Chapter 3

3

“My God, Anne,” Justin murmured, not even blinking as fat droplets of rain fell onto his face.

Low, seething heat began to spread through her thighs as his gaze slowly traveled up her white stocking, over the exposed flesh of her naked thigh, and her pelvic bone.

And she liked it. As thunder crashed over their heads and rain began hitting the ground, the grass, bushes, and trees around them, she finally came to her senses and pulled the torn edges together.

Justin removed his hunting coat and wrapped it around her hips. She tugged the sleeves tight, tying them at her back.

“Come on,” Justin said. “We’re too far away from Pryde Manor. We must find shelter, and I know a place.”

He grasped her hand and they darted along a narrow path. Within two minutes, they were completely drenched. But soon Anne could make out white columns through the sheets of driving rain.

As they drew closer, she could clearly see a round gazebo with six columns tucked away in a lush corner of the woods. Ivy crawled up the columns. Steps led up to a platform with several stone benches. From the round roof, wisteria cascaded in a riot of blooms, draping the place in shades of pale purple and white.

They dashed up the stairs and huddled together against the inner wall of the gazebo, breathless. Anne’s curls clung to her flushed cheeks, and her heart pounded wildly in her breast as she gazed up at Justin, his eyes burning into hers with an intensity that made her knees go weak.

“Are you all right?” Justin asked, his eyes filled with concern as they swept over her. “You’re drenched and shaking.”

“I’m f-fine,” Anne managed through chattering teeth. “Just a bit chilled. You’re drenched, too.”

His large hands came up to rub warmth back into her arms through the soaked fabric of her gown. The simple touch sent fresh tingles racing along her nerve endings. She had to steel herself against leaning into his solid heat.

She became very aware of her naked leg and their closeness. Good God, she wouldn’t make the same mistake again, would she? Let herself fall under his spell?

Justin’s fingers brushed her jaw with a feather-light caress. “Anne,” he murmured, his deep voice rough with emotion. “I’ve missed you so.”

Desire thrummed through her veins at his touch, but trepidation held her back. She stepped out of his reach, her hands clutching tighter around his coat. “Please leave your sentiments for a naive girl. You educated me not to trust the empty words of a rake.”

“I was a fool,” he said fervently, closing the distance. “I let the expectations of others blind me to what truly matters. Please, give me another chance to prove myself worthy of your affections.”

Anne’s throat tightened with overwhelming emotion. Part of her yearned to throw herself into his arms.

“My affections,” she whispered. “What makes you think I have any towards you?”

Justin’s strong arms enveloped Anne, pulling her flush against his firm chest as he attempted to warm her rain-chilled body with his own heat. Despite her reservations, she couldn’t help but melt into his embrace, her curves molding perfectly to the hard planes of his torso.

“The way you look at me…” he murmured, his knuckles brushing down her cheek. “The way your body sways towards me just a little.”

Justin’s masculine scent wrapped around her like a comforting blanket, awakening a primal longing deep within her core. As though by his command, she swayed to him. Damn it, how did he read her so? She breathed him in, the earthy scent of rain in the woods mingling with his unique essence until her head swam with heady desire.

“The way your lips part,” he said as his thumb brushed tenderly along her lower lip, sending desire through her core.

Her hands crept up to rest upon his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm. It matched the frenzied pounding of her own. Anne felt herself melting into him, lulled by his touch and scent and the humid cocoon of their embrace. The rest of the world fell away until only the two of them existed, insulated from the raging storm. It would be so easy, so tempting, to surrender to the desire smoldering in her veins…

“Tell me you feel this too—this pull between us.”

She trembled, a hot flush suffusing her cheeks. Every fiber of her being cried out to surrender to his touch, to lose herself in his ardent words. But a tiny voice of caution still whispered in the back of her mind, reminding her of the heartbreak she’d barely survived.

“You may command my body, but you betrayed me. How can I be sure your feelings are true?”

Justin’s arms tightened around her. “Because I have loved you endlessly, hopelessly, since the very first moment I laid eyes on you. Even when I foolishly tried to deny it, my soul knew the truth. You are the only one for me.”

Electricity raced along her nerves, something kindling in her blood. No. She knew better. She’d be a fool to give into such fervent declarations.

Justin cupped her face in his hands, his hazel eyes boring into hers with an intensity that stole her breath.

“I have given you reason to doubt me. I was a young cad, too afraid to fight against my family for what I truly wanted. But I grew up. The years taught me there’s nothing more important than to live one’s truth, no matter the fear and uncertainty one must face. And my truth is this: I love you. I will spend the rest of my days proving my love for you, if you’ll only give me the chance.”

Every word chipped away a little at the walls she’d erected around her heart. She believed him, damn her. Just for a moment, she did. Could she find the courage to trust him?

As if in answer, Justin slowly lowered his head, his lips hovering a hairsbreadth from hers. “I love you, Miss Anne Rose,” he breathed. “With every beat of my heart, with every fiber of my being. Please, let me show you how much.”

The rain, the storm around them was like the walls of a castle, protecting them from the outside world. The last of her resistance crumbled. With a soft cry, Anne surged forward, capturing his lips in a searing kiss that poured all of her pent-up longing, her barely dared-for hopes, into the press of her mouth against his. His coat fell from around her hips, and she barely noticed.

Justin’s arms banded around her like steel as he deepened the kiss, urgent and demanding. It was as though he was trying to make up for all the time they had lost. His hands roamed over Anne’s curves, tracing the dip of her waist, the swell of her hips, igniting sparks of desire in their wake. Each caress burned through the layers of her gown, branding her skin with his touch.

Anne slid her hands over the firm planes of his chest, hard muscle beneath fine linen. Her fingers tangled in the wet strands of his hair, tugging him impossibly closer as they kissed. Justin made a rough sound, his lips trailing from her mouth to blaze a path along the column of her throat.

“Yes,” she breathed, arching into him as his teeth grazed the sensitive spot below her ear. Yes…”

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice whispered that they were treading on dangerous ground. She could be ruined if discovered. No one would likely be roaming through this storm though, and passion drowned out all thoughts of caution.

Justin’s lips moved lower, searing kisses down the valley between Anne’s breasts.

“How I ached to kiss these,” he murmured, his breath hot against her cold skin.

Her breath came in shallow pants as his calloused fingers found her breasts and lifted them from the wet corset and gown. A sound of male appreciation had her trembling, and when he kissed each of her breasts, her sex clenched intensely.

“You’re exquisite,” he murmured. “Don’t hide from me, my love.”

The raw adoration in his eyes made Anne arch into his touch as his mouth closed over the peak of one breast. Lightning flickered through her, pooling low in her belly as his clever tongue swirled and teased. Gasping his name, she threaded her fingers into his rain-damp hair, silently begging him to continue.

Justin sucked and nibbled on each aching nipple before drifting lower, his lips kissing her damp gown as he knelt. When he finally reached the edge of her torn dress and spread it, she tensed.

Sensing her hesitation, Justin glanced up at her, his hazel eyes dark with desire yet filled with tender reassurance. “Let me show you how much I love you. Give you the release I know you’re craving. I will not take your virginity; I will not take anything at all. Only give. But tell me to stop and I will. At once.”

Wordlessly, she nodded, knowing in her heart that she was forever his. With a soft smile, Justin lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her most secret place. Anne cried out at that first intimate touch, her hips lifting instinctively as he began to explore her slick folds with lips and tongue.

The sensations bombarding her were almost too intense to bear—the delicious suction of his mouth, the teasing flicks of his tongue against that throbbing bundle of nerves. It was indecent, forbidden, and so blissfully perfect that tears pricked her eyes. She’d never known her body was capable of this molten pleasure.

Vaguely, Anne registered her own broken moans filling the air, punctuated by the wet sounds of Justin’s tongue. He licked, sucked, nibbled. The pressure built to an agonizing crescendo, winding tighter and tighter until she thought she might shatter from the strain. Just when she felt she could endure no more, the coil snapped.

Rapture crashed over her in rolling waves as her release claimed her, stealing the breath from her lungs. Distantly, she felt Justin groan against her flesh, the vibrations prolonging her climax while he stood, and she collapsed into his arms, boneless and replete. Aftershocks rippled through her, leaving her trembling and vulnerable in the wake of bliss.

As Justin whispered tender, soothing things into her ear, Anne felt complete.

Anne couldn’t deny the truth any longer. Despite his betrayal, she loved him with every beat of her foolish, hopeful heart.

But would he betray her again?