IV
Jonathan woke to the pale light of dawn. He blinked his eyes open and found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. This was not his bed in his home. He did not hear the familiar sounds of Max beginning the morning chores around the house. He didn't hear much of anything, actually. The silence was eerie.
He sat up but was impeded by a weight over his body. There was an arm wrapped around his waist. An arm attached to a beautiful woman who began to awaken when he inadvertently jostled her.
The memories came flooding back. Going to court to see the King, meeting all those people, dancing with the sorceress, sending Max home alone so he could accompany the sorceress up to her tower room. And this was that room. It felt like a dream, but it must have been real. He was here, in her bed. He must have…they must have…
"Good morning," she greeted as she sat up, pulling the blanket up over her body. Her voice was a little hoarse. But she smiled. And Jonathan felt his heart flutter a little.
He smiled back at her. "A very good morning," he replied.
"I can arrange for some breakfast, if you'd like," she offered.
"I…" Jonathan was about to politely decline, citing his need to get back home to Max and to his business, but the words died in his throat. He didn't really want to go back to any of those things. Not just yet. She was just so beautiful, and he didn't want to leave her. Probably her magic. Or maybe it was just that smile. "I'd like that," he said.
She gave a nod of satisfaction. "Good. I'll see to it."
He watched as she stretched her arms up over her head and let the blanket fall. She had a thin linen nightgown that revealed almost as much as it covered. When she got out of bed, he got a glimpse of long, shapely legs before the nightgown covered them, reaching nearly to the floor as she stood. He longed to see beneath that light fabric, and he cursed himself for not being able to remember the full glory of her.
She could feel his eyes on her and she smirked to herself. Men often looked at her, and that was no surprise. But the gaze of this man was not hungry—well, not just hungry. He looked at her with admiration and desire. It did not make her uncomfortable or in any way on guard. Quite the opposite. It made her feel safe. There was not a man alive who could protect her better than she could protect herself, of course. It was just that the way Jonathan Hart looked at her made her feel as though perhaps she wouldn't need to protect herself. At least not from him.
The bed creaked when he got out of it, and Jonathan found himself under a blanket on top of the rest of the bedding with all of his clothes still on. How strange. But he did not devote too much thought to it. He crossed the room to where she wrapped a dressing gown around herself after pulling the bell to send for a servant for their breakfast.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, burying his face in her neck, kissing her gently and seductively. The panic started to well up inside her again as she tried to think about how to explain their circumstances. But it was…oh dear, it was very difficult to think when he did that. She gasped softly as his lips caressed her just at her pulse point, and all anxious feeling dissipated. She melted into his arms and let out a happy hum.
"You are beautiful," he murmured against her skin.
"Thank you," she quipped in response.
He chuckled, and she felt the rumble of it in his chest against her back.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
Jonathan had to force himself off her at that. He was starting to lose control, and that wasn't very gentlemanly of him. After the night they must have had, it simply wouldn't be polite for him to be all over her like this again.
Though, he reasoned, she did seem to be enjoying his attentions.
"I slept very well, thank you," he told her. "Extremely well, in fact."
She laughed lightly. "I'll bet you did."
He grinned. She knew what he must have thought, though it was a bit ridiculous. After all, he was still wearing all his clothes. But she wouldn't disabuse him of the belief just yet. Perhaps after breakfast.