Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

Planning

I had asked Will to meet me in the library later in the week, and once he entered, I slipped the key into the lock and twisted it shut. I left the key, hoping that anyone who tried to listen might not be able to hear around it. Will had his arms around me in an instant, his lips on my neck. I sighed into his touch, wishing that I could have a small tryst here without everything being reported. But not now, I put my hands around his, gently tugging them away. "Will, please."

"Ana," He almost growled, his hands once again tight around me. "God, I missed you. You were in my every dream, what few ones I could have."

I blinked, pressing my head against his shoulder. "That's very sweet, Will."

"Get your dress off, I haven't seen you fully in ages." He pulled back a little, his fingers reaching for the buttons. He looked up as I clasped them tightly, "Ana, what is it?"

I let out a breath, "We need to talk."

"That's never good." He muttered, stalking over to a chair. I considered a chair near him for a moment, but lowered myself into his lap instead. There was no reason to make this worse that it needed to be. He let me lean back against him, "What do we have to talk about?"

"My mother knows, at least a little, of what we've been doing." I sighed, settling into him. "Reggie noticed the handkerchiefs, although he only thinks that you've been, ah," I flailed my hands for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Pleasuring yourself."

"She doesn't know about you?" Will sounded puzzled, "Wait, she actually talked to you about this?"

"Yes, I wanted to die when she started talking. She thinks you're going to try and corrupt me into doing things before we're married."

He chuckled, I could feel it in his chest. "So she doesn't know that you were riding me in the carriage, begging me to ravish you? Or how I almost bedded you the night before I left for the inquiry because you wanted me to?" He pressed his lips to my ear, "You're already quite corrupted my dear, you should just be glad I've been able to control myself and haven't left you tied to my bed every night."

"Will," I snorted, "I've never seen you lose control, except for when you stabbed Henry Reichster." I turned, pressing my lips to his ear instead. "I wanted you so badly when I saw that."

"Ana, I thought we were discussing how I was to stop seducing you." He murmured as I dropped my lips to his neck, "Not how you are currently seducing me." I felt him gran more than heard him as his hands move to my shoulders, gently pushing me away. "We should stop for now, you said that we can't go on like this."

"But I want to keep doing this." I mumbled, leaning back. "I don't want to give up you, and our time together."

"Then the house obviously isn't the place for it anymore." Will shifted me back out of his lap, more towards his knees. "Not if Reggie is making reports."

"We should just be glad the coachman didn't see us. Although he's probably going to be listening more closely now."

"Then where Ana? I will have only such short times with you soon," Will snorted, a grin breaking out. "I suppose we could begin searching for discreet hotels, places where they wouldn't ask questions. Arrange different times for us to arrive at the room, leave separately."

I smacked his shoulder, feeling myself grin too. "Will, we're not having an affair."

"It seems as if we are."

"There must be somewhere that we can meet without the servants noticing." He furrowed his brow, his nose even wrinkling a little as he thought. "It wouldn't be too odd for you to come and visit the ship when she's docked, would it? You haven't had a proper tour, I could arrange to take you on one."