flung her arms around his neck, and grabbed on, her body shivering uncontrollably.
Joseph stumbled up the embankment, each step sending agonizing pain up his hip and down his leg. A safe distance away from the water, he sank to his knees, breathing hard. Water dripped down his face, and strands of his long hair fell over his eyes. He set Sophie down in the tall grass, bending over her. Her arms clung like a vice around his neck and shoulders.
“We’re safe now,” he breathed against her ear. His side burned like hell, but he ignored it. Sophie’s body continued to tremble and shudder, and he gathered her firmly against his chest, offering any warmth he had. He drew in a deep breath. While she shivered, his insides heated at holding her so close. Joseph cursed his reaction to her. This was a hell of a time to notice her as a woman. She sobbed into his soaked shirt.
“It’s all right, Princess. Everything’s gonna be all right.” He cradled the back of her head, and held her close.
“Lucy,” she mumbled. “Why? Why did this happen? This is all my fault.”
Joseph was willing to do anything at that moment to take away her pain. He didn’t know what to say, so he simply held her and let her cry. He stroked the back of her head, and brushed his lips against her forehead. How could he take away the horrible images of what she had just witnessed and experienced?
“Nothing is your fault, do you hear me,” he said forcefully. He held her face between his hands, and stared into her tear-filled eyes. With his thumbs, he swiped away the water that dripped down her cheeks.
“I asked her to come along,” she whispered. “If I hadn’t asked her to come with me, she would be alive right now.”
Joseph’s grip tightened. “I won’t let you blame yourself for this, Sophie. Steamboat boilers are dangerous. Explosions are all too common. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I should have insisted we travel by horseback like I first intended.”
She stared wide-eyed up into his face, the water from her drenched hair mixing with the tears flowing from her eyes. What could he possibly say or do to persuade her that Lucy’s death wasn’t her fault? A violent shiver passed through her, and Joseph wrapped his arms around her again to shield her from the chill in the air. He had to get a fire started, and somehow convince her to get out of her wet clothes.
Sophie raised her head away from his chest and gazed up at him. The moisture on her lips glistened in the sunlight. Joseph groaned silently. Before he realized her intent, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Her arms reached around his neck, and she leaned into him.
Heat raced through him like a wildfire out of control. He wouldn’t need a campfire to stay warm after all. He couldn’t control his reaction to her surprising move any more than he could stop his heart from beating. Joseph’s lips parted, and his hand reached behind her head, holding her to him. His other hand slid along her exposed neck, the contour of her jaw, and up to her cheek. His fingers caressed her soft skin. Sophie moaned quietly, driving his desires to greater heights.
Her innocence was evident in the way she allowed him to take command of the kiss. His lips slid along her soft mouth, slowly coaxing a response from her. Her heart beat fast against his chest.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, a warning bell went off. What the hell was he doing? Sophie had just lived through a terrifying and tragic ordeal. She was merely seeking a way to cope with what she had witnessed and experienced, and he was taking advantage of her like some moose in rut.
Joseph pulled his head back, and pried her arms away from around his neck. He sucked in a deep gulp of air, and fought to keep his erratic breathing even. The stunned look in her eyes - fear mixed with wonder and . . . desire, was almost his undoing.
“Sophie, I . . . ah . . . we need to get a fire started, or we’ll freeze to
Joseph stumbled up the embankment, each step sending agonizing pain up his hip and down his leg. A safe distance away from the water, he sank to his knees, breathing hard. Water dripped down his face, and strands of his long hair fell over his eyes. He set Sophie down in the tall grass, bending over her. Her arms clung like a vice around his neck and shoulders.
“We’re safe now,” he breathed against her ear. His side burned like hell, but he ignored it. Sophie’s body continued to tremble and shudder, and he gathered her firmly against his chest, offering any warmth he had. He drew in a deep breath. While she shivered, his insides heated at holding her so close. Joseph cursed his reaction to her. This was a hell of a time to notice her as a woman. She sobbed into his soaked shirt.
“It’s all right, Princess. Everything’s gonna be all right.” He cradled the back of her head, and held her close.
“Lucy,” she mumbled. “Why? Why did this happen? This is all my fault.”
Joseph was willing to do anything at that moment to take away her pain. He didn’t know what to say, so he simply held her and let her cry. He stroked the back of her head, and brushed his lips against her forehead. How could he take away the horrible images of what she had just witnessed and experienced?
“Nothing is your fault, do you hear me,” he said forcefully. He held her face between his hands, and stared into her tear-filled eyes. With his thumbs, he swiped away the water that dripped down her cheeks.
“I asked her to come along,” she whispered. “If I hadn’t asked her to come with me, she would be alive right now.”
Joseph’s grip tightened. “I won’t let you blame yourself for this, Sophie. Steamboat boilers are dangerous. Explosions are all too common. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I should have insisted we travel by horseback like I first intended.”
She stared wide-eyed up into his face, the water from her drenched hair mixing with the tears flowing from her eyes. What could he possibly say or do to persuade her that Lucy’s death wasn’t her fault? A violent shiver passed through her, and Joseph wrapped his arms around her again to shield her from the chill in the air. He had to get a fire started, and somehow convince her to get out of her wet clothes.
Sophie raised her head away from his chest and gazed up at him. The moisture on her lips glistened in the sunlight. Joseph groaned silently. Before he realized her intent, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Her arms reached around his neck, and she leaned into him.
Heat raced through him like a wildfire out of control. He wouldn’t need a campfire to stay warm after all. He couldn’t control his reaction to her surprising move any more than he could stop his heart from beating. Joseph’s lips parted, and his hand reached behind her head, holding her to him. His other hand slid along her exposed neck, the contour of her jaw, and up to her cheek. His fingers caressed her soft skin. Sophie moaned quietly, driving his desires to greater heights.
Her innocence was evident in the way she allowed him to take command of the kiss. His lips slid along her soft mouth, slowly coaxing a response from her. Her heart beat fast against his chest.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, a warning bell went off. What the hell was he doing? Sophie had just lived through a terrifying and tragic ordeal. She was merely seeking a way to cope with what she had witnessed and experienced, and he was taking advantage of her like some moose in rut.
Joseph pulled his head back, and pried her arms away from around his neck. He sucked in a deep gulp of air, and fought to keep his erratic breathing even. The stunned look in her eyes - fear mixed with wonder and . . . desire, was almost his undoing.
“Sophie, I . . . ah . . . we need to get a fire started, or we’ll freeze to
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