Brax rose too, giving her a wink. “I understand completely. We’ll save our champagne toast for whenever we arrive at our destination. You two get some rest. We will decide which property we might travel to tomorrow.”
Laurel cleared her throat, giving Rebecca a meaningful glance. “Perhaps my brother’s home in Cheshire would be best. We’re relatively far north, it’s known to Rebecca, and of all the properties, it might be the humblest and therefore the least likely to be discovered.”
Rebecca gave Laurel a quick nod—she knew what Laurel wasn’t saying.
It would allow them to investigate Laurel’s case.
She slipped her hand into Bennet’s. That was a conversation for tomorrow.
Today, she only needed to accomplish one more thing. She had to show Bennet the depth of her feeling.
Bennet ledRebecca the short distance to the room they’d shared the night before.
So much had changed in the last day.
He and Rebecca were finally going to get the future that had been delayed for six years. His heart swelled at the idea of it.
No more shadows, no more being apart from her.
They entered the room, Rebecca immediately crossing to the changing screen. Bennet pulled the cord by the door to order abath. As tired as she was, she’d sleep better for being clean and relaxed. He heard her tugging and he stepped behind the screen. “Need some help?”
She smiled at him. “Please.”
With sure hands, he undid the buttons and fasteners until he’d removed her outer layers. And when the maid arrived, he ordered the bath, then set to work on stripping her down to her shift.
She sighed with relief when the water arrived, the buckets being poured into the copper tub.
Rebecca stepped from behind the screen and he followed, watching as without hesitation she tossed the shift over her head and sank into the bath with a sigh. “This was an excellent idea.”
He grinned as he began to strip off his own clothing. When he had on nothing but his breeches, he crossed to the tub, taking a sponge and a bar of lilac soap to begin washing her skin.
He slid the sponge over her body, her soft breaths and little moans of pleasure bringing him great joy, but also… He tamped down his desire. They’d have plenty of time for that.
As she rose, he wrapped a cloth about her and then unfastened the falls of his breeches. “Your turn?” she asked with a soft, sleepy smile.
“I’ll be quick,” he replied, stepping into the water.
“No need,” she returned as she picked up the sponge and sat next to the tub.
“My love, you don’t need to…” But he stopped talking as the sponge swept over his back. The brush of her hand both soothed and excited.
All over his skin her hand worked until she reached his cock. Then she let the sponge go. As her fingers slipped around his member, he sucked in his breath. “Rebecca.”
“What?” she asked, her voice full of innocence.
“It’s late and you’re—”
But she stopped him with a kiss. Her lips slid across his, making him swell in her hand. When she pulled away, she looked deep into his eyes. “We have all the time in the world to sleep, but I’ve been waiting to be yours for what feels like forever.”
He sucked in a breath. It had been a very long time and the idea of finally being together filled him with such a powerful need that he rose from the tub, water streaming down his body. “Now?”
She stood too, smiling as she dropped the large cloth. “Did you have a different time you’d prefer?”
He pulled her close, their naked bodies pressing together. “Now sounds perfect.”
And then he took her lips with his.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN