After talking and laughing long into the evening, Jasmin and Nathaniel retired upstairs to a master chamber of the Barrett estate; leaving Alex and Callista to retreat to the deluxe drawing room of this elaborate manse.
Perching themselves on the edge of a settee of lavender velvet, they took a moment to inspect and admire this stylish salon; a grand parlor distinguished by the presence of stained glass windows and lamps, lavender cushioned cherry wood furniture with matching plush carpeting, and an expansive ceiling mural that depicted angels in flight across the vast expanse of a gem blue sky.
Their joined gazes paused to admire the cornice bound lines of this illustrious mural, finally careening down the side of a shiny silver brocade wall to regard yet another work of art; one that portrayed another decidedly angelic subject.
This large, brass framed oil painting portrayed the ebullient image of a veritable golden goddess; a tall, slender woman with flowing golden hair, wide dark eyes and a chiseled flawless face.
The model came dressed in a striking ivory ensemble that seemed to fit her celestial image. This fine example of Victorian fashion boasted a contoured jacket of satin and lace, as well as a bustled cream hued, lace lined overskirt with a crisp cotton ruffled underskirt attached.
“Is that Eugenia, Nathaniel’s first wife?” Callista asked, adding through gritted teeth, “The woman whose gown I cruelly bogarted for my own use this particular eve?”
Alex nodded.
“That is indeed our dear Eugenia,” he allowed, adding in a wistful tone as he cast a loving look in the direction of the painting, “And please do not concern yourself about the dress. Aside from being a raving beauty, Eugenia was the sort of kind soul who literally would grant a stranger the dress off her back if she so needed it. I still cannot believe that she has been gone for nearly three years now.” He paused here, his voice soft and reflective as he continued, “His dear wife Eugenia was claimed by the fever; ripped from Nathaniel’s arms so early in their marriage. In the wake of her death, he closed himself off in the lonesome confines of this house—the virtual mausoleum he’d once called a home. I swear to you, Callista, if it hadn’t been for Jasmin’s quite unexpected arrival, I do believe that my dear brother would have followed in his wife’s footsteps—dying an early and miserable death, this one because of heartbreak.”
Callista nodded.
“Well, believe me when I say that Nathaniel has returned the favor,” she assured Alex, adding with a bright smile, “I have never seen Jasmin happier. After trying everything in our time from Library Speed Dating to a lifetime membership in eHarmony.com, my friend had just about given up on finding love.” She paused, continuing with a casual shrug, “It turns out that all she had to do was take a quick road trip through the corridors of time to locate and pin down her cuddle bunny. Who knew?”
Alex guffawed outright.
“I do love your way with words, Miss,” he praised her with a wink, adding more seriously, “And as thoroughly insane as I originally believed my brother to be, claiming that his new lover had journeyed through time to come to him, the moment that I met Jasmin, I knew immediately that she was indeed the product of another century. I loved her humor, her strength, her independence—this was the kind of woman that I had been seeking for years, the kind that is so rare to find in our day and age. Through my years away at service, I searched foreign shores for this illusive woman—only to remain alone at the end of my search, not to mention very lonesome. I often inquired, jokingly of course, if Jasmin had a friend,” he chuckled, adding as he stared deep into the eyes of his companion, “I am so very glad that the answer was yes, Callista.”
Callista said nothing for a moment, just trembled outright as Alex said her name like the sweetest poetry; also not resisting as he brought her hand to his soft, moist lips for a warm, gentlemanly kiss.
Finally. she released on a whisper, “Jasmin and I both knew that I was intended to be here, in this place and time. And now, Alex, I think I know why.” She paused here, arching her eyebrows in a show of obvious interest. “The men of my time often don’t know the meaning of chivalry and romance. They pay no attention to their dress or deportment, and you know that they would never raise a fist—let alone a sword—in defense of a woman. You seem so different. And ya know what? I quite like different.”
She took in her breath as Alexander seared her with a dazzling white toothed smile; erasing all distance between them on the settee as he assured her on a hot whisper, “I like different too, milady. Let me show you just how much.”
Alex surged across the settee to seize her lips in a hot, passionate kiss; his warm, moist lips stroking and massaging hers in long, loving strokes.
Angling his golden head over hers to intensify their kiss, he plied her lips with greatest affection as their tongues entangled between them.
Leaning full and hard into his kiss, Callista wrapped her arms tightly around his muscled shoulders as he placed his own sturdy hands around her slender waist.
For a few blissful moments, the couple kissed and cuddled; their hearts pounding in one accord as the smacking of their lips resounded long and strong in the atmosphere around them.
Finally, another, most unwelcome sound served to disrupt the tenor of their romantic rhapsody; the chiming of a nearby mahogany polished grandfather clock that tolled the arrival of the midnight hour.
Breaking their kiss, Alex graced his new lover with a dreamy smile as he raised his hand to stroke the silky strands of her long red hair.
“You’re so different, so beautiful, in every way,” he praised her, adding as he graced her beaming lips with another impassioned kiss, “I so hate to leave you now, but the hour is late.”
Callista shrugged.
“Well, why break up the party now, when we’re hitting it off so well?” she asked him, arching her eyebrows to teasing effect. “Perhaps I could see you up to your chamber, Alex? Or you could see me up to mine?”
She frowned, confused moments later, as Alex dropped her hand and rose from the settee; turning sharp and swift away from her as he said over his shoulder, “I am a gentleman, Miss Callista, and shall not take advantage of a proper young lady.”
Callista snorted.
“What if it turns out that the proper young lady in question really has a hankering to—I don’t know—get lucky?” she queried with a teasing grin.
This grin dissolved moments later, as Alexander raised a firm hand between them and headed with seemingly expedient haste in the direction of the staircase.
“What I am currently seeking, Miss, is the woman of my heart,” he assured her, “Not simply a woman with whom I can—ahem—get lucky. Good evening, Miss Callista.”