Love's Misadventure (The Mason Siblings Series Book 1) by Cheri Champagne

certain.”
    Thomson cleared his throat. “I overheard the men expressing anger with regards to Miss Bradley and Lord Devon’s actions. They no longer wish to interrogate them. They mean to hunt, torture, and kill your sister and her friend…for sport, sir.”
     
    * * *
     
    Anna looked on eagerly as Lane opened the bundle of food and removed its contents. Her senses were teased by the scent of beef, vegetables with white cream sauce, buns, and… Oh my ! Tarts and chocolate cake! Her stomach rumbled, and her mouth watered.
    The stream had satiated her thirst, the water cool and refreshing; however, her stomach begged for sustenance.
    Anna enthusiastically accepted a napkin, which she placed on the grass in front of her. They divided the food and ate with fervour. Once her initial hunger had been satisfied, Anna turned her gaze on Lane.
    “Does your arm pain you terribly?” she inquired.
    The bruise on his cheek had not darkened but appeared to be a dull brown that could easily be mistaken for a smudge of dirt.
    Lane shook his head and swallowed his bite of beef. “There is an ache, and I’m certain it will require a doctor’s expert touch, but it does not pain me greatly.”
    “I am pleased to hear it.”
    The sun began to hide itself behind the trees, lending a faint blue hue to the clearing.
    “Dusk will be upon us presently,” she noted.
    Lane grunted his agreement. “It is a pity that we do not have time to enjoy this spot.”
    “Do you suppose our abductors will pursue us through this forest?”
    He swallowed a bite of cake. “It is impossible to know what the Misses Bligh confessed under duress, but it would be safest to assume that our abductors know we absconded into the forest, yes.” He glanced around the clearing. “We must find shelter so we may sleep.”
    “I daresay I could sleep where I sit.”
    Lane grinned at her, and her heart flipped over. She sighed at its overzealousness.
    Anna very much wished that she could soak in a hot bath and enjoy a night spent in her own bed. She knew not how long it would take to heat the ache from her muscles and soothe the blisters on her feet.
    It would be decidedly lovely to sit in her favourite chair by her window and read a book…drink her chocolate. It would be blessedly peaceful.
    Annabel noted, reluctantly, that it was rather contradictory to her character to spend the majority of her life fantasizing about experiencing the adventures in her beloved novels, yet now that she was living one, she only wished to return home.
    She could certainly focus on the positive aspects of her misadventure; she had faced danger and prevailed, had been kidnapped and escaped, and had…well no , she had not kissed the hero.
    Lane bit into a piece of chocolate cake, the muscles in his jaw jumping as he chewed. I couldn’t . Her stomach began to quiver with nervous fluttering. They were sitting close enough together that if she leaned forward, she could touch his lips with hers. How could I think of doing such a bold thing?
    They must continue on soon; if she were to do it, the moment would be nigh.
    The fluttering in her stomach intensified, her heart pumping a staccato beat in her chest.
    Lane bunched the remaining food into the package and wrapped it closed.
    “Anna, do you suppose—”
    His words were cut short as she thrust herself forward and covered his lips with hers.
     
    * * *
     
    Lane stilled, his body reacting immediately to Anna’s kiss. He did not wish to frighten her with his eagerness, so he forced himself to be outwardly calm. Inside, however, he was bursting. His heart thundered, yet sang, his stomach knotted, yet felt ready to float, his ballocks… Well , he thought ruefully, they were tight and near-frantic to release their burden .
    He leaned into the kiss, nudging himself closer. Lane raised his hand to cup her jaw, thumbing the smooth skin under her chin. He traced the line of her lips with the tip of his tongue, gently urging her to open for