The Only One (10 page)

Chapter 15

Alex knew she shouldn’t linger. She should hurry to the house. But she wanted to enjoy those precious moments over and over before greeting any of her family. With her arms wrapped around herself, she embraced the aftermath of when the duke held her in his arms.
Oh, my.
Her heart raced at the thought of what they had done.

Mating, she understood. After all, her father owned studs. But she never knew—never dreamed—such delight existed between a man and a woman.

The duke had touched her,
there
.

She was still floating. Although her curiosity had been roused to recklessness, he hadn’t allowed her to caress his hardness. He’d smiled, bundled her up and carried her to her horse.

She danced a little jig and screeched aloud, unable to contain her joy.

“What are you up to, Alex?”

Guiltily, she swung around. Her eyes widened at being caught by Ben. She only hoped he couldn’t read her mind. Heat rushed to her cheeks.

“Uh . . . nothing.” She tried to calm her racing heart.

“You’re up to something.” His eyes narrowed and penetrated. “What is it?”

“I told you, nothing.” Ben might be the most hardheaded of the three, but growing up she’d been closer to him than the others. She simply couldn’t share this bit of information. She chewed on her bottom lip.

“Now I know you did something. You only do that when you’ve done something you shouldn’t have.”

Her hands flew to her cheeks, knowing they were red. Her heart took off at a gallop. How could he possibly know?

“Out with it.”

“Out with what?” Sam stepped around the corner of the stables.

Oh Lord.
“Nothing.”

“Didn’t sound like nothing the way you two were going at each other.”

“Our little sister is guilty as sin.” Ben shoved up the tip of his hat with his thumb.

“What did she do?” Sam asked, pinning her with his stare.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out. And it ain’t
nothing
. You gonna tell me, little sister?”

“Stay out of it Ben,” she said.

“Gor, Brother. I believe you’re right.” Sam studied her more closely. “And it must be something we won’t approve of,” he declared.

“You too,” Alex snapped at Sam. “I don’t need either of you sticking your noses in my business. I’m a grown woman.”

“And when did this happen?” Sam bent over, clutching his belly as he burst out a laugh. “Don’t half the lads ‘round here call you a tomboy? They say you’re considered to be in the domain of boys.”

Of everything Sam could have said, that had to be the cruelest. She had no idea others were talking about her behind her back. No wonder no one had ever tried to tempt her. No boy had ever claimed to be sweet on her.

Well, it didn’t matter. She shoved a curl behind one ear as she pushed away the hurt. With a deep breath Alex released it along with the insult. She’d set her sights on one man long ago. He was the only one who mattered.

“I’ve set my cap for the duke.”

Ben and Sam stared, agog.

“Kit made it clear,” Ben said in a low voice. “And in case you didn’t hear him, I’ll tell you again. You can’t have him.”

“I
will
have him.”

“Just wait till Kit hears about this,” Sam warned.

A fist seemed to grasp at her lungs. “You can’t mean to tell him.”

“Of course we’re going to tell him. Right, Brother?”

“Right, Sam.” Taking her firmly by the arm, Ben propelled her toward the corral.

“How can you do this to me?” She dragged her heels.

“Then tell us what’s going on.”

“I’m not a child.”

“How many times we gonna have this discussion?” Sam braced his fists on his hips.

“The man is too old for you.” Ben took off his hat and brushed his fingers through his hair. “The duke lives in England. What’s wrong with the boys around here?”

“You just said they think of me as a boy.”

“What’s the blasted duke going to do? Write you a sonnet to pledge his eternal love?” Sam held his hands up, at a loss for words. He looked as frustrated as she felt. He ground the heel of his boot in the dirt.

Ben tipped his hat back on his head and dropped his arms by his side. “I asked you before and I’ll ask you again, did something happen?”

Sam’s head jerked up.

Oh, no. She never could hide her exploits. With her face flaming, they were bound to jump to the wrong . . . well, not so wrong conclusion.

“Did the Brit do something?”

“Answer Ben. What the hell happened?” Sam never swore in front of her. She felt like a lit fuse attached to a powder keg with the flame way too close to the explosive.

“That whoreson,” Ben shouted.

Sam spun on his heel and before he could take two steps, Alex screamed, “Wait! Where are you going?”

“To find me a Brit.”

“Stop,” she shouted. Ben grabbed her arm to keep her from following.

“Is it true? Did the Brit do something, Alex?”

“You can’t let Sam take off like that. You’ve got to stop him. He’s mistaken.”

“Alex,” Ben growled.

“I told you. Nothing.” She jerked her arm free.

“I don’t believe you. Something happened. If you won’t tell me, you’ll just have to face Kit.”

“What’s been going on around here?”

Speak of the devil.

“Now we’ll see what’s what.” Ben crossed his arms over his chest.

“Well?” Kit asked. “I just saw Sam hightailing it out of here like the barn was on fire. Then I find the two of you yelling at each other. One of you going to talk?” He stared at her face and his eyes widened. “Alex?”

“Nothing.” With a toss of her head, her long hair flew across her shoulder. She swung around in the opposite direction, intent on escape.

“Hold!”

By Kit’s tone, she dared not take another step. She turned with reluctance. And immediately regretted not running. She took a tentative step backward, which earned her a scowl. Unable to stand his scrutiny, she dipped her head.

“What mischief are you up to now?”

“Sneaking around. Our dear sister is up to no good, and I’m going to kill me a Brit.” Ben’s low growl befitted a wild bear.

“Someone better start talking.” Kit stepped closer, his voice taking on a cutting edge.

“The duke.” Ben glanced to Kit. They stared at each other for only a moment, communicating some unspoken message.

Kit’s eyes were hard when he glanced back to her. “Alex, you seem far too comfortable with the man for my satisfaction. Do I need to wring the bastard’s neck?”

Exactly the reaction she expected from her brother.

“Kit, no.” God, they were such hotheads.

“Did he take advantage of you?”

“No. He did not.” She had been a willing participant. But she couldn’t tell her brother that. How did she get into this mess, anyway?

“You have no idea of a man’s—”

“Damn it, Alex. You know nothing . . .” Ben interrupted Kit.

“Will you two just stop! Nothing is wrong. Nothing happened.” She would go to hell for lying. “I’m tired of you telling me what to do. I know what I want!”

“And just what is it you want?” Kit asked.

“You’re too young to know what you want,” Ben stated.

Ben was yelling, Kit accusing, and Sam tearing off to find her love—how had her world crashed in a matter of moments? Damn her brothers. “You’re ruining everything. You’ve got it all wrong.” Tears ran down her cheeks in exasperation. Anger raged from her bones. Her fists shook, her body trembled. She flashed her most ruthless glare. “I’m getting tired of being told I’m a child.”

She spun around, ran to her horse, and swung into the saddle, kicking Stardust in his ribs. He took off quicker than a flash of lightning.

Chapter 16

In all Giles’ born days, he’d never met a woman as bold as the elfin brat. He fully ignored the nagging voice of his conscience reminding him he had aided her impertinence. Sharing zealous kisses was not the actions of a man who did not welcome a woman’s diligence. Therefore, his conduct needed to be more principled.

Yet his pulse increased at the mere thought of this outing. He glanced at the sun overhead. Midday. A few clouds speckled in a canvas of blue. A bird or two soaring with a gentle breeze. His eyes crinkled as he took in the form swaying on the black in front of him. Excitement? An unusual feeling, this. Different from anything he’d known in all his years. How a slip of a girl snaked under his barriers, attacked his sensibilities, procured an emotion totally foreign to his being . . . His lips tugged at the corners. He liked it.

“This is a special place. No one else knows of it. At least, I’ve never seen anyone near here.” Alex spoke over her shoulder as she led Stardust through a thick copse of trees.

“Your father’s land is immense. I’m sure there are a number of areas you could get lost in.”

She eased Stardust to a halt. “It’s just through here.” She dismounted, holding onto the lead strap. Finding her excitement infectious, Giles swung down from his own mount. Lifting some of the hanging brush, he followed her.

And stepped into one of God’s creations.

A high wall of dark gray rock sheltered a waterfall more glorious than any he’d ever seen. Waves spilled over the ledge to splash in a resounding rush, creating a whirling circle in a pool of crystal blue. Sun-glinting ripples flowed in a waltz to the edge of the embankment, while golden rays formed a mystic cocoon of enchantment. Lush green foliage hung in abundance, decorating the private lagoon which intimated at a lover’s paradise.

His blood heated several degrees.

“Do you like it?”

He gazed at the fetching angel before him. “It’s beautiful.”

Like you.

“At night you can see a thousand fireflies.” She glanced about the picturesque landscape. “Green diamonds glowing through their gossamer wings.”

“You come here at night?”

“In the summer sometimes, when it’s too hot to sleep. A nice dip relaxes me as well as cools the skin.”

He didn’t even want to think of the image that thought created.

“When I was younger, I would dance and chase the lightning beetles. The most wonderful feeling centered in my chest when I captured them. Their tiny feet tickled my palms. Their light glowed through my fingers like a magical mist. Then I’d open my hands and watch them fly away. My heart lifted with them.”

A warmth spread through his chest. Such conflicting emotions, he could not begin to sort them out.

“The sky is so blue today,” she said on a breathy sigh. “Enhances the impression of a perfect haven hideaway.”

Giles couldn’t find fault with that. The isolation alone proposed a clandestine rendezvous.
Food.
When one needed a distraction, food was a good diversion. At this moment the only thought in his lusty head—the one below his waist—involved the removal of Alex’s clothes.

“A perfect spot for a picnic.” He spun, hissing out a breath, thankful for the few paces of retreat to his horse.

He laid out a blanket, placed the hamper on one corner, and then admired the graceful way Alex arranged her skirts. Cornelia clearly had her niece practicing genteel ways. The girl’s comportment had changed considerably. He had to admit, he no longer saw her as a child. She was a soft, inquisitive, responsive woman.

A smile as innocent as a babe crept over Alex’s lips. Big brown eyes glinted, and for just a moment he remembered how they burned bright in passion. A jolt of hunger shot through him, having little to do with food. Suddenly he wanted to discover whatever adventure this day might hold.

“Let’s see what delicacies we have in this basket.” Jerking his attention away from his licentious thoughts, he opened the hamper lid. “Ah.” He lifted a slice from a cheese wheel wrapped in cloth. “This looks divine. We have bread, chicken, and strawberries.”

“I see you’ve thought of everything.”

He glanced over and gave her a sassy wink. “I’ve added something special.”

When he brought out a bottle of wine, her face lit up.

“I had to sneak two wine glasses from the cupboard.”

“If Phibe had caught you, and knew I was sharing your find, you would have received a good tongue lashing.” She let out a gleeful chuckle.

“My dear girl. Don’t you think I could have smoothed Cook’s ruffled feathers?”

“I have no doubt.” She gave him an adoring smile that wrenched at him. Damn, she was desirable.

Lifting one glass, he poured from a bottle of French wine, then handed the delicate crystal to her. After filling another goblet with the burgundy liquid, he drank slowly and watched Alex as she sipped hers. His gaze moved to her dainty throat as she swallowed.

“This is some picnic. And I’m hungry.”

“I like a woman with an appetite.” He’d not been exposed to the full force of her personality. He smiled and looked forward to what the minx would deliver next.

“I like food. And I like to eat.” When she grabbed a piece of chicken and tore a chunk out with her teeth, his eyes flew wide. Suppressing the ache in his loins, he belted out in laughter. She was no English damsel playing the part of a coy maiden. This girl was hungry and ate her fill.

Alex blinked, and her face flushed with embarrassment. Then she shrugged her shoulders and her lips turned up in a playful smile. “I like chicken.”

“You are pure delight. Can’t say I’ve ever seen a young woman attack a piece of chicken with such enthusiasm. Or pleasure.”

Curse him, everything she did led to lustful imaginings within his thoughts.

As they ate he repeatedly glanced at Alex. The longer he remained in her presence, the more enticing she grew. She really was quite lovely.

“I like the way you look at me.”

“You do?” He raised a brow. “How do I look at you?”

“Like you want to eat me.”

He choked on his wine.

“You should not be surprised. You have heard me speak my mind. I’ve wanted you—”

“Yes, I should be accustomed, and normally I am not shocked.” He swiped at the spilled drink. “But you do have a way of taking me by surprise.”

“I’m glad you have finally stopped running from me.”

“Running?” His hand froze, holding a napkin in midair.

“Yes, running. I know you were afraid of me.”

“I was
not
.”

“I love you. I have for a long time. All I desired was your attention.”

Good God. The girl had him muddle headed. Just when he relaxed in her company, she threw another punch to his gut. And then another. He inhaled a deep breath and blew air out slowly. “You couldn’t possibly love me.”

“Can’t I? And after yesterday . . .” She dropped her head, but he saw her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

He should not be discussing his lapse of good judgement. He should not be thinking of her soft moans while he gave her pleasure. Or how she arched and pleaded, or the way she clutched him in her moment of bliss. He should not see her face swathed in ecstasy and remember how he’d lain awake all night thinking of nothing else. And he sure as hell should not be considering doing it again.

But, recalling her expression the moment she crested . . . his groin tightened and he ached from the fire poker between his legs.

“You are confusing a body’s desire with love. A healthy amount of lust was involved.”

“You let down your guard. You touched me . . . like . . .” Alex tilted her head. “Why? Why have you changed your mind? Do you really like me?”

He stared into her beseeching eyes, noting the golden flecks in their dark hickory color. Another punch. Soon he would be battered and bruised from her aspirations. Aiming for a natural tone, he struggled to keep any emotion from his voice. With a shrug of his shoulders, he glanced to the swirling pool.

“You have captured my fancy.”

“Is that all?” By her tone and the naughty sparkle in her devilish eyes, he knew she was thinking of the pleasure he’d given her.

“Every moment I spend with you, I find myself more intrigued.” He seized a strawberry and held it to her lips, teasing the corner of her lips. She opened her mouth and sprang for it. He jerked his arm back, enjoying their game.

She took a deep breath, drawing his gaze to her bosom. The linen clung like a second skin, revealing tantalizing curves of what lay underneath. Her gown afforded little protection. Raw desire shot through his veins.

Exactly the kind of thinking he should avoid. His body had a will of its own. God Almighty! He had to stop thinking with his cock.

Wiggling her fingers in the air, she made a grand showing of plucking a strawberry. With an evil glint in her eye, she held the plush fruit to her lips, and ran her tongue around the red surface before popping the thing into her mouth.

Lust threatened to choke him. For a man who seldom let anything unravel him, Giles was spellbound. Before he knew what she was about, she lunged at him, knocking him onto his back. With a siren’s grin, she filched the strawberry, the one he’d forgotten dangled in his hand. She held the blasted fruit between her teeth.

He quickened. There was no hope for it. The chit enticed him with a magnitude unbelievable. He swallowed convulsively. For the life of him he couldn’t resist stroking the backs of his fingers over her cheek. Bloody hell. This was not like him. Under any other circumstances, he’d grab her and make short work of getting the deed done. But she was an innocent, her father his host.

She closed her puckered lips, and the fruit disappeared. The tip of her tongue darted out to wipe the strawberry juice from her lush lips. His throat went dry.

He deserved a taste.

What was happening to him? Good God, his common sense had been stolen by the devil. He risked becoming a half-wit to a seventeen-year-old girl.

“Alex. We should not.” He dropped his hands on her shoulders, intending to push her away. But once his palms covered the warmth of her skin beneath her clothing, the last thing he wanted was to let go.

“Should not what? Kiss you?”

He forced his gaze from her lips. “But a kiss can lead to more. I showed you that.”

For a long moment they stared at one another. Her eyes glazed over so soft and warm, and her body angled into him. She made him feel something beyond what he knew, beyond what he could ever hope to have.

How the hell could he think of her as anything other than a woman when she looked at him with desire? When she pressed her perfect curves into his hard maleness?

“The knowledge you desire me wrenches my vitals in a painful knot,” he rasped, his voice ragged with longing. “Your curiosity stirs my body. I ache with the passion you arouse in me.”

“Kiss me, Giles.”

He shoved a strand of hair behind her ear. “You tempt me beyond my ability to resist.”

“Then don’t. Kiss me the way a man kisses a woman he wants to make love to.” Her eyes blazed with innocent need, her passion lurking beneath the surface. He wanted her. And he had no desire to stop the heat surging between them. Ignoring the danger signals going off in the back of his brain, he surrendered.

“Oh, Alex, you have much to learn.” He slid his fingers through her hair and gripped the back of her head. “Not make love
to
.” At her confused expression, he pulled her head down as he whispered, “Make love
with
.”

He took her mouth as a man dying of thirst in the desert. His blood heated. His loins hardened, burning to make her his.

Giles’ lips moved over hers with the surety of a man who’d kissed a hundred women. He coaxed her mouth open, interlacing his tongue with hers. His arms, like bands of steel, crushed her to a chest solid as rock. When she thought she could no longer breathe, he broke the kiss and trailed his lips to her cheek, her neck.

“I’m tired of fighting you. Tired of denying myself what I desire most.”

“What . . . do you desire most?” Her heart leapt with hope. More so because she wanted him to mean the words he spoke.

“You,” he rasped. He tilted her head and eagerly covered her mouth with his again.

Finally. This was what she’d wanted. What she’d waited for. What she’d practiced with the butcher’s son. But a boy’s kisses had not prepared her for the onslaught of the duke. A man’s touch. And oh, what a man. The powerful emotions swamping her body made her yearn beyond the bounds of reason, powerless to deny the mounting heat spreading from her chest to swirl low in her belly.

Was it possible to drown in a kiss? The impatience in his kiss quickly grew more insistent, more passionate. Opening her mouth wider, she welcomed his tongue sliding, coaxing, then delving deeper, ravaging her sensibilities.

Her lungs demanded she gulp for air. He held her immobile with his blistering gaze. Gentle hands lingered, strong fingers spanned her waist, caressing, creating warmth. Surely a wicked spirit housed her soul for she craved the feel of his hands touching her.

Her mind whirled as he ran his hand down the curve of her waist and hip. Heat flared in her body. She pressed closer, her hands clutching his neck, pulling him in for another wild kiss.

Shifting, he settled her between his legs while sliding his hands over her back. She relaxed as he massaged her shoulders, her head falling forward at the loosening of her muscles when he stroked her nape. She melted against him.