Page 77 of Forget Me Not

He’d lowered his voice, so she lowered hers. The closet was so small, they were within easy whispering distance. “Then why have you come in here rather than simply claiming me for the seekers’ team?”

“Because it has occurred to me that you haven’t any idea how very diverting it can be to spark a bit while hiding in the dark.”

“Sp—spark?”

His hand settled at her waist, the warmth of it seeping through every layer she wore. “We’re married, sweetheart. We’re allowed a stolen embrace now and then.”

Anticipation beat a rhythm of fascination against her ribs. “Do you want to? Withme?”

“You’re a far better option than any of the other people in this house.”

“How flattering,” she said dryly.

“In the words of our French friend, we’d best not simply stand here. We’ll run out of time.”

Heat stole up her neck. She didn’t mind. “One must never ignore a Frenchman’s advice on matters of... sparking.”

His hand slid achingly slowly from her waist to her back, his arm wrapping around her. The movement pulled her flush with him, her open palms pressed against the silk of his jacket, her fingers brushing over the lace ruffle beneath his cravat.

“Do you want to know a secret, Julia?” His breath against her cheek sent a shiver down her back. “Kissing you is vastly enjoyable.”

There in the dark, he kissed her cheek, then the sensitive spot beneath her ear. A shiver tiptoed over her, rushing her pulse. He kissed her neck beneath her other ear. The air quivered from her lungs.

“Vastly enjoyable.” He whispered the words against her lips.

He’d kissed her the night before, a gentle salute of reassurance and concern for her health, but the way he kissed her now was quite different. There was a heat to it that spread through her at every touch of his lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. The movement knocked loose a bit of his hair, sending golden waves lapping softly against her hands and arms.

“Julia,” he whispered, shifting to press kisses along her jaw. “My Julia.”

A pounding on the closet door shattered the moment. She jumped, startled. Lucas released a tense breath, loud enough that whoever had knocked might very well have heard it.

“The seekers have found us,” Julia said almost silently.

“If we keep really quiet, the troublemakers will eventually go bother someone else.”

She pressed her forehead to his chest and held back a laugh, unsure if it arose from actual hilarity or simply how overwhelmed her senses were. His hands remained pressed to her back, and he held her.

“We all know you two are in there.” There was no mistaking Digby’s imperious tone. “Everyone’s been found, and we’re ready to go again.”

“Come back after a few more goes,” Lucas called back. “We’re busy.”

“You release Our Julia, or the lot of us are coming in there to rescue her.” That sounded like Kes. Even Grumpy Uncle was joining in on the teasing.

Julia could not hold back her giggles.

“That sounds like crying. Is she crying?” Henri asked.

“For your information, she is laughing. I am attempting to quite thoroughly kiss my wife, and thanks to the lot of you, she’s now laughing.” Lucas sounded like he was going to laugh as well.

“Perhaps we had best join them, Lucas,” Julia said.

“If we do, they win.”

Heavens, she hadn’t laughed this much in ages. “I thought this wasn’t about winning.”

“At the moment, it appears to be about losing.”

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