She didn’t know what to say. If she told him she was a virgin, he might want her more. “Nothing.”
He dragged his nose along her ear and breathed in. “You smell like flowers and honey.”
Her heart raced as his mouth trailed along her jaw. A trail of goosebumps scattered in the wake of his soft lips. When he nibbled her earlobe, her breath caught.
He groaned, rolling his hips. “Told you I was good at this.”
His hands roamed over her body, sending chills down her arms. She couldn’t help it, she closed her eyes.
His lips trailed slowly toward her mouth, then he was teasing her, dragging his soft lips side to side, barely touching, only tickling. He laughed quietly. Their breath mingled as he licked past her lips.
“Taste like honey, too.”
She whimpered, hating her body’s response to him. But it had been so long since anyone had touched her.
“Relax.”
He closed his lips over hers, teasing and tempting. She remembered why people enjoyed this. His hips rolled in a slow, rocking rhythm, and she adjusted to his weight, quickly becoming addicted to the steady friction.
Warm fingers tugged at her dress. “Let’s take this off.”
“It’s been five minutes.”
He laughed. “I don’t care.”
“Peter—”
He covered her mouth. “I’m in charge.”
Her hands balled into fists as he pushed her gown up to her hips. All she had to do was move her thumb or say timber. But then the game would be over.
He scooted lower. “Will you look at that? What do you say we slide these little silk shorts out of the way?”
While he distracted himself with her panties, she slid her hand to the right. Cold metal tangled with her fingers, and she pulled the locket back into her fist. As he dragged his hands up her legs, Daisy arched, stretching her arms slowly overhead.
As he pressed kisses on the inside of her knee, she wound the curtain around her fist. Higher and higher he kissed until his mouth pressed over the hot silk between her thighs.
She tugged the curtain with all her might and kneed him in the side.
“Umph!” The canopy collapsed spectacularly. Poles clattered over them as fabric billowed in a cloud.
Daisy twisted and sprang off the cushion, bolting out of the crossing and into the night. She didn’t know if he followed her, and she was too terrified to stop. Her body was a mess of emotion that went far beyond fear. In a way, she might have been running from herself.
Fog wove through the trees, eerie and lifelike. Daisy darted through shortcuts that took her from one area to the next without leaving her in the open.
Branches closed overhead like clasped hands. Pulling out her hair and scratching her exposed skin. She ran until she was chilled with sweat, her lungs panting so hard and fast she couldn’t take another step.
Staggering to a halt, she bent and clutched her knees. When she looked up, she stilled.
“What the…” Daisy turned in a circle, confused by the familiar crossing, certain she’d been there before.
“No.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Impossible.”
Her brow pinched with the sudden urge to cry. How was she back here? She’d been going east. Or so she thought.
Daisy stumbled forward in disbelief and cursed when the bell tolled again. Too close.
Shoving through a row of privets, she rushed from shadow to shadow until?—
