Chapter 14

Cassandra closed her eyes so tightly that she felt each eyelash press against her lids. She sat on the edge of the bed, heart pounding, hands twisted together in her lap, bracing herself for the moment Thomas might lean in and brush his lips against hers. It wasn’t her first kiss—she’d tasted that gentle thrill before—but it had been years since she’d felt a man’s mouth against her own. The anticipation made her shift with discomfort; she wanted to lean away, but feared she might hurt his feelings. She kept utterly still, mind awash in nervous tension. Yet beneath the anxiety, she wouldn’t deny him this moment. Thomas had been nothing but kind to her since their marriage. If he longed for a kiss, she would give him one.

Her knuckles whitened as she clenched and unclenched her fists, counting each heartbeat in her chest. Then, like thunder in a quiet room, came a sudden crash. Cassandra’s breath hitched. She pried her eyelids open and turned toward the sound, her heart vaulting