He grinned, and she blushed while muttering an incoherent apology.
“I’m not sorry,” he said. “Indeed, I enjoy nothing more than having your hands on me like that, Viola.” And then, as if that wasn’t the most inappropriate thing in the world for him to say, he exited the carriage and reached up toward her with unrepentant casualness. “Come on. I’ll help you down.”
Feeling as though he’d just lit a furnace inside her once more, she straightened her cloak and her gown, drew a deep breath and moved toward the door. Before she could manage to take his hand or place one foot on the step, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her toward him.
“Henry!” She landed on her feet and with her breasts pressed right up against him. “You cannot—”
“There’s no one else here, Viola.” His arm wound around her waist and he held her to him until she was short of breath. Until she wanted to wrap her legs around him and— “The spot we’re in is secluded and I sent the driver into town with a bit of spending money. He won’t be back again until later this afternoon.” Pulling her closer, he settled his cheek against hers and ran his fingertips down her back.
Her stomach tightened and awareness took hold, the promise of what this day might bring causing her body to tingle. She wanted to kiss him again, taste the flavor of hot morning coffee upon his tongue. But then he stepped away and took her by the hand. Pulling her along behind him, he led her past the crumbling stone walls of what she presumed had once been Hastings Castle. It was then that she noticed the way he was dressed in fawn-colored breeches, white shirt and a brown jacket fashioned from coarse-looking cotton. In the dim interior of the carriage, she hadn’t paid attention. Her focus had been on the touch of his hands and the hard planes of his body pressing rigidly into hers.
Her skin heated with the reminder and it took her a moment to find her composure. “Where did you get your clothes?” she asked once this had been accomplished. She was curious how a man who dressed with impeccable taste, and always in a manner befitting his station, would have acquired such a plain-looking outfit.
He cast a look in her direction. “These are my work clothes,” he said with a cheeky flash of humor in his eyes.
“Your work clothes?” He had to be joking.
“I do not wear fine linen or superfine wool when I’m helping my gardener pull unwanted plants from the ground.” He drew her around a corner and stopped. “Now take a look at this.”
Viola sucked in a breath as her vision filled with endless amounts of blue. Rex barked somewhere nearby and then raced past her, leaping down from the grassy hillock on which they stood and onto the beach below. A forceful breeze whipped at Viola, loosening strands of her hair and thrusting them out to the side. Above, birds flew in and out between the clouds, their cries mingling with the whoosh of waves breaking against the shore.
Henry tugged at her hand and held her steady while helping her down to the beach. A briny scent infused the air, along with something else she couldn’t distinguish. Rex barked again and Viola looked in his direction, laughing when she saw how happy he was to be given this freedom to run and do as he pleased.
“What do you think?” Henry asked.
Overwhelmed with joy and deep appreciation for what he’d done for her and for Rex, Viola turned to meet his gaze, “It’s wonderful,” she said, speaking not only of the sea or the beach or the ruin, but of him as a person. “So much better than I ever imagined.”
Tenderness lit his eyes, infusing her body with warmth as he raised his hand to her cheek. “All I want is for you to be happy.”
The words, spoken with infinite longing, touched her soul with a new kind of hope. “There are still some things I must tell you,” she said, because being honest was now of the utmost importance.
“I agree.” His thumb stroked over her skin. “I would like to know who your mother was. Not because it will make any difference, but because I want to know all there is about you.”
“I’m ready to tell you everything.” Oh God, she loved the way his other hand pressed against her lower back. She swallowed, tried to focus.
“And I will listen to every word,” he promised. Leaning into her, he whispered close to her ear, “But before we get to that, I think we ought to discard our shoes and stockings, or in my case my boots and hose, and enjoy the feel of the sand between our toes.”
She turned to him with an impish grin that he’d later attempt to capture in a sketch. “Would that not be terribly indecent?”
“Do you fear I’ll ravish you at the mere sight of your naked feet?” To his delight, she laughed. The sound was light and pretty. “Come now, Viola. You have not lived until you’ve dared a little indiscretion.”
Rosy-cheeked and eyes aglow, she gave him a challenging look and then dropped to her bottom in the sand. “Very well.” She tugged off one shoe and then the other. “I daresay you have convinced me.”
He laughed more heartily than he had in a long time and lowered himself to the sand as well. Grabbing the heel of his boot, he tried to pry it off, but the damn thing was snug and difficult to budge. He glanced in Viola’s direction just in time to watch her peel her stocking away from her foot. Dear God in heaven! She wriggled her toes, and Henry’s mouth went dry. Perhaps the sight of her naked feet would lead to ravishment after all...
No.
He blinked and shook his head. Allowing his thoughts to stray in that direction would be unwise unless he meant to have her before they married. As it was, the kisses they’d shared so far had already tested him to the limit. But considering her past experience, he wanted there to be no doubt in her mind when he finally made love to her that he did so for the right reasons and not because he just needed fulfillment. He made another attempt at removing his boot and managed to get it off half the way.
“Would you like me to help?” she asked, and was suddenly on her feet, smiling down at him while grabbing hold of his leg. Holy hell! Henry’s hands fell back, palms down in the sand, supporting himself as she tugged away as if what she was doing was perfectly normal and didn’t cause sparks to lick their way through his taut body. And then the boot gave way and she disappeared from his view as she fell back with yet another laugh.
He laughed as well, more so when she popped back into view from behind his legs, waving his boot in her hand as if it were a prize she’d just won. “I did it,” she said, and then tossed the boot aside so she could focus on the second one. It came off more easily and without her losing her balance. “There!” She handed it to him and raised a brow. “Aren’t you going to take off your hose?”
Oh, right. He’d forgotten what he was supposed to be doing because of how mesmerized he was by her beauty. This was a livelier Viola than the one he knew in London. This version of her was unrestrained and devoid of any concern. Grateful to have been granted the opportunity to see her this way, he pulled off his hose and stood, curling his toes into the dry sand just as Rex ran by. The dog skidded to a halt and loped back toward Viola while wagging his tail. Henry watched as the pair walked toward the edge of the water.
“Oh dear God, this is cold,” she squealed as she hiked up her gown without second thought and ran back to where he was standing.
Henry felt his heart double in size, and then, feeling playful and wanting to tease her, he grabbed her hand and ran forward, pulling her with him until they were both ankle-deep in the icy water. Her hand smacked his chest even as she hopped about laughing. Rex barked and ran farther out into the waves before circling back and rubbing his massive wet body against Henry’s legs.
