Lord help him. This was too much. In a swift move, he set the pot away from them and pulled her to him, covering her warm lips with his. A small mewing sound escaped her throat and she leaned her head back to accept him as a surge of masculine need heated his blood.
Their friends had waited this long, they could wait another moment. Or longer.
~~~
Hands cupping his head, fingers in his hair, Anna raised to her toes and pressed into him, answering her husband’s passion with her own. He tempted her lips apart and she submitted, savoring the feel of his mouth against hers. Slowly, as his kisses deepened, she trailed her hands across the breadth of his shoulders and rested them against his chest.
“I must have you,” he whispered, trailing hungry kisses along her ear and down her neck.
Her heart throbbed and she tipped her head, allowing him greater access to her skin. “We shall be late.” Her voice quivered.
“They can wait. I cannot.”
She couldn’t help the petite moan that escaped when he returned his mouth to hers. Anna’s knees began to weaken, as did her memory. Where had they been going? Why couldn’t they spend the evening hours in each other’s arms? Unbidden, the scent of the lamb caressed what she’d forgotten. The party.
She found a way to speak between kisses. “We must go.”
He hummed his protest and dusted his lips up her jawbone and into her hair, his hands molding her ever more intimate against him. “A moment longer.”
He descended, nipping at her collarbone and she struggled for breath as his warm mouth heated her skin. “I feared after our first time…I feared somehow—”
“I was a fool to stay away so long.” He pressed a full kiss to her lips and lingered, pulling away slowly as if the action might temper the fire between them. Resting his forehead against hers, Anna savored the warmth of his breath dusting her still-damp lips.
William nudged his nose to her ear and whispered so low, the sound barely passed his lips. “When we return
, I shall remind you of all the heated secrets of our love.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Welcome, dear friends.”
“Forgive us for our tardiness. ’Twas my fault.” Anna smiled as Eliza ushered them in, William just behind her. “I do hope the lamb has not been overcooked.”
Thomas appeared from the stairway and took the heavy pot from William, the two men sharing slaps on shoulders and heading straight for the kitchen.
Anna pointed where the men had gone, speaking to Eliza. “Should not we be doing that? The lamb I mean.”
Eliza gave a brief shake of the head. “Ah, nay. Thomas enjoys helping me and I certainly don’t disapprove.” She chuckled lightly and motioned to the parlor. “I will follow him momentarily, once I know you are settled.”
“Do not worry over me. I should like to help as well. Is there anything I can do?”
“Nay, everything is well prepared.” Eliza stopped, a pensive twist to her mouth. “There is one thing—you stay here, I shall not be a moment.”
Anna nodded, watching as Eliza escaped into the kitchen. A movement out the front window snatched her attention and she whirled to see the cause of the commotion.
’Twas Kitty and Nathaniel. She giggled to herself. Thank heaven she was not the only one to arrive later than planned. She reached for the door but hesitated when Kitty tugged on Nathaniel’s arm, stopping him.
Curious, Anna continued to watch, wondering if perhaps she should usher them in or leave them to their privacy. The purple shadows of twilight crept ‘round them, snow just beginning to fall. Kitty lowered her head as she spoke, then peeked back up. Nathaniel’s forehead scrunched then melted, his entire face drooping in bewilderment. He bent slightly forward and cupped her elbows, mouthing something Anna could not determine. Kitty’s face brightened and she answered, placing her hands on her stomach. Nathaniel pulled back, celestial joy lighting his face. He grabbed her at the waist and twirled her once, setting her on her feet before kissing her on the mouth.
Anna spun away from the window, reprimanding herself for not having looked away sooner. Such an intimate scene and she’d willingly stood and watched. She stared at the floor, blinking away pricks behind her eyes. How Nathaniel had looked at Kitty. How he’d kissed her. Never had she seen such adoration in a man’s expression. The smile on his face…
She closed her eyes and ground the crumbs of her desires to dust. Such would never happen for her. She must accept what God had allotted her. Clenching her eyes tighter, she fought the imaginations that hovered. What would it be like to have William look at her that way for that reason—to tell him she carried his child and to see the burst of joy in his face?
“Anna?”
She gasped at the sound of William’s voice and straightened as he walked near, his eyes darkened in concern.
“Are you all right?”