“Walk with me?” he said, reaching out a hand. Reports be damned.
She did not move. Raising her lashes, she searched his eyes.
And then she reached out and took his hand. “Yes,” she said.
THEY SLIPPED OUT THE BACK
They slipped out the back of the stables and headed toward one of the less-utilized paths. The trees were dense and the trail overgrown, making it difficult to walk side by side. Nonetheless, leading the way, Garrett reached behind and grasped her hand firmly. When they came to a small clearing, she walked abreast of him.
The meadow, covered in wild flowers, promised peaceful privacy. Hand in hand, they stepped off the path and picked their way into the blossoms until they found an inviting patch of grass. Garrett wore only his shirtsleeves, having removed his jacket and cravat much earlier while working, so he had nothing to lay out on the ground for her to sit upon. Natalie stood before him in her full riding habit.
“You must be uncomfortably hot.”
It was ill-mannered of him to make such a comment. It was also ill-mannered of him to appear in his own state of undress—shirt unbuttoned, lacking both his jacket and cravat. But she would not be offended.
Without answering, Natalie pulled off her hat and tossed it to the ground.
And then, from beneath her lashes, she sent him a knowing look. Such an enticing combination of sweetness and fire! Taking hold of her shoulders, Garrett turned her so her back was to him. He inhaled deeply, experiencing an unusual need to steady himself. He could not imagine another woman in the world making him feel the way he did now.
She stood unmoving as he pulled out each jeweled pin securing her coiffure. As though opening a gift, he watched in awe as blond tresses tumbled down her shoulders and back. Still, neither spoke. In this moment, they would communicate with touch, only with touch.
When he’d removed all the pins, he tucked them into his pocket but did not release her. Instead he reached his arms around to unbutton the jacket she wore over her habit, pulling her against his chest. Her feminine curves melted into him. “Ah, Natalie.”
She tipped her head back, her breaths more labored than they had been before. Her eyes closed, and a tear escaped. Garrett caught it with the side of his thumb. “What is this?” Whispering, he did not wish to break the spell which had taken hold of them both.
Natalie shook her head.
The skin along her face shimmered, fragile as a butterfly’s wings. He caressed her cheeks, her chin, and then his thumb trailed along the seam of her lips. When they parted, the velvety warmth of her tongue sent a surge of heat through him.
Garrett allowed her to taste and caress the tip of his thumb until she tugged on him with a sweet sucking motion. If this continued, he would embarrass himself, and quite likely her as well, within minutes.
And yet, he was not dissuaded. He peeled her jacket off and tossed it to the ground where her hat already lay.
Familiar with the workings of such feminine contraptions, he deftly undid the fasteners of her dress. She stood, unmoving,with her head bent forward. When he pushed the sleeves down her arms, the dress caught at her elbows. He paused only long enough to place kisses on her bare shoulders.
All his intentions to avoid succumbing to this need, this hunger for her, had fled. He could not stop himself.
Freed from the heavy garments she’d worn, the plump mounds of her breasts drew his gaze, just visible beneath her chemise and pushed up by her stays. Hungry to see every inch of her, he pulled her hands downward causing the habit, as well, to join the other clothing on the ground.
“Does that feel better?”
Natalie nodded silently. Where was the bold girl of a few evenings ago? She truly was an innocent.
And then she said, “Will you untie my stays, please?”
Ah, there she is.
Unwilling to release her, he turned her to face him, still within his embrace. Reaching around, he undid the tight laces with surprisingly shaking hands. She took a deep breath as the garment loosened.
It, too, was destined for the ground.
She stood before him now in her very thin chemise, stockings, and a pair of half-boots.
With both her hair and her body unbound, she was all grace and womanly curves. Gloriously female. Garrett would love her, but he would not take. He could not take what he wanted so badly.
But he would give her the passion she desired.
He would show her physical love.
