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He rolled onto his side to face her. “Did I read about that inThe Times, perhaps?”
“Yes!” She turned to him, her eyes dancing. “It’s the divine Turkish bath near Marylebone. And it could do wonders for you, especially after you’ve over-exerted yourself.”
“After your visits, you mean?”
“After the docks!”
“Invested in my physical recovery, you are.” He trailed his fingers over her flushed cheek.
“Yes, but it was thinking of stars that reminded me of the hammam. I’ve visited recently.”
“Ladies are allowed?”
“No.” Her smile wasn’t shy anymore. “At least, not ordinarily. I visit with friends, thanks to special arrangements.”
“I hear the jingle of coin in your story.”
She nodded. “It’s worth it. We’ve been twice now, and I plan to return.”
“And when you say plan, it meansplan. Not spur-of-the-moment plan.”
She laughed. “Since going breaks the rules, it requires a plan.”
“What did you find enjoyable about it?”
“It’s a tiny bit likethis—a furnace warms this conservatory. There’s a room in the hammam that feels like the hottest day of summer, to be borne for only a short time. It’s at once exhausting and exhilarating. One feelsalive.”
“I feel alive with you.” He smiled. “If I wilt in between your visits, maybe going there could tide me over.”
“Try it, I implore you. I can’t imagine the freedom of simply purchasing a ticket and going.“
“You said thinking of the stars reminded you of it. What’s the connection?”
“My friends and I sneak in after hours. There’s a stained-glass star there, in the dome over the hot room. It’s too dark at night for me to see the colors. Will you go and tell me what it looks like with light shining through?”
James frowned. It was an unpleasant thought, experiencing something she wasn’t allowed to and reporting back for her vicarious thrill.
Hearing her curiosity and interest, he wanted her to know the pleasure herself.
“Given how amenable the operators of the facility are to the jingle of coin, I should think it possible to arrange a private visit. Would you come with me?”
Her eyes rounded, and she hesitated.
He was asking her to risk being out in daylight with him, which she wouldn’t take lightly, he realized. “Just think about it. I’m confident we’ll find a way to visit discreetly.”
“I’ll consider it. James, speaking of special arrangements, thank you again for this.” She looked at the small indoor orchard in the heart of London. “How did you even think of it?”
He sighed, not relishing the memory of what sparked the idea. But when he spoke, he did so without heat. “You told me you wouldn’t permit gifts like jewels. And I…I wanted to dosomethingfor you.”
He swallowed, pushing away the memory of her shaking her head at him ten days ago. He’d been lavishing her breasts with attention from his mouth and tongue, and looked up at her watching him with languorous green eyes.
Fool that he was, he’d admitted to wanting to find her a necklace of emeralds to match.
“I’m gladdened that this visit is welcome,” he said now.
She teared up, her eyes reflecting the glow of the surrounding lanterns. “I’d rather spend these two hours with you and these trees than receive jewels.”
Her words were risky in light of their promises against sentimentality. Even more dangerous was the glimmer he felt within at her statement.
