Octavian emitted another low, seductive sound, grabbed his shirt from the foot of the bed, and then tossed it on as he rose to peer out the window. “Blast, I think it’s going to rain today.”
“This is England. It always rains.” She climbed out of bed to join him by the window and almost squealed in surprise when he tucked an arm around her shoulders and drew her to him. The gesture felt easy and natural, as though this is how it was meant to be between them.
He grinned when she snuggled against him. “Are you cold, Syd?”
“A little.” It was the tiniest fib, for she was in her bare feet and the wooden floor was cool. She wasn’t cold yet, but would be if she did not soon don her stockings.
He wrapped both arms around her now. “Better?”
“Yes.” Perhaps she would not have to work so hard to gain his agreement about a night of intimacy between them.
Then she noticed the inn’s ostler and a few others already moving about the courtyard. Of course, he was not holding her in his arms because he was besotted with her and had to touchher. He was just keeping up the pretense of being a newly married couple on the chance any of them were watching. “I’ll need help getting dressed,” she reminded him, hoping he did not notice her disappointment.
“All right. Since we’re up anyway, let’s get you out of those nightclothes.” The words came out in a suggestive manner, as though the prospect was arousing to him. But this would mean he was not completely unaffected by her.
Even if he was having intimate thoughts about her, did it signify anything?
She was not the only woman he had ever taken to his bed.
Although he was discreet about it, likely he had taken many, many before her.
Being a kind man by nature, he probably embraced all these young ladies just as he was doing with her now. He must have helped them dress afterward because any young lady would not hesitate to shed her clothing before performingthe actwith Octavian.
Even she wanted to shed her clothing around this man.
This alarmed her, but she also regarded it as a learning opportunity.
Well, none of it mattered.
He was not going to remove his trousers for her and she was a fool for even considering it. Besides, they were in a hurry to get on the road. Was this not far more important? They had almost a full week of illicit bed sharing before they reached Scotland. Plenty of time for them to get better acquainted, and plenty of time for her to work up the courage to seduce him.
Waiting a few days before acting on her plan seemed prudent.
After all, they had both been quite tired after this first day of travel. She was always short-tempered when exhausted and Octavian would likely be the same.
They would settle into a comfortable travel routine within a few days.
It would also give her the chance to get to know him better. Yes, they had been friends for a while now, but had not really seen much of each other since his duties so often took him outside of London.
It was not yet time to do more than sleep together in the same bed.
She watched Octavian move about the room.
Dear heaven, the man was a wonder of nature.
She was going to put her plan into action before they reached Scotland.
There was only the slightest snag.
How was she to get him to cooperate? Especially if he believed she was doing this because she wanted her one night with him and then intended to run off.
Running away was still a possibility.
She would do it for his sake, if it proved necessary.
He wanted to spare her a life of misery with Sir Henry, but she wanted to spare him a life of misery withher. In all this time, he had not once mentioned the beautiful debutante everyone in thetonwas certain he was courting.
She was the one dropping occasional hints to encourage him to talk about Lady Clementine, but he never took her up on it.
