yourself. The one you’ve given your heart to.” He stood and came around the table to stand beside her. He placed one hand on her cheek and turned her face to him. “Surely you haven’t forgotten about him, have you?” He leaned down and caught her lips in a tender kiss. Then he straightened carefully, and removed his hand. “Sorry. I’ve just been wanting to do that for weeks now.”
“What?”
“Have I totally befuddled you? I’ll go sit back down, then.” Basil returned to his seat with a grin on his face but continued to look at her. The air sizzled. Temperance fanned herself with her hand, until she realized she was flaunting her red, callused hand in front of Basil’s face. She buried it in the folds of her simple dress, sat down opposite him, and voiced the question that had been hanging in the air.
“We must address how we are going to work out our sleeping arrangements this evening, instead of dancing around the issue.”
Basil lifted an eyebrow and waved a hand to the bedroom. “There is nothing to discuss. You’ll sleep in my bed, I’ll take one of the chairs out here and a blanket.”
“Oh, but sir, I can’t let you do that. This is your home, after all. If anyone should sleep in the chair, it should be me. Besides, I’m much smaller than you.”
“But I can sleep on a real bed any night I wish. And, as I recall, you haven’t done so since you left Pennsylvania. The bed is yours, Temperance.”
Their eyes dueled with each other across the table. Neither gave an inch. Seconds turned into a minute, or longer. The range of emotions flickering across Basil’s face amazed her. Amusement turned into anger, which melted into lust.
When she sensed he was close to lunging across the table and kissing her again, this time not stopping until he had slaked his desire on top of the table, she dropped her gaze. Although she wished he would back her up against a wall and kiss her until she couldn’t stand on her own two feet. A bit unsteady, she rose from the table and went back to the stove, adding another log to the fire before she stirred their chowder. Her hand shook as she stirred the pot.
• • •
Basil clenched his jaw and tried to rein in his wild emotions. This was Temperance, a good, respectable woman, and he’d best bear that uppermost in his mind. The vision of him reaching across the table and pulling her on top of it so he could avail himself of every part of her body was such a strong image he almost believed he had done so. He took a deep breath as she rose from her chair, breaking their intense eye contact. He stood and paced to the window, where the snow continued to fall. There was no way out. They were both socked in until morning, at least. He would have to control his baser instincts with an iron force of will.
As Temperance poured the chowder into bowls and found some thick slices of bread, Basil turned to his stash of wine in the corner. “I say, if we’re to be stuck here, we should at least enjoy ourselves. As part of my duties as host of the evening, I’m all for opening a nice bottle of wine to serve with our dinner.”
Temperance glanced in his direction. “You will be drinking alone, then, Basil. I’ve never had wine before, and I have no wish to change that tonight.”
“All right then, Miss Prim and Proper. Although a good glass of wine is a wonderful dinner accompaniment.”
She placed the full soup bowls on the table, and laid out some spoons. Undeterred, Basil added two wine glasses to the table and poured the amber liquid into both. He waited for her to sit, then took his place and raised his glass. “Just a taste is all I’m asking. I have nothing else to offer you in the way of drinks, other than water.”
She picked up the wine glass and sniffed into it. “It smells nice. I’ll take a taste, but only to satisfy you. You’ll need to throw the rest of the contents away.” She brought the glass to her lips and took a shallow sip.
“You
“What?”
“Have I totally befuddled you? I’ll go sit back down, then.” Basil returned to his seat with a grin on his face but continued to look at her. The air sizzled. Temperance fanned herself with her hand, until she realized she was flaunting her red, callused hand in front of Basil’s face. She buried it in the folds of her simple dress, sat down opposite him, and voiced the question that had been hanging in the air.
“We must address how we are going to work out our sleeping arrangements this evening, instead of dancing around the issue.”
Basil lifted an eyebrow and waved a hand to the bedroom. “There is nothing to discuss. You’ll sleep in my bed, I’ll take one of the chairs out here and a blanket.”
“Oh, but sir, I can’t let you do that. This is your home, after all. If anyone should sleep in the chair, it should be me. Besides, I’m much smaller than you.”
“But I can sleep on a real bed any night I wish. And, as I recall, you haven’t done so since you left Pennsylvania. The bed is yours, Temperance.”
Their eyes dueled with each other across the table. Neither gave an inch. Seconds turned into a minute, or longer. The range of emotions flickering across Basil’s face amazed her. Amusement turned into anger, which melted into lust.
When she sensed he was close to lunging across the table and kissing her again, this time not stopping until he had slaked his desire on top of the table, she dropped her gaze. Although she wished he would back her up against a wall and kiss her until she couldn’t stand on her own two feet. A bit unsteady, she rose from the table and went back to the stove, adding another log to the fire before she stirred their chowder. Her hand shook as she stirred the pot.
• • •
Basil clenched his jaw and tried to rein in his wild emotions. This was Temperance, a good, respectable woman, and he’d best bear that uppermost in his mind. The vision of him reaching across the table and pulling her on top of it so he could avail himself of every part of her body was such a strong image he almost believed he had done so. He took a deep breath as she rose from her chair, breaking their intense eye contact. He stood and paced to the window, where the snow continued to fall. There was no way out. They were both socked in until morning, at least. He would have to control his baser instincts with an iron force of will.
As Temperance poured the chowder into bowls and found some thick slices of bread, Basil turned to his stash of wine in the corner. “I say, if we’re to be stuck here, we should at least enjoy ourselves. As part of my duties as host of the evening, I’m all for opening a nice bottle of wine to serve with our dinner.”
Temperance glanced in his direction. “You will be drinking alone, then, Basil. I’ve never had wine before, and I have no wish to change that tonight.”
“All right then, Miss Prim and Proper. Although a good glass of wine is a wonderful dinner accompaniment.”
She placed the full soup bowls on the table, and laid out some spoons. Undeterred, Basil added two wine glasses to the table and poured the amber liquid into both. He waited for her to sit, then took his place and raised his glass. “Just a taste is all I’m asking. I have nothing else to offer you in the way of drinks, other than water.”
She picked up the wine glass and sniffed into it. “It smells nice. I’ll take a taste, but only to satisfy you. You’ll need to throw the rest of the contents away.” She brought the glass to her lips and took a shallow sip.
“You
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