She flushed prettily. “I concede, the ales were very strong.”
Bloody hell, I really like you.
She was quirky and opinionated. Many ladies of his acquaintance would have affected false modesty. Theodosia was a quaint little thing, living to the beat of her own music.
“Mi…mi lady,” a lad stammered coming up to them, crushing the hat in his hand.
She whirled to face him, smiling brightly. “Yes?”
“Would ye…would ye partner wif me in a dance round the maypole?”
Theodosia dipped into an elegant curtsy. “It would be my pleasure, my good lad.”
The young man looked fit to burst at the seam with pleasure. He held out his arms, and Theodosia handed her mug of ale to Seb without sparing him another thought. She placed her hand on the lad’s arm and skipped off to join the other revelers. Seb grinned, captivated by her glee. He knew not one lady of his acquaintance who would have honored the village lad in the way she just did. Many ladies would have been offended he dared ask. He leaned his shoulder against the massive oak tree and lift the tankard of ale to his mouth while he watched her. She appeared flushed and radiant. Their gazes collided and she winked.
The drums beat, the fiddles lifted in the air in an invigorating melody. The villagers gathered around the maypole and they danced, Theodosia in the thick of the revelry with them. Those who watched on the sidelines clapped and stomped their feet to the music, shouting their encouragement and enthusiastic approval. The torches and the bonfire burned low, and the moon peeked from the clouds. Several couple scuttled away in dark places to steal brazen kisses. The fiddlers played and sang, the villagers drank and danced, and Sebastian never once took his gaze from Theo.
He watched her, and he’d never seen a lady freer and happier. When she laughed, she did it with her whole body, tipped her head to the sky, sometimes pressing her hands against her chest. Something powerful inside of him shifted, and he felt as he was falling…except he didn’t know exactly what he was falling into, never having felt like this before.
She dancedand laughed until sweat glistened on her skin. Sebastian couldn’t stop watching her. A pretty lady danced up to him and crooked her fingers at him with a sensually teasing smile. A quick glance revealed Theodosia scowled at him and he grinned. He declined to dance, bowing courteously.
Theo came over to him, looking beyond his shoulders as if she expected to see someone else with him. “Oh la! And where is your lady love?”
“I have no lady love,” he said with a touch of amusement.
“I saw a most beautiful lady trying to get you to dance,” she groused. “I can be very possessive you know.”
Now this was interesting. Ale had delightfully loosened her tongue. “Can you?”
“Hmm,” she murmured, swaying closer. “I am crushed you did not dance with me.”
“Have you forgotten our earlier reel? You are foxed.”
“I beg your pardon?” she asked with crisp dignity, lifting her chin. “I am nothing of the sort.” Then she dissolved into giggles.
He touched the softness of her cheek with the back of his hand. “You appear so delightfully mussed and improper.”
“You sound as if you approve.”
I do, very much. “Let’s get you home.”
She pouted. “So soon, it is barely dark.”
Darkness had painted the land in muted shades of gray and pockets of darkness. A quick reach for his timepiece and tilting it to the light from the bonfire revealed it to be closer to 8 pm. Early yet, but his charge was delightfully tippled. They started to walk home through the well beaten path in the forest. In the distance the sound of drums and violins and laughter sounded, and she sighed happily. Then stumbled. His lady was well and truly foxed. She swayed again, and he caught her, steadying her with a hand on her hip.
Theodosia reached up to touch the corner of his mouth with a forefinger. Every muscle, nerve and pulsing vein in his body instantly responded to the vision of flawless beautyshe presented with her smile and red cheeks. She was dazzling, breathtaking, her heavy golden blonde hair gleaming in the shimmering moonlight.
“I miss the taste of you,” she said, moving that finger to trace the full of his bottom lip. “Do you miss the taste of me, Sebastian?”
He bit back the groan rising inside his chest. He couldn’t explain the full gamut of emotions he was feeling toward her just now, but there was a lot of hunger within the midst. “You have been my own brand of torment these several days.”
“I am not sure why, but I do like the sound of that. I have been dreadfully annoyed with the constant thought of kissing you again and again. It was very stupid to have kissed you by the seaside. My curiosity has not been satiated but awoken forcefully.” With a twist of her lips, she blew a limp tendril away from her forehead.
A tender feeling stirred inside him. “I suspect you wouldn’t have told me that without being soused.”
Theo chortled, utterly unperturbed and slapped at his chest playfully. “Who’s soused?”
When she made to walk away, she wobbled a bit. Her grip tightened on his arm as she sought to steady herself. Seb grinned, went before her and stooped slightly. “Hop on.”