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Firmly blocking out all self-doubt, she wantonly copied his instructions from earlier. This time, she rolled him onto his back and straddled him.
“I like this,” she murmured huskily.
“Good,” he groaned. “That’s very good.”
“It is probably best if I just show you,” she whispered as she leaned down for a kiss.
“Please do,” he pleaded and allowed her to do just that.
CHAPTER NINE
Three days later, Marcus stood in the kitchen and drank the last of his ale while Jess finished washing the plates. He relished the companionable silence that had settled over them and watched her work for a moment. So far, his relationship with Jess was turning out better than he had ever expected. Jess was a wonderful companion who spoke when she had something to say. Otherwise, was content to leave him to his thoughts. And,
right now, he had a lot to consider.
Like what he was going to do when the time came for him to move on. He couldn’t just leave her behind. Nor did he want to live in Smothey. It was a nice enough village, but this house was falling apart, and he had his home, and family, in Barrowby.
Would Jess consider relocating?
After such a short acquaintance, he knew it wasn’t the right time to ask her just yet. She might worry, and try to put some distance between them if she felt that her home and her livelihood was under threat. He just couldn’t risk her backing away from him. He had to be patient. They could discuss where they were going to live when he had a bit more time on his hands, and she felt a little more confident in the permanency of their association.
His investigation for the Star Elite was progressing nicely. While they had yet to gain access to the cottage Joe continued to watch, they had seen five people entering the property on a regular basis. Those frequent visitors used the woods at the end of the garden to their advantage and knew how to hide. While Marcus and Joe had yet to track any of them successfully through the dense woodland to their destination, they now knew that Smithers, and all four of Jess’ guests, frequented the cottage. Lloyd and Carruthers usually patrolled the woods outside. Whether the magistrate and his assistant had anything to do with the guests, though, had yet to be discovered.
Hopefully, Barnaby would have received his note by now, and would be on his way with reinforcements. Until then, Marcus spent most of his nights showing Jess just how much she meant to him and, as a result of his new contentment, had finally started to sleep a little better.
The only dampener on their joy was Ben. He had stopped warning Jess about the dire implications of what she was doing but now spent hardly any time in the house. When he was there, he was surly and of little help. Marcus could only hope that the lad would come round to the idea of sharing Jess in time. If not then they had a significant problem on their hands.
Suddenly, the peace was shattered by a series of loud raps on the front door.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Marcus asked her.
Jess shook her head. “Not today.”
Marcus went to take a look out of the sitting room window. He reappeared in the kitchen moments later and rapped on the scullery door.
“Ben, I do believe your magistrate friend has returned to speak with you again. Maybe he wants to know why you abandoned your sister and left her to do all of your chores?”
Ben appeared in the doorway. Rather than answer, he turned to look at his sister.
“Go and see who it is, will you?”
“No, go yourself,” Jessica snapped. “I am not your servant, Benjamin Parkinson. Like Marcus has just said, the magistrate has probably come to try to accuse you of stealing something. I am sick of having to defend this house against that man. Get rid of him yourself. When you have done that you can turn your attention to the rest of your chores that I haven’t had the time to do today.”
Ben went to answer the door.
Once they were alone, Marcus studied the distress on Jess’ face and opened his arms out.
Jess walked into them without hesitation.
He didn’t speak, but then he didn’t have to. It amazed her that he always seemed to know how to handle any situation that arose. It didn’t dawn on her to question him. Instead, she welcomed his steady support and returned his embrace with all of the love in her heart.
“What does he want this time,” she whispered, trying to make out what the men in the hallway were discussing.
Marcus shrugged, the dull murmur of voices was too low for him to hear either.
“Don’t let him see that his presence in the house bothers you in any way,” Marcus murmured.
“At some point, he is going to arrest Ben, and there is nothing I can do to stop him,” she replied sadly.
