Page 137 of Kathryn

Even in the throes of her bliss she heard Gerrit’s smug-sounding grunt as his hands slid around her waist and he lifted her until he could line himself up and then thrust inside her, the feel of him intensifying her contractions.

Rather than move inside her, he held still, his gaze pinioning her when she emerged from her erotic torpor, his thumbs tracing light circles on the tender skin of her pelvis as she came back to herself. “I love watching you come apart.”

Naturally, she blushed.

He cupped her hips with both hands and lifted her bodily with a show of strength that would have made her swoon if she had not already been boneless.

Katie frowned when he withdrew from her. “But you haven’t—”

“I know. Come up here. All the way,” he said, inching down the mattress.

“Gerrit?”

“Take hold of the headboard,” he said, not stopping until his head was between her knees. “Good. Now lower yourself over me.”

The comfortable fog of bliss that had surrounded her burnt away as she imagined how she would appear to him in such a position “Oh. Are you… certain?”

He made a sound that might have been a muffled laugh. “I am certain.”

Katie swallowed convulsively and lowered her hips. “Like this?”

“Just like that.” He looped his arms around her thighs and brought her down to his waiting mouth. His tongue, which seemed longer than normal, snaked out and lapped at her. When he closed his lips around her bud and sucked, her hips bucked and he gave a rumble of approval that vibrated through her entire body.

Her self-consciousness dissipated so quickly she knew she would be mortified later when she thought about it. But that was later. Right now Katie ground against him, her hands clutching the headboard as she used him for her own pleasure. She came apart with a loud, ragged cry, only vaguely aware when Gerrit lifted her up and then laid her down beside him.

“What are you doing?” she asked, a yawn distorting her words.

“Go to sleep, Kathryn,” he murmured, pulling the bedding up over her.

“But—you still haven’t—”

“Shhh.” He tucked her against his chest, the gesture so sweet and tender her eyes teared even though they were closed.

I love you, she thought, wishing she were bold enough to say the words.

Chapter Thirty-One

Katie sat back in her chair and studied the ammonite, blowing away some of the dirt she had just loosened. The fossil was the size of a serving platter and by far the largest intact sample she’d unearthed in her part of the dig. Most of the pieces she’d found had been damaged in some way, all of them smaller than this one.

The tent had piles of samples awaiting their final cleaning. Mr. Everett and Mr. Scott disliked the painstaking task, but Katie found it soothing and rewarding to gradually expose the full beauty of a fossil. Sometimes unexpected, and disappointing, fractures became clear as the cleaning progressed, but this time the ammonite was stunningly intact.

Katie smiled when she imagined Gerrit’s reaction to the beauty of the ammonite. A month ago, she might never have noticed the subtle signs that meant her husband was happy. But now, she found herself eager for the tantalizingly slight curve of his lips and narrowing of his eyes that meant something had pleased him.

Thinking about pleasing him naturally made her think about the past three nights, all of which she’d spent in Gerrit’s bed. Although she was alone, her face still heated at how boldly she had behaved last night, when she’d pushed him onto his back, climbed on top of him, and taken him inside her without speaking a word, posting him until they’d both exploded within moments of each other.

“You’re so beautiful, Kathryn,” he’d murmured just before he’d pulled her body tightly against his and they’d both fallen asleep.

She’d woken before dawn to find that he still held her tightly. He’d stirred when she’d tried to ease out of bed without waking him.

“Where are you going?” he asked in a sleep-roughened voice, his hand closing around her arm.

“It is morning.”

He’d opened his eyes, looking so adorably rumpled that she’d climbed back in bed and made them an hour late this morning. Grinning at the memory, she stood and brushed off her skirt before putting her tools in the metal bucket where she kept them. She’d just turned toward the tent entrance when a familiar, unwanted voice froze her in her tracks.

“The duchess mentioned your dig the last time I spoke to her so I thought I would come by and see what all the fuss is about, Dulverton,” Jasper said, his voice rich with mocking bonhomie.

Katie’s breath froze in her lungs as she glanced out the tent opening. They always rolled the flap back to allow in the maximum amount of light while still having some protection against the sun’s glare. Katie briefly considered untying the flap and hiding in the darkened tent, but she could see the shadows of the two men approaching and knew it was too late.