You little trollop! I warned you what would happen, girl!
Adventure indeed. Madness, more like. Damnation even.
So she had fled—left the house, she preferred to call it—a good, restorative walk in order. Liam had pointed her in the direction of the folly at which she now sat on a makeshift casement, large trees interspersed within the artistically crumbling columns and walls providing shade.
Now she watched the dark figure approaching, his stride intent on closing the distance quickly. The man wasn’t even wearing a hat; she wished fleetingly she could have that sort of freedom.
That thought, along with most of the others currently in her mind, dissipated the closer he came. Her eyes roamed over his clothed body, her skin remembering the feel of it pressed against her, her breasts tightening at the memory of his mouth suckling them. She licked her dry lips and pressed her thighs together against the sudden ache they felt, a longing for his hips to rest between them. Sara closed her eyes, the sensation of waking up in his arms surrounding her, surprising her with its strength so many hours later.
She heard his steps as he grew closer, the dull thud against the grass. They faltered, then stopped. When she opened her eyes, Sara met his gaze, the deep cold of the blue familiar and no longer chilling. He looked at her for a long moment, his mouth tightening slightly before he took a breath and spoke.
“You are not sleeping?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“I thought I might have awakened you.”
“You did not.”
He stood there, cane tapping against his boot. His gaze left hers, raking over the scenery. He gestured awkwardly, something that surprised her. “You like this? The folly, I mean?”
Sara nodded. “Yes. It is quite meditative. Is it unsafe?” she asked when he kept looking at it.
“No, it is sound. It was designed to appear as though it is in ruins, but the engineers ensured it is perfectly safe. You had no difficulty in locating it?”
She shook her head. “Liam’s directions were excellent.”
“I am relieved to hear it.”
His cane kept tapping against his boot, his gaze back on hers. Neither of them spoke for several moments. A small tug pulled at one corner of his mouth and he moved toward where she sat and leaned toward her through the window. Sara licked her lips, her eyes flickering down to his mouth. “You, Mrs. Grant, have a talent for silence.”
Nathan lowered his head and took her mouth as he had wanted to do since waking that morning. His hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing her cheekbone as he plied her lips, teasing them with his tongue, requesting entrance to her warmth. She responded, the enthusiasm from the previous night lacking.
He pulled away, leaving his hand lingering against her cheek and regarded her for a long moment. Her eyes were downcast and a slight blush tinged her skin, and he wondered about her lack of response, so contrary to the previous night. Perhaps she was uncomfortable with affection in the daylight or out of doors, even though there were none around to see them and the folly afforded them a decent amount of privacy even if there were.
Nathan straightened, an odd sensation prickling his shoulders. It took him a moment to recognize it, as his conscience had been suppressed for many years. He shifted, trying to dislodge the uncomfortable feeling of his skin being filled with nettles.
He offered his arm to her. “Shall we?” Sara obediently rose from the casement and exited the folly, taking the offered arm. Her light hand settled on him as any other lady’s would, but a unique awareness emanating from the contact had him straightening his posture even more. Her scent wafted to his nose and brought to mind how he had pressed his nose into her neck before falling asleep. Nathan swallowed, hard, feeling a tad overwhelmed by the experience.
“Is there a particular direction you would like?” he asked, deciding to be cordial about it.
Sara shook her head. “It does not matter. Wherever you wish.”
“Luncheon is still some ways off,” he replied. “If you wish to see more of the estate, there is a bit of a hill that provides a nice vista.”
“That sounds lovely.”
They walked in silence for several moments. He was learning that his companion did not speak much, especially when she was distraught. Surely she still could not be bothered by his kiss?