Bloody hell. Not again.
Another problem arose.
But Christ, her lips were soft and heavenly, and while her kiss could be considered more of a peck, the impact was devastating on his body. He could almost taste their shared breath. Feel the rhythm of their hearts pounding as one.
A low heat burned in his chest, and sparks ignited the air of the carriage. He breathed in her scent, the soft, peachy fragrance of her perfume was dizzying. Tension thrummed in his gut.
Her lips lifted from his.
Will shut his eyes. He didn’t want the moment to end. He wantedmore, but any more and his restraint would surely have snapped.
“Are you speechless?” Her amused question came. He opened his eyes to catch sight of the delightful flush of pink that spread across her cheeks.
The color captivated him.
“Can I try something else?”
The question terrified him. “I’m all yours.”
Will jolted when she placed both hands on his shoulders, then settled onto his lap. He sat still—completely still—as though a little exotic, untamed creature had ventured close and any movement might frighten it away.
He couldn’t help but repeat his earlier sentiment to himself.Dear God, what was happening?
“What are you doing?” Will asked gruffly.
“I’m not sure myself.” She playfully twirled the strands of his hair. “I’m acting only on impulse?”
Acting on impulse? “You are seducing me.”
“Oh? Isthatwhat I’m doing? Then it doesn’t take much to seduce you, does it? I’m not even doing anything.”
Not doing anything? She was driving him crazy. “Everything you do seduces me.”
“Is that so? Then I am to gather you have no regrets yet? Not even jumping into the Thames?”
“No, I don’t regret that,” Will said without hesitation. He would jump into the Thames a thousand times if it meant catching his wife. “But I do have one regret.” He finally, slowly, circled his arms around her to lock her in, admitting, “My biggest regret is not formally courting you.”
“Why didn’t you?” she asked.
Will inhaled deeply, collecting his thoughts. He had known this day would come. He had practiced his lines time and time again for just such a moment. It didn’t make it easier, but unexpectedly, it wasn’t as hard to begin as he’d thought it would be. “Few are aware of this, but most of my early childhood I suffered from a terrible stutter.”
The hand teasing his locks withdrew.
“All the children, but especially the girls, would laugh and make fun of the way I spoke. Eventually, I just stopped speaking to them until I could improve the flow of my speech.”
“That must have been quite difficult to bear.”
Will shrugged. “It’s long in the past. But in moments of extreme nerves for me, my stutter returns. When that happens, I choose to not speak at all.”
“That is why you never courted me?”
“It might not seem like a big thing, love, but you make me nervous.” Even now, his heart pounded in his chest like the hard beat of military drums. “The thought of stuttering through a courtship to the point where I couldn’t form a coherent word was a rather horrifying prospect to me.”
“But you haven’t stuttered since we’ve met.”
“I almost did, several times. Calstone intervened on occasion. He knows the signs. I...” Will cleared his throat. “I also practice my lines and sentences in my head over and over. Sometimes, taking a moment to repeat what I want to say in my head also helps.”
“That certainly explains some things,” she said softly. “I’m sorry you had to go through that in your childhood, but I appreciate that you told me.”
