‘She wants you, Drake. She has always wanted you.’
She did not know who moved first, only that the space between them disappeared and she was in his arms, feeling the warmth of his body, his breath in her hair and his evening stubble against her cheek. For a moment neither spoke. They remained still, wrapped in each other’s arms and listening to their beating hearts. The past forgotten, the future ignored, just the two of them alone.
Evelyn was the first to speak, her voice quiet, vulnerable, confessional. ‘I’ve missed you so much, Drake. So much it hurt.’
‘You don’t have to hurt any more,’ whispered Drake, running a hand through her hair. ‘I am here.’
‘You broke my heart when you left.’
‘I broke my own too.’
This time she did not refuse his kiss, which ended in a smile before they broke apart. Nothing had changed. It was as if they were children again, meeting secretly in the parkland, stealing thrilling, forbidden kisses during those warm summer months. Their smiles were ones of relief. It felt as if they had come home.
Another kiss followed, slower than the last. Evelyn began to tremble as she was reminded of all that she had missed. Drake sensed the change in her. He framed her face with his hands and looked at her. His steady gaze told her he understood and felt the same. His gentle smile calmed her and stilled the squirming snakes in her belly. She returned a shaky smile of her own.
He kissed her lips before her smile faded. This time he was teasing and playful, attempting to lighten the mood and relax her. It worked. The tension she unknowingly held deep within, slowly uncoiled and slinked away.
She allowed herself to rest against him. She could feel his solid frame against her body. It was beautiful, muscular and largely unknown to her. She felt a desperate desire to discover how the years had changed him. Evelyn’s breath grew shallower as she grew braver. Her fingers threaded between the buttons of his shirt in search of the skin beneath. She heard his breath catch, or was it her own?
Wantonly, she had shown him what was on her mind and from their breathless kisses that followed; she knew he felt the same. Drake broke away first.
‘Evie . . .’ he whispered as he rested his cheek against hers. ‘I want you so much.’
She heard his pain and felt it too. Dear Lord, wasn’t every part of her body crying out for him too? It was a need that was primal, instinctive and more potent than mere desire, ignoring all other thoughts in the quest to be even closer.
‘He was doing things to my mother that I want to do to you.’
Evelyn finally understood what he meant all those years ago. Poor Drake. Poor, darling Drake. How he must have suffered.
Evelyn touched his cheek. ‘I want you too, Drake.’ She was offering more than he expected, she could see it in his face. Losing her maidenhead would ruin her marriage prospects — ruin her. It was a secret she could not hide on her wedding night. There would be no going back for either of them. Yet, he looked hopeful, or perhaps he was fearful that he might have misheard. She wanted there to be no confusion. ‘Make love to me, Drake.’
His reply came out in an anguished rush. ‘Do not say this on my account. I have no wish to cause you harm.’
‘Then be gentle.’
‘That is not what I meant and you know it.’ He raked his hand through his hair again. ‘Evie, stop this now, because I am not sure that I can. I can never give you the life you deserve. Your family will never allow it. Society will never allow it. Your reputation will be the price for making love with me.’
‘I don’t care. Life can change in an instant.’
‘Life would not be worth living if you were not in it.’
‘Then why should we wait?’
He had no answer, or perhaps like her, did not want to find one.
‘I cannot work out if we are brave or foolish,’ he said.
‘Does it matter as long as we are together?’
He took her hand to lead the way upstairs, but she resisted and shook her head.
‘No . . . not the bedroom. Let’s stay here, by the fire.’ How brave she had become in such a short time. Drake did not argue, instead he gently pulled her towards him so he could kiss her again.
Evelyn broke away and breathlessly reached for the pearl buttons at her collar. As Evelyn worked to undo them, Drake traced the curve of her neck with his kisses. Her fingers workedmore efficiently than she dared hope, for her clothing was stifling and she longed to escape it. Button by button, she was freed from her bodice and skirt. Drake untied her petticoat laces, as she traced her fingers over his broad shoulders and marvelled at the movement of his muscle beneath his shirt. He eased her petticoats and crinoline over her hips until they pooled at her feet.
Drake stepped back to look at her. No man had ever seen her like this. No man had looked at her the way Drake was looking at her now. Her public façade had been peeled away one layer at a time and his desire for her had not diminished. Under his gaze, her body tingled with expectation.
‘Beautiful,’ whispered Drake. ‘I’ve lost count of the number of nights I have lain awake imagining you like this.’ He must have felt overdressed, for he hastily pulled off his shirt and cast it aside. For the first time she could see the man that lay beneath. The muscles and tanned skin of a labourer, the strength of an adult, the allure of the unknown. The glow of the evening fire cast shadows on his skin and invited her to touch him. She reached out and ran her fingers across the contours of his chest. He watched her hand stroke his skin. ‘I have wanted to feel your touch for so long,’ he said, with a curve to his lips. He lifted his gaze to look at her. She knew what he was thinking, he wanted to touch her and she wanted it too.
