“You’recertain this is the place?” Margaret stood with her hands on her hips as she perused the wide swath of grass and wildflowers all around them.
Sebastian was already pacing methodically over the grass, head down, his gaze scanning the ground for the ring. The ring that had been in his family for nearly three centuries. When he paused to glance over at her, he couldn’t help but appreciate how the breeze caught her gown, giving him glimpses of her lush figure. “Fairly certain.”
In all honesty, he hadn’t paid close attention to their surroundings. He’d been somewhat distracted at the time.
“How much do you think it is worth? The ring, that is?” She was walking bent over and despite the pounding in his head from too much drink last night, Sebastian paused again, this time to enjoy the pleasant view of her heart-shaped derriere.
She turned around and seeing where his gaze had settled, narrowed her eyes. “Sebastian? Do you have any idea how much the ring is worth?”
Oh, yes. The ring. Likely she wouldn’t want to hear the answer. But of course, it was a part of the collection gifted to one of his ancestors before the gentleman fell out of King Henry VIII’s favor. The king had demanded the gift returned and Sebastian’s ancestor had declined. He was beheaded shortly after.
Sebastian would omit relaying such information to Margaret. She was already quite worked up about the damned thing. “It is, ah… priceless.”
Margaret winced and renewed her efforts. “I was afraid of that!”
“You needn’t have the ring, you know, to break off the betrothal.” Although, he did understand how it might be a smidge awkward. In addition to that, his uncle was already experiencing fiscal troubles.
Sebastian frowned. Surely, Uncle George would not use the loss of the ring to force her hand? Sebastian focused on the ground, redoubling his efforts.
“You never answered my question,” he commented after they’d both been searching for several minutes.
“What question?” She arched her back. “It would be easier, I think, to crawl around on the ground but I cannot do so because of my gown. Perhaps we are missing it. The blades of grass might be covering it now.”
“The one I asked you last night in my chamber… I asked if you thought that the two of us, together, would be good.” He dropped to his knees and began crawling over the section he had just walked, allowing the grass to slip through his fingers. “Hitch your skirt up and get down here and help me.”
She scowled at him. “Together how? That would be absurd.” He wasn’t sure exactly which of his suggestions she was saying was absurd, but it was likely the first because she then lifted her skirt just enough to allow the briefest glimpse of very pretty ankles and calves and knees before she dropped to the ground on all fours.
He crawled in her direction, feeling predatory, and before she could stop him, in one swift motion, flipped her over so that she lay on her back, staring up at him so that he saw every fleck of green in her eyes from where he hovered above her.
She protested weakly and then laughed. But when he pinned her hands to the ground above her head and lowered his body onto hers, the laughter died on her lips.
“Not absurd,” he contradicted her.
“What are you doing?” she whispered. But she must know.
He pressed himself against her abdomen. Her eyes flew open. Ah, yes, she knew. He thrust himself against her again, finding satisfaction in doing so despite the clothing between them.
Her eyes darkened, and her lips parted, and so he slid his body lower, his cock stiff and urgent. “We cannot.” But her voice came out breathy, and she dropped her knees open, allowing him to settle at her core.
“But we can. You are soon to be a free woman.” He dropped his mouth to taste the skin at the tiny dent between her neck and shoulders. “So good.”
“It is but..” Her hands were in his hair now. “So good.”
“You want this, Maggie.” He trailed his lips up her neck, and she made that little mewling sound she’d made the day before. “You were made for this.”
“But…” She lifted her hips and ground against him. “What about the ring?”
He laughed and at the same time covered her breast with his hand. He craved seeing them again. He craved tasting them. He wanted to do so much with this woman.
“We cannot,” she said again, still writhing beneath him.
He pulled away and sat back on his knees, his unexpected withdrawal leaving her eyes looking more than a little dazed. She wanted this as much as he did. But she was right. He could not make love to her while she was engaged to his uncle. The notion was distasteful.
They needed to find the damn ring so she could officially end her engagement.
She pulled him back down to kiss her.
God in heaven but this woman had him tied in knots. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, delighting as hers sparred with his.
