From Governess to Countess (Matches Made in Scandal #1)(30)

‘You must not be imagining some fluffy, white-haired, apple-cheeked old lady, you know.’

‘Nor a witch, even?’

Allison chuckled. ‘No, though my grandmother would most likely have found that description flattering. She was, as the saying goes, as hard as the stag’s horn and as prickly as a thistle. She had a heart of gold too, but she kept it very much hidden from view.’

‘And was there never anyone in this little Scottish village, who wished to claim you from this dragon of a grandmother?’

She lifted her head to meet his eyes. ‘An admirer, you mean? Youthful flirtations, nothing more. Though in London, there was a man.’

She turned away from him to stare out at the water. She had never discussed Robert with anyone, rarely thought of him at all, once she had cut him from her life. She had no obligation to explain herself to Aleksei, but she wanted to. She had not permitted herself to imagine that their liaison would lead to making love but the possibility was there, and now she did think about it...

‘When I first came to London, after my grandmother died, I was very lonely,’ Allison said. ‘This man and I, we became friends. And then...’ She forced herself to turn back to Aleksei, hoping that the darkness would hide her blushes. ‘You see I thought he felt as I did,’ she continued awkwardly, ‘that when we became lovers, it was simply a—a natural progression, though not one I wished to take further.’

‘But he did not think the same way, I take it?’

‘No,’ she agreed sadly. She hated herself for having, albeit inadvertently, caused such hurt. ‘He wanted us to marry, but for me that was out of the question. I was but a year in London, my list of patients expanding, but I was still nowhere near established. In the end it was an easy choice for me, but he took it badly, and I regret that.’

‘Though not the decision.’

‘No. He told me I was cold-hearted, but it’s not that. I have a heart, but it is reserved for my patients, there is nothing left over for anyone else. My vocation means everything to me, Aleksei. And for a woman, a calling and a family are quite incompatible.’

‘For a soldier too.’

‘I hadn’t thought of that. Is that why you have never married?’

‘Because I’m married to the army, that old chestnut?’

‘Well, is it true? There has never been anyone—you’ve never been in love?’

‘I’ve never been in one place long enough.’

‘So you don’t believe in love at first sight, then?’

‘A coup de foudre? The only fatal blows I am familiar with come from a sabre or a cannon ball. As to love—I’ve enjoyed numerous affaires.’ Aleksei frowned down at the river. ‘Lovemaking is the perfect antidote to making war—an unpalatable thought perhaps, though true none the less. But for me that’s all it has ever been, an idyll between battles, I’ve never wanted more. Like you,’ he said, ‘my passion has been for my vocation, to serve my country.’

‘And now?’

‘I have no idea, and until we have resolved the mystery—but there you see, I’ve brought the conversation back round to the subject we said we would avoid.’

‘Then we’ll stop talking, and simply enjoy the view.’

‘It is a very enjoyable view,’ Aleksei said, angling himself towards her.

‘I was thinking the very same myself,’ Allison agreed with a teasing smile, ‘when I was watching you clamber into the boat.’

‘Miss Galbraith, were you admiring my rear?’ He pulled her into his arms. ‘If so, I should confess that I have, from the moment I first set eyes upon you, been very much an admirer of yours.’

‘Aleksei!’

‘Allison.’ The way he said her name made her mouth go dry. ‘You can have no idea how very, very worthy of admiration your rear is since it is quite literally behind you,’ he said, sliding one hand down her back to cup her bottom, ‘but believe me, it is.’

‘If that is an attempt at a compliment, it is a novel one.’

She felt the rumble of his laughter. She felt the soft whisper of his breath on her face. ‘It is not a compliment, it is the truth.’

Her heart began to pound. He was going to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her. Ached for him to kiss her. She slipped her arms around his neck and angled her head in mute invitation. And he accepted it with alacrity.

The taste of him made her head spin. A hunger she had never experienced before ravened her as their lips met. She wanted to savour him, and at the same time to devour him. She felt torn, her body clamouring for release, but at the same time demanding deliciously protracted pleasure. She had never felt like this. She didn’t want to feel like this. She wanted nothing more.

They clung to each other, their mouths locked, tongues touching, darting, thrusting, and hands, feverish hands seeking skin where there was only clothing. Aleksei’s breathing was ragged. Hers was shallow. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes heavy-lidded. She didn’t doubt his desire was as strong as her own as he cupped her breasts, stroked her back, the curve of her bottom.

Only when he tried to lift her closer, and the boat rocked wildly, one of the oars falling into the water, did they come to their senses. Flailing for the oar, Allison would have toppled in, had Aleksei not caught her.