was certain.
He shifted his massive and muscled weight against her body. “This doesn’t frighten you, does it?”
A veritable purr of appreciation slipped past her lips as she savored the feel of his hard body against her own. “Should it?”
A pained laugh escaped him. “I was hoping it might.”
“Why?” she asked, genuinely curious.
“So you’d run back to your brother.”
“I’m not the running sort,” she stated. She would have thought that was rather obvious about her, but men could be very silly creatures
“So I see.”
“Good. Then you can stop trying to set me off my course.”
“I can. . . But I’m not sure I should.”
She lifted a hand and stroked a slightly coarse lock of slightly too long hair back from his sculpted cheek. “ Should is such a silly word.”
He tensed at her simple intimacy. “It isn’t. Should is what keeps us from doing unspeakable things.”
She licked her lips, her breath coming in short takes at the very thought of him making love to her. She had no frame of reference for what it would be like but she felt certain it would be celestial. “Making love to me would be unspeakable?”
“ Ruining you would be unspeakable.”
“Why unspeakable?”
“My God, woman,” he groaned. “Do you not know the world? You’re not married. You’ve no protection but your brother or me if I choose to give it.”
“Nonsense,” she countered with a measure of pride in her voice. In this, he was mistaken.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’ve got a very large portion of funds of my own. I need not rely on anyone but myself.”
He was silent for a moment. “Explain further, if you please?”
“My grandmother,” she said, very proud of the older lady who had such wonderful foresight. “She left me money that no one can touch but me and it has been released to me already. It was not contingent upon marriage. I can do whatever I please and there will be no horrendous consequences.”
“Oh, Ros,” he said, his voice rough. “Such a comment only sharpens the innocence of your life.”
“How so?” she asked, still completely aware of his body pressed to hers covered only by a few layers of fabric.
“Society will cast you out,” he informed her.
She drew in a breath and leaned into him, wishing to drive him as mad as he drove her. “Bugger society.”
A groan tore from his throat and he cupped her cheek with his broad hand, stroking her lower lip with his thumb. “You say that now, for a moment in the sun. Wouldn’t you rather marry? Then you can do what you please.”
To her own amazement, she bit the pad of his thumb then queried, “Are you offering?”
There was another long silence as if he were gathering himself. “No.”
“I want you,” she said simply, finding words she’d never used before. “I want you to be the one that shows me freedom.”
“What you think is freedom could very well end up as a prison.”
“I don’t think so.”
“So, this is how you want it?” he asked suddenly. “Hard and fast in some public house?”
“No. Not exactly.” It was hard to describe what she’d wanted or thought but she didn’t want to lose her chance with him. That she knew for sure.
“Then what did you think would happen here when you sought me out? Many men—“
“You’re not many men,” she pointed out. It wasn’t a compliment. It was a fact.
“You’re right,” he agreed firmly. “I’m worse.”
She shook her head. “Not true.”
He leaned back and gazed down at her. “Why say so?”
“My instincts.”
His eyes closed and a pained expression darkened his features before he said, “Your instincts are very bad, Lady Ros.”
“My instincts are excellent.”
He let out a suffering sigh then opened his eyes. “Then what is it that you want if not a quick go here?”
She swallowed. Here was her chance. Her chance to convince him. “I want to run away with you for a week. Just one. One week of unbridled freedom. Where
He shifted his massive and muscled weight against her body. “This doesn’t frighten you, does it?”
A veritable purr of appreciation slipped past her lips as she savored the feel of his hard body against her own. “Should it?”
A pained laugh escaped him. “I was hoping it might.”
“Why?” she asked, genuinely curious.
“So you’d run back to your brother.”
“I’m not the running sort,” she stated. She would have thought that was rather obvious about her, but men could be very silly creatures
“So I see.”
“Good. Then you can stop trying to set me off my course.”
“I can. . . But I’m not sure I should.”
She lifted a hand and stroked a slightly coarse lock of slightly too long hair back from his sculpted cheek. “ Should is such a silly word.”
He tensed at her simple intimacy. “It isn’t. Should is what keeps us from doing unspeakable things.”
She licked her lips, her breath coming in short takes at the very thought of him making love to her. She had no frame of reference for what it would be like but she felt certain it would be celestial. “Making love to me would be unspeakable?”
“ Ruining you would be unspeakable.”
“Why unspeakable?”
“My God, woman,” he groaned. “Do you not know the world? You’re not married. You’ve no protection but your brother or me if I choose to give it.”
“Nonsense,” she countered with a measure of pride in her voice. In this, he was mistaken.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’ve got a very large portion of funds of my own. I need not rely on anyone but myself.”
He was silent for a moment. “Explain further, if you please?”
“My grandmother,” she said, very proud of the older lady who had such wonderful foresight. “She left me money that no one can touch but me and it has been released to me already. It was not contingent upon marriage. I can do whatever I please and there will be no horrendous consequences.”
“Oh, Ros,” he said, his voice rough. “Such a comment only sharpens the innocence of your life.”
“How so?” she asked, still completely aware of his body pressed to hers covered only by a few layers of fabric.
“Society will cast you out,” he informed her.
She drew in a breath and leaned into him, wishing to drive him as mad as he drove her. “Bugger society.”
A groan tore from his throat and he cupped her cheek with his broad hand, stroking her lower lip with his thumb. “You say that now, for a moment in the sun. Wouldn’t you rather marry? Then you can do what you please.”
To her own amazement, she bit the pad of his thumb then queried, “Are you offering?”
There was another long silence as if he were gathering himself. “No.”
“I want you,” she said simply, finding words she’d never used before. “I want you to be the one that shows me freedom.”
“What you think is freedom could very well end up as a prison.”
“I don’t think so.”
“So, this is how you want it?” he asked suddenly. “Hard and fast in some public house?”
“No. Not exactly.” It was hard to describe what she’d wanted or thought but she didn’t want to lose her chance with him. That she knew for sure.
“Then what did you think would happen here when you sought me out? Many men—“
“You’re not many men,” she pointed out. It wasn’t a compliment. It was a fact.
“You’re right,” he agreed firmly. “I’m worse.”
She shook her head. “Not true.”
He leaned back and gazed down at her. “Why say so?”
“My instincts.”
His eyes closed and a pained expression darkened his features before he said, “Your instincts are very bad, Lady Ros.”
“My instincts are excellent.”
He let out a suffering sigh then opened his eyes. “Then what is it that you want if not a quick go here?”
She swallowed. Here was her chance. Her chance to convince him. “I want to run away with you for a week. Just one. One week of unbridled freedom. Where
Similar Books
