Page 59 of An Inconvenient Vow

“And what of my local reputation?” he asked in gravelly tones. To Sabina’s surprise, he sounded genuinely curious.

“Do you really want to know?” She turned her head to look up at him. He nodded at her, his eyes gleaming in the candlelight. “Very well then, locally you are thought to be haughty, disagreeable, and proud as a devil.”

He gave a short laugh. “Well then, I suppose that makes us a matched pair.”

Sabina caught her breath, but before she could voice a denial, he rolled her onto her back and swiftly covered her body with his own.

“Jeffree!” Her squeak made his eyes flash, but his big body pressing down on hers made her flesh feel terribly weak.

“You can give me the benefit of your experience,” he growled. “You can give it to me now.”

“What?” Sabina gazed up at him half-appalled and half something she did not even want to name.

“Show me what it is I should have experienced before renouncing it,” he suggested, his eyes drifting from her face to contemplate her thick braids flung out on either side of her. He certainly liked her braids, she thought dazedly. More than liked. Something was pressing very insistently against her stomach. Something that both alarmed and astonished her.

“W-what of your vow?” she reminded him, wishing to gods she did not sound so nervous. When she licked her dry lips, he growled and leaned down into her. “Wait! W-wait!” Sabina whimpered like the biggest pea goose in existence.

“I’m tired of waiting,” he said simply, and the next thing she knew his mouth was against hers, his lips soft, though exerting a steady pressure. Sabina’s eyes drifted shut and her hands slid up the front of his chest. His warm and lightly furred chest. Jeffree made a strangled noise in his throat and jerked his head back to stare at her. “Well?” he huffed.

“Well?” Sabina echoed, gazing up at him. The fact the color had crept into his cheeks, and he sounded out of breath reassured her. She had the upper hand here, not Jeffree! At least she knew what she was doing. Well, sort of.

“Is that it?” he asked, his eyes dropping to her lips. “Is that what I’ve been missing?” Sabina almost rolled her eyes at his dismissive tone. Did he really think she would be taken in by this show of disinterest when the evidence of his arousal pressed so blatantly against her belly?

“We-ell,” she said contemplatively, lifting her hand from his chest to tap her finger to her chin. Jeffree made an involuntary sound of displeasure in his throat. She ignored it. If he had liked her hands where they were, he should not have pretended otherwise. “It was fairly typical as first kisses go,” she answered with a shrug.

Jeffree’s face froze. “First kisses?”

“You are a novice in the art after all.”

“There’s an art to kissing?” His words were pronounced with scorn, but Sabina was not fooled. There was too much heat in his gaze, and rather than retreating, if anything, he crowded closer to her.

She stifled a whimper in her throat. “Indeed,” she continued coolly.

“Tutor me then, wife.”

Sabina caught her breath. “I am not sure that is a good idea,” she admitted in a wobbly voice. “These things should proceed by increments. You have already skipped several stages.”

Jeffree looked instantly affronted. “What stages?”

“You have not kissed my hand or even my cheek!” she pointed out with alacrity. “You have never paid me a compliment—”

“Yes, I have!” he interrupted swiftly.

Sabina halted a moment. Oh yes, there had been that business about her hair being strong and pleasing to his eye. “Oh. Well, mayhap you have paid me a compliment,” she admitted grudgingly. Of sorts. “But you have not praised me to my family or general acquaintance or made it known that you admire me.”

Jeffree scowled. “Our courtship was not conducted along those lines,” he reminded her needlessly and rolled off her with a suddenness that left Sabina blinking. “Is that what Hendry did?” he asked moodily.

Sabina concentrated a moment on breathing steadily in and out. “Yes,” she admitted lightly and bit her bottom lip to steady the wobbling.

“If I am not to contrast you unfavorably with Meliora, then I think the least you can do is spare me the comparison to Hendry.”

Sabina swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I am sorry,” she said stiffly. “But you asked me to give you the benefit of my experience, and the only experience I have is with my first husband.”

They both lay there a moment, breathing loudly. Finally, Jeffree rolled out of the bed and blew out the remainder of the candles. Not another word was spoken betwixt them until morning.

*

“I have been considering the matter,” Jeffree said without preamble, drawing his horse alongside her own. They had been riding now for two hours since leaving the priory, and this was the first time he had addressed her.