The coach slowed down, towards a ramshackle inn on the side of the road. When the coach stopped, the driver jumped down, opening the carriage door.
“We are resting the horses for a quarter of an hour,” he said quickly. “Time for a quick drink if you like but not a meal. We are running behind schedule.”
As they filed out, Delia tried not to look at Mr Hartfield. The rest of the passengers were walking into the inn. Suddenly, she stopped. She didn’t want to sit with everyone in the small, dank inn. There was so little time on this break, and she wanted to stretch her legs a bit.
She watched them disappear inside, including Mr Hartfield. Then she turned and started walking off, entering a field dotted with white snow. The air was crisp, and Minnie’s coat was inadequate for the cold, but she didn’t care. It just felt good to fill her lungs with fresh air.
She spied a lake in the distance, heading towards it. As she got closer, she noticed that it was frozen over with ice. She sat down on a rock, contemplating it. Suddenly, her heart was filled with sorrow as she recalled ice skating on a lake like this near her home. It had been a favourite thing to do when she was a child.
Her father had always taken her, patiently strapping her skates to her feet before taking her hand and leading her out onto the lake. He had always made sure to hold her hand until she had her footing and was confident. Then she would glide around on her own, the world whizzing past, lost in a magical world.
Those times were gone forever, she thought sadly. She would never spend time with her father like that again. The loving, kind man she remembered, who had always treated her like precious gold, was gone. And she must make a new life entirely.
As the bittersweet memory clung to her, the frozen lake seemed to be luring her towards it. Slowly, she got up, testing the ice with one foot. It seemed hard. Hesitantly, she stepped onto it, holding her breath. She skidded for a moment before finding her balance.
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs again with the crisp air. She could imagine gliding around this lake, lost in that magical world. If only she had ice skates. How much fun she could have….
“What the deuce are you doing?”
She spun around, her heart beating hard. Mr Hartfield was standing there, glaring at her. Her jaw dropped open in shock.
“N-nothing,” she stammered, feeling foolish. “It was just that the lake is so beautiful. I couldn’t resist stepping onto it.”
He shook his head irritably, stepping forward towards her. “You have no idea if that ice is strong enough to take your weight,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “You must get off it immediately.”
She sighed with irritation. She supposed he was right, but he didn’t have to be so crabby about it. She took his hand. As if to underscore what he had just said, the ice started to crack a little as she moved off it. She stumbled, falling forward. Deftly he caught her in his arms.
“It was a foolish thing to do,” he growled. “You do not know this lake. How could you have been so careless?”
She glared up at him. “You do not need to be so rude about it. It wasn’t as if I walked into the centre of the lake.” She took a deep, ragged breath. “I am not a child, Mr Hartfield! You really do not need to treat me like one.”
She tried to pull away from him, but he held her fast.
She was trembling with anger as well as desire. His breath was warm against her face, and he had enveloped her in his coat. She pushed against his chest, but his arms were tight around her.
“Let me go,” she whispered in a weak voice. “I demand it.”
His eyes were dark with desire as he gazed down at her. “Do you really want me to let you go? Because I don’t want to at all.”
She stilled as a flame of passion leapt to life within her. She didn’t want him to let her go. The anger was abating now and the desire taking over, flooding her bloodstream. It was like she had entered a warm, dark cave.
“I am sorry if I was curt with you,” he whispered. “I just reacted when I saw you upon the lake. Will you forgive me?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Itwasfoolish of me,” she whispered. “It was just…I was overcome by a memory of ice skating with my father. I suppose I wanted to recapture it.” She ducked her head, embarrassed.
“I could just imagine you gliding around a lake,” he whispered, his eyes darkening more. “You are so graceful. I think you would doanythingwith style, Miss Parker.”
“You are flattering me,” she breathed. “And I am not sure if you are toying with me, Mr Hartfield. I am not used to being in a situation like this with a man.”
“I am not toying with you,” he said, his face contorting with desire. “God help me. I cannot stop thinking about you, nor the taste of your sweet lips. I am consumed by you, Miss Parker.”
She gasped, feeling the pull of the attraction so strongly that her knees almost buckled beneath her. She knew she should push him away. She knew it was the most sensible thing to do. She should tell him firmly that while the kiss had been pleasant, they couldn’t do such a thing again.
But the words died on her lips. The feel of his arms around her, the warmth of his breath, his intoxicating masculine smell—they all captivated her. She was entering another world, being cast adrift beneath his spell—one she had no wish to escape.
When his lips descended upon her own again, she welcomed them. His tongue flicked into her mouth, opening her lips wider, exploring her mouth leisurely. She felt a hot stab of desire so intense that she almost fainted.
And now, his lips were trailing down her neck, feverishly nipping at her skin. They created a hot trail of fire that was scorching her flesh. She tilted her head back in ecstasy as she felt his hands trace her breasts, kneading them through the fabric. Her nipples instantly hardened beneath his touch.