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could she be such a fool?   She was not some commoner who crumbled at the feet of a man!   So why was it that with a simple look, an innocent touch, this man had the power to take all that away?
    Jonathan smiled.
    And she shivered. Again.   Oh, that smile shall surely be my undoing .
    He turned around and called to a man not far off.  
    For the first time Catherine took notice of the men working behind Jonathan who were organizing, sorting, and tending to his ship.   In sharp contrast to Jonathan’s refined and confident presence, the crew was haggard and weather-worn.   A certain camaraderie flowed in and out of their conversations, but it was clear Jonathan was the master.
    “Will there be anything else, milady?”   Once again, he turned to address her.   His brows arched with encouragement and perhaps a bit of hope.   “You have only but to ask.”
    “No.”  She shook her head, suddenly wishing she was anywhere but where she stood. “Nothing.”   It unnerved her that she couldn’t trust herself, yet she made no attempt to stop him when he reached down and placed her hand in his.   Ivory white against bronzed skin met with a sizzling burn.   Time meant nothing to her as she watched him bring her hand upwards, his lips branding her knuckles with a mere whisper of a kiss.
    “Perhaps then, we shall meet again?”   His easy smile triggered a fluttering in her stomach.
    Catherine withdrew her hand quickly and stepped back, bumping into Emelie. “I doubt that.   Good day, sir.”
    Walking quickly through the marketplace, Catherine hardly noticed the other merchants and villagers.   She walked past those calling her, waving perfumes, gems, and cloths.   She rubbed the place on her hand where Jonathan’s lips kissed her.   The softness with which he held her hand, the tenderness of his kiss upon her skin, the warmth that spread through her body as he looked at her, fogged her thinking.   This is madness. ‘Tis a blessing Galen is not here to see me falter this way.
    She sighed.   Galen had been her champion since they were children, swearing an oath of loyalty to her when they were but eight years old.   How could she be so shallow as to already forget the devotion he had shown her this morning?   He had been so pleased when he presented to her a small sapphire brooch with diamonds circling the gem.
    Catherine trailed her fingers along the contour of the brooch that was now pinned to her dress.   Solid like the gem, Galen had been her rock, her pillar of strength, and as close to her as if he were her own brother, but for months now she knew his affections for her were growing far deeper than that.   Everyone expected them to wed, being as close as they were, and they should have by now, but it was Catherine who begged to wait.   She was still waiting for that spark, the telltale sign that love was true.   She wanted the same kind of love that permeated the castle when her mother was alive, a soul-searing love that bound together her mother and father.   Theirs was a love that knew no bounds.   And yes, they had shared lust, too.   Catherine’s mother never hid her shivers of desire when Lord Roberts brushed his lips against her cheek or atop her hand.    Much like the desire Catherine, herself, felt today with…
    A ripple of uneasiness swept through Catherine as she realized her mind refused to dismiss this merchant. She shook her head.   At this moment she was no different from the women in the village.   The same heated desire ran through her blood as did theirs, only she needed to escape those eyes and the touch that would have her stay.
    “Enough!” Catherine said, shaking her head.
    “Milady?” asked Emelie, running along at her side, trying to keep up with Catherine.
    “Nothing, Emelie.”   She released a ragged sigh.   “I have had enough for today. Let us fetch our horses.”
    “There you are, Catherine!”
    Catherine turned to the sound of Galen’s voice.