“Ah.” He grinned. The spirited woman he knew was back, and he adored her more than the well-mannered, meek woman she’d attempted to portray the whole evening. “Sour milk, perhaps? Shall we further twist the knife then?”
“How?” When she frowned, her spectacles slipped down her nose.
“The impromptu musicians are preparing to perform a waltz,” he said as he gently set her eyewear into their proper place. “Shall we indulge and set their tongues wagging even more?”
“Truly? I haven’t waltzed for years though.” A trace of insecurity clouded her eyes.
“It’s something one never forgets.” As a handful of couples assumed places on the cleared floor, Drew swept her into an empty spot. “Waltzing is something one feels as well as experiences. Follow my lead and you’ll set jealousy burning in these unhappy women’s hearts.” With a wink, he took her into his arms, and when the first notes played, he set them into motion.
The candlelight twinkled off the emeralds around her neck. In the soft illumination, Sarah was ethereal, a vision in gold, a veritable angel fallen from the heavens and given into his care.
Where the devil had those thoughts come from?
She was merely the same woman he’d known for three weeks with the tart mouth and the ready smile, and the one person in this world who could keep him from falling into the pit of darkness that always lurked.
Yet, on this night, she had quietly become… more.
With each turn they took in the room, with every step, he pulled her incrementally closer to him. His thighs glanced along hers; his chest brushed her breasts, and he imagined a different sort of dancing with her, only in a bed sans clothing. Halfway through the waltz, a trill of laughter escaped her that was so clear and genuine, he stared in astonishment. The warmth of her in his arms, the softness of her skin that he fantasized about touching, the inviting rosy lips he was desperate to taste again all worked in tandem to weave a spell about them until only they two existed in the room.
The woman he’d taken to wife was nothing short of amazing. When he smiled and held her gaze, she did the same, and in that moment, something was exchanged between them, different than anything he’d experienced before. No longer did he want to tame her, take away the very spirit that made her a force. Oh, no. He wished to kindle that fire, build it into an inferno for the mere awe of watching her ride the wave without losing herself, for then she could perhaps teach him how to survive his own storms.
“If you continue to look at me like that, you’ll embarrass yourself,” she whispered with twinkling eyes.
“How so?” Ah, but he knew.
“As if you’d like to devour me right here in this room.”
Drew quelled the groan that rose in his throat, but that didn’t stop the sudden tightening of his shaft. God, he wanted her. That had never changed. “I won’t deny your claim. However, I will temper my response.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and he missed a step. Though it took seconds to correct his posture, the spell broke. A teasing light entered her eyes, and when she grinned, he felt it all the way to his toes. “Naughty boy to think such things in my great uncle’s house.”
“I’m helpless against your beauty. What would you have me do?” Was he… flirting with his wife?
She snickered. “The music has ended, so perhaps we could refrain from continuing the waltz?”
Heat crept up the back of his neck. “I beg your pardon.” He brought them to a halt, and when she pulled away, he mourned the loss of her touch. “Let me bring you a glass of punch.”
“I’d like that.” Those brown depths with the golden flecks beckoned him closer, but he didn’t dare to lead her from the room to seek out a shadowy corner. Not here, not now, but perhaps when they arrived home…
Two hours later, while tucked into the carriage with the dark night pressing around them, he leaned back against the squabbed bench. “I thought that went rather well, all things considered.”
“You were marvelous, and I appreciate your brilliant work in keeping your anger in check.” Sarah nestled against his side with her legs tucked on the bench. She rested her head on his chest. “I’m proud of you.”
His chest warmed from her praise as well as her proximity. “I’m learning.” Thanks to her help. “If you’re willing, we could…” The words trailed away when he realized she’d fallen asleep. The light arcs of her lashes against her cheeks and her even breathing testified to that observation. Drew smiled into the darkness and wrapped an arm about her, holding her steady when the carriage bumped along a rough patch in the road.
In some ways, this sort of intimacy was greater than carnal affection, and he was content to wait, for Sarah was worth it. He would do nothing to rush his fences or frighten her away.
As shock roiled through his body, he acknowledged a truth: he was coming to care for his wife. What the devil do I do now?
In many ways, it was more terrifying than letting anxiety have at him, for the stakes were suddenly infinitely higher.