Chapter Fourteen #2
With a better idea of what to expect, she fired once more. This time, following the shot, she peered ahead at the target—and yes, right there! A crack in the wood was right at the top right corner.
“I did it!”
“Yes, you did.” Matthew lowered his voice. “Good girl.”
Her skin prickled, and she flushed scarlet.
He stepped away from her. “Without me this time.”
Without him holding her, the tops of her arms strained to hold the pistol. She shifted to find a comfortable position, and shot on her own. Over the ringing in her ears, a loud and satisfying crack of a round hitting wood sounded. Eagerly, she glanced up.
Her round had clipped the side of Trevor’s target.
“Look at that! I hit something!” Jasmine cheered. She shot a playful grin at Trevor. “You may have won today, but I’ll be out shooting you in no time, Trevor Reeves!”
A quiet clapping sound followed from the group.
Matthew reached forward and took the pistol from her, then handed it to Seth.
“We’ll give this round to Trevor,” Seth said diplomatically. He pointed at him. “Shoot anyway, you need the practice.”
Trevor nodded and did as he was told.
As Jasmine turned to Matthew, he closed the distance between them. Casually, he reached for her hand and laced their fingers together.
Her face burned beneath her bonnet at the open display of affection.
Calloused fingertips scratched over her delicate skin, and with a brief flash of heat she wanted them everywhere.
Looking down, she marveled not only at his hand but also at her own.
Between her forefinger and thumb, black marks of gunpowder stained the curve of her palm.
Matthew spoke to Seth. “Once it’s down to the last man, let me know.”
Seth nodded. “I’ll yell for you.”
Jasmine raised a brow and asked Matthew, “Where are we going?”
“To be alone.” He tugged her forward, leading her to the empty blanket far from the group. He plopped down and opened his arms to her. “Sit with me.”
She glanced around. Seth and Cassandra were on the middle blanket, talking to Caroline, while Lord Blackmoor and Trevor shot their rounds. Each family member turned away… almost as if they were deliberately ignoring them.
She laughed. “Cassandra is a terrible chaperone.”
“She knows discretion is the better part of chaperoning. I afforded her the same courtesy,” he explained. “We need to have time by ourselves.”
After Jasmine sat next to Matthew, he readjusted the parasol to block them from view. Lounging back, he sat with his legs open, then he patted the blanket between his knees.
“Come here. Let’s do what married couples do.”
Jasmine’s brows shot up. “Right here? In front of everyone?”
“Why not? Seth and Cassandra do this all the time, even before they married. No one will mind if we do it for a few minutes.”
Jasmine couldn’t believe what he was asking of her! Cassandra and Seth were the most amorous couple she knew. They routinely scampered off to engage in romantic rendezvous, even in public venues. Jasmine gaped at him.
“You mean... the marital act?”
***
Matthew’s shoulders shook with his laughter. “Blazes, Jasmine. I won’t debauch you in front of my family.” He opened his arms to her. “I want to hold you.”
She pouted. “You could be clearer with your words.”
“I like making you blush,” he teased. “And don’t call it the marital act.”
“What should I call it?”
“I’ll teach you the proper words for it later. For now, indulge me.”
She removed her bonnet and placed it near his feet. Her raven hair fluttered in the light breeze, and he wanted to remove her pins and run his fingers through those silky locks.
She shuffled to kneel between his legs. Tentatively, she reached one hand to hover over his shoulder, then back to her body. She pursed her lips as if solving a complex puzzle. After a while, she gave an exasperated sigh. “How?”
His eyes widened. “You don’t know how to be held?”
“I’ve never been held like that.” Face flaming, she averted her gaze. “Maybe when I was a child.”
“That won’t do at all. We’re an affectionate family, we hug often. I’ll show you how.” He twirled his finger. “Turn around, and sit with your legs out.”
He sat behind her and gently tried to encourage her to lean back, but she resisted.
He frowned. Though he had held her moments before, the intimacy of this hold made her stiffen.
After having her under him and helping her fire a weapon, she couldn’t abide his nearness?
As hurt entered his heart—her shoulder trembled, so slight someone else might have missed it.
Ah.
He had it all wrong.
With all of her bravado, was it possible that his confident, quick-cutting Jasmine was afraid to be held with love? He reminded himself that he wasn’t only her first kiss…
I’ll be her first everything.
What came naturally to him was foreign to her.
Having never seduced a virgin, he hadn’t considered how Jasmine might feel in the arms of a known rake.
He never would have imagined she might feel insecure.
With her scrunched nose and a wrinkle to her brow, he could almost hear the same thoughts churning through her mind.
“Stop overthinking,” he soothed, speaking to both of them. “Relax.”
Rubbing her shoulders, he kneaded softly into her tense flesh. Her breath hitched, then she released an inaudible sigh—a rumble he felt through her throat. As she acclimated to his touch, she relaxed her shoulders, surrendering as he worked out the knots in her muscles.
She hummed. “That feels good.”
“I’ll do this whenever you want.” He bit the inside of his cheek to push down the thought of giving her a back massage.
When she lay languid against him, Matthew rested one hand on her knee, and the other on her belly. Her breath rose and fluttered under his fingertips. Still nervous, but getting better. One day, this would be easier. In the meantime, he needed to be patient.
Don’t overwhelm her.
In the silence between them, the sounds of gunfire and laughter carried over from his family.
Sunlight filtered through the umbrella, casting an ocean-blue shadow over them.
As if in a cove of their own, he lost himself to the delicate waves of her breathing.
Warmth bloomed in his heart. Finally—finally—she lay in his arms, completing him.
After some time, Jasmine tilted her head onto his shoulder. Her chocolate eyes met his sheepishly. “Am I doing this right?”
“You’re doing splendidly.” He kissed her temple. “Tell me, do you sleep on your side, or on your back?”
“On my side. Why?”
“I sleep on my side too.” He nuzzled his nose against her cheek. “When we’re married, we’ll sleep like this every night. Or maybe with your head on my chest, we’ll find something that works for us.”
“You’ll wish to share a bed?” With a throaty whisper, she asked, “Every night?”
“Mhm.” He placed a gentle kiss on her neck, and she shivered against him. He lowered his voice. “I’ll insist.”
“I’m not sure if I can sleep in a bed with another person,” she mused. “Or tangled up like this.”
“Once you’re used to me touching you, you’ll enjoy it,” he promised. “You might sleep better, knowing I’m near.”
“You should know, I’m a light sleeper.” Jasmine huffed. With her nose in the air, she warned, “If you snore, you’ll have to sleep on the settee.”
“The settee?” Matthew’s voice rose in pitch, and he laughed. “Cruel wife, my legs will dangle off the end!”
“Best to breathe freely then.”
“Maybe I’ll have you on the settee.” He dug his fingers into her side and attacked every place she was ticklish. “You’ll have to obey me.”
She erupted in laughter, squirming and shrieking. “Anything but that!”
Before the tickling sensation became too much, Matthew relented. Breathing hard, Jasmine snuggled closer. After another hiccuping laugh, she said, “You should know, I’ll be a handful. I like getting my way.”
“Oh, I know. I’m ready.” He placed his hand on her knee, thumb stroking idly. “You’ll find a pushover with me. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
“Is that so?”
Jasmine covered his hand with hers. With her fingertip, she traced Matthew’s index finger, leaving a trail of black powder and fire in her wake.
Her fingernail grazed his skin as she slid her finger up, then back down.
Up. Then down. He skipped a breath. Surely she could feel his thundering heartbeat through her back, because one corner of her lip lifted, and she pressed his hand an inch lower on her leg.
Her satin dress bunched under his grip, lifting to show the lace on her petticoat at her ankle.
With her every movement, she tested her power over him.
She could have it all.
“Tell me what makes you happy,” he whispered. “Name it, and I’ll do it.”
“Hm. I’m happy now. Being here, with the family. With you.” She nuzzled her cheekbone against his chin. “Only one thing would make it better.”
“What would that be?”
Her voice was sure as an order. “Kiss me.”
All thoughts silenced as his blood left his brain.
The word ‘no’ formed in his mouth, because it was what he should say—but he couldn’t.
Every muscle screamed for action. She wanted him—and she was sober.
Her eyelids fluttered closed, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips.
As if they had all the time in the world, she waited for him to make his move.
Her breath landed on his lips, beckoning him.
Matthew breathed, “Jasmine, you torture me.”
“Please,” she whispered. “I want to get used to you.”
He cupped her cheek and lifted until their mouths aligned. She parted her lips to touch her tongue to his, and he groaned into her. Her tongue delved deeper into his mouth, flooding him with the taste of lemon tarts—so sweet he wanted to lay her down on the blanket and devour her.
Every inch of her.
At his limit, his restraint nearly crumbled.
He drew back, but she advanced. When she kissed him again, she pulled his bottom lip into her mouth.
Riding a dangerous line, he held her by the nape of her neck and took control.
Asserting hard pressure, he danced his tongue over hers, drawing a low moan from the back of her throat.
Using every ounce of his willpower, he separated from her.
“Stop.” Through harsh breaths, he whispered, “I can’t.”
Rejection hollowed her voice. “Can’t…?”
“Don’t misunderstand.” He held her tight, as if he could absorb her. “I want you, but I want to do this right.”
“Matthew…” Jasmine buried her head in his shoulder, muffling her voice. “Are you in—”
Seth’s voice called out.
“Matthew, you’re up!”
Not anymore. “I’ll be right there!”
Jasmine shifted in his arms. As if nothing had transpired, she gave him a soft smile. “Let’s not keep them waiting.”
She reached for her bonnet and stood, leaving an indent from her body on the blanket.
Matthew rose to his feet. Before she could do it herself, he reached forward to fasten her bonnet.
Carefully, he tied the sea-foam green ribbon below her chin.
Her blush accented a smudge of gunpowder on her cheekbone and a black streak across her nose.
Like war paint.
Had she left her mark on him as well?
Using his sleeve, he wiped soot from her face. Wanting to claw back the moment lost to them, his voice gentled. “What were you going to ask?”
Her gaze slid away from his. A hint of vulnerability flashed in her expression.
And she lied to him.
“It isn’t important.”