A Wolfish Tryst at Christmas Read Online Free Page B

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her tight clasp on her dress and helped her out of the gown,
pulling it up and over her head. Yards and yards of fabric slid
over her skin before he dropped it nearby on the floor. “Yet also
in that innocence is the soul of a woman crying to be claimed by
her man. It humbles me.”
    “ Yes, but I want to do the
same with you—claim you.” She trembled as his fingers unbuttoned
the embroidered petticoat. He tugged that over her head and tossed
it aside. “I hate there is so much fabric to keep you from
me.”
    Blake’s baritone chuckle resonated in
her chest. “I am doing my best not to tear your clothes as I’m
certain rationing means no supplies for new gowns. But if you
continue to tempt me, I might not be as careful.”

    “ You’re very considerate.”
She didn’t want to think of the war and its difficulties. She
wanted him. His proximity caused her to fumble at the strings of
the crinoline.
    He brushed her fingers aside and
finished the task. “One layer closer to the prize.” His eyes
twinkled in the dim light. “To you.”
    “ Naughty boy.” Elizabeth
gripped his shoulders and stepped out of the contraption. Despite
the urgency that guided her, she took the crinoline from him and
shoved it to one side of the room. No sense damaging it, as
replacing the thing would be more trouble than it was worth. “It
seems you have no patience.”
    “ Not where you’re
concerned.” Gently, he turned her around. As each hook on the
corset was undone and each lace was loosened, her heart hammered,
her chest expanding with each breath. Finally, he pulled the stiff
garment from her body. It landed with a dull thump against the
hardwood, and Elizabeth pivoted to face him. “God, you’re
beautiful.”
    “ So you say now. For all
intents and purpose, I’m mostly covered.” She still stood in two
additional petticoats, her camisole and drawers, all made of thin
cotton, yet flames licked along her skin in competition with the
goose flesh that chased over her arms. “I’ll finish here if you’ll
start your own disrobing.” Anticipation and worry lurked at the
back of her mind, but she ignored them. Tonight, she lived only for
the moment.
    “ I adore your spirit,
Lizzie.” Blake unbuckled his belt and set it plus the saber on an
embroidered chair off to one side. “I pray every day I’ll come back
for you.”
    A bit of her excitement faltered. “I
refuse to talk of the future right now.” Elizabeth tore at the
buttons on the other two petticoats. The cotton cool against her
fingers, she shoved the garments down her legs and from her
body.
    “ Fair enough.” As Blake
worked the fastenings on his jacket, he held her gaze. “Over the
last few months, I’ve looked forward to your letters. It’s a
terrible day indeed if the mail coach is late or the post can’t
locate us on the battlefields.” He folded his jacket and laid it on
the chair. “I hold one against my heart in my pocket—the one where
you told me you didn’t care about my hidden identity, the one where
you hinted at your love.”
    Her
chin trembled. She’d gotten through to him! “Even though I’d
already assured you of my feelings in person, I feared I couldn’t
properly express what more I felt in a mere letter. But truly, your
being a werewolf doesn’t affect what I feel for you. I wanted to
drive home that fact.” A knot formed in her stomach. “As long as
you won’t try and eat me during a full moon.” She smiled, though it
was shaky. “I’ll give you wide berth during those times when you
must transform.”
    A very wolfish grin parted his lips.
“Dearest, you know not what you say, for I will, indeed, eat you,
regardless of the phase of the moon.”
    The shiver that racked her body had
nothing to do with the slight chill in the room and everything to
do with being in Blake’s teasing presence. She didn’t know what he
meant by that, but she looked forward to finding out.
    He manipulated the fastening of his
trousers.