Chapter Twelve
There had been times when Drake had been away from London for over a year at a time, so why the hell five days felt like a lifetime, he had no idea. That was all the time he’d been in Bristol. Five days, in which not a single moment had passed when he hadn’t thought about Meridith.
In a very short amount of time, she’d turned his world upside down.
That was what it felt like, because suddenly there was a growing list of things he’d been wrong about that were piling up and crashing down on him.
He couldn’t seem to get out from underneath a single one.
The new ship was a beauty and would slide through the waters of the oceans as easily as the dolphins who would propel themselves along beside it.
There wasn’t a single thing he didn’t like about her, but even while standing on her half-built upper deck, the sea hadn’t called to him as he’d expected.
Instead, while standing there, his thoughts had been centered on Meridith. Including wondering what she was doing and if she was missing him as much as he was missing her.
During the short period he’d been away, he couldn’t deny that he had missed her more than anything he’d ever missed in the past. It was disconcerting, but he couldn’t deny it.
At one time or another every moment that they had spent together had played across his mind, reminding him of just how much he enjoyed her company.
He’d chuckled at the memories of playing croquet together, of the night she’d cut the bustle off her dress, of her first hug from Hugo, and of her sitting atop the elephant with her arms around a child on each side of her.
Other memories, of light-hearted conversations and deeper discussion about a variety of subjects had replayed in his mind, too, including the time they’d spent together while searching the streets for Hugo.
Those memories evoked strong reactions from him, not only of desire, but of yearning for the pleasure of having his arms around her, feeling her body next to his, and having a sense of companionship that he’d never experienced in the past.
He’d tried to concentrate on other things, but it hadn’t worked, and he’d been forced to face reality when he’d stood on the deck of his new ship.
Rather than imagining the familiar sounds of ocean waves crashing against the hull, he’d heard Meridith’s twinkling laughter.
And when he’d closed his eyes, to help him picture the never-ending blue ocean waters, he’d seen her sparkling blue eyes instead.
Nothing like that had ever happened before. Nothing had ever overridden his love for the sea.
He hadn’t figured out what to do about it all, other than to get back to London as soon as possible and see her. Just see her.
Therefore, upon arriving in London and finding his horse waiting for him as instructed in the message he’d sent to George, he quickly mounted the animal.
Knowing Meridith as well as he did, he headed to the zoo.
His heart thudded in his chest with anticipation, and the congestion of London traffic made him grateful to be on horseback as he passed coaches by the dozens, each sitting at a standstill.
Entering the gates at the zoo, he spotted a flyer indicating that the elephant rides had concluded a short time ago. His smile increased. He was convinced that Meridith would be here to help with those.
He left his horse with an attendant, with instructions to water the animal, and hurried towards the elephant enclosure. There was an excitement inside him the likes of which he’d never known.
From a distance, he saw two men carrying the howdah towards the storage shed near the Royal Zoological Society’s main building and increased his speed.
His gaze was glued on the elephant house, searching for movement.
There was no sign of Hugo, which led him to believe the elephant was inside, receiving rewarding treats.
Rather than opening the gate, Drake slid between two of the pipes of the fence and jogged around the building to the storage room. The door was cracked open, and he paused upon hearing a voice. A voice he knew well and had missed.
While every part of him wanted to rush forward and fold Meridith within an embrace, he found the wherewithal to ease the door open quietly and peer inside.
The storage room was empty, and the split door into Hugo’s house, open. He crossed the small room quietly and stood near the second door. Smiling, he listened as Meridith talked to the elephant, telling him that he should eat slower and savour the squash, because that was the last one.
Drake drank in the sight of her. The mass of glorious hair that had hung loose and nearly reached Meridith’s waist the night they’d ridden about London, looking for Hugo, was now pinned up and partially covered by a little straw-colored hat, its brim decorated with dark blue flowers.
He let his gaze slowly roam lower, taking in the back of her elegant neck and the stray hairs that had slipped from their pins and were lying against the neckline of her gown.
Her dress was the same shade of dark blue as the flowers on her hat, and—he allowed his gaze to momentarily settle near the small of her back—there was no sign of a bustle like the one she’d cut off.
He hadn’t burned that one. Instead, he had carried it up to his bedroom and tucked it away in a drawer.
Once his gaze reached the hem of her gown, it began climbing upwards again, taking in all of her feminine curves.
He felt a rush of desire so intense that he sucked in a breath to combat it. The noise must have been enough to catch her attention, because he watched her slowly pivot about.
The beauty of her face never failed to affect him, and now was no different. He pressed the heels of his boots harder against the floor to remain standing still rather than stepping forward to meet her.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and the delight in them had the power of an arrow again, striking him dead centre once more.
‘Drake,’ she said, with a slight gasp.
‘Hello, Meridith.’ He might have just stood there forever, taking her in, if Hugo hadn’t also noticed him.
The elephant twisted about so quickly that Drake bounded forward on instinct.
He grasped hold of Meridith by both arms, lifted her, and spun about, shielding her from the rapid movement of Hugo’s huge trunk.
But the elephant’s appendage just touched Drake’s back gently, before it twisted around him and Meridith both, sweeping them into a hug of greeting.
‘Hello, big guy,’ Drake greeted, and used one hand to pat the trunk, while keeping his arm firmly around Meridith, and his eyes on her.
She was still smiling, and Drake searched for something to say, when in all honesty, all he truly wanted to do was kiss her.
He chose to use a bit of humor before he lost his good sense. ‘I guess he’s the only one who missed me.’
She frowned, then, smiling, shook her head, wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest.
In that moment, wrapped arm-in-arm with her and Hugo’s trunk encircling both of them, Drake felt as if he’d just found a treasure. One that had been hidden inside him and, now discovered, filled him with a bright, amazing, and fulfilling warmth.
Lifting her face, Meridith asked, ‘How was Bristol?’
‘Good,’ he lied. ‘You got my message?’ He’d stopped at the zoo before leaving London and had asked Mr Ratnam to let her know where he’d gone.
She nodded. ‘Did you see your new ship?’
‘I did.’ He didn’t want to talk about that, talk about sailing. ‘How have you been?’
‘Fine. Hugo’s been fine, too.’
He didn’t want to talk about the elephant, either.
The desire to kiss her was still too strong, and this time, a simple brush of his lips against her forehead wasn’t going to satisfy anything.
Lifting a hand, he ran a knuckle beneath her chin and, ignoring any thoughts as to what the consequences of his actions might be, he leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers.
Her response, that of a muffled sigh, followed by a returning pressure against his lips from hers, sent a surge of excitement and pleasure throughout his systems. Their mouths melded together with the perfection of things that were meant to be united, and he tightened his hold around her.
Almost immediately, their lips were moving in unison, coming together with more pressure, more fever.
His hands roamed her back, her shoulders, and then cupped her face as the need for more took control. With little more than a touch of his tongue, her lips parted, giving him access to the sweet depths of her mouth.
The way her tongue greeted his was enough for him to make him lose himself completely. He pulled her tighter against him and continued to kiss her, thrilled by the tiny little moans that were escaping from her.
A deep groan rumbled in his throat, and his hands once again roamed over her, her back and sides, and then lower, as their deep and full kissing continued. He flattened his hands against her bottom and pulled her tighter against him as the blood in his veins grew hotter and throbbed harder.
The shock of what happened next sent them flying apart.
Gasping for air, from shock and kissing, it took Drake a moment to realise what had ended their passionate embrace. By then, Hugo was squirting a second snout full of cold water over him.
‘Damn it, Hugo,’ he shouted, flailing his hands at the water streaming off his head and into his eyes, trying in vain to see Meridith.
The deluge ended and he saw her, finally, against the wall. She was gasping for air, too, but mainly from laughter. One hand was pressed against her stomach and the other over her mouth, but her amusement could be heard and seen in her eyes.
There were a few droplets of water dripping from her hat and hair, but from the looks of her, Hugo’s aim had been good. The bull’s-eye had been the back of Drake’s head.