“Where is your fiancé?” he asked.
“Which one?” she shot back.
“Either,” he returned, holding out his hand to her, which she took, letting him help her down from the bench seat.
She slid down the front of him, and he was hard before her feet touched the ground.
“I haven’t seen Lord Payton since I broke it off with him directly before Lord Aberavon arrived last night. And the latter left me at your door in the early hours of this morning. You had already left, and I’m exhausted, by the way.”
“I’m rather fatigued myself,” James admitted, having slept not a wink. “All this riding to London at a moment’s notice only to get there and have to turn around again.”
“Why?” she asked.
He gazed down at the woman he loved beyond words.
“I had to go back to Brighton at a desperate pace for I’d forgotten something dreadfully important.”
She shielded her eyes from the sun while looking up at him.
“What was that?” she asked.
“You, of course.”
Her lovely face split into a wide smile, and his heart clenched. If she didn’t agree to put him out of his misery, he would never be happy again.
“I was running home to the life I thought I loved,” he explained, wishing the footman wasn’t listening with obvious interest. “But I no longer wanted that life, not without you in it.”
She bit her lower lip and had tears in her eyes. He took that as a good sign.
“Then you’re not engaged to Aberavon?”
“I think you know I never was.”
“He was willing to jump into the farce though, wasn’t he?” James asked, circling his arms around her waist.
Nodding, she secured her hands behind his head. He heard and felt her sigh.
“Yes, he was, the dear soul, but I told him I couldn’t go through with it for the same reason I told Lord Payton.”
“Payton said you were in love. He thought it was with Aberavon.”
“Iamdesperately in love,” she confessed. “So much so that I jumped in your wagon for the most uncomfortable ride of my life just to get near you. And it worked, for here you are.”
He couldn’t wait another second.
“Cuthbert, hide your eyes.”
“Yes, my lord.”
James claimed her mouth, letting the sensations flow through him. Heat, rightness, love, desire, desperation, relief. Like a whirlwind, he couldn’t seem to fasten on any single emotion for too long.
“Since we’re both so tired, Miss Talbot, I believe we should take a rest. I passed a coaching inn barely a mile back.” He gestured toward London behind him.
“We have no coach between us,” she teased.
“They will allow a viscount to have a room even without one.” He eyed his footman who remained stock-still, one large hand over his eyes. “Cuthbert, ride my horse and I’ll sit with the lady in the wagon.”
“Yes, my lord.” The Scot dismounted.
