Ethan didn’t need to be told twice as he closed the distance between them with ferocity, causing her back to fall against the soft grass in his wild advance. Their faces drew closer, each breath shared, each heartbeat mirrored, their lips mere inches apart in tantalizing proximity. Meredith could feel his warmth against her body and his hand fell to rest on her hip in tender protectiveness as their bodies longed for each other’s touch.
He had pinned her down. And finally, their lips met. The kiss was soft and careful and accompanied by the quietness of nature, her body relaxing in the tranquility of it all. One hand gently grasped her throat, as the other bundled up her skirts, drifting from her hips to the softness of her inner thighs.
Meredith released a soft moan from her lips, which Ethan bit down on, subduing her senses. Another gust of wind caused goose-pimples to break out over her bare arms, and Ethan’s hand finally nestled on where she desired him the most. His fingers rubbed slowly against her wetness, as her hands locked around his arms, urging him to go faster.
Instead, he spun her over, slapping her rear teasingly and causing Meredith to squeal. “How dare you,” she gasped seductively, eliciting from him a smirk and causing him to repeat the action once more.
“I did warn you, dear,” he grinned before he began feathering kisses over her neck and shoulders. She could feel his hardness pressing against her, as he’d pinned her to surrender, and she pushed up against him to feel it better over his breeches. He chuckled softly before spinning her around once more and kissing her.
With the passing breeze, thunder echoed in the distance and a speck of rain fell from the heavens. It touched the back of Meredith’s hand where she was raking it through Ethan’s hair, but it was so light, it was easy to ignore. But then more droplets pelted down on them, soaking them through in an instant.
A storm began to brew, both in the weather and on the surface of each place Ethan touched her, and Meredith relished in the tumultuous atmosphere of it all for just a moment. Then, she pulled back a little from the kiss. “We should go back, we’ll catch our deaths,” she said against his lips.
She was met with a silent nod and whispers against her ears that tickled her there but were ultimately drowned out by the bursting raindrops now smothering them.
Ethan jumped to his feet with his face tilted up to the skies, as he held out his hand for her amid the raucous chaos the once-serene place had transformed into. She took it, and it was only then she realized the extent of her muddied clothes. They both burst into laughter as they waded their way to the waiting carriage through the pouring rain.
CHAPTER11
Meredith hurried through the halls of Penrose Castle after her bath, searching for Ethan. Hours had passed since their picnic outing, since their last intimate encounter, yet she couldn’t shake the uneasiness from her chest. As the minutes ticked by, the reality of their impending separation began to settle in. She could not deny her true feelings for Ethan any longer.
Unfortunately, he had given no indication that he felt the same way about her. In fact, he was still quite adamant about nothing having changed between them and the two of them separating as per their original arrangement when the time arrived just this morning! Meredith finally reached the dining room, but it was empty despite the late hour. The food was laid out, and servants were milling about the room, but there was no sign of Ethan.
With furrowed brows, she hastily left the room and resumed her search. She soon caught sight of a familiar figure, kindling a glimmer of hope within her.
"Lucinda," she called out. Upon meeting her gaze, the maid nodded and approached her.
"Yes, Your Grace?"
At this point, Meredith felt certain Ethan had already broken his promise and left for the evening. Still, hanging onto her last bit of hope, she cleared her throat and asked the maid anyway. "I was wondering if you have seen His Grace? I cannot seem to find him."
"Oh, I believe so,” she replied. “There were some whisperings His Grace retired to the billiards room about an hour ago without a word, so I would advise caution if you decide to approach him. I suspect it has to do with his current mood regarding the news he received about Hartley’s."
Meredith’s concern deepened at Lucinda’s words and she instinctively clasped her hands together. She wanted to inquire further but thought it better to be there for Ethan instead. "Thank you, Lucinda," she murmured before dismissing her.
Her heart heavy with worry, she ascended the stairs and cautiously made her way to the billiards room. Pausing briefly, she rapped her knuckles softly on the door and waited for a response.
* * *
Ethan stood alone in his private billiards room, his eyes fixed on the scattered balls across the green-felt as the dim light from the ornate chandelier cast dark silhouettes across the table. A collection of exquisite liquor decanters, most opened and half empty, lined the shelves next to him – a testament to his growing apprehension. He held a glass of port in his hands and his mind wandered to the deal he had been so desperately working towards.
He took a sip from the glass, the amber liquid providing little comfort. The deal had proven far more complicated than anticipated, made even more difficult by the less-than-stellar connections he had forged through his reckless behavior night after night at Hartley’s. Just a few days prior, he had lost Geoffrey’s support in his bid to acquire the den after confronting him and his wife in defense of Meredith. It was no longer about money, but rather about some contrived sense of gentleman's honor.
“Damn this blasted deal,” he muttered under his breath. “It was supposed to be simple.”
He aimed the cue stick again, sighting a ball, until his head was interrupted by a flickering thought, a comforting presence; Meredith. His wife. Only a few days remained for them to enjoy each other’s presence, and he wasn't ashamed to admit he wished their time together could start all over again. Oddly enough, foreign to him, thinking and dreaming of her had become part of his daily routine, something he couldn’t help and didn’t care to put an end to just yet.
A knock on the door caught his attention. It was so soft and quiet, he could have missed it if the room wasn’t dead silent.
“It is open,” he called out.
The door creaked open and Meredith stepped into the room. Her hair was arranged in an elegant chignon and her brown eyes seemed to read him as they made eye contact for a brief moment. The gentle rustle of her muslin gown filled the room as she turned to close the door behind her, isolating them from the world outside. Ethan placed the cue stick on the table once more as he took her in. She didnotfit in, in a drabby place like this.
“Lucinda informed me that you would be here,” she explained as she headed closer to the tables. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“Not at all,” Ethan quickly said. “You were just in my thoughts.”
Meredith looked at him for a brief moment, her eyes growing wide. “I was?” she asked softly, more to reaffirm his words to herself. She walked over to him, one of her hands caressing the edges of the table and the other remaining carefully folded in front of her. Upon reaching him, she looked at the cue stick and the rest of the room in curiosity.
