Rapture in His Arms by Lynette Vinet

cheek when she pulled down her hem and straightened her skirts. Now that she was slowly coming to her senses, she glanced quickly around to see if anyone were watching from the house that was a distance away—but she saw no one. Donovan watched her from his spot on the ground. “No one’s about, Jillian. No one saw us.”
    “Oh, then I suppose that—that makes what happened all right?” She could barely control her voice, it shook so much.
    “Ye wanted me to kiss ye, I wanted to kiss ye. ’Tis simple. A man and a woman desire each other, ’tis natural to want to lie together.”
    This time her entire body grew warm at the thought of doing more than just kissing Donovan Shay. For a split second she imagined how he’d look without his clothes on, and she was instantly shocked at herself. What was wrong with her? Why had she let Donovan kiss her like she was a woman without virtue? “This won’t happen again. I won’t let it. ‘tis sinful.”
    This time Donovan did stand up. He grabbed her by the arms, and his voice—that had been warm and melodious only minutes ago—was now harsh. “’Tis sinful that you want a slave to love ye? Is that why ye don’t want to lie with me?”
    Until that moment she’d forgotten he was a slave. She’d forgotten everything when Donovan kissed her, even Edwin. But she didn’t say this to Donovan; instead she wrenched away from him, putting distance between them. “I want you to leave me alone. Never come near me again. I’m married to a good man—a wonderful man. I won’t hurt him. Our lessons are over. I—I can’t tutor you anymore. I won’t.”
    “I see,” he said quietly. The disappointment on his face was more than she could bear. Jillian spun around and headed for the house, moving as quickly as she could, without actually running. Tears clouded her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Luckily, she made it into the house and into her room without anyone seeing her. There was no way she could explain the tears to anyone, especially not to Edwin.
    Standing at her bedroom window, Jillian noticed Donovan returning to the stables minutes later. Under his arm, he carried the Bible. Her heart skipped a beat to see him. Never had he looked more handsome to her—or more forbidden.
    ~ ~ ~
    Edwin sat in contemplative silence in his library. The afternoon was strangely quiet, almost as if the entire household sensed a difference. And, aye, there was a unique difference, he thought and fiddled with his watch fob. The mistress was in love.
    Perhaps not in love yet, he amended, as he gazed out of the window at the swiftly moving river. Jillian was the sort of woman who didn’t give love easily. Most probably she was attracted to Donovan; Edwin doubted that she loved the man. But something special existed between them, whether Jillian was fully aware of it or not. Edwin had observed his young wife lying on the grass with Donovan’s arms around her, and clearly, Jillian had responded to the man’s kiss.
    Of course, Jillian would respond to Donovan. She was a healthy young woman, and Donovan was a fine man. Both had needs—needs which Edwin no longer cared about. However, he had thought a great deal about his wife’s sexual needs for a very long time. He loved her and wanted her to be fulfilled as a woman. His time on this earth was about over, but he hoped to live long enough to see Jillian’s dream realized. When her dream was realized, then his would be, too. He could then die a happy man.
    Edwin had no doubt that Jillian would agree to his plan. She cared about him, he knew that, and she would do as he wanted. Donovan would be no trouble at all to convince, because he wanted Jillian. Edwin sighed his relief, contented.
    At last, the time had come.

CHAPTER SIX

    “Jillian, my dear, could you join me in the library?” Edwin asked Jillian, interrupting her work in the kitchen.
    “I’ve just started to help Daisy bake bread,” Jillian told him, both hands full of