loose-fitting white shirt, black waistcoat and trousers, and boots.
Just then, he stirred. He inhaled deeply and turned his head toward her, then opened his eyes and looked directly into hers. They both lay there, just staring at each other. Adele didn’t know what to say. Her stomach was rolling. She wanted to disappear.
Damien leaned up on one elbow and gazed down at her. There was a shadow of stubble on his face. He looked very much like the rugged warrior he had been when he’d rescued her at the cottage—disheveled, rough around the edges, virile. She tried to ignore the strange fluttering in her belly and the astonishing, overwhelming urge to touch his cheek as she had last night in the dark.
His gaze went from her eyes down to her lips, then back up to her eyes again. “Damien,” she whispered, with no idea what she wanted to say. She just needed to say his name. She was confused. She felt the urge to cry.
He shook his head and whispered in return, “No, Adele, don’t.”
She fell silent. This was agonizing. He rose quickly from the bed. He faced the window and raked his fingers through his hair. Adele leaned up on both elbows. She watched him while hestood with his back to her, not ready to leave just yet.
He faced her squarely. “Adele…”
His dark brows drew together, and his voice lowered a notch. Adele fought to control her breathing. She didn’t know what he was going to say to her. She couldn’t bear this.
“Last night,” he said, “I promised you discretion. I promised I would not tell anyone what happened between us. I am a man of my word, and I will honor that promise, as long as it is still what you want.”
What was he getting at?
“Yes, it is,” she replied, hearing the thunderous crash of reality in her ears. They were going home today. She would see Harold, her mother, her sister. Last night suddenly seemed like a delirious dream, now laden with regret—a dream they could not take back. She was so ashamed.
“Then I will have full responsibility for what happened,” he said. “You are an innocent, I am not. I knew what I was doing, and from my perspective, I took advantage of you. You, therefore, should harbor no guilt.”
Her eyebrows pulled together and she sat up. “You did not take advantage of me. You were the one who put a stop to what was happening. Remember? So neither should you harbor guilt. In fact, what happened between us was more my fault than yours. I have felt very alone the past few days, and I needed to be close to someone. I was scared and exhausted. That’s all. You took care of me last night, Damien, because Iwanted you to. So you may relax.” She paused and sat back. “Although I thank you for the kind offer to take the blame.”
He nodded reluctantly and turned to the window.
“Should we tell Harold?” she asked.
He whirled around. “No. Definitely not. Last night was a temporary madness. It should be forgotten.”
A temporary madness. That’s exactly what it had been, but for some reason that made no sense, it hurt to hear him call it that. “But you and he are close,” Adele said. “Can you live with a secret between you? Because I’m not sure I can, not if I am to be his wife.”
“You would hurt him to ease your own guilt?”
She swallowed uncomfortably. “I…didn’t think of it that way.”
“Well, that’s the way it is. Believe me. I’ve told you before that I am protective of Harold, and I don’t want to see him hurt because of my weakness. I will live with the guilt. Besides, this is not real life. Once we’re back at Osulton, things will be different, and I’m sure we will both deeply regret our indiscretion here.”
She nodded. “All right.”
“And it would be best for everyone,” he continued, “if both you and I never spoke of this to each other again, not even privately. Especially privately. Such a rapport between us would not only be inappropriate, it would be…” He paused. “It would be
Just then, he stirred. He inhaled deeply and turned his head toward her, then opened his eyes and looked directly into hers. They both lay there, just staring at each other. Adele didn’t know what to say. Her stomach was rolling. She wanted to disappear.
Damien leaned up on one elbow and gazed down at her. There was a shadow of stubble on his face. He looked very much like the rugged warrior he had been when he’d rescued her at the cottage—disheveled, rough around the edges, virile. She tried to ignore the strange fluttering in her belly and the astonishing, overwhelming urge to touch his cheek as she had last night in the dark.
His gaze went from her eyes down to her lips, then back up to her eyes again. “Damien,” she whispered, with no idea what she wanted to say. She just needed to say his name. She was confused. She felt the urge to cry.
He shook his head and whispered in return, “No, Adele, don’t.”
She fell silent. This was agonizing. He rose quickly from the bed. He faced the window and raked his fingers through his hair. Adele leaned up on both elbows. She watched him while hestood with his back to her, not ready to leave just yet.
He faced her squarely. “Adele…”
His dark brows drew together, and his voice lowered a notch. Adele fought to control her breathing. She didn’t know what he was going to say to her. She couldn’t bear this.
“Last night,” he said, “I promised you discretion. I promised I would not tell anyone what happened between us. I am a man of my word, and I will honor that promise, as long as it is still what you want.”
What was he getting at?
“Yes, it is,” she replied, hearing the thunderous crash of reality in her ears. They were going home today. She would see Harold, her mother, her sister. Last night suddenly seemed like a delirious dream, now laden with regret—a dream they could not take back. She was so ashamed.
“Then I will have full responsibility for what happened,” he said. “You are an innocent, I am not. I knew what I was doing, and from my perspective, I took advantage of you. You, therefore, should harbor no guilt.”
Her eyebrows pulled together and she sat up. “You did not take advantage of me. You were the one who put a stop to what was happening. Remember? So neither should you harbor guilt. In fact, what happened between us was more my fault than yours. I have felt very alone the past few days, and I needed to be close to someone. I was scared and exhausted. That’s all. You took care of me last night, Damien, because Iwanted you to. So you may relax.” She paused and sat back. “Although I thank you for the kind offer to take the blame.”
He nodded reluctantly and turned to the window.
“Should we tell Harold?” she asked.
He whirled around. “No. Definitely not. Last night was a temporary madness. It should be forgotten.”
A temporary madness. That’s exactly what it had been, but for some reason that made no sense, it hurt to hear him call it that. “But you and he are close,” Adele said. “Can you live with a secret between you? Because I’m not sure I can, not if I am to be his wife.”
“You would hurt him to ease your own guilt?”
She swallowed uncomfortably. “I…didn’t think of it that way.”
“Well, that’s the way it is. Believe me. I’ve told you before that I am protective of Harold, and I don’t want to see him hurt because of my weakness. I will live with the guilt. Besides, this is not real life. Once we’re back at Osulton, things will be different, and I’m sure we will both deeply regret our indiscretion here.”
She nodded. “All right.”
“And it would be best for everyone,” he continued, “if both you and I never spoke of this to each other again, not even privately. Especially privately. Such a rapport between us would not only be inappropriate, it would be…” He paused. “It would be
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