“I'm sure I will,” she replied.
“Wise to bring your friend,” he said with a wink.
“I thought so,” she replied.
Inside, however, the room was nearly full. There were no more seats left. And they decided to stand with the crowd on the edge of one wall.
“Forgive me,” he said to Jane, embarrassed. “I never dreamed this lecture could be that popular.”
“Oh, it is perfect. Truly.” Her face was suffused with color. Her eyes sparkled. Her every feature seemed to light up. “I have never been here, and I have always wanted to go.”
When the speaker began at from the front of the room, Jane turned around to face them. As for his part, Nathaniel wasn't sure how he was going to concentrate on the lecture, especiallywith the beautiful woman he craved on one side of him, and a meddlesome, frustrating, smug-looking man not far away, watching the both of them with his beady eyes.
Chapter 27
As the lecture went on, Jane grew even happier that she was there in that place. Her eyes were glued to the speaker. He had a number of maps he was displaying, and he was explaining the different types.
The only thing that was distracting her, however, was Nathaniel's closeness. No matter how the crowd shifted, he still stood next to her, his arm pressed along the length of her own. She knew he too was listening to the man speak, but she could see out of the corner of his eye that he was glancing at her every now and again.
She could feel it, too. It was there, just as always, sparking and crackling between them: desire. But it was even worse than that, for it was grossly unsatisfied.
When she caught a whiff of his shaving soap, she closed her eyes and tried to think of maps, maps, maps. But it was to no avail. Her mind, her entire body, and all her senses were focused on Nathaniel's presence. She was frustrated with herself, however.
How could she be thinking of that when she had this wonderful opportunity to hear a lecturer speak on an interesting subject? Jane was again trying to focus when she heard Nathaniel's voice mentioning something to Margaret.
“Lady Margaret, your uncle was something of a traveler, was he not?”
“Yes, something like that,” Margaret replied.
“Do tell Lord Claridge of his adventures. I know that he is keen to travel.”
“But of course, Lord Claridge. I would be happy to. He always wanted to sail to Africa, you see…”
Margaret’s voice trailed away, and then Nathaniel turned back to Jane, and he grasped her hand and pulled her through it the crowd that was pressing in again.
She said nothing, but her heart started beating fast as she slipped between the crowd being pulled by him. Slowly, the sound of the lecture dimmed, and she found herself being pulled into an alcove. She thought it was an alcove until she saw a door, and they slipped into it, and Nathaniel pushed the door gently closed.
“What are we doing?” Jane asked breathlessly.
“I hope you do not think me terribly rude, but I was trying to get away from that cousin of yours. He seems determined to show up any time I am with you. Your friend seems keen to aid us.”
Jane chuckled and scrunched up her nose. “No, I do not blame you for that, Nathaniel. Nor do I think you're a terrible person. I quite agree. He is my family, after all. It is nice to have family around after so much loss, but I do not like that he seems to ingratiate himself into every situation. I am trying to be as patient as possible.”
“Well, you're doing a perfect job of it,” Nathaniel said, stepping closer to her, making her stiffen.
Was this the best place to feel such overwhelming desire that it nearly choked her?
“Are you enjoying it?” Nathaniel asked. “I'm sorry to have pulled you away. I just…”
He stepped a little closer. “It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me, Nathaniel. Thank you. And well, it was very interesting, I am not sorry to be missing some of it at least.”
She kept her gaze on him, even though it made her even more nervous. She gasped when he reached out to touch a hand to her face. “We will return soon,” he said. “I must simply—"
He couldn't finish his sentence, for Jane stepped onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Once again, this kiss was like putting a spark to gunpowder. All it needed was the tiniest bit of heat before it blew up into something far wilder, powerful, and hungry.
Jane was amazed at the noises she made as she felt his tongue stroke hers. Her hands slid over his shoulders as his moved from her waist down to her backside. She gasped into his mouth as his fingers opened and he squeezed her there.
The forbidden nature of it made her tremble with pleasure. What if they could do more right here, right in that moment, with so many others waiting just outside? Then she remembered Edward and what he might do if he caught them.
