by Platt, Meara
Violet listened intently, surprised Romulus was taking their predicament so seriously and reaching deep into his heart for answers. He wasn’t merely asking how do I get out of this mess with my bachelorhood intact? He’d gone beyond it. What do I want out of life? What sort of partner do I wish for?
“This book speaks of the five senses as a means to connect us,” he said, the resonant depth of his voice quite soothing and at the same time exciting. “But we can also connect through common goals and aspirations. Or common likes and dislikes. I think our senses form the bond of our attraction to each other, but it would be our common goals that truly bind us.”
“Are you suggesting we already have strong connections to each other?”
He nodded. “Yes, isn’t it obvious?”
“How?”
She leaned forward, eager to hear his thoughts, because she did not know how a brave and worldly sea captain could have anything in common with a sheltered debutante who felt more comfortable climbing a tree in a country meadow than dancing a waltz in a London ballroom. Why would such a man want anything to do with her? What was their common bond?
“Violet, if your eyes grow any wider, they are going to roll out of their sockets.”
“I can’t help it. You amaze me. Please, do go on. I am very interested to hear what you have to say.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Braydens and Farthingales marry for love. That is one of our strongest connections. We’ve been raised to respect the sanctity of marriage. Another connection is that we both come from large, meddlesome families.”
She laughed. “Oh, dear. Is yours as bad as mine?”
“Possibly worse. You haven’t met my Aunt Miranda yet. There is no one quite like her, and I’m not sure I mean it as compliment. I love her, of course. But she can be quite scary, at times. Even Lady Withnall would cringe in fear.”
Violet clapped her hands. “I adore her already!”
Romulus gave a hearty laugh, but after a moment, he turned serious. “Braydens are faithful to their spouses. I don’t know what you thought was happening between me and Lady Felicia last night, but it is important for you to know that for my part, nothing was happening. Nor will it ever happen with Felicia or any other woman. It isn’t the Brayden way. It isn’t my way.”
She nodded. “I hope you know it is the same with Farthingales. We are faithful to our spouses. I’m not sure how we prove it to each other except over time.”
“Some things must be taken on faith, Violet. We’ve had good examples to follow. Big, loving families. That is our common connection, and it is a very good start.”
She closed the book and set it aside, then folded her hands on her lap. “How else are we connected? You are a sea captain, used to commanding sailors and doing battle. I am no one of consequence. I’m not saying it to belittle myself. It is a simple fact. I’ve done nothing of importance in my life. And honestly, you do not look like the sort of man who really needs a woman to support him or to help him make something of himself. I think this is what troubles me most. I am inconsequential to your life. But you would be very important to mine.”
“You are looking at it all wrong, Violet. I don’t need you handing me cannonballs in the heat of battle or hoisting mainsails. What a man looks for in a wife…I’m not quite sure how to explain it.” He ran a hand through his hair in obvious consternation as he struggled to find the right words.
She waited quietly, watching in fascination as he collected his thoughts. Indeed, she marveled at the care and determination he was putting into their situation.
“What a man needs…is a reason to be. Why am I on the high seas tackling pirates? Why do I bother with civility or etiquette when I’m home or out in Society? If only men existed, we’d all be sitting about a campfire drinking ale until we passed out. We’d live in caves and fight over everything and nothing, because men always fight unless they’re held back for reasons more important to them.”
He reached out and tucked a finger under her chin. “A man adopts civility in order to make a better world for his family. His children, his wife. Even those meddlesome relatives he wishes would go away and leave him in peace.”
“I had no idea you were a soldier and a philosopher.”
“I hadn’t thought of myself that way. But yes, I suppose. When asked who I am, I don’t think of myself merely as a captain in the Royal Navy. Nor do I think of myself as the brother of an earl. When asked the question who am I, I may respond by stating my military rank. That’s the easy answer I would give in casual conversation. But it is only a small part of me. Who am I is more about my character and my goals in life.”
He released her and leaned back once more. “When James returned from war so badly injured, I grew mad at the world. I was also angry with him. Why did he go off to fight? He could have paid someone to take his commission. Other noblemen did and thought nothing of it.”
“He is a Brayden, so he wouldn’t. That is his noble character.”
Romulus nodded. “The war almost destroyed him. If not for Sophie, I don’t think he would be alive today. She is why he wakes up each morning ready to experience the new day. What she offers him is something not easily definable. Truly, I can’t explain it. But when I look at you, I see that same quality.”
She put a hand to her heart, for this was no longer a lighthearted discussion or even a moderately serious one. It had taken a leap to something quite profound. “Romulus, surely you jest.”
“Not at all. I don’t know what it is about you, Violet. I just know that if you were in my life, it would be a good life. A happy one.” He groaned lightly. “Oh, hell. Why aren’t you breathing?”
He was watching her, so he noticed her eyes begin to water. He groaned again. “Are you going to cry?”
“No, of course not. Even if I do, it is only because your words overwhelm me.” She wiped a stray tear as it trickled onto her cheek. “I’ve had gentlemen tell me I’m pretty. I’ve heard it for years now. Perhaps I should have taken it as a compliment, but inside I always wondered, so what? What else am I? A vase is pretty. A flower is pretty. But what you said just now about Sophie’s influence on your brother’s life, this is what I hope to be. This is what I’d like to mean to someone. To be needed, to be looked upon as someone’s reason to be. Now that is the best compliment anyone can receive.”
She wiped away another tear. “Romulus, I know we’re only on our second full day. But must we wait?”
“To marry?”
Her heart was in a rampant, roaring beat as she nodded. “Yes. Will you marry me?” As the import of her own words struck her, she gasped. “Oh, dear! Never mind. Forget I said any such thing. I was swept away in the moment.” In all her life, she’d never dreamed she would be the one proposing to a man. But how could she not after what he’d just told her?
He laughed. “I’m flattered, but if you will recall, I asked you first. You refused, and my response was Miss Farthingale, your answer cannot be a rejection of my offer.”
He took her hands in his and nudged her to rise along with him. “There is something important we must do before this goes any further.”
“What is that?”
“The kiss. You insisted upon it, if you will recall.”
She nodded.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you from the moment I unlaced your gown and began rubbing vinegar all over your body,” he said, his voice soft and sensual. “Your family, our neighbors, even the villainous Lady Withnall knew exactly what I intended to do to you. Now you know, as well.”
He lowered his lips to hers so that they were achingly close but not quite touching. “What do you say, Violet? Are you willing to explore the sense of taste?”
Chapter Nine
Mother in heaven.
Was she willing to kiss Romulus?
What a question to ask! He was easily the handsomest man she’d ever met and certainly one of the smartest. She wanted to devour him, breathe him in, inhale great gulps of him, f
or she loved his rugged, manly scent that hinted of salty air and spices. She loved the strength and power of him, wanted to cling like a limpet fish to his massive shoulders and burrow close against his body.
She knew she would love the muscled strength of his arms as he wrapped them around her.
His kiss.
Most of all, she wanted to taste his lips, allow their warmth to seep through her own and carry her away to a place she’d never been before. “Yes, I’m willing.”
Goodness, yes.
She glanced toward the large parlor window, trying to detect whether any of her family was looking out of it. Hortensia was there, her stern and frowning countenance staring back at her, knowing exactly what they wanted to do, and by her frown, she was determined to stop them.
Violet stifled her disappointment.
“What a bother,” she muttered.
Hortensia would come charging out of the house like a raging bull the moment Romulus put his arms around her.
He must have noticed the direction of her gaze, for he emitted a soft, laughing groan. “This will take some tactical planning. Do you still want the kiss?”
She nodded.
“Then come with me.”
“Where?” She merely asked out of curiosity and did not resist when he casually placed her arm in his as any gentleman would do when walking with a lady down the street. She wasn’t certain what he intended, but she went along since he obviously had something in mind.
“The large oak tree will hide us from her view.”
He was referring to the infamous tree where the bees once had their hive. “It will? Oh, I see. Yes, it might.”
He nodded. “We’ll have only a few seconds to conduct this operation.”
She laughed. “You make it sound like a tactical naval maneuver.”
“Oh, it is. Hortensia is on to me and my evil desires. She will come running out of the house as soon as she loses sight of us behind the tree. We’ll have to the count of three to reappear, and when we don’t, she’ll know exactly what I’m doing to you.”
“With my wholehearted approval.” Violet could not help but laugh again, for he had a devilish arch to his eyebrows, and he was smiling at her with a most appealingly wicked warmth. “I’ll be complicit in this delicate military operation. Tell me what I ought to be doing.”
He walked her casually around the garden as they spoke. “All you need to do is respond honestly. There is no right or wrong in a kiss. You’ll either like it or you won’t. Your body will respond instinctively to it. So will your heart. Just follow wherever it takes you.”
She nodded. “I’m ready.”
In truth, she had been ready from the moment she’d escaped the bees only to end up in his kitchen, his big hands skimming all over her body as he unlaced her gown, rolled down her stockings, and hurriedly applied the vinegar to her skin. The bee stings burned in a bad way, but his touch burned as well, in an incredibly delightful way.
They strolled near the tree.
“Here we go,” he muttered, his arms suddenly wrapping around her as she leaned against the tree trunk and felt its rough bark press through the back of her muslin gown. He turned her so they now switched positions, he leaning against the rough bark as he drew her up against his chest and lowered his head to crush his lips to hers.
She felt the warm conquest of his mouth on hers, the demanding press of his lips, and the tension in his body as he sought to hold back, no doubt afraid he’d scare her with the searing intensity of his desire. She knew he wanted her and felt this same hunger for him.
She clutched the lapels of his jacket, needing to anchor the waves of sensation that began to course through her body. These were elemental waves, it was the only way she knew how to describe them. Air, fire, water, earth. The rush of air that left her breathless, while at the same time, a fire raged in her veins. Her legs had turned to water, no longer able to hold her up. She would have fallen if he were not supporting her, and now she was drowning in the power of his kiss. But he steadied her, his embrace comforting and planting her to the ground so she would not float away.
She was unprepared for the enormity of these sensations, but he’d told her to trust her heart and follow wherever it led her. The answer was obvious. Her heart led her straight to him.
Yet, how could she want him so desperately when she hardly knew him? How could her heart be so certain?
She felt the lick of his tongue along the seam of her lips and opened slightly to take more of him in. He probed, invaded, and yet there was a protective gentleness to the kiss despite its heat and urgency.
She’d lost track of the seconds, for this moment in his arms felt timeless, and she did not want their kiss ever to end.
“Violet! Do not kiss that man!”
Oh, far too late for that.
“Twenty seconds,” Romulus whispered, easing his lips off hers with a wrenching groan. He released her and stepped back.
She felt bereft.
She liked being in his arms.
How had he kept his wits together enough to count to twenty? She’d gotten as far as one, two…then completely lost her place. But this was her first time, and she had no idea what to expect.
He’d done this before, quite often if the perfection of his kiss was any indication.
“Caught with my hand in the tin of biscuits. We’re in for it now,” he muttered, obviously feeling not a whit of remorse for what they’d just done.
In truth, neither did she.
She liked the affectionate warmth of his smile and the emerald fire in his eyes as he gazed at her.
She’d thoroughly enjoyed clutching his muscles and running her hands over the hard planes of his shoulders and chest. Her only disappointment was the impossibility of touching his skin, for there were too many layers of fabric between them.
She had no idea her thoughts could be so wanton.
Was Romulus thinking wanton thoughts of her?
*
Romulus was not in the habit of strangling old ladies, but Violet’s aunt was making his fingers itch to wrap around her throat. He could do nothing but watch the harridan storm toward them.
Violet’s chin was tipped up in unexpected defiance.
He smothered a grin, realizing she’d liked his kiss and was not at all pleased with Hortensia for interrupting her exciting experiment.
Her first kiss.
He hoped he’d done it justice.
One glimpse of Violet’s starlit eyes revealed he had. He was glad of it, not merely because he was a prideful arse who liked to think he had prowess with women. He cared for Violet more deeply than he thought possible on such a short acquaintance. But it felt as though he’d always known her, that his heart had merely been waiting to embrace her. She was important to him, and it had nothing to do with any possible scandal.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” Hortensia scowled at Violet, the question delivered with the force of an inquisitor at an inquisition.
“I say…hurrah! I’m glad I kissed him and would not take it back for all the world.” But she tempered her defiance as she continued. “Aunt Hortensia, don’t be angry. You know I had to kiss him. This is what I was explaining to you about The Book of Love and the importance of testing its theories. Yes, this experiment was a few days rushed, but he was the perfect test frog.”
Hortensia stared at him as though he was a debauched hound.
He supposed he was when it came to Violet.
“Indeed,” Violet said, overlooking the silent exchange between him and her aunt, “I could not bring myself to kiss anyone else. Besides, we are betrothed and ought to be permitted some modicum of privacy.”
Hortensia cast Romulus another discerning glance. “So, you were her willing test frog?”
“I hope I am much more than that to your niece. The kiss was harmless enough.”
Hortensia snorted.
Violet smiled up at him. “Your kiss was divine. Well done, Mr. Brayden. Thank y
ou for being so…cooperative.”
“My pleasure, Miss Farthingale.” He supposed these sensations of love and sexual awakening were all new to her and felt like tests at every step. As for him, he was very much looking forward to tasting her rosebud lips again soon. He’d already sown his wild oats. This was no test or new exploration for him.
He’d been sexually awakened years ago.
But with this kiss, Violet had awakened his heart as well.
He was experienced enough to know what he wanted, and it was this girl with the soft, violet eyes and the beautiful smile.
“Impertinent girl,” Hortensia said with a sigh of defeat. “Wipe that cow-eyed look off your face and make yourself presentable. You have company.”
Violet appeared surprised. “I do? Who would call on me at this hour?”
Whoever it was, Romulus already hated them for interrupting his time alone with her. But he would get more kisses from her later today. He was happy to be the object of her testing if the results were as delightful as their first kiss had been.
Indeed, these love experiments could be quite jolly fun.
He strode to the bench and picked up the book, curious to read it cover to cover. These experiments might be enhanced if he understood better what he ought to be doing to increase Violet’s pleasure.
Despite his low brain function presently being in control of his body—Lord, he was in flames over this girl—he was thinking of how to make their lives together as husband and wife happy and fulfilled. This was the pleasure he sought to learn more about.
There, that was a high-brain purpose.
Even if his thoughts were still dug low in that sexual ditch.
“Lord Forester and his sister, Lady Rawley, have stopped by. They apologized profusely, but said it was urgent that they see you.”
Violet frowned. “Very well.”
She turned to Romulus. “Do you mind if we postpone our…” A pink stain shot into her cheeks. “…discussion until later?”
By discussion, he supposed she meant hot, steamy kisses.
Yes, he minded.
But he could be a gentleman about it. “Not at all.”
