Chapter 6 #3
“Please…Adam. This is so much, so soon,” Susanna blurted nervously, her better judgment finally gaining some small advantage over her bewildering feelings.
“We’ve hardly had a chance to become acquainted…
and—and you said we had time. You’re rushing me” —she twisted slightly in his arms, bracing her hands upon his chest— “rushing this, yet you said you wouldn’t! ”
“Forgive me,” he said, her words piercing the mounting desire clouding his brain. With great reluctance, he gradually began to release his hold upon her, although his body was demanding that he begin a far more sensual assault.
Dammit, man, you’ve got to move more slowly with her! he berated himself, drawing a deep, ragged breath. She was quaking like a leaf in autumn, her brilliant sea-green eyes so wide he felt as if he could plunge right into them.
Shaken by another streak of hot desire, Adam had to steel himself again from the reckless course his body wanted to take.
God help him, if only she wasn’t so soft and warm.
If only her lush body didn’t mold so perfectly to his!
She would tempt any man’s baser nature to hold her as closely as he had just done.
But he wasn’t any man. He was the man she was going to marry.
And he had promised to give her as much time as she needed, promised to court her gently.
Well, by God, he would court her so gently that one day soon, instead of shaking like a nervous virgin in his arms, she would melt like butter and bend eagerly, even wantonly, to his will.
“You might not think it much of an excuse, but if I seem overly eager, it is because you are so beautiful,” Adam admitted honestly, holding only her hand now.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m rushing you, Camille.
I promise on my honor that you won’t have reason to accuse me of that again.
Now, come with me.” Drawing her with him, he paused beside his grazing mount to grab the saddlebag, then said, “How about if we sit by the water? We’ll have our dinner and become better acquainted. I think that’s something we both want.”
A nod was her only reply, but he wasn’t concerned, surmising she was still shaken by his ardor.
Yet once she saw that he fully intended to woo her gently, he was certain she would trust him and be comfortable enough in his presence to abandon her shyness.
Already she seemed to be sharing more of her feelings with him.
Her timely emotional outburst had proved that.
“I forgot to bring a blanket,” he apologized, releasing her hand to shrug out of his coat. He laid it upon the sweet-scented grass, then gestured with a flourish. “For you, my lady fair.”
As she grudgingly sat upon his coat, Susanna could not help thinking how such a gentlemanly display might have easily charmed another woman, perhaps even Camille, but she wasn’t fooled. Just as she wasn’t fooled by his honorable promise.
Men like Adam Thornton didn’t have any honor, and she would do well to remember it.
She didn’t trust him, especially not after what had just happened.
Yet she had to admit that she didn’t trust her feelings right now, either.
Looking at the way his sweat-dampened shirt clung to his wide shoulders and accentuated his powerful biceps was enough to make her feel strange…
Bloody hell! Susanna cursed to herself, glancing away just as Adam caught her staring at him. What the devil was coming over her?
Disconcerted, she did her best to concentrate upon the array of food Adam was placing between them: a crusty loaf of bread, thick slices of ham, a small wheel of cheese, and plump apple tarts, all the while thinking determinedly that she would have to learn to keep a tight rein on her emotions whenever she was around him.
She hoped that, after today, that wouldn’t be often. In fact, she would see to it.
“Wine?”
“Yes, thank you.” She took the silver goblet, amazed that Prue would have thought to pack such fine service for a picnic dinner.
There were also white linen napkins; holding her wine, she laid one neatly across her lap.
She watched silently as Adam cut her a thick slice of bread, topped it with ham and crumbled cheese, then set it upon a small silver plate and handed it to her.
“Have you ever tasted our famed smoked Virginia ham?”
“No,” she replied, the smell of food making her stomach growl with added ferocity.
“I’d say you’d better try it. You sound pretty hungry. I’m not surprised, since I heard from Prue that you didn’t eat much yesterday.” His gaze flickered to her slender waist. “I would think you have more room in that riding habit than in the gown you wore yesterday. Stays aren’t laced so tightly.”
“How…?” The minute the question popped out, Susanna felt like a naive fool. Of course a rogue like him would know about such things. No doubt he had unfastened his fair share of women’s laces. Probably a randy lion’s share, from the looks of him.
“Suffice it to say, my love, I’ve had some experience with women’s clothing, which I hope doesn’t shock you. Any young woman should be pleased when the man she chooses for her husband has the…skills to satisfy her. “
You can wager that I’ll never choose you, Susanna thought defiantly, although she felt an unbidden and rather wanton niggling of curiosity about the skills he might possess.
Her unladylike interest irked her all the more, and she bit with a vengeance into her food.
She did not look at him again until she had eaten every morsel and drained her red wine, but when she did raise her eyes, she found he was smiling broadly at her.
“You were hungry. Can I cut you some more bread? Ham?”
“No, but I will take an apple tart.”
Adam threw his head back and laughed, a deep, rich sound that Susanna had to admit was very pleasant. Yet she had no idea what he found so funny.
“By all means have a tart. Take two,” he said, his eyes dancing.
“My God, Camille, you’re such a sweet innocent.
If I’d known my comment about women’s clothing would upset you so, making you wolf down your food, I wouldn’t have said it.
I see that I’ll have to keep such comments to myself until…
” He didn’t finish but took a long, slow draught of wine, his gaze never leaving her face.
Embarrassed for obviously making a pig of herself, Susanna kept her eyes upon the lush grass at her feet as she nibbled the tart.
She was wholly amazed that Adam had so misread her, but it was just as well.
It wouldn’t do for him to know what she really thought of him.
Not yet. She needed his services at Briarwood, especially after what she had seen today.
She had never imagined the plantation would be so vast, the laborers so many, the responsibilities so great.
One hundred thousand tobacco plants in rows across countless fields!
Add to that secondary crops of wheat and Indian corn, and it was easy to see why she could never direct such an operation by herself.
Just hearing how Adam had thrown that cruel overseer off Cary lands had proved to her that managing a plantation could be a very rough business.
Until she was betrothed to a man who could take on these duties, she needed Adam.
For Briarwood’s sake, she would have to bear his unwanted advances.
“Tell me, Camille,” he said, his rich voice nudging her from her musings. He leaned forward and poured her more wine, then drew up one knee and leaned his arms upon it. “What do you think of the plantation?”