grabbed Arabella by the wrist and pulled her deeper into the shelter of the woods. She gave a surprised laugh, sounding breathless at his bold gesture. "Where are you taking me? Oh, Knight, Knight, I knew nothing had changed. Did you happen to bring a blanket?"
He glanced down, startled, at her face. "What?"
She brought her hand to her throat and began to unbutton the jacket of her habit, her lips forming an inviting pout. "I might have made a mistake marrying Anton."
An acorn sailed down between them. He took a step backward, watching his former fiancée in disbelief. "What are you doing, Arabella?" he said in a hoarse voice as she tugged her bodice loose.
"Don't you remember how you used to bite my neck?" she asked softly. "Kiss my breasts until I melted? Oh, Knight, my breasts are so lonely, aching for your special touch—"
An acorn hit her on the nose. Her fingers stilled. "Gracious, I think the squirrels are attacking us."
He gritted his teeth and looked up from her half-exposed cleavage to the wryly embarrassed face of the young woman positioned in the crotch of the ancient oak tree, a book in her lap. "When I get my hands on you, I am going to paddle your posterior but good."
Arabella released a giggle of scandalized delight. Knight had always had a penchant for misbehaving in the bedroom. "I probably deserve it."
"Not you, you dimwit," he said without thinking. He pushed around her to reach up into the tree.
"Her."
He caught hold of Catriona's ankle as she gave a yelp of panic and threw her arms around a tree limb as an anchor against his strength. It didn't help. One mighty tug, and he'd pulled both her and the book down hard on the ground, towering over her as she sprawled across the mossy roots at his feet.
"I do not like having anyone spy on my private affairs," he said in a furious voice.
She rose to her feet, her face bright pink with embarrassment. "Well, goodness, how did I know you were having 'a private affair' under this very tree?"
His jaw tightened. "A civilized person might have announced her presence."
"I thought I did."
"Knight."
Arabella's voice was strained as if she sensed that theirs was not an ordinary association. "Do you mind telling me what this is all about? Who is this person?"
"Lionel's cousin." He bit out the words. "She wandered away from the house and got lost."
Arabella looked at Catriona with one eyebrow lifted questioningly. "I thought you meant someone much younger."
"No." He stared hard at Catriona, wondering just how much she had heard.
"I didn't wander away, either," Catriona said. "I needed to be alone to think."
"She has Lionel's eyes," Arabella said gently, her anger dissipating at the reminder of a man who had never said a mean word about anyone in his life. "Oh, my. Look at that. It's uncanny."
Knight wasn't sure how he had gotten into this situation. "She doesn't have Lionel's temperament, does she?"
"Well, I shouldn't wonder," Arabella said thoughtfully. "You could have bruised her bones the way you pulled her out of that tree. There isn't much to her. Did he hurt you, my dear?"
Catriona shook her head. "Thank you for asking, ma'am. You're very kind, but I'm perfectly fine. I probably should have told him where I was going."
Arabella cast an appalled look at Knight. "I know I broke your heart, but is that any reason to have become such a brute? This is not typical of your behavior."
Catriona turned to regard him, feigning disbelief. "You mean he wasn't like this before?"
"Get on my horse," he said quietly.
"I think I prefer to walk," Catriona said, starting to edge around his tall, unmoving figure. "I really need the exer—"
"Do as I tell you!" he shouted.
----
Chapter 8
« ^ »
There was little conversation between them
until they were in full view of Rutleigh Hall. Catriona sat awkwardly, telling herself she really shouldn't be enjoying the ride with Knight mounted behind her, his body as imposing as a granite tower. Arabella had
He glanced down, startled, at her face. "What?"
She brought her hand to her throat and began to unbutton the jacket of her habit, her lips forming an inviting pout. "I might have made a mistake marrying Anton."
An acorn sailed down between them. He took a step backward, watching his former fiancée in disbelief. "What are you doing, Arabella?" he said in a hoarse voice as she tugged her bodice loose.
"Don't you remember how you used to bite my neck?" she asked softly. "Kiss my breasts until I melted? Oh, Knight, my breasts are so lonely, aching for your special touch—"
An acorn hit her on the nose. Her fingers stilled. "Gracious, I think the squirrels are attacking us."
He gritted his teeth and looked up from her half-exposed cleavage to the wryly embarrassed face of the young woman positioned in the crotch of the ancient oak tree, a book in her lap. "When I get my hands on you, I am going to paddle your posterior but good."
Arabella released a giggle of scandalized delight. Knight had always had a penchant for misbehaving in the bedroom. "I probably deserve it."
"Not you, you dimwit," he said without thinking. He pushed around her to reach up into the tree.
"Her."
He caught hold of Catriona's ankle as she gave a yelp of panic and threw her arms around a tree limb as an anchor against his strength. It didn't help. One mighty tug, and he'd pulled both her and the book down hard on the ground, towering over her as she sprawled across the mossy roots at his feet.
"I do not like having anyone spy on my private affairs," he said in a furious voice.
She rose to her feet, her face bright pink with embarrassment. "Well, goodness, how did I know you were having 'a private affair' under this very tree?"
His jaw tightened. "A civilized person might have announced her presence."
"I thought I did."
"Knight."
Arabella's voice was strained as if she sensed that theirs was not an ordinary association. "Do you mind telling me what this is all about? Who is this person?"
"Lionel's cousin." He bit out the words. "She wandered away from the house and got lost."
Arabella looked at Catriona with one eyebrow lifted questioningly. "I thought you meant someone much younger."
"No." He stared hard at Catriona, wondering just how much she had heard.
"I didn't wander away, either," Catriona said. "I needed to be alone to think."
"She has Lionel's eyes," Arabella said gently, her anger dissipating at the reminder of a man who had never said a mean word about anyone in his life. "Oh, my. Look at that. It's uncanny."
Knight wasn't sure how he had gotten into this situation. "She doesn't have Lionel's temperament, does she?"
"Well, I shouldn't wonder," Arabella said thoughtfully. "You could have bruised her bones the way you pulled her out of that tree. There isn't much to her. Did he hurt you, my dear?"
Catriona shook her head. "Thank you for asking, ma'am. You're very kind, but I'm perfectly fine. I probably should have told him where I was going."
Arabella cast an appalled look at Knight. "I know I broke your heart, but is that any reason to have become such a brute? This is not typical of your behavior."
Catriona turned to regard him, feigning disbelief. "You mean he wasn't like this before?"
"Get on my horse," he said quietly.
"I think I prefer to walk," Catriona said, starting to edge around his tall, unmoving figure. "I really need the exer—"
"Do as I tell you!" he shouted.
----
Chapter 8
« ^ »
There was little conversation between them
until they were in full view of Rutleigh Hall. Catriona sat awkwardly, telling herself she really shouldn't be enjoying the ride with Knight mounted behind her, his body as imposing as a granite tower. Arabella had
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