His Californian Countess by Kate Welsh

He ached with need, but forced his thoughts to her. “Look at yourself,” he demanded. “How can you not know? I am the luckiest devil alive to have you on my arm.”
    “I don’t know what to say.” She stared at his refection. “If you’re sure…”
    “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” he lied. Oh, he was sure he wanted her. Leaving her at her door later that night would be a nearly impossible task. He pulled the door shut and held out his hand, gesturing with the other toward the narrow companionway leading to the captain’s quarters. “We shouldn’t keep Captain Baker waiting.”

Chapter Eight
    A mber heard Jamie curse under his breath, but then he smiled. There was something so mischievous about his look she had to question it. “What are you smiling about?” she demanded.
    His gaze flicked to his reflection in one of the saloon mirrors as they passed it. He looked over at her, then looked away, clearly searching for a response.
    If he thought the dress was inappropriate, why didn’t he just say so? She wished she’d tried it on before having it ironed for dinner. Amber stepped in front of him. “You’re blushing, my lord. Perhaps I do need to change.”
    “Why? You look like an angel.” He groaned. “It was your gloves, if you must know. I was mentally cursing them. I would like to at least be permitted to hold your hand in mine without a glove between us.” Now it was her turn to blush. “I’m such an utter clod. Now I’ve scandalized you. I should have warned you that I’ve managed to avoid most social occasions here and back in Britain. I didn’t go about in society all that muchbefore my first marriage, you see. And even less since I’ve been a widower.”
    Was he trying to convince her he was unsophisticated? It wouldn’t work. He was too astute and canny. Too handsome for his own good, as well. “I’m not fooled. You’ve been married so—”
    “I attended exactly three balls during London’s Season that year before I married a woman my uncle chose…”
    “The woman who somehow caused you to be caught in a compromising position with her thus forcing you into marriage.”
    He grimaced. “I wish I could go back and redo that morning I shouted at you.”
    “That is the problem with mistakes, my lord. They cannot be so easily undone. But I’ve always thought that was their purpose. Consequence is the great teacher, is it not?”
    She’d certainly learned a lesson from this whole fiasco. She’d never let herself be talked into anything that she thought was a bad idea again. She should have been more afraid for her heart and less for his daughter.
    The only problem was that she wasn’t sure that was a lesson she wanted to learn. Children were her weakness, but a weakness she refused to regret.
    “You’re very wise for one so young.”
    “Young? I was twenty-four at my last birthday. I was taking Helena under my wing when I came up with this idea to masquerade as her.”
    “There, you see. You have me at a great disadvantage. You seem to be privy to a good deal of personal and often humiliating information about me, while I scarcely know anything about you.”
    She raised one of her delicate eyebrows. “And yetyou claim to wish our marriage to continue. I have to conclude that is because you feel you have no choice and are bound by duty.”
    He paused steps from the captain’s door. “That isn’t true. I wish the marriage to continue because I know enough about you to be nearly sure we’ll suit. You are good. Kind. And moral. In Britain, and indeed in the upper echelon of your society here in America, pretense is often all that is shared before marriage.”
    She shrugged. That was true. Patience, her friend from college, had married one of the wealthiest men in New York and was miserable. He was not what he had seemed to be when they’d courted. She lived as a virtual prisoner and was only permitted to leave their house in his company.
    So perhaps