open door.
She froze in alarm, while Lord Jack left off his seductive ministrations.
She stood gazing into his dark eyes for a long, breathless moment as the footsteps
passed by. When they had finally faded away, she exhaled and insisted in a low whisper,
“We cannot be here together. Someone could discover us.”
“It is worth the risk.”
“That is easy for
you
to say. The risk would not be to you, only to me.”
An unrepentant grin flashed across his lips. “We can close and lock the door.”
His smile was partly sinful and wholly enticing. Did he practice to perfect such devastating
charm? Sophie wondered, feeling herself wanting to melt against him again.
“No, we
cannot
close and lock the door, Lord Jack,” she replied firmly.
Shaking herself, she stepped back and turned away before the temptation of his marvelous
mouth could draw her into doing something utterly foolish.
However, she couldn’t stop herself from dreaming of Lord Jack’s wicked kisses later
that night, nor could she restrain her eagerness when she stole out of the house shortly
before eight o’clock the next morning.
Her excursion was briefly interrupted by another near miss when she spied the head
gardener headingtoward her on the gravel path. Not wanting to be seen, Sophie quickly slipped behind
a topiary yew and waited for him to pass, before making for the rear gate and the
lane that led to her secret rendezvous with Lord Jack.
It was a golden morning. A light mist hovered over the fields and meadows, making
the June air smell sweet and fresh. Sophie hurried down the country lane flanked by
poplars and elms, toward the picturesque stone bridge, and eventually saw Lord Jack
waiting for her at the near end, mounted on a bay horse. When she reached him, the
smile he offered her was an endearment that penetrated every defense she had.
“I won a wager with myself—you came,” he said approvingly.
“I told you I would.”
“And you keep your promises.”
“Well, yes. But I am a terrible daughter, sneaking out against my parents’ express
wishes.”
He laughed as he dismounted. “You are an angelic daughter.”
“Certainly I am angelic compared to
you
. You are a rebel through and through. I am a conformist at heart.”
“I think there is a secret rebel inside you just longing to be free. Otherwise, you
wouldn’t be here with me now.”
Sophie gave him no argument. This escapade with him was pure fantasy; indeed, it seemed
unreal. But the truth was, she wanted to be wooed by this irresistible, enchanting
man. He was the epitome of the boldly passionate rogue. He offered excitement andthe promise of passion and forbidden love. What woman could resist that alluring combination?
Leading the bay, Lord Jack took her hand and guided her down the grassy slope to the
rushing stream that ran beneath the bridge, where he tethered the horse to a tree
branch. Sophie watched as he reached in his saddlebag and drew out a blanket, a small
cloth bundle, and a flask of what he said was cider.
“I brought us a treat. I wasn’t inclined to wait until a formal breakfast to sate
my hunger.”
He spread the blanket on the grass beside the stream, then settled with her there.
To her delight, he opened the cloth to reveal a half dozen buttered crumpets.
“How did you come by these?” Sophie asked, accepting a crumpet.
“I made friends with your cook and pilfered your aunt’s pantry.”
“You mean you cozened the cook? Is there any female you cannot charm?”
“You have been more difficult than most. Why is that, do you think?”
“Probably because I was raised to be wary of seductive libertines like you.”
He made a tsking sound and offered her the flask. “So tell me about yourself, Sophie
Fortin.”
“What do you wish to know?”
“Everything. We have a lifetime of catching up to do.”
It seemed he truly did want to know her better, Sophie realized as they shared the
She froze in alarm, while Lord Jack left off his seductive ministrations.
She stood gazing into his dark eyes for a long, breathless moment as the footsteps
passed by. When they had finally faded away, she exhaled and insisted in a low whisper,
“We cannot be here together. Someone could discover us.”
“It is worth the risk.”
“That is easy for
you
to say. The risk would not be to you, only to me.”
An unrepentant grin flashed across his lips. “We can close and lock the door.”
His smile was partly sinful and wholly enticing. Did he practice to perfect such devastating
charm? Sophie wondered, feeling herself wanting to melt against him again.
“No, we
cannot
close and lock the door, Lord Jack,” she replied firmly.
Shaking herself, she stepped back and turned away before the temptation of his marvelous
mouth could draw her into doing something utterly foolish.
However, she couldn’t stop herself from dreaming of Lord Jack’s wicked kisses later
that night, nor could she restrain her eagerness when she stole out of the house shortly
before eight o’clock the next morning.
Her excursion was briefly interrupted by another near miss when she spied the head
gardener headingtoward her on the gravel path. Not wanting to be seen, Sophie quickly slipped behind
a topiary yew and waited for him to pass, before making for the rear gate and the
lane that led to her secret rendezvous with Lord Jack.
It was a golden morning. A light mist hovered over the fields and meadows, making
the June air smell sweet and fresh. Sophie hurried down the country lane flanked by
poplars and elms, toward the picturesque stone bridge, and eventually saw Lord Jack
waiting for her at the near end, mounted on a bay horse. When she reached him, the
smile he offered her was an endearment that penetrated every defense she had.
“I won a wager with myself—you came,” he said approvingly.
“I told you I would.”
“And you keep your promises.”
“Well, yes. But I am a terrible daughter, sneaking out against my parents’ express
wishes.”
He laughed as he dismounted. “You are an angelic daughter.”
“Certainly I am angelic compared to
you
. You are a rebel through and through. I am a conformist at heart.”
“I think there is a secret rebel inside you just longing to be free. Otherwise, you
wouldn’t be here with me now.”
Sophie gave him no argument. This escapade with him was pure fantasy; indeed, it seemed
unreal. But the truth was, she wanted to be wooed by this irresistible, enchanting
man. He was the epitome of the boldly passionate rogue. He offered excitement andthe promise of passion and forbidden love. What woman could resist that alluring combination?
Leading the bay, Lord Jack took her hand and guided her down the grassy slope to the
rushing stream that ran beneath the bridge, where he tethered the horse to a tree
branch. Sophie watched as he reached in his saddlebag and drew out a blanket, a small
cloth bundle, and a flask of what he said was cider.
“I brought us a treat. I wasn’t inclined to wait until a formal breakfast to sate
my hunger.”
He spread the blanket on the grass beside the stream, then settled with her there.
To her delight, he opened the cloth to reveal a half dozen buttered crumpets.
“How did you come by these?” Sophie asked, accepting a crumpet.
“I made friends with your cook and pilfered your aunt’s pantry.”
“You mean you cozened the cook? Is there any female you cannot charm?”
“You have been more difficult than most. Why is that, do you think?”
“Probably because I was raised to be wary of seductive libertines like you.”
He made a tsking sound and offered her the flask. “So tell me about yourself, Sophie
Fortin.”
“What do you wish to know?”
“Everything. We have a lifetime of catching up to do.”
It seemed he truly did want to know her better, Sophie realized as they shared the
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