“Not yet.”
They took a back staircase. One maid saw them when they reached the ground floor, her eyes widening at the sight of Julius, and she stumbled over herself trying to curtsy and flee at the same time. Julius’s recent firings seemed to have had that effect on the remaining servants.
“Come.” Her hand tight in his, he led her down a narrow hallway to the door to the rear garden. He opened the door wide and breathed in the sweet, fresh air.
Amanda cowered behind his back. “What …?” She cleared her throat. “I wish to return upstairs.”
Turning, he took her other hand so he held both of hers in his own, his back to the open rectangle. “I know you do,” he said gently. “But it’s important for you to go out of doors. This is Marcus’s private garden. There will be no one else around. Only you, me, and the sunlight. Won’t you come for a stroll with me? Just for a little while?”
Her chest heaved, and she shook her head. “I can’t. If you would like a turn about the gardens, you go. I’ll wait in your chambers.”
Leaning forwards, he brushed his lips over hers. “We’ll return to my bedroom soon enough.” But first he wanted to see her skin touched by the sun’s rays. See whether her sable hair glinted red in the natural light like her sister’s did. Watch Amanda break free from her prison. “Let’s make it a game. For every five steps you take in the garden, I’ll …” His mind searched for an appropriate reward.
“Take me to my crisis, as you did before?” Her cheeks flushed pink. “I enjoyed that.”
As Julius wished for a long walk among the pebbled pathways, that could be quite a large number. But he was always up for a challenge. “All right. The terms are set.” He bent his head and whispered in her ear, “How far will you go for pleasure?” And he took a step backwards, onto the gravel path. Their hands were still joined, their arms now outstretched.
Amanda edged forward until finally sunlight broke across her face. She squeezed her eyes tight and grasped his hands even tighter.
“Join me on the garden path and you’ll have earned one reward.” Pulse pounding, Julius waited while she came to a decision. Her fear and agony were writ across her features, and it tore at his heart. But she needed this push.
She stepped across the threshold, and warmth radiated throughout his body. The first step was always the hardest.
“Marvelous job,” he said, keeping his voice light. “You’ve earned your reward.” Coming to her side, he tucked her arm through his and patted her hand. “Just five more steps and you’ll have a second. That bed of crocuses looks five steps away. Let’s go visit those, shall we?”
She kept her eyes closed for those five steps. She pressed herself so tightly to him that he could feel her heart thumping against his arm. But she reached the flower bed. Such bravery demanded a prize.
Tilting her chin back, he cupped her face. He brushed his thumbs along her cheekbones, across the lids of her eyes. In the full light she didn’t look as fragile as she did indoors. Her skin lost some of its translucent quality, for which he was glad. Here was a living, breathing woman, not a delicate bit of porcelain. He traced the bow of her full upper lip, and she sighed. Lowering his head, he joined his mouth to hers.
The kiss was slow, thorough but sweet. When he raised his head, she blinked up at him. A smile tugged at her lips. “That was quite nice, but it doesn’t qualify as my reward. I will hold you to account.”
Rolling his eyes, he tucked her into his side again. “Let’s see how many more rewards you can win.” And so they made their way slowly through the garden, kissing every five steps, his body temperature firing higher and higher until Julius could take it no longer. He bustled her back to the side door and up to his room.
He kicked the door shut and pressed Amanda back against it. Her eyes were wide, dark pools, looking so fathomless he thought he would drown. “That was an amazing showing of fortitude and it is past time I delivered on my end of the bargain.”
She licked her bottom lip, her chest heaving. “Yes, please.” This woman was so ripe, so passionate. If she was right that she would never marry, it would be a crime to let her body suffer from neglect.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. She sighed. Tugging at her bottom lip, he swept inside her mouth. At the first slide of his tongue against hers, she clutched the sleeve of his coat and rocked up onto her toes.
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his cock wept against the fall of his trousers. Julius drew back, trying to catch his breath. “Do you want the blindfold?”
She dropped back on her heels. Slowly, she shook her head. “This time, I want to watch.”
“Then I’ll be sure to put on a good show.” He pressed his hands flat against the door above her head. “Turn around.”
She complied, but kept her gaze on his face until her neck was twisted sharply over her shoulder. Under watchful eyes, he undid the buttons that ran down her back. Two of them had skipped a hole, but not a poor showing considering she’d dressed herself. She was a resourceful mouse. Pushing the dress down her shoulders, he let it slip to the floor, a puddle of fabric at her feet. Only a thin chemise covered her body and that soon joined the gown.
He clenched his fist. Need pounded through his body. With the back of his knuckles, he traced the line of her spine from her neck to the base of her back. Her skin was so soft. So smooth. And her arse was absolutely delicious.
“Go get on the bed.” He strode to a bureau and pulled a box from the bottom drawer. “And no closing the curtains. I’ll allow no retreats after your magnificent foray into the garden.”
She sat on her knees in the middle of the huge bed and nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t want to retreat. But … I might close my eyes.” Her gaze darted to the open window and the curtains billowing in the small breeze. “If it becomes too much.”
His heart squeezed, like a rag in the hands of a washerwoman. Life was too short to block it out by closing one’s eyes. She should know that. She needed to learn that joy existed in equal measure with despair. And perhaps, if he made her feel secure enough, she would lose all qualms about exploring outside her bounds.
Placing the japanned box on the bed, he lifted the lacquered lid. Under watchful brown eyes, he removed a cable of red silk rope and uncoiled it. The silk slid against his palms, a smooth caress.
He held it out for Amanda’s inspection. “This is what I used to tie you before. I also have a hemp rope, and a jute one, but this one is softer and good for novices.”
