God, she was tempting. Tilting his head until their temples met, he inhaled deeply. His fingers flexed against the softness of her hips. The scent of apple blossoms filled his senses as he breathed her in. It was dangerous being with her like this. He had avoided Belle’s plot thus far, and while he had no desire to be caught in a situation that would dictate the rest of his life, he couldn’t tear himself away from her.
Just a few more moments.
He had purposely been trying to avoid her the past two weeks, hoping to clear his mind from all of his thoughts about her. He had strained mightily to convince himself that his attraction to her was only due to the fact that she represented Lismore Hall.
But deep down, he knew that to be a lie.
Graham drew back slightly and their eyes met. The light from the bonfire danced on the side of her beautiful face, and the oddest sensation tugged in his gut. There was something here, something powerful, and though he was eager to explore it, he knew the darkness surrounding them gave him a false sense of privacy.
This was too risky. He needed to be away from her before he compromised them both.
Pulling away, he planned to leave, but when her fingers caught at the creases of his jacket. Graham’s gaze dipped to her hands and then back to her face.
Her mouth opened slightly, as though she wished to speak, but no words came out. Her cheeks reddened as her expression became embarrassed and Graham was flooded withremorse for making her ashamed in his presence. Her hands released him and her fingers curled into her palms as she tried to twist away.
“I’m sorry—”
But Graham wouldn’t have any apology from her. His well thought out plan to scold her and leave her was unravelling quickly. This was why he’d avoided her, because whenever he was near her, the all-encompassing need to be closer to her was too great to resist.
Unable to stop himself, he reached for her slowly. It was a mistake, he knew it, but he simply couldn’t stop himself. He needed to touch her. To taste her. One strong arm curved around her; his hand pressed on the small of her spine while the other came up to cradle the back of her head as his mouth found hers.
A jolt pierced through his body as he kissed her, his mouth desperate to taste every inch of her. His tongue brushed against hers, sweeping and sucking as he pressed her soft body against him. She tasted like strawberries and tea and when she melted against him, he felt himself harden.
Damned if he didn’t want to take her right now, beneath the stars.
The thought should have frightened him. Should have warned him of the dangers of the whole situation, but he couldn’t pull away from her. It made no sense. Even though he knew of Belle’s plot to force him into marrying Hope, and that he should therefore avoid her at all costs, his better judgment seemed to vanish when he was standing near her.
It made his skin crawl to be managed, but Graham liked her despite himself. Being alone with her, he could be himself. Graham had been cranky and rude, yet she hadn’t withered away.
Instead, she was kissing him back, almost as eager as he was, if not very skilled. Still, her earnestness made up for anylacking skill, and a primitive need coursed through him. For he was more than willing to teach her all sorts of things.
His mouth travelled down her chin as she tilted her head back.
“Graham,” she whispered, and a building heat coursed through him.
“Mm?”
“What… We … Oh,” she said as his mouth reached the hollow below her ear, breaking her thoughts.
He was glad to quiet her and yet regretted not hearing her speak. What a maddening desire this was. He needed to kiss her, to devour her entirely.
He dropped his hand from the back of her head and brought it down over her body. Touching the front of her jacket, and he undid the buttons of her Basque. All reason had left his mind as the need to touch her consumed him. When the last button released, her ribs expanded as she inhaled. Her billowy white habit shirt was thin and as his hands came upward, he could feel the hard boning of her corset. He longed to free her from it, but found that it didn’t go all the way up as his fingers brushed against the round weight of her breast.
Hope’s breath sucked in and Graham could feel himself harden at her reaction. Her kisses became increasingly aggressive, as if she were desperate for them to continue. Obliging her, Graham’s head dipped down her neck as his mouth found the bed of her nipple through the white fabric. He sucked, his tongue wetting her shirt and her arms came around his head, holding him to her chest as he continued.
Hope moaned and Graham’s grip tightened. He had lost all sense of time and place in the moment. His only concentration was on her. Her skin, limbs, and desire. He fought the urge to tear her clothes right there so that he could taste her skin. A single word echoed through the caverns of his heart.
Mine.
A desire to have, to conquer, had long been in his heart. He had wanted Lismore Hall for ages, but this? This yearning to possess another human being? He knew it was wrong, yet it felt so very right all at the same time.
Whatever it was, this craving, Graham ignored it and focused on the task at hand. To bring pleasure to Hope.
Her breathing had become short and shallow as his mouth teased her through the fabric. His hands moved down the center of her body, and before he knew what he was doing, he’d bent his knees in a preemptive attempt to hitch her leg up. But just as he was about to abandon all caution, he sensed another person’s presence.
“Ah. Pardon me—uh, Graham?” A male voice, Jared, sounded from somewhere behind them.
Graham’s entire body stilled as Hope froze in his arms. He should let her go, but he held her close to protect her from being seen in such a disheveled state. He glanced over his shoulder and glared at the intruder.
