The Officer's Temptation | A Regency Romance

Epilogue

A low fire crackled in the grate. Outside, rain pecked against the glass and gray mist swirled over the green grass that would shortly fade into the drab tones of autumn. Snug inside against the early chill, Marlowe balanced a tablet on his knee, sinking back into the leather chair. His pencil skimmed the paper he had clipped to the tablet, a drawing of a newel post to show to the woodworker. The master architect that he was apprenticing under was having him complete designs of some of the details that were being planned for an estate renovation and Marlowe was studying his drawing critically, looking for any potential weakness in his design.

He was quite absorbed in his work and therefore flinched mightily when he heard a tapping at the garden door. A blurry face was pressed against the rain-soaked glass which was now clouded over with the fog of close breath. He nearly fell out of his chair in shock before collecting his senses and rushing over.

As soon as he had unlatched the door, a rather soaked Miss Jennings flew inside.

"Kate!" he gaped. "Darling what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be back for another week!"

She looked up at him from under her dripping bonnet with an expression that hovered between embarrassment and joy. "I thought that I would surprise you!" she said uncertainly. She raised her arms slightly. "So... surprise?"

That was when it hit him that Kate was completely soaked through. Though the days were already cooling, she had chosen to wear what must have been her lightest, most summery gown--a delicate white muslin with yellow flowers. It was, unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately in his opinion, almost completely transparent with the moisture and clung to her like a second skin, sticking to the delectable swell of her breasts to expose the puckered caps of her nipples,contouring to the curve of her hips and thighs. Whatever shift she was wearing underneath was woefully unprepared to deal with this level of damp. He would have to order her something much more robust once they were married if she was going to be making such a habit out of these rainy strolls. Or perhaps, as her husband, he could ask that she forgo the use of undergarments at all. Now that was a tempting thought.

She cleared her throat. "Is it an unpleasant surprise? I thought you'd be happy to see me, but you're just standing there with your mouth open."

"Did you fall into a lake?" he teased, closing the distance between them in one prowling step.

"You devil," she said, biting her lip as he pulled her against him. She made a little gasp as their bodies met. He could do nothing to hide his rising excitement.

She started to say something else, but he pressed a hand over her mouth. "Sshh, I don't think anyone would have seen you come in. My parents are gone to London, not due back for another day and the staff's all down to tea. So if you are a good, quiet girl..."

"I'm never a good girl," she smirked, but her mischievous expression faded as she met his gaze and caught the heat burning in his eyes. Her lips parted, begging to be kissed.

He yanked the ribbon of her ridiculous dripping bonnet, and pulled it from her head. Her dark hair clung in little spirals to her wet skin and tickled his hand as he slid his palm up to the nape of her neck. Her mouth was warm and welcoming even as the wetness of her clothing began to penetrate through the cloth of his clothes. "You must be freezing," he said, nipping the tip of her ear with his lips and luxuriating in her familiar scent.

She shuddered. "I missed you."

"And I you," he purred, tracing his hand down the curve of her spine. "In every way."

"You said we were quite alone?"

His errant hand had made it to the delightful swell of her bottom, "Do you remember the first time you called upon me this way, soaked to the bone? I wanted to take you right then and there. I dreamed of it for weeks."