminded him.
He didn’t answer. Was she pushing too hard again?
“We finished off most of this.” He deliberately returned the linens and empty bottle to the basket. “Tomorrow, we’ll have no choice but to stop in one of the villages to purchase more rations.”
“Perhaps we can find some milk for Archie,” Tabetha suggested.
Rock was squatting on the blanket beside her, dangling his hands between his