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Chapter Six
Cassandra paced the length of her bedchamber, her insides knotted into a jumble of nervous expectation. In less than thirty minutes, she’d be joining Ethan for di
His words reverberated through her mind. Words she couldn’t deny she’d secretly hoped, prayed to hear. Words that deep in her heart she knew were the ones that had driven her to stop at the Blue Seas. So that for one night she wouldn’t be alone. And so that Ethan, who had lived in her heart all these years, would be the person to banish the loneliness she’d lived with for so long.
Tonight he would do just that.
Tonight she would shove aside the respectability that suppressed her deeply buried desires, desires she’d give free rein to for this one night. Tonight she wouldn’t have to lie alone in the dark and pretend it was Ethan’s hands touching her rather than her own.
After returning to the i
Guilt pricked Cassandra at how quickly she’d offered to arrange for that di
Walking to the oval cheval glass, Cassandra heaved a sigh at her reflection. For just this one night she dearly wished she had something beautiful to wear. She’d done the best she could with her appearance given her severely limited wardrobe-Westmore had refused to fund anything more than the barest necessities-but the most that could be said for her drab gray gown was that it wasn’t the hated and hypocritical black of mourning.
A knock roused her from her musing, and she crossed the room to answer the summons. A broad-faced, pink-cheeked young woman dressed in servant’s garb, holding a tray from which delicious aromas wafted, bobbed a shallow curtsy. “Yer di
“Di
“Here’s a towel and soap for ye,” the maid continued, setting the items next to the tub. “I’ve also a note for ye, milady.” She slipped a folded piece of paper sealed with a blob of wax from her apron pocket and handed the missive to Cassandra. “Sorry to hear yer journey tired ye so, milady, but a warm meal and hot bath will set ye back to rights.” After another quick curtsy, she followed the young men out, then closed the door quietly behind her.
Cassandra immediately broke the wax seal, unfolded the paper, and sca
Enjoy your bath. I’ll join you soon.
Ethan
Her gaze shifted from the generously laden di
She undressed as quickly as she could without Sophie’s help, then lowered herself into the heated water. With a blissful sigh, she bent her knees and slithered her back down until she was submerged to her chin. Her eyelids had just drifted closed when she heard a muffled sound near the window. She opened her eyes, and her heart jumped at the sight of a shadowy figure on the small balcony. A shadowy figure she immediately recognized. One that opened the French windows, then silently slipped into the room.
She stared in amazement as Ethan walked slowly toward her, his eyes gleaming like twin ebony braziers. In one hand he held a large worn leather satchel. Her avid gaze drank in his imposing height, the breadth of his shoulders, the strength of his long legs outlined by his snug black breeches. His midnight hair gleamed in the golden glow from the crackling fire, which cast his rugged features in an intriguing display of shadows and light. He looked big and strong, masculine and darkly attractive, and everything inside her heated with awareness, tingled with anticipation.
“H-how did you get onto that balcony?” she asked.
“My room is directly above this one. It’s a reasonably short drop.”
Her eyes widened. “Drop? You could have injured yourself!”
He reached the edge of the tub and halted. His gaze skimmed slowly over her, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. “A small risk given the reward.”
“Why didn’t you simply use the door?”
“Too ordinary for an extraordinary woman like you. And I intend to see to it that everything about tonight is extraordinary for you.”
Her heart stumbled at his softly spoken words. Before she could even think up a reply, he continued, “My timing is perfect, I see.”
“Perfect for what?” Her voice sounded positively breathless.
“For helping you bathe-the first step in my plan.”
“If that’s the first step, I’m burning with curiosity to know what the second step entails.”
He set the satchel on the floor, then crouched down next to the tub. His white shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing muscular brown forearms which he leaned on the tub’s copper edge. Dipping his fingertips in the water, he lightly stirred the surface, his serious gaze resting on hers. “The second step-and every step afterward-is to give you the sort of evening you deserve. The sort you’ve been denied all these years. One filled with happiness and smiles. Romance and passion.”
“Oh…my.” To her mortification, hot tears rushed into her eyes.
He traced a single wet fingertip over one of her upraised knees, skittering tingles along her skin. “Since our time together is so short, I didn’t want to waste a moment of it dining in the main room. I hope you don’t mind.”
Cassandra shook her head and tried to speak around the tightness in her throat. “I can’t recall the last time anyone has done something so thoughtful for me.”
“You deserve to have thoughtful things done for you all the time, Cassie. But I have to admit my intentions are also selfish. I want to spend what time we have together in private. I don’t want to share you.”
The heated way he was looking at her, the velvety seduction of his voice wrapped around her like a warm blanket. “I don’t want to share you, either.” She craned her neck and cut her gaze toward the floor. “What is in the satchel you brought?”
His lopsided grin flashed. “Surprises.”
“What sort of surprises?”
“Curious, are you?”
“Extremely.”
A devilish gleam danced in his eyes. “How badly do you want to know?”
Laughter bubbled in her throat at his exaggerated leer. “Name your price.”
The fire that flared in his eyes nearly scorched her. “A kiss will do. For now.” He leaned forward, and she raised her face, pulse pounding in anticipation. His lips brushed softly over hers, once, twice, whispers of touches that teased and tantalized and left her aching for more. On his third feathery kiss, she ran her tongue over his bottom lip and was rewarded with a low growl. He sank deeper into their kiss, his tongue gently swirling around hers. She lifted her wet hands and threaded her fingers through his hair, feeling utterly wanton and luxuriously decadent. When he finally lifted his head, he looked dazed and was breathing hard.