Walking as swiftly as she could without resorting to running, Victoria tried to settle her jumbled emotions before she faced Nathan again. Part of her felt horribly guilty that her actions had led to the destruction of the note. Another part of her itched with irritation at Nathan for the dictatorial manner in which he’d flung commands at her. Good Lord, one minute the man was kissing her-

She cut off that thought immediately. This was no time to think about that kiss. That mind numbing, glorious, dazzling kiss-

Enough. Later. She would think on it later. Right now she was annoyed with him for tossing orders at her as if he were a general and she a lowly foot soldier. But tempering her annoyance was the deep pull of sympathy she’d felt right down to her core when she witnessed that flash of desolation in his eyes. The depth of the naked pain she’d seen had shaken her and filled her with an overwhelming urge to wrap her arms around him, to offer him comfort from whatever had caused that look. How was it that she wished to simultaneously cuddle and cosh him? The man roiled her emotions in a way no one else ever had. And she was quite certain that she didn’t like it one bit.

When she entered the house through the French windows leading to the terrace, a footman greeted her. “Dr. Nathan asked that you please meet him in the library, my lady.” He cleared his throat. “He specified that I should stress the word ‘please.’”

In spite of herself, Victoria’s lips twitched. “Thank you.”

“He said that you would no doubt wish to change clothes first, and that he’d arranged for a meal to be sent to your bedchamber.”

Victoria couldn’t hide her surprise at his show of thoughtfulness. Of course she’d had every intention of changing her clothes before joining him, but a private meal would be most welcome.

“Please tell Dr. Oliver I will join him as soon as I have eaten and made myself presentable.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Victoria hurried to her bedchamber. When she looked in the cheval glass, she gasped. Good Lord, her hair resembled a bird’s nest. But it wasn’t the disheveled state of her coiffure that stunned her as much as her face. Pink stained her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, a souvenir from not wearing her bonnet on such a sunny day, which would no doubt cause her to skin to freckle. Her eyes appeared huge and… glowing. And her lips…

She leaned closer to the glass and tentatively touched her fingertips to them. There was only one way to describe her reddened, swollen mouth: thoroughly kissed. Her eyes slid closed and in a heartbeat the thoughts she’d tried to hold at bay invaded her mind. The dizzying way he’d held her, touched her, the thrilling hardness of his body pressing into her, the delicious feeling of running her hands over his strong torso and back. In spite of all she’d learned from reading the Ladies’ Guide, never in her life had she imagined what she’d shared with Nathan in the cave. He said he’d been curious to discover whether the second time around could be even better than the first. She wouldn’t have believed it possible that the magic he’d introduced her to three years ago could be surpassed, but it had been. And God help her, she hadn’t wanted him to stop.

Straightening, she scowled at her reflection. “Be careful of this man and do not underestimate him,” she whispered to the wide-eyed woman staring back at her. The plan was to make herself unforgettable to him-not the other way around. If she and Nathan were to share another kiss, she would make certain it was on her terms.

That decided, Victoria opted not to ring for Winifred, knowing that the sharp-eyed abigail would instantly note her unsettled manner and kiss-swollen lips. Instead, she simply removed her riding habit, used the basin to freshen up, then set about detangling her hair. After arranging the unruly curls into a simple Grecian knot, she donned her favorite pale blue muslin day gown. She’d just slid her feet into the matching slippers when a knock sounded on the door.

At her bid to come in, a smiling young maid entered, bearing a silver tray that she set on the cherrywood table next to the bed. An enticing aroma floated from beneath the dome-covered dishes, and Victoria’s stomach rumbled in anticipation. “It smells wonderful.”

“One of Cook’s specialties, my lady. A rich hearty stew made from an assortment of local seafood. Cook made it especially for Dr. Nathan, as it’s his favorite.”

Considering the fact that Nathan refused to eat the animals given to him as payment, it didn’t surprise her that his favorite meal was fish. After the maid withdrew, Victoria dipped her spoon in the rich mixture and sampled a bit of broth with a small chunk of flaky white fish. She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes in ecstasy. She’d never tasted anything so delicious. Two fluffy rolls accompanied her stew, and she used them to soak up the last drops of the savory meal. Clearly the sea and salt air affected her appetite, for she couldn’t recall enjoying a meal more. Indeed, she looked into the empty bowl and heaved a forlorn sigh.

Laying aside her linen napkin, she made her way to the foyer, where Langston escorted her to the library.

Victoria stood in the doorway and allowed her gaze to wander around the well-appointed room. Sunlight poured in from the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the center half of the back wall, the sparkling glass flanked by dark wood bookcases filled with leather-bound volumes. A huge desk stood in front of the windows, catching the natural light. Another full wall of bookcases soared from the floor to the twenty-foot ceiling, delighting Victoria and filling her with the urge to explore the wondrous room. The cheerful blaze burning in the grate of a huge marble fireplace occupied the opposite wall, bathing the room in gentle warmth. A blue and maroon Axminster rug covered the floor, and overstuffed chairs were placed in cozy groupings around the room. The brocade settee angled in front of the fireplace beckoned one to curl up with a favorite book. She breathed in and briefly closed her eyes at the familiar and much-loved scents of leather, aged parchment, and beeswax. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was alone. Where was Nathan?

Deciding to sit while she waited, she crossed to the fireplace. As she rounded the settee, she halted. Nathan’s mastiff, B.C., lounged on his side on the hearth rug, his body taking up the entire length, canine snores emitting from his snout. What had Nathan said B.C. stood for? Boot chewer? Behemoth Canine was more apt, if you asked her. Never in her life had she seen such a tremendous dog.

Just then the beast’s nose twitched, as if he’d caught the scent of something. His eyes blinked open, and heavens, for such a large animal, he was very fast, on his feet in seconds, staring at her-hopefully not as if she were a savory pork chop.

“Nice doggie,” Victoria murmured, taking a cautious step back. “Nice big huge doggie. Go back to sleep.”

Instead B.C. walked slowly toward her. Recalling from some distant childhood lesson that one shouldn’t run from a dog, as it encouraged them to chase you, and praying that Nathan had been correct when he’d said the beast was gentle, Victoria remained perfectly still. B.C. halted in front of her. After giving her gown a nose twitching sniff, he sat on his bottom, then lifted his massive right forepaw toward her.

Victoria blinked. “Shaking hands are you? But, er, we’ve already met.” Clearly B.C. didn’t care, because he kept his paw extended. Praying this wasn’t a precursor to chewing off her arm, she hesitantly reached out and shook his paw. The instant she released him, he stood and bumped her hip with his muzzle. Then he pushed his cool, damp nose against her wrist and licked the back of her hand with a tongue that was larger than her shoe.

She gave his head a tentative stroke then scratched behind his dark ears. This set up an immediate tail wagging that threatened to sweep an end table clear of its Staffordshire vase. “Ah, so that’s what you like,” Victoria murmured, continuing to scratch while moving around to sit on the settee in an effort to save the vase’s life. B.C. followed her, and once she was seated, her other hand joined in. With her seated and B.C. standing, they were just about on eye level with each other. She scratched vigorously, and laughed at the dog’s rapturous reaction. His tail wagged, tongue lolled, and a blissful humming sound rumbled in his throat.

“Why, you only look like a big, ferocious dog,” she scolded with a laugh, moving her ministrations down to the straight, coarse coat on B.C.‘s fawn neck. “Inside you’re just a little sweet puppy.”

B.C. grunted and moaned, as if to say, “Finally… someone who understands me!”

So engrossed was she in rubbing down the dog, she didn’t realize she was no longer alone until a familiar deep voice said, “I see you’ve made a new friend.”

Victoria turned. Nathan stood in the doorway, one shoulder casually propped against the jamb, his arms folded across his chest. He regarded her with his usual unreadable expression.

“Are you speaking to me or the dog?” Victoria asked, continuing to rub B.C., her words slightly breathless-due to her exertions, of course.

“You, but clearly the statement could apply to either of you.” He pushed off from the doorway and walked toward her. “He likes you.”

She sent him an arch look. “You needn’t sound so surprised.”

“Actually, I am.”

“Why, thank you. I can’t recall ever hearing a more delightful compliment. Truly.”

“I meant it as one. B.C. is normally more reserved with strangers.”

“Perhaps because strangers tend to be reserved with him? His size is intimidating, you know.”

“I suppose so. You realize that he’ll now want you to rub him like that every time he sees you. In fact, I’d wager that he’d give you a fortnight to stop it.”