endure this any longer.
“You’re a devil,” she told him, sincerely.
“To tempt you so? I won’t disagree. But Clara. . . ” He took a bite of roasted duck, chewed it, and sat back, smiling. “You started this.”
So he had seen her.
She’d been in complete control, and somehow she’d allowed him to take it from her.
Clara took a deep breath and stared straight ahead. She concentrated on the retainers finishing their meals and the servants weaving through the packed trestle tables. When she was ready, she leaned toward him once again.
“Aye, I started it, and when you come to me this night, I assure you that I will finish it.”
She was proud of how strong her voice sounded, and a quick glance at his face made her burst out laughing. She just couldn’t hold it in.
The others looked over at them, but Clara couldn’t regain any semblance of decorum. She’d managed to disarm him, and he still had not recovered. He laughed along with her, drawing glances from those in front of them.
“Your mood seems much improved,” Emma observed.
“Indeed,” she answered coyly. What else could she say? That she’d just offered her virginity to a man who was not her husband? And if his expression at this very moment were any indication, he’d be taking her offer this time.
She had nearly killed him tonight.
He really should open the door. The hallway around Emma’s bedchamber, now occupied by Clara, was isolated. But guards were stationed everywhere, a remnant, Geoffrey had told him, from the days when Sara’s life had been in danger. Alex should not be lingering. . . and yet he was.
Just open the door.
He hesitated, thinking about her words.
“I will finish it.”
He’d enjoyed seeing this saucy side of Clara. Every day she spent out of her Alfred disguise, she became more and more comfortable with herself. For his part, he thought about her every moment when they weren’t together, which was the exact reason he’d stayed away from the meal. Until he could figure out what their future looked like—he certainly couldn't imagine her back in his command as a squire, and she seemed unwilling to consider marriage—he needed to distance himself.
In the end, he hadn’t been strong enough to stay away. Cursing himself, he’d hurriedly prepared for dinner—and then proceeded to do the exact thing he’d told himself he wouldn’t do. When he saw her eating that pear, it had only taken him a moment to realize that his not-so-delicate Englishwoman was actually flirting with him.
Where had she learned to do that?
Being seated next to her hadn’t helped. And then, that comment. He may have deserved it, but the image he’d immediately conjured of her lying naked under him had forced the lightness from their conversation.
They did need to talk, but this was likely not the best time and place for a discussion about their future. Now that his mother had been found, it was time for him to make decisions. He wanted her to be a part of those decisions since her future was also at stake. He hoped.
I’ll talk to her tomorrow.
Almost against his will, his hand pushed the door open.
Damn.
He planned on restraint. He’d not dishonor her by taking her virginity. And yet he found himself closing the door and crossing the room in just a few strides. Clara stood in front of the fire, the outline of her shift clearly defining every curve. When she turned, he was lost.
Alex pulled her into his arms and kissed her, and Clara immediately responded. Their tongues tangled together, his knee separating her legs so they could be even closer.
There were too many layers between them.
He tore off his tunic in one easy motion, then lifted the borrowed shift over her head. She didn’t stop him. If this continued, they would make an irreversible mistake.
Nay, not a mistake. He and Clara had been pulled together from the first by some unnamable force. She tried to cover herself, but he wouldn’t let her. Alex took both of her hands in his, memorizing the perfection in front of him. He’d seen her from afar, but now, standing so close, he was in awe.
“You’re perfect,” he said, and meant it.
She hadn’t appeared nervous until that moment. Her mouth lifted at the sides, but Alex reminded himself to slow down. He’d never wooed a virgin before, and this was no ordinary woman. It was Clara.
As for the consequences, they would face those later. Together.
He let go of her hands and began to remove