Free Kissed at Midnight by Samantha Holt

pursed
her lips. Would he continue to press her or leave the subject be?
    A tiny splash on her face
saved her from finding out. She glanced up and noted the thick cloud cover. Funny,
she hadn’t even realised it was going to rain. She’d been far too preoccupied
with Mr Avery. Another few drops fell and she stopped to ensure the hood of
Elsie’s pram covered her.
    “We’d better turn—” Mr Avery
started but the rain grew heavier, so he motioned to the thick trees lining the
park. “Let us find shelter,” he said as the rain pattered onto the ground,
turning pale paths dark grey and filling the dips in the cobbles rapidly.
    Hand to her hat, Ivy
followed along. He helped her navigate the pram down the side of the pavement
and over the road. Passing carts splashed in the ruts and a spray of muddy
water hit her skirts.
    By the time they made it
under the shelter of a great oak tree, her hair hung in ringlets and water had
begun to soak her thin jacket through to the blouse underneath. She shuddered
and patted Elsie’s blanket.
    “Well, it seems you did not
get wet at least,” she said to the infant who did not seem one bit daunted by
the sudden spring shower.
    Mr Avery drew off his hat,
shook the drops from it and ran his fingers through his hair before placing the
hat back on his head. A few remaining drops hung from the brim for several
moments before falling. Ivy watched those rivulets, fascinated, as one landed
upon his face when he tilted his head to view the cloudy skies.
    It trickled down his cheek
and onto his neck, leaving a damp path that made her mouth water a little
before vanishing under his necktie. He faced her and did a quick study of her.
She forced her gaze down and away for fear of him discovering her fascination.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever met a man so attractive. There was something
innately appealing to those wondrously blue eyes and firm jaw.
    “Damn, you’re soaked.”
    She glanced down at her
skirts and noted the unsightly mud splatters and the way it had lost its shape
under the weight of the rain. Then she shrugged and laughed. It did amuse her
that she had been admiring him when he had likely been thinking what a state
she was.
    His lips tilted, as though
uncertain what to do, then he released a chuckle too. His hands came to the
buttons of his jacket and he unpopped the buttons with ease. And her mouth had
gone dry yet again. Crisp cotton, a well-fitted waistcoat. It all seemed to
have the effect of making her knees feel wobbly and her body suddenly hot. If
she wasn’t careful, steam would begin to rise from her clothing and then she’d
have some explaining to do.
    Mr Avery thrust his jacket
at her and she took it without a word. His formal manners were really quite
charming. Did he understand the effect he had on her? On all women probably.
None of what he did appeared calculated but it all had the same wonderful
effect of drawing her in and making her more interested in him by the day.
    “Thank you,” she murmured
and shoved her arms in the jacket.
    The inside was warm and to
imagine it pressed so close to his skin sent a ribbon of delicious excitement
down through her. She fought the urge to squeeze her legs together.
    Ivy left the jacket
unbuttoned but apparently this didn’t suit her employer. He gave a tiny
scowl—an appealing flex of his brow that made her fingers twitch with the need
to smooth the crease out—and stepped closer to do up the buttons.
    He didn’t meet her gaze as
he did so, giving her the chance to observe him up close. She noted the tiny
creases around his eyes and one or two grey hairs at his temples. It made him
seem worldly rather than old. And the way he fastened her into his jacket made
her heart expand. Who had ever cared if she was cold? Not her parents for
certain. The nursemaids—perhaps. None of her governesses were interested in her
physical welfare to be sure.
    “There, that will keep you
warm until we can head back,” he said.
    “Thank