Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

T he next day dawned bright and clear, with the sun shining warmly and birds chirping melodiously in the trees. The air was filled with the earthy scent of damp leaves. James and Sarah stood outside the manor, basking in the lovely day.

"The weather is perfect for fishing," James said with a smile. "What do you say we catch our food for the day from the lake?"

Sarah's eyes lit up. "I have never fished before, but I would love to try. My father always takes Frederick out on the lake, and though I begged to accompany them, I was never allowed."

"I have a boat in the woodhouse. Let's get it ready."

They walked to the woodhouse together, and he liked that her steps were light and her spirits high. James found the small, slightly weathered but sturdy wooden boat and pushed it toward the lake. The lake was a serene expanse of water, its surface sparkling under the sunlight. James carefully guided the boat into the water and climbed in. He steadied the vessel as Sarah took her seat. They drifted into the center of the lake, the water calm and inviting.

"Watch closely," James said, handing her a fishing rod. "The first thing you need to do is hook your lure."

He demonstrated how to thread the bait onto the hook, his fingers moving deftly. He also taught the difference between fly-fishing and angling. Sarah watched and listened intently, her brow furrowed in concentration. When he finished, he handed her the rod and guided her hands as she tried it herself.

"Like this?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"Yes. Now cast your line into the water and wait for a bite."

"That is all?" she scowled. "What was so difficult about this that my father and brother refused to teach me?"

"Once the fish nibbles at the bait and it is hooked, you must reel it in."

"Challenge accepted."

James gently traced her jawline with his fingertip. "You have no parasol or bonnet to shield your fair skin from the sun. You will freckle."

Her eyes held a gleam of good humor. "I do not mind."

They sat in comfortable silence, the gentle rocking of the boat and the rhythmic sound of the water lapping against the sides, creating a peaceful ambiance. He would rather be right where he was than any other place he could think of.

"There is no nibbling."

"Patience is needed to fish. We can sit for an hour before we get a bite."

"An hour ? I will surely starve by then."

How aghast she sounded.

"James," she said suddenly, "What do you want for your future? Beyond the work you do restoring old buildings, what else do you long for?"

He cast Sarah a sidelong glance. She was staring at him with an intensity he had never seen before. "I have realized for a couple of years now that I want a wife and children. I want to share my life with someone who understands and accepts me, flaws and all."

"What flaws are these?"

"Lady Celdon has the list," he said drily.

"Oh, those flaws."

James chuckled and she grinned.

"I look at my siblings, and at times, I envy their contentment. I do not envy Colin his responsibility to an earldom. I want the freedom to travel with my wife and children."

Her eyes widened. "You would take them with you?"

"Yes. My father … was a wanderer, always hungry to travel and explore. I suppose he infected me with his passion. However, he would leave us and our mother for a few months, and there was always this sense of incompleteness without his presence. I do not want my wife or children to ever feel like that. Wherever I go, so will they."

His line tugged, and James said, "Watch how I reel in this fish. There is no rush. Calm and steady."

Sarah's heart ached at his words, knowing she wanted to be that person for him. She felt a surge of admiration for James, for his strength and determination to carve out a life that was true to himself. Traveling alongside the person one loved and exploring new places, cultures, and foods together sounded wonderful. According to the Dowager Countess of Celdon, James's greatest flaw was that he had never been ashamed of his country roots. He often smirked when gentlemen in the ton asked about his connections and said he enjoyed working.

James reeled in a large trout and then cast his line again. He caught four more trout and calmly waited to see if a fish would nibble on her line. She liked that about him, his care and patience without ever seemingly getting impatient himself. Sarah had often observed him with his sisters, nieces, and nephews, and it was one of the first qualities she admired about James.

Sarah watched the ripples on the lake's surface, her anticipation growing with each passing moment. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her line. "I think I have got something!"

"Reel it in slowly," James instructed, calm but encouraging.

In her excitement, Sarah stood up and began reeling in the line, but the boat rocked precariously. Before she could regain her balance, she lost her footing and tumbled into the water with a splash. The cold water enveloped her, shocking her senses. She kicked her legs and surfaced quickly, gasping for breath and blinking against the sunlight. Thankfully, she had not worn her spectacles; surely, they would have been lost. A hand slipped around her waist, and she realized James had jumped right after her.

"Are you well?"

"You jumped in after me," she said softly.

He scowled. "Of course I did."

Unexpected laughter bubbled forth, and she slipped her hand around his nape, surged upward and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Did I scare you?"

"Yes, you did," he admitted, his voice rough with intensity. He tightened his grip on her hips. "Last year, you and Frederick attended Lizzy's garden party. I invited you both to swim in the lake, and your brother said you could not swim."

Her chest ached, and she tenderly brushed a wet lock of hair from his forehead. "I could not swim then, but I learned since in the hope that one day you might ask me again."

That soft confession laid her heart open to James, and while she hurt that he did not feel the same, Sarah did not want to be dishonest about her feelings and experiences. The warm admiration in his eyes as they stroked over her was captivating. James leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. She responded immediately, her arms tightening around his neck as she kissed him back with equal fervor. The world around faded away, leaving only the sensation of their lips moving together, the taste of James on her mouth.

His hands roamed her back, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. He sucked her tongue into his mouth, and she moaned. A sweet, twisting need stirred in Sarah's belly, and her heart quickened. Over and over, he kissed her until her lips felt bruised. Their mouths broke apart, and she breathed raggedly.

"God, you taste so good," James said, his voice a low rumble. He brushed a strand of wet hair from her face, his touch tender.

A sharp tremor wracked her body, and he frowned. "We need to get you out of this cold water."

Sarah nodded and swam back to the boat with James. Once they climbed back in, they sat for a moment, catching their breath and smiling at each other like conspirators in a grand adventure. He rowed back to shore, and by the time they entered the manor, Sarah was a trembling mess. James urged her to go to the bedchamber, and he went to the kitchen with the basket of fish. He caught up to her in the hallway with a flask in his hand. Once in the chamber, he grabbed a towel and began to wrap her hair.

"Take off those sodden clothes," he said, moving toward the armoire.

She stripped off her gown, which had been through too much; there were tears and stains on the sleeves and hem. As she shed the heavy, wet fabric, she felt an acute awareness of the scandalous nature of the moment. James held out a shirt without looking over his shoulder, and it was then Sarah realized she had removed her wet clothes without hesitation and was completely naked in a room with a rogue, even if he was a lovable one. The realization sent a thrill through her, yet she was too chilled to recall all the seduction pointers her friends had provided over the years.

She slipped the shirt on, which fell almost to her knees. "You can turn around now, James."

He began to strip off his own clothes, and she watched him with widened eyes. James removed his shirt and boots but kept on his dripping trousers. The sight of his muscles shifting across his chest and shoulders sent a darting heat low in her stomach. It was so tempting to step off the cliff she was poised upon.

"Oh, there is no need to mind my sensibilities," she teasingly drawled through chattering teeth. "You can take off your trousers."

He graced her with a faintly sardonic look. James walked over and started to help, drying her hair with careful, gentle movements. "I should not have taken you out," he said, his expression somber.

Warmth and a feeling of such love poured through Sarah. "You do not need to worry, James. I will not fall ill again."

"You cannot be certain of that," he replied, concern etching lines on his face.

He tucked the blanket around them, making sure her feet were covered. She inhaled sharply in relief as the heat sank into her spine. The intimacy of being wrapped in the blanket, their bodies pressed close, was comforting and irresistible.

James held up the flask he had taken from his library, opened it, and handed it to her. "Sip."

Sarah took a mouthful and gasped at the fiery burn that ran down her throat and bloomed through her belly. "What is it?"

"Whisky."

"It is ghastly."

He smiled and lifted the flask to his mouth, taking a healthy swallow before holding it to her again. She took another sip, savoring the warmth that spread through her body. Each time their fingers brushed as they passed the flask back and forth, a spark of desire seemed to jump between them.

"James," she breathed, her eyes searching his.

He reached up, cupping her cheek with a tenderness that made her heart swell. Somehow, she had imagined a series of ridiculous attempts of seduction would have culminated in a mad dash to tear off clothes. He dragged her up against him, one hand curving to the swell of her hip. In the depth of his gaze, she spied surprise and desire so powerful her entire body quaked.

"You are beautiful, Sarah."

His warm, soft, indulgent voice gave her another alarming, exciting stomach flutter. James lowered his head, and she met him, pressing her mouth to his, parting her lips to the sensual sweep of his tongue. His kiss was passionate yet so very tender, and she moved her mouth under his, kissing him back with the deep love burning inside her heart for him.

The blanket pooled to the floor as he swung her into his arms, and within a few strides, they were by his bed, tumbling down on the soft mattress. She felt his heartbeat against her chest, an erratic rhythm that matched her own. They kissed endlessly until her body grew fevered and her sex ached. Sarah felt so empty. James seemed as if he could not stop kissing her. Sarah's fingers traced the contours of his face, memorizing every line and curve. Their kisses grew more passionate, more urgent, as if they were trying to convey all the words they couldn't speak. He brushed his mouth over her cheeks, the curves of her throat, down to her breasts.

"James," Sarah whispered, her voice trembling with need. "I feel so achy ."

"I will make it better."

The sensual cadence of his voice wrapped around her senses, and a wicked thrill shot through her. James whipped the overly large shirt from her body and sucked a nipple into his mouth. Sarah moaned at the hot, almost unbearable feeling of lust crawling through her veins. She had never imagined such sensations were possible.

Sarah gasped, clutching his shoulders as he explored her body with reverent tenderness. One of James's hands drifted over her body, molding and shaping, teasing and tormenting. His fingers brushed over the hollow of her throat, over the aching mounds of her breasts and seared a path over her quivering stomach down to her thighs. His fingers found her damp curls, gliding through slick folds, sinking deep into her sex.

"You are so tight and wet," he murmured hungrily against her mouth.

Sarah's senses were assaulted with piercing desire. She nudged her hips, and his finger moved within her. Over and over, he stroked his finger in and out, drawing forth an unbridled, wanton response from her. Sarah grew so wet it was almost mortifying.

She cried out as his thumb glided over her nub of pleasure. It was as if lightning struck her low in her belly, and a moan ripped from her. James kissed over her breasts and down her belly, following the path his fingers had taken earlier, licking and tasting her. He dragged his mouth along the sensitive skin on her inner thigh. Sarah sobbed and arched, gripping the sheet until her fingers ached.

A piercing ache bloomed throughout her body, and she shattered as the most exquisite sensation assaulted her senses. His fingers moved from her body, and she cried out her protest.

"I have dreamed about tasting your pussy for so long," he murmured.

She blushed at the crudeness, shocked at the heat that tightened low in her belly and the growing wetness. James cupped her buttocks in both his palms, tilting her hips, dipping his head. That deep, heated lick across her folds ripped a sob from Sarah. The pleasure was sharp and searing, flowing from her nub and throughout her entire body. He licked her over and over. He devastated Sarah, and when she thought the pleasure could not deepen, James thrust two of his fingers deep, then dragged his tongue over her clitoris before sucking that nub.

The sweetest ecstasy tore through Sarah, and she arched against his mouth as waves of pleasure consumed her. James rose above her, settling his weight between her open thighs. His expression was a tight grimace of desire, and his brilliant blue eyes were searing and intent. He lowered his head and kissed her, and the sensual taste of herself on his tongue aroused her senses even more. He reached between them, and then a hardness pressed against the tender opening of her sex. Kissing her deeply, James surged forward, burying his cock deep inside her. Pain buffeted Sarah's senses, and he placed soft, soothing kisses along the tip of her nose and her mouth.

"By God, you feel incredible, Sarah," he said gruffly. "So beautiful how you take my cock."

"I have yet to decide if I like this part," she said shakily.

He tenderly kissed her mouth, reaching between their bodies to rub his thumb over her clitoris. A hot, delicious sensation pierced her nub, and she grew wetter, easing the tight fit of their bodies. James did not move again until Sarah lifted her hips in demand. She moaned at the tight stretch of his cock filling her once more. He held her gaze and began to ride her in a deep, hard, beautiful rhythm. Pleasure mingled with pain with each deep glide into her body.

It was nerve-wracking ecstasy. The coil in her belly drew tighter and tighter, and the pleasure burned hotter. Distantly, she became aware of her thighs trembling, of the almost painful need closing around her entire body. She shuddered wildly as the coil of tension suddenly released, and the fierce, pulsing flood of sensation swept through her. Sarah whimpered as pleasure consumed her, leaving her drained and sated.

James groaned his satisfaction, and the sound sent a shudder of pleasure rippling through her body. Seconds later, he pulled from her body and released his seed on her quivering belly. In the aftermath, they lay tangled together, their bodies still humming with the echoes of their passion. James held Sarah close, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her shoulder. She rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Sarah yawned, exhaustion pulling her down. She vaguely sensed James moving from the bed, and returning to clean her before he gathered her into his arms, holding her close until she drifted into a deep slumber.