Her eyes widened at his words and she felt heat rush to every inch of her body.His promise ignited something within her—a desire to explore this newfound passion between.
Without hesitation, she pulled him down for another kiss.One filled with more hunger and urgency than before.Tristan responded passionately, pulling her closer until they were pressed tightly together once more.
Breathless, she met his gaze, a smile playing on her lips.“Tristan,” she sighed, her eyes shining with a newfound light.“I never thought...I mean to say...”
“Shh,” he admonished gently, brushing his thumb across her swollen bottom lip as he offered a teasing grin.“No need for words, my love.Your actions speak far louder than any apology could ever hope to.”
She blushed and looked down shyly, but not before he caught the trace of a smirk that danced upon her lips.“You are insufferable.”
“And you, my lady,” he said with a bow of his head, “are anything but conventional.I do believe we will have a happy and eventful marriage.”He offered his hand once more.“Shall we resume our ride?The storm appears to have subsided.”
She took his hand without hesitation this time, her fingers intertwining with his in a powerful display of trust and camaraderie that left them both reeling in its wake.Together, they walked back toward their horses.
When they reached the horses, Tristan offered her his assistance, gallantry personified, yet the slight pressure of his hand at her back as he helped her mount spoke volumes of his true intent.
She accepted his help with a nod, her cheeks flushed with the thrill of impropriety mingled with the sweet promise of discovery.Tristan gave a scandalous wink as he mounted his own horse.“Shall we?”
“Indeed,” Emmeline said.
The clip-clop of hooves upon the wet ground seemed to echo Emmeline’s own heartbeat—as erratic and charged as the air after the storm.Tristan guided his steed with a practiced ease, the muscles in his arm flexing beneath his coat.His hair, tousled from her fingers, added an unintentional rakish charm that only heightened Emmeline’s awareness of him.
“Your skill is most impressive,” she observed, her voice betraying none of the warmth that simmered just beneath her composed exterior.
“And to think, you have yet to see the full extent of my...talents,” Tristan replied, his eyes glinting mischievously.The innuendo hung between them, a veiled promise wrapped in playful banter.
Her cheeks warmed as she averted her gaze to the landscape.Emerald leaves glistened, as the scent of damp earth mingled with the faint perfume of roses, drawing a deep breath from Emmeline as she savored the simple pleasure.
“Hyde Park is truly resplendent this time of year,” she remarked, allowing herself a moment of unguarded admiration for the beauty surrounding them.
“Indeed, it pales only compared to your own radiance,” Tristan countered smoothly, his compliment carried on the gentle breeze.
She felt the color rise to her cheeks, an involuntary response that both vexed and thrilled her.She stole a glance at Tristan, who rode with such casual mastery that she could not help but admire the strength of his form, the assuredness with which he held himself.
Their horses moved in tandem, a synchronized dance that mirrored the growing harmony between rider and companion.With each turn of the path, Emmeline grew more attuned to his presence—the sound of his breathing, the warmth emanating from his body, even the slightest shift in his posture.
Tristan caught her gaze.“Perhaps I shall steal away with you tomorrow at my brother’s garden party.”
Her cheeks warmed at the innuendo.“Tell me, do your interests extend beyond scandalous pursuits?”Emmeline said, a challenge lacing her words.
“Most ardently,” he replied, his voice a low sensuous, thrum.“I am a man of many passions, though I find myself singularly captivated at present.”
“Captivation can be a dangerous affliction,” Emmeline teased, her heart dancing a perilous waltz.
“Only if one fears the depths to which it may lead,” he said, guiding his horse closer until their knees almost brushed.His gaze held hers, a silent question lingering in the space between them.
The intensity of his stare was such that Emmeline found herself momentarily lost—adrift in the verdant depths of his eyes.And in that gaze, she saw not the rogue, but the man: vulnerable, seeking, and perhaps a bit hesitant.
“Perhaps some risks are worth taking,” she whispered, her voice barely audible above the rustle of leaves.
He gave a smile, soft yet laden with meaning, as he reached out to adjust a stray curl that had escaped her bonnet.His touch was brief, but it lingered on her skin, marking her with a sense of longing that was as frightening as it was exhilarating.
“Then let us be risk-takers together,” he proposed, his tone earnest and full of an emotion she dared not name.
“I find myself rather agreeable,” Emmeline said.Her spirit soared with the thrill of unknown paths they might tread, side by side.
