***
The wind had whipped up as they walked over a hill. They didn’t speak. They entered a forest with tall trees all around. He stopped, turning to her. Her heart was beating hard, pounding in her chest.
Without a word, he pulled her into his arms, pushing her against one of the tall trees. They were far enough away from the inn and concealed within the woods for privacy. She knew that they would hear footsteps approaching to warn them if anyone was nearby.
His arms were tight around her as he gazed down at her. For a long while, his eyes simply roamed over her face. Then he reached down, trailing a hand down the side of her face. His touch was like fire. She couldn’t help it—when his fingers reached her lips, tenderly tracing the contours, she drew one finger into her mouth.
He made a strangled hissing sound, and his eyes closed in ecstasy. Something seemed to snap within him. Before she knew it, he took possession of her lips, kissing her so deeply that she felt like he was drawing her into him. It was as if their life forces were mingling and merging.
His tongue flickered into her mouth, as smooth and silky as a snake, causing a flood of warm wetness. She was aglow from his touch. Her head tilted back as his mouth trailed down her neck to the bodice of her gown, pulling it aside. She gasped as she felt his mouth close over her nipple, sucking and pulling upon it in an almost desperate fashion.
Gently, her hands intertwined around his head, pulling him closer to her breast. She was only vaguely aware that his hands were pulling up her gown, sliding it up her legs, so that they were exposed. She gasped again as he reached for her moist core, softly caressing her most intimate area.
She couldn’t stop him. She didn’twantto stop him. His hand kept exploring her as he suckled her breast. The combination of sensations was overwhelming. The sparks were firing through her body, as bright and powerful as shooting stars in the sky.
Something was happening in her body. As he kept caressing her, the feeling was growing stronger. The incredible sweetness was expanding, growing, enveloping her. Her breath was coming in short, sharp gasps. She pushed herself against him, straining for some kind of release. She didn’t know what it was, only that it was as inevitable as the ocean tides.
When it came, her knees started to buckle. She felt a hot flush break like a fever over her skin. It crashed and roared through her. She had never felt anything like it in her life and hadn’t even realised it existed. She hovered in pure heaven, crying out as the spasms tore through her body, gripping him tightly. It was as if she were riding a gigantic wave and clinging onto a flimsy raft for dear life. Would it go on forever?
But just when she thought she couldn’t take another second, it started to fade. She was plummeting back to earth. She opened her eyes, blinking, feeling as weak as a kitten.
Tenderly, he withdrew, pulling down her gown. He kissed her softly on the lips. His dark eyes were shining as he gazed into her face.
She blushed fiercely, feeling shy and uncertain now. Tiny aftershocks of delight were zinging through her body.
“What…whatwasthat?” she whispered.
He laughed softly. “It was the climax of your passion,” he whispered, nuzzling her face. “Do not feel ashamed of it. It is as natural as breathing. And it was beautiful to feel it shudder through your body beneath my hand.”
Her blush deepened. She felt so close to him, in this moment. Closer than she had ever felt to another person on this earth. He had evoked this magic within her, drawing it out of her, something that she had never dreamt possible.
“I suppose we should get back to the coach,” she whispered, coming back down to earth.
“Yes, we should,” he whispered, gazing at her intently. “But I don’t want to. If I could, I would stay here like this with you forever, Delia.”
She felt a glow at his words and the first hearing of her name upon his lips. She was no longer the fictional Miss Parker to him. And now she was glad, so glad, that she had kept her own name when she had made up this woman. How would she have felt if he had just called her another woman’s name after what had passed between them?
But thinking of that made her remember that he didn’t know who she truly was. He had no idea that Lady Cordelia Pelham even existed. She was Miss Delia Parker to him. An impoverished, common woman about to start a new life in the North.
Her eyes filled with tears. She longed to tell him who she truly was. She wished she could unburden herself to him. She wished he could knoweverythingabout her.
“What is wrong?” he said, sensing the change in her. “You are not ashamed, are you? For I would hate for you to feel that way. I want you so much, Delia.”
“I hardly know what to feel now,” she admitted in a faltering voice. “It is all so strange and new to me.” She hesitated. “I have never had a lover, Mr Hartfield. I am navigating a whole new world.”
“Call me Ambrose,” he said in a husky voice. “When we are like this together, you must call me by my name. I feel so close to you right now.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It almost seems impossible to return to that coach and pretend that we are not like this with each other. That I cannot openly acknowledge what is between us.”
“Whatisbetween us?” she asked in an uncertain voice.
He was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. “I hardly know,” he whispered. “All I know is that I want you more than I haveeverwanted a woman in my life. It is as if I am possessed by you. Do you feel the same?”
“Clearly,” she said, her heart beating hard. “I would hardly be doing this with you otherwise. We are not strangers to each other any longer. But…whatarewe?” She blinked in confusion.
He frowned. “Must we put a name to it? Can we not simply acknowledge it ourselves and explore it?”
Delia bit her lip. She didn’t know what to say to that. A part of her yearned for him to tell her that he wanted to publicly acknowledge her, to claim her, to make her his woman. But another part knew that would be madness, for so many reasons. He didn’t know who she truly was. They had grown so close over the course of this journey, but theywerestill virtual strangers to each other.
And he had told her that he didn’t want to marry. He had told her he didn’t believe in romantic love. He had told her that if he did marry, he would do so for practical reasons. He had seemed quite adamant about it.