Page 8 of Caught in Time
She raised her light green eyes up to him deciding to lose herself in work until some sense could be made of her situation. It occurred to her then that losing herself in work had all too often been her problem.That is probably why Samuel cheated on me.She quickly dismissed the thought.
“Ah, yes. Your medical experience. What sort of work have you done with your father?”
Charlotte hesitated, unsure of how to answer.I can’t very well tell him that I’m a surgeon who worked in a large hospital and that I attended university, medical school, and had a successful internship. It would only cause him to become confused.
“Um, why don’t you ask me a few questions, and then you can judge how useful my experience is.”
“All right.”
Spencer tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment, then proceeded to ask her a number of questions regarding human anatomy, diseases, and treatments. As the conversation progressed, her knowledge and the ease of her responses seemed to impress him. He began seeking her opinion on a wide array of topics.
****
Spencer studied her, thinking she was unlike any woman he’d met before. She was flirtatious and witty,not to mention brilliant,but more than anything her words and smiles were not calculated like so many women he’d met before. He had courted women in the past, but none of them had ever seemed ...sincere.
Spencer asked Charlotte a few more questions. The extent of her medical knowledge continued to thoroughly impress him.
They passed by the carriagehouse and a private stable for the horse, pausing in the shade of a nearby weeping willow tree,and he turned to inquire about another subject, but the words slipped from his mind as she raised those huge light green eyes to him. Enraptured, he fought the urge to reach out and stroke a strand of her glossy ebony hair.
He couldn’t resist.
Ever so gently he stretched out a hand and drew his fingers through the silky locks. The strands ran like water across his skin.Pure silk. Will the rest of her be so velvety smooth?A flash of guilt sent heat to his face. His high collar nearly choked him. He had no right to such thoughts, but the urge to kiss her was strong. He hadn’t kissed a woman since... Well, it was difficult to remember when exactly, it had been entirely too long.
Oh, what the hell...
He slid a palm across her cheek and stepped forward, closing the distance between them to claim her lips in a soft, gentle kiss.
Spencer should have been disappointed. When her supple lips parted it was obvious she’d been kissed before ... kissed well. But he was anything but disappointed. It was almost unbelievable how good she tasted. His mouth opened against hers as his tongue prepared to intrude the wetness of her mouth only to find hers already there, meeting him halfway. He greedily accepted what she offered and took her mouth in a deepening kiss, groaning deeply.
****
Charlotte’s heart hammeredso hard in her throat she was aware of little more than the sound of blood rushing in her ears, and his lips over hers. His kiss was better than any drug, dizzying, electrifying, leaving her reeling, and as she prepared to dissolve in a liquid pool on the grass, her arms curled around the strength of his neck. He was so tall the movement of pure self-preservation only served to fit her flawlessly against the contours of his body. The magical movement captivated her, and Charlotte became convinced she’d ascended into a dream. The touch of his mouth was like a healing balm poured directly over the gaping wounds in her heart. Her mind swirled in ecstasy as she inhaled Spencer’s masculine scent. His fingers and lips enthralled her. She never wanted to leave the inviting haven of his arms.
He broke the kiss off suddenly and for a long moment she could do little more than stare into his face with passion-clouded eyes. His blond hair was tousled from the wind, and she had an intense desire to run her fingers through the wavy thickness. The vivid blue of his eyes held her transfixed in a timeless moment. Never had she responded with such wantonness. Softly, she sighed as her lips spread in a silent summons. His arms tightened about her waist, and he bent to claim her lips once more, but...
“No!” she whispered, gasping and pushing him away from her.What am I doing? I can’t let him kiss me again!The thought flooded her senses, and the idea was anything but unpleasant. She knew better than to get involved with a man here ...now! Ever, for that matter...
Spencer reached for her, but she quickly sidestepped his grasp.
“Don’t Spencer. You ... you, don’t know what I am.”
Frustrated, Charlotte pressed her palms to her forehead. “I don’t even know where I am! I’m sorry.”
Charlotte turned to escape. She refused to get involved with a man in 1864. It would only cause more pain and anguish in the long run.
“Charlotte, wait.”
He snared her arm, successfully halting her flight.
Spencer dropped her arm. Charlotte quickly backed away, brushing the hair off her shoulders and looked down. She silently berated herself for opening to Spencer as she had. She was confused but knew that the last thing she needed was for another man to betray her as Samuel had. She admitted to herself that Spencer was both heady and alluring, but she was certain that romantic entanglement with himnowcould only lead to further heartbreak.
Steeling herself against the almost physical pull of the man, she resolved not to get carried away again. Even though Annabelle had convinced her that the portal was only one way and that there was no way back to 2024, she was still sad to have met a man like Spencer with whom she could have no future. She knew it was impossible to become involved with Spencer when the pain of Samuel’s flagrant breach of trust was still all too fresh.
