Page 9 of Grave Expectations
I slumped down onto the sofa, my nerves twitching and jangling. He was being unnecessarily and unfairly protective of my so-called virtue. It was ridiculous, considering my background. While I might be a virgin, I was no innocent flower. I knew there were ways of pleasuring one another that didn't involve actual coupling.
I padded over to his door and flung it open, only to stop dead upon seeing him entirely naked. I'd already seen his body, back when he thought I was a boy, but nowallof him was on display as he faced me. And he didn't bother to cover himself up. He merely stood there with his feet a little apart, his hands by his sides. Only his impressively muscular chest rose and fell with his heavy breathing.
"You should have knocked," he said, as calmly as ever.
My face flamed, but I couldn't look away from his, er…masculine parts. "I'm rather glad that I didn't. I'm sure you'll admonish me now, but I really don't care."
His low chuckle rolled around the bedroom. I dragged my gaze up to his face to see what he looked like when he laughed, and was rewarded with a flash of white teeth and a gleam in his eyes. I'd never seen him look so happy. I lowered my gaze again. Nor had I seen him look so magnificent.
He prowled toward me with the powerful grace of a lion. If I really were a virtuous woman, I ought to run from the room, or at least avert my gaze. I had no intention of doing either.
He closed the gap between us and kissed me. Thoroughly. Completely. It was the sort of kiss we'd shared in London—heated and possessive and more intoxicating than champagne. He scooped one arm around my waist and I clung to him, one hand on his shoulder, the other shamelessly grasping one muscular buttock. Part of me couldn't believe I was touching him there. The other part of me couldn't believe how silken his skin was and how firm the muscle.
He suddenly let me go. It wasn't until that moment that I realized he'd lifted me up and deposited me on the other side of the door. I'd been too distracted to notice.
"Out, vixen, before I break my vow and give in." He stepped back, smiled the most wickedly delicious smile, and shut the door in my face.
"That wasn't fair!" I called out, hands on hips.
"That's the pot calling the kettle black. You haven't played fair since the moment you walked into Lichfield."
"I neverwalkedinto Lichfield. I was dragged there, kicking and screaming, right after you almost suffocated me."
As soon as I said it, I regretted it. Lincoln's methods to capture me and keep me at Lichfield still troubled him, even though I'd forgiven him, and he didn't like talking about it. When he didn't respond, I worried that I'd offended him. I didn't want him thinking I still harbored a grudge.
"Lincoln?" I said to the door. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up. It was a silly joke and—"
The door opened and he stormed past me. "Don't apologize." He dragged the sofa to the window and moved one of the occasional tables to the wall. "Go and change. It's time to resume your training."
"Here? Now?"
"Yes."
"You were going to tell me about the prophecy."
"I will, after training."
With a sigh, I headed to my bedroom and changed into my exercise clothing of loose men's pants and shirt. We exercised together until my skin became slick. Lincoln didn't look like he'd lifted a finger, whereas I had to gulp in every breath.
"Good," he said, with curt indifference when our session ended. "But you require more practice. We'll set aside time every afternoon."
"Even while in Paris?"
"Why waste the opportunity?"
"But I want to see as much of the city as possible. I may never come back here again."
"If you wish to return, we'll return." He strode to his bedroom and shut the door. The lock tumbled.
After I washed and changed into evening clothes, we headed to the hotel dining room where I felt quite under-dressed. The French ladies all wore gowns in the height of fashion, with jewels dripping from their ears, fingers and throats. My blue and white striped dress was reasonably pretty but quite ordinary by comparison, and I wore no jewelry.
Lincoln asked for a secluded table and we were led to an unoccupied corner. After ordering wine, he brought up the topic of the prophecy without prompting. "You know that I was chosen to be leader because the timing of my birth was right, and because of who my parents were," he said with a lift of his brow.
"Yes, but I know little about them except that your mother is a gypsy seer and your father is someone important. Is he a nobleman?"
"He is more than that."
"More?"
