stepped aside to let her ascend first. Heart pounding at what was to come, she climbed one then two then three steps. Then she heard voices and scampered back down. “Someone’s already here.”
Robert took her hand. “Then follow me.” He pointed toward the inky black forest.
She ignored the quiet voice that told her not to go and followed. Robert would never hurt her.
“Let’s walk by the river,” she suggested.
“My thoughts exactly.” This time he didn’t whistle.
“Amazing how we think alike,” she laughed, trying to settle her nerves.
“Indeed.” But his words didn’t calm her like Gabriel’s did.
The moonless night had extinguished the warm light from people’s windows. She couldn’t even see where she was walking. She’d never find her way back to Elm Street. Each step twisted her stomach one turn tighter.
“Here we are.” Robert guided her a few steps to the left, and she soon felt the gravel of the path underfoot.
A few more steps forward, and the black of the forest swallowed them.
He stopped. “Ah, my little chickadee.” He lifted her hand to his lips and twirled her about so she came to rest in hisarms. “You are a lady after my heart.” His rough finger scratched along her jaw, not at all the pleasurable sensation she’d experienced with Gabriel.
This was wrong. Panic struggled to surface, but she reasoned that Robert wouldn’t dare hurt her. She was a Kensington. He worked for Daddy. She was just being foolish.
“You’re so tense,” he murmured, far too close to her ear.
His heat overwhelmed her, like standing alongside a blazing fire, but she fought the urge to break away. “We can’t be long. Daddy’s waiting for me.” It wouldn’t hurt to reinforce that point.
“Forget your father.” He tipped her chin up. “Tonight there’s only us.”
“Yes, us.” She tried to ignore the growing knot in her stomach. They shouldn’t be alone together. They shouldn’t be in the park alone, and they absolutely shouldn’t be there in the dark.
He bent close. He was going to kiss her.
“I didn’t know how we’d ever get together,” she blurted.
“Lovers always find opportunity.” His voice had gotten husky and syrupy at the same time, and his lips brushed her ear.
“Lovers?” she gasped. “Is that what we are?” Her heart was battering its way through her rib cage.
“Hush, my little chickadee.”
He pinned her so close that his waistcoat buttons bit into her abdomen. His breath reeked of ashes. His mustache scratched her face. Every instinct told her to flee.
“Felicity.” His voice seduced. “How beautiful you are.” He cupped the back of her head and drew her face toward his.
She felt a tremor, small at first but escalating rapidly as he bent toward her. Was this love, this terrible nerve-racking fear? Before she could say a word, he pressed his lips tohers. The scratch of his mustache was quickly replaced by the tawdry taste of tobacco.
She shoved at his chest. “L-let go.”
“What’s wrong, darling?” He relaxed slightly but didn’t let her go. “We’ve just begun.”
No, no, no.
Every part of her revolted. “I—I can’t breathe.”
“That’s normal.” He crushed his lips to hers again.
Panic welled. This was wrong, and she no longer cared if she ruined everything. She couldn’t talk with his lips smothering hers. She was too weak to break free. She was too far from help. No one knew she was here. No one would hear her scream. Dear God, what had she done?
“Felicity,” he murmured, breaking the kiss.
A cry burbled in her throat but refused to come out. What if he took advantage of her? What if he…?
No.
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
He kissed her neck. She twisted aside. His lips followed, so she dug her fingernails into his fleshy wrist.
“Hey.” He jerked away, shaking his hand. “What was that for?”
She staggered backward, free at last, but where could she go? Blackness surrounded her in every
Robert took her hand. “Then follow me.” He pointed toward the inky black forest.
She ignored the quiet voice that told her not to go and followed. Robert would never hurt her.
“Let’s walk by the river,” she suggested.
“My thoughts exactly.” This time he didn’t whistle.
“Amazing how we think alike,” she laughed, trying to settle her nerves.
“Indeed.” But his words didn’t calm her like Gabriel’s did.
The moonless night had extinguished the warm light from people’s windows. She couldn’t even see where she was walking. She’d never find her way back to Elm Street. Each step twisted her stomach one turn tighter.
“Here we are.” Robert guided her a few steps to the left, and she soon felt the gravel of the path underfoot.
A few more steps forward, and the black of the forest swallowed them.
He stopped. “Ah, my little chickadee.” He lifted her hand to his lips and twirled her about so she came to rest in hisarms. “You are a lady after my heart.” His rough finger scratched along her jaw, not at all the pleasurable sensation she’d experienced with Gabriel.
This was wrong. Panic struggled to surface, but she reasoned that Robert wouldn’t dare hurt her. She was a Kensington. He worked for Daddy. She was just being foolish.
“You’re so tense,” he murmured, far too close to her ear.
His heat overwhelmed her, like standing alongside a blazing fire, but she fought the urge to break away. “We can’t be long. Daddy’s waiting for me.” It wouldn’t hurt to reinforce that point.
“Forget your father.” He tipped her chin up. “Tonight there’s only us.”
“Yes, us.” She tried to ignore the growing knot in her stomach. They shouldn’t be alone together. They shouldn’t be in the park alone, and they absolutely shouldn’t be there in the dark.
He bent close. He was going to kiss her.
“I didn’t know how we’d ever get together,” she blurted.
“Lovers always find opportunity.” His voice had gotten husky and syrupy at the same time, and his lips brushed her ear.
“Lovers?” she gasped. “Is that what we are?” Her heart was battering its way through her rib cage.
“Hush, my little chickadee.”
He pinned her so close that his waistcoat buttons bit into her abdomen. His breath reeked of ashes. His mustache scratched her face. Every instinct told her to flee.
“Felicity.” His voice seduced. “How beautiful you are.” He cupped the back of her head and drew her face toward his.
She felt a tremor, small at first but escalating rapidly as he bent toward her. Was this love, this terrible nerve-racking fear? Before she could say a word, he pressed his lips tohers. The scratch of his mustache was quickly replaced by the tawdry taste of tobacco.
She shoved at his chest. “L-let go.”
“What’s wrong, darling?” He relaxed slightly but didn’t let her go. “We’ve just begun.”
No, no, no.
Every part of her revolted. “I—I can’t breathe.”
“That’s normal.” He crushed his lips to hers again.
Panic welled. This was wrong, and she no longer cared if she ruined everything. She couldn’t talk with his lips smothering hers. She was too weak to break free. She was too far from help. No one knew she was here. No one would hear her scream. Dear God, what had she done?
“Felicity,” he murmured, breaking the kiss.
A cry burbled in her throat but refused to come out. What if he took advantage of her? What if he…?
No.
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
He kissed her neck. She twisted aside. His lips followed, so she dug her fingernails into his fleshy wrist.
“Hey.” He jerked away, shaking his hand. “What was that for?”
She staggered backward, free at last, but where could she go? Blackness surrounded her in every
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