Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

M iss Julia Fairbanks watched in fascinated horror as a gentleman shrugged from his fine evening jacket and allowed it to drop on the verdant grass below the tree in which she was perched. The darkness shrouded them both, but the silver moonlight highlighted his remarkably handsome features, casting shadows that gave him an enigmatic air. His hair, dark and slightly tousled, added to the air of careless elegance, while his sharply slanted cheekbones lent him an appearance of savage sensuality. Julia's heartbeat faltered and then quickened, a reaction so foreign it startled her. She had always been able to appreciate the beauty of others, but never had she felt this kind of visceral reaction to one's handsomeness.

How unusual .

The gentleman, unfamiliar to her, held himself with a posture that suggested he was one of those lords who wielded power and was assured of his privileged place within the ton . Julia blinked, her eyes widening as he casually rolled up his sleeve, revealing a muscled forearm. He sighed a deep, ponderous sound that seemed to float on the cool night air before lifting a hand to the back of his neck and rubbing it as if releasing the tension of the day. The sight made Julia's heart lurch, and she wondered what his worries were.

Pushing aside the errant thought, she shrank back, pressing herself closer to the trunk of the tree, desperate not to be seen.

This is just my ill-luck! Of all the places in Hyde Park he could go, why here?

She held herself remarkably still on the large branch, flexing her ankle so the dancing slipper she had been toeing off before the unknown gentleman stepped into her awareness did not fall and alert him to her presence. Her mind raced, imagining the scandal that would erupt if she were discovered. How could she explain escaping away from a ball to Hyde Park and climbing a tree to stargaze?

The very notion was absurd, scandalous even.

Though her family might understand, the rest of society surely would not. She could practically hear her mother's stern reprimand and feel the sting of her grandaunt Lady Celdon's cutting words.

" You must always remember that chastity, modesty, and obedience are the pre-eminent female virtues! "

Those strident words from the old dragon had been said to Julia so many times that she should not have been here.

Please, sir, move along , she silently pleaded, or my shoe will fall on your head!

All her siblings had secured respectable positions within the ton , their past as the no-good, dissolute, very bad Fairbanks nearly forgotten. Should her dancing slipper fall and strike this gentleman, surely all of their efforts to reform the family's reputation would be for naught. The mere thought of it made her wince. The scandal sheets would have a field day with such a tale, even though no one else was around to witness her impending disaster. Somehow, they would find out. They always seemed to own the most astounding ability to ferret out scandals. At first, she admired this tenacity from the reporters, and then she grew to deplore it.

Julia sighed quietly, her calf starting to cramp from the effort of keeping her shoe on. But it was no use. Despite her best efforts, the dratted slipper inched off her foot, teetering precariously on the edge of her toes.

Oh dear!

The slipper slipped from her foot, and Julia held her breath as it seemed to fall far too slowly. She watched, horrified and fascinated, as it barely tapped the gentleman's shoulder as he turned away. Her heart pounded so hard she thought she might faint. The man halted, his body going utterly still as he peered at the unexpected object resting on the ground. For a long, agonizing moment, he stared at her slipper as if it were a puzzle to be solved, then stooped to pick it up.

Finally, he tilted his head up, and with unnerving precision, his gaze landed on hers. Julia hardly dared to breathe. Could he see her? Or was it too dark for him to discern her presence?

"Well, this is a first," he drawled, his voice smooth and low, tinged with amusement. "A very good surprise, indeed."

Julia bit her lower lip, refusing to speak. Surely, he could not see her! She remained as still as a statue, willing herself to disappear into the shadows.

"I do not imagine that this oak tree suddenly started growing ladies' apparel," he continued, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Would you like your shoe back?"

Her heart stuttered. He did not sound angry or shocked, merely intrigued. The calmness in his voice made her feel both relieved and unnerved. Julia debated her options, realizing with a sinking heart that she had none. Should she attempt to descend from the tree with any semblance of dignity, she would surely lose what little remained of it. Julia knew she should not respond, should pretend to be an illusion of the night, but something about him drew her in, tempting her to engage in this unexpected encounter.

"Perhaps the tree is magical," she replied softly, her voice barely more than a whisper, surprising even herself with the audacity to respond.

Goodness!

Julia could hardly believe she was speaking to this stranger, yet his presence seemed to demand a response.

"Ah, a whimsical soul; how novel."

How jaded you sound, sir . Yet she did not say the words aloud, at a loss as to why she had not remained silent.

"Are you in need of rescue?" His voice was low, almost intimate, as if they were sharing a secret in the stillness of the night.

Most peculiarly, her pulse quickened. "I do not need rescuing, my good sir, as I am not a damsel in distress," she said, lifting her chin ever so slightly, the rebellious streak within her refusing to be entirely quelled.

He raised a brow, clearly amused. "Very well. Inarguably, you climbed this tree by yourself and are capable of descending. Permit me to ask, what brings a lady to a perch on a branch in Hyde Park at this hour? Surely, the comfort of a bedchamber offers more comfort and delight than an oak branch."

His voice had no mockery, only a teasing that made her pulse race even faster. Surely, there was a hint of something far too carnal in his tone that stirred a deep, unfamiliar longing within Julia—perhaps a yearning to laugh and chat freely as she did as a young girl.

"Will you come down and keep me company?"

Company? What company? Dazedly, she realized he might not presume her to be a lady of quality, given that it was past midnight and she was alone. The thought unsettled her, but not as much as the awareness she felt toward him—a sensation as alarming as intoxicating. At least the thought that she was somehow defective, different from other ladies who seemed giddy and enamored with flattering attention, could now be put to rest. It seemed Julia had been waiting for the right gentleman to provoke her. She almost snorted at her fanciful thoughts.

"If you have no wish to speak of it, I understand."

Julia hesitated, searching for a response that would not betray her impulsive nature that she had been taming for over five years, ever since her brother became the Earl of Celdon, tossing them into a life they never anticipated. The weight of propriety and duty had since been heavy on her shoulders, yet here in the darkness, with this enigmatic man, she felt a dangerous freedom that both thrilled and frightened her.

"I was bored at the place I fled from," she said after another few beats.

"Why?"

"I wanted to watch the stars and be reminded of a time when I climbed trees and daringly jumped from their branches into a lake."

"Was the restlessness inside of you quieted?"

Julia sighed. "No." Perhaps she needed to be like her brother James, who married the woman the entire family knew he loved only a week ago but was too foolish to see and retired to the country. Julia had been so tempted to travel and visit but did not wish to intrude on their happiness. "I was only made keenly aware that something was missing because I had been stargazing for over an hour, and I …"

I still feel unmoored and at a loss for what I need .

Yet she could not confide something so remarkably intimate to a stranger.

"Allow me to delight your senses; perhaps the emptiness will flee."

Julia gasped, her heart clenching. "I mentioned nothing about emptiness, my good sir."

"No, but I heard it."

Something in his tone suggested he was familiar with the state. Julia bit her lower lip, at a loss as to what to reply. Allow me to delight your senses …

Had he meant to sound so provocative?

"Have I robbed the lady of speech?" he asked, his voice dipping lower.

Yes . "I merely find the company of trees and the stars more appealing than that of the ballroom," she finally replied, refusing to say anything about bedchambers. "There is nothing deeper and introspective to my presence here."

Her words were more defiant than she intended, but she could not help herself.

"Hmm. I daresay the trees are less likely to offer dance and companionship," he said, his tone still laced with that infuriatingly teasing note.

Julia laughed, the sound surprising even herself. It had been so long since she had felt this lightness, this sense of playfulness. As if he understood her need to retreat, he did not probe more about what empty feeling she might need to be filled.

This gentleman was … interesting.

"That is exactly why I prefer them," she said, allowing another smile to curl at the corners of her mouth. "They do not speak when I prefer silence, nor do they rant at me when I am indifferent."

"Ah, so I unintentionally intruded on your solace. Should I depart and leave you alone?"

"A gentleman would act without putting a lady in the position to make a choice," she replied, her voice steady though her heart was racing.

He canted his head, his expression half in the shadows, making it impossible for her to read him entirely.

"That is to say you wish for me to remain with you; however, for you to boldly say so, you fear it would make me think less of you. How ungentlemanly of me, indeed. I will remain and accompany you, and when the time is right, I shall ascertain when my company is no longer needed."

The part of his mouth that she could see was sensually curved, and something hot and frightening surged through Julia's belly. Her eyes widened at the sensation, a mix of fear and excitement coursing through her veins.

He lifted a hand. "Allow me to assist you down so we might better delight in each other's company."

Oh!

She hesitated, sensing that her life would be altered if she climbed down. This notion felt insistent even as she thought it ridiculous. It was as if the very air around them hummed with possibility, with a change that she could neither predict nor control. Perhaps she should refuse and tell him she wished to be alone. Yet Julia recalled the pain of aloneness she had felt before his arrival. She had stared at the stars and asked her papa if he was truly listening in the heavens as her mother often suggested.

Had she not confessed to the stars only a few moments ago that she wanted to meet the man she would marry this season? Had she not confessed she longed for the kind of love and connection her sisters had with their husbands? Had she not also confessed she wished at twenty years, she knew what a kiss felt like?

Perhaps this was fate and not ill-luck. Smiling at her thoughts, she said, "Your assistance would be most appreciated, sir."

With a graceful bow, he extended his hand, waiting patiently. Julia felt for the small hidden blade her brother James had gifted her inside the small special pocket of her gloves as she carefully maneuvered herself to the edge of the branch. She hesitated only briefly before placing her hand in his, the warmth of his touch stirring strange, unfamiliar sensations deep within her.

With surprising strength, he guided her down, his grip steady and sure. She felt the muscles of his arm tense as he supported her. Once her feet touched the ground, she glanced up at him, her breath catching again as she stood so close. Her heart raced, not from fear but from the proximity of this stranger, whose presence seemed to fill the air around them. The moonlight cast a soft glow over his features, and she could see now the sharp intelligence in his deep silver eyes, the humor that danced there, and the shattering awareness that passed between them.

"Your eyes are the most beautiful I have ever seen," he said, his voice rougher now. A quick frown touched his brow as if he loathed his own observation. He lowered her hand but did not move away, the space between them crackling with sudden tension. You are … breathtakingly lovely."

Julia hardly knew what to say. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks, acutely aware of how her appearance must look to him—unladylike. After all, she had removed the pins from her hair, and her blonde tresses tumbled over her shoulders and back in wild abandon. Julia had found the summer evening stifling, so she wore no shawl, her ballgown of deep red, a stark defiance to the old dragon's insistence that she continue wearing pastel colors. Something in the way he looked at her made Julia feel as if she were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He lifted her slipper, his expression hidden in the shadows of the night. "I believe this belongs to you, my lady."

Julia took the slipper, her fingers brushing against his, the brief contact sending another wave of warmth through her. "Thank you …" she began, her voice catching in her throat.

"Sinclair," he supplied smoothly. "Rafe Sinclair."

"Thank you, Mr. Sinclair."

"Will you permit me your name?"

"I do not think it wise to own to it." Her response was a quick, instinctive need to protect her family's reputation.

A small sound came from him, one she thought revealed his amusement, though it was tempered by something darker, more intense.

"Are you here alone?" he asked, his tone deceptively casual, though his gaze was anything but.

"Yes," she replied, her voice steady even as her heart pounded.

"Are you afraid that I am here with you?"

"No," Julia answered, surprising herself with the truth of it. She was not afraid—not of him, not of this moment.

"Are you so confident I am not a villain or a blackguard?"

"Have you perhaps thought, Mr. Sinclair, I am a villainess?"

Another low laugh pulsed from him. "A villainess?"

"What else could I be, given that you do not seem to be familiar with women who own my confidence?" The words left her lips before she could think better of them.

His low laugh sounded far too appreciative, resonating in the quiet night.

"What gives you this … boldness?"

"I have four brothers who have never hesitated to teach me the skills needed when … speaking with villains," she murmured, oddly delighted by their back and forth.

Julia took a step closer, wondering at the madness of her actions. It was then she placed the slim stiletto blade at his side, the cool metal pressing lightly against him. "I am terribly skilled in using this."

His quick inhalation felt like a groan, the sound stirring something unknown within her. I am being too reckless.

"It seems fortune has indeed favored me tonight."

Julia felt a strange flutter in her chest at his words, as if the night had suddenly become something magical, something filled with possibility. "An odd thing to say, Mr. Sinclair. How have you been favored?"

Suddenly, whatever space was left between them vanished, and Julia was hauled tightly against his chest, his mouth capturing hers in a kiss that stole her breath away. The slim blade dropped from her suddenly nerveless fingers. His touch and actions were entirely unexpected, yet she did not pull away, held in place by the beguiling warmth of his mouth on hers. A soft sound escaped Julia, her lips parted, and his tongue darted into her mouth. Her world caught fire and she sagged against him, caught in a breathless, evocative moment.