even as his heart chilled and his chest began to ache with the knowledge that she had accepted another , his body continued on its joyride , the conclusion as unstoppable as a - the orgasm that swept through him made him cry out - and thank the fates for the pillow that caught his capitulation : at that very moment , down below , he heard the first of his soldiers walk through the house , the drumbeat of combat boots an unmistakable thunder he would recognize anywhere .