“It’s your early Christmas gift,” Callie gasped.
Rational thought fled her mind as his fingers slid over her buttocks and then traced down until they reached the cleft between her thighs. Heat and moisture gathered there as his fingers teased her sensitive flesh.
“So that means I get to unwrap it,” he said with a smile.
Josh withdrew his hand, quickly slipped out of his jacket and yanked his tie out from under the collar of his shirt. Several buttons popped as he undid his shirt and pulled it free from his trousers. Callie could only stand and watch as he stripped down to his black briefs, and tremble as he walked toward her—his eyes darkest blue, his face a mask of determined perfection.
He reached for her and eased the peignoir from her shoulders, stopping to kiss each exposed inch of flesh until she quivered with desire. He eased her back onto the bed and trailed his fingers from her ankles upward to the hem of the gown, then, with his hands clenched in the satin, he pushed the fabric up, exposing her to him.
His eyes darkened even more as he gazed upon her. If it were possible, she felt even wetter, more primed for him than she was already. And when he bent his head to her, taking her in his mouth, swirling her flesh with his tongue, grazing her nerve endings ever so softly with his teeth, she let her eyes close, her head drop back, and gave herself over to sensation.
It was dark by the time they finally made their way back downstairs to eat dinner. Even though the meal had dried out somewhat in the oven, that did nothing to deter their appetite. Eventually, they took their glasses and the opened bottle of wine upstairs to attend to other, undiminished hungers.
Afterwards, Josh fell into a deep slumber. Despite the lateness and her own weariness, Callie couldn’t sleep. Instead, she watched the man at her side, bathed in silver strands of moonlight, and never more beautiful to her than he’d ever been before. Her heart swelled with the solid truth that she finally allowed herself to admit. She loved him. Totally, and wholly.
She wished she could do something, anything, to release him from the demons that drove him. To allow him the surcease of acceptance. But that was something only he could attain. He had to want it, embrace it.
His plans for revenge against Bruce Palmer and his family were what propelled him, what gave his work purpose. But what of the man? Could he ever let go of the bitterness inside, even if he saw his plan through? And what of the damage to the Palmers?
Callie knew what Bruce had done all those years ago was unforgivable, but time had a way of blurring the edges. Even though his behaviour with Josh’s mother had been reprehensible, his life afterwards had been anything but. Callie was certain he hadn’t so much as put a foot wrong in all the years since. He’d built his family and his business and he’d given to the community and the country unstintingly; hence the accolade of the upcoming consular position.
Maybe his behaviour had been his own way of compensating for the way he’d treated Josh and his mother. Who knew? But Callie understood better than most that his appointment as the honorary consul to Guildara was based on Bruce Palmer, the man. The man he was now.
Was it fair to destroy that? She didn’t think so. Bruce still had so much good to give to the world. If Josh had his way, the older man would be destroyed. Pilloried in the public eye. Despite what he’d done to Josh, Callie still owed it to Bruce not to let that happen.
She slid from the bed and reached for her peignoir, not even fully understanding what she was about to do, just knowing in her heart of hearts that she had to do it. She had to destroy the contents of that box before Josh could use them against Bruce. Hopefully, then Josh could begin to heal the scar on his own heart.
Moonlight shone bright into the sitting room, but even if it had been pitch dark Callie knew she’d unerringly be able to find her target. She took the box from its place on the bookshelf. Her heart beat a staccato rhythm as she lifted the lid and removed the stack of envelopes inside.
She knew she had no right to do this. No right at all. But someone had to stop the cycle of hurt. Someone had to put an end to the anger and the accusations.
She moved over to the deep fireplace set into the wall and knelt on the hearth. She knew she’d seen a firelighter somewhere in the inglenook. Her fingers closed over the very item she was looking for and she breathed a silent prayer of thanks.
Callie set the firelighter on the hearth next to the bundle of letters and undid the ribbon that bound them together. A twinge of sorrow cut through her at the thought that the love contained within the words on those pages would be destroyed forever. But, she rationalised, that very love had wrought the complete opposite effect. And that effect had to be stopped now.