To Hell and Back (Novella) by Annabelle Anders

Author:Annabelle Anders
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Annabelle Anders

* * *

Eve traced her finger along Niles’ shoulder.

None of this made for appropriate conversation. They’d gone well beyond being appropriate with one another.

Niles had never married. A part of her hated imagining him alone, lonely, but another part of her hated even more, the idea that a woman awaited him somewhere.

“On and off,” he answered vaguely.

Niles touched her face and then lifted his chin to demand another kiss. Oh, how lovely to touch another human being like this again. To be kissed. To feel another person’s hands on her body.

During the early months of her marriage, Jean Luc had kissed her, but he’d not seemed overly comfortable doing so.

Those kisses had never made her feel like this — like she could melt into him. Not that she could remember.

It had been so very long.

“Did you never come close to marrying? Did you never fall in love?” She had no idea as to the etiquette required after such an intimate act. Could one ask a lover about previous… lovers?

He captured her lips a second time. More melting. Exploring.

“Are you avoiding the question, Mr. Waverly?” she half teased him when their lips parted on a sigh.

“No. Just couldn’t help myself, Mrs. Mossant.” And then he shifted himself so that she lay half on top of him. “I was in love once. Hard not to ever experience the ailment over the course of four decades.”

“What happened?”

“She didn’t feel the same.”

“And you haven’t been in love since? Was she the love of your life, then?”

“I don’t have to tell you how painful it is to be disappointed after you’ve handed over your heart. After you’ve trusted somebody.” He sounded so serious. And yes, he was correct.

“I’m sorry she hurt you.”

“It was a long time ago.”

She would not press him. Love had the power to imprint wounds one would rather forget.

She knew that this — whatever it was between the two of them — was not love. It could not be. She pushed herself to a sitting position and shivered as cool air met her upper half. “I’m not sure what to do now. I’m quite naïve about matters such as these, Niles.” She avoided meeting his gaze, instead focusing on the privacy screen. She’d done her best to clean the gown she’d been wearing yesterday. It would be presentable, she supposed, glancing wryly at her boots.

“Matters such as what, Eve?” She felt his gaze uncomfortably.

Rising and then moving across the room, she shrugged. “Moments of pleasure?” What did one call this sort of thing?

“What would you wish?” By now, he was sitting up, looking perfectly at ease with the conversation.

“I… I don’t know,” she mumbled, stepping behind the screen and out of his sight.

“How about we start with breakfast?” Laughter rumbled in his voice. Part of her wanted to admonish him for joking about her uncertainty, but the relief washing over her drowned that part out.

“And tea,” she added, pouring water into the basin. This was normal. She knew how to conduct herself well enough, performing normal tasks.

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