faint hint of something sweet. He removed his fingers slowly, catching her eye and signifying that she shouldn’t speak. She rolled her eyes at him to indicate that of course she wouldn’t.
The men stopped as they caught sight of Primrose. “They must be close by,” Alasdair’s cousin snarled. “Get off and look.”
The doctor responded in an aggrieved tone. “I am not a Bow Street runner, my lord. I am here to take especial care of your cousin. Get the wench’s brother here to look around.”
Hugh turned to Matthias. “You heard what he said. Get off and look.”
“He’s your damned responsibility. She’s the one I’m after,” Matthias grumbled. “Why would he want to hang on to her anyway? He’s gotten what he paid for.” His words were accompanied by a nasty snort of derision.
Matthias was stomping the ground only about fifty feet away from their tree, and Mary held her breath as he glanced around. As Alasdair had predicted, however, her brother kept his eyes on the ground and didn’t spot them. “They’re not here.”
“I can see that myself,” Alasdair’s cousin said with obvious disgust. “Let’s be off, they can’t have gotten too far.”
It took Matthias at least five minutes to hoist himself back up onto his horse, during which time Mary tried not to move a muscle, even though a leaf was tickling her neck, and her leg had gotten a good scrape on the way up.
After a lifetime—or only a few more minutes—the horses rode off. Mary brushed the leaf from her neck and examined the cuts on her leg. “Is it safe to get down now?” she asked. “And why,” she asked, “didn’t they take Primrose? They must have known she was our horse.”
Alasdair shrugged. “They probably think I am lying in a ditch somewhere, and you’ve run off with the money.”
“That doesn’t explain why he wouldn’t take the horse,” Mary said, beginning to inch her way down the tree.
“Hugh doesn’t clean up his own messes, and he probably thinks it would be too messy to take responsibility for Primrose.” Alasdair grabbed her around the waist and held her close to his body. “Careful, love, it’s a long drop down, and you’ve had as much practice climbing trees as you have riding horses.”
He slid her down his body until she was only a few feet off the ground. “All right, now, drop,” he said, and she slipped to the ground, rolling onto the soft earth. Within seconds, he had dropped down next to her and spread himself out on the ground as if he were about to make a snow angel.
Mary opened her mouth to speak, but Alasdair leaned over her and captured her mouth, literally taking her breath away.
Chapter 10
For a moment, Mary was too startled to react.
He was kissing her—again! After he’d promised not to!
And then she felt a languor steal over her body, a heavy warmth that spread from her core toward her chest and all the way down to her feet.
She pressed up into his chest and threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, drawing his mouth closer. Their tongues were tangled, and his hand rested on her stomach, keeping her still.
He plundered her mouth, licking and sucking until the only thing she knew was that she wanted more. More of him, more of this, more of … just more.
Until there was less, and he lifted his mouth from hers.
She was going to have to have a serious talk with Amelia. Why hadn’t she warned her it was like this? That she’d be so defenseless against the ache this closeness inspired?
“He’s gone now,” he said, his eyes shifting from left to right.
“Gone?” Her head was spinning, and she knew she was missing something crucial.
“Yes,” he said, rolling off her. “He stayed behind for a moment to take a last look around, just in case we were foolish enough to reveal ourselves.”
Mary sat up, wiping her mouth where it was wet from his kiss. “Who’s he?”
He looked at her, an amused grin lighting his face. “Your brother, of
The men stopped as they caught sight of Primrose. “They must be close by,” Alasdair’s cousin snarled. “Get off and look.”
The doctor responded in an aggrieved tone. “I am not a Bow Street runner, my lord. I am here to take especial care of your cousin. Get the wench’s brother here to look around.”
Hugh turned to Matthias. “You heard what he said. Get off and look.”
“He’s your damned responsibility. She’s the one I’m after,” Matthias grumbled. “Why would he want to hang on to her anyway? He’s gotten what he paid for.” His words were accompanied by a nasty snort of derision.
Matthias was stomping the ground only about fifty feet away from their tree, and Mary held her breath as he glanced around. As Alasdair had predicted, however, her brother kept his eyes on the ground and didn’t spot them. “They’re not here.”
“I can see that myself,” Alasdair’s cousin said with obvious disgust. “Let’s be off, they can’t have gotten too far.”
It took Matthias at least five minutes to hoist himself back up onto his horse, during which time Mary tried not to move a muscle, even though a leaf was tickling her neck, and her leg had gotten a good scrape on the way up.
After a lifetime—or only a few more minutes—the horses rode off. Mary brushed the leaf from her neck and examined the cuts on her leg. “Is it safe to get down now?” she asked. “And why,” she asked, “didn’t they take Primrose? They must have known she was our horse.”
Alasdair shrugged. “They probably think I am lying in a ditch somewhere, and you’ve run off with the money.”
“That doesn’t explain why he wouldn’t take the horse,” Mary said, beginning to inch her way down the tree.
“Hugh doesn’t clean up his own messes, and he probably thinks it would be too messy to take responsibility for Primrose.” Alasdair grabbed her around the waist and held her close to his body. “Careful, love, it’s a long drop down, and you’ve had as much practice climbing trees as you have riding horses.”
He slid her down his body until she was only a few feet off the ground. “All right, now, drop,” he said, and she slipped to the ground, rolling onto the soft earth. Within seconds, he had dropped down next to her and spread himself out on the ground as if he were about to make a snow angel.
Mary opened her mouth to speak, but Alasdair leaned over her and captured her mouth, literally taking her breath away.
Chapter 10
For a moment, Mary was too startled to react.
He was kissing her—again! After he’d promised not to!
And then she felt a languor steal over her body, a heavy warmth that spread from her core toward her chest and all the way down to her feet.
She pressed up into his chest and threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, drawing his mouth closer. Their tongues were tangled, and his hand rested on her stomach, keeping her still.
He plundered her mouth, licking and sucking until the only thing she knew was that she wanted more. More of him, more of this, more of … just more.
Until there was less, and he lifted his mouth from hers.
She was going to have to have a serious talk with Amelia. Why hadn’t she warned her it was like this? That she’d be so defenseless against the ache this closeness inspired?
“He’s gone now,” he said, his eyes shifting from left to right.
“Gone?” Her head was spinning, and she knew she was missing something crucial.
“Yes,” he said, rolling off her. “He stayed behind for a moment to take a last look around, just in case we were foolish enough to reveal ourselves.”
Mary sat up, wiping her mouth where it was wet from his kiss. “Who’s he?”
He looked at her, an amused grin lighting his face. “Your brother, of
Similar Books
