to search for Elizabeth. Andrew glanced over at his cohorts.
“Shall we?”
They nodded and began walking toward a path at the far side of the garden. But before they reached the path, Princess Smythe bounded up to them, grabbing Michael by the arm.
“Lord Michael—you are Lord Michael, are you not?” She waited for his nod and then continued, “Would you accompany me on the hunt?”
Michael clearly fought the urge to groan, while Andrew and Chloe suppressed their laughter. He truly was never going to forgive Andrew for this. In the end, he smiled and offered his arm to the overzealous miss, who yanked him quickly to the other side of the garden.
“Well, Mrs. Hawthorne, it’s just you and me.”
***
You and me. Oh, goodness, this was most unnerving. Chloe could handle herself fine with Lord Andrew when others were present, but to run off, alone, into the garden was quite another thing altogether.
Thou shalt not lust after thy cousin’s betrothed, thou shalt not lust after thy cousin’s betrothed...
“I suppose it is,” she finally managed.
They strolled along in silence, neither of them truly looking for Lizzie. Truth be known, Chloe didn’t really care to get cozy with a lot of strangers. The thought made her palms sweaty. Or perhaps it was the fact that she was alone with Andrew again. It was hard to tell with the sun beating down so fiercely upon them.
She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. This was as good a time as any to tell him how uncomfortable his silent advances made her feel.
“Lord Andrew,” she said quietly, lest other partygoers lurked in the bushes. “I must ask that you refrain from watching me in the future.”
Andrew turned to look at her. “Watching you?”
“Yes,” she replied quickly. “I caught you staring at me several times on the ride over, and over lemonade as well. I’m not blind, my lord, and it’s not fair to Lizzie. She is your betrothed.”
Andrew caught her by the hand and she quickly withdrew. “Mrs. Hawthorne, I...I can’t seem to help myself.”
This sparked her fury and she swung to face him. “Well, you must!” she hissed. Good gracious, they shouldn’t be having this conversation.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t felt it, Chloe,” he whispered intently.
She shook her head. They absolutely could not have this conversation. “No, Andrew, don’t,” she pleaded with him. If he took this any further, God only knew what she would do. It had been too long since she’d been with a man, and she ached for the one who stood right in front of her.
Before she knew it, he had grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to the other side of a tall hedgerow. He pushed her up against the shrubbery and brought his face within inches of her own.
“You intrigue me, Chloe Hawthorne. Look what you do to me.” He took her hand and placed it on the bulge beneath his pants.
The balmy scent of earth and flowers mingled with his expensive cologne and aroused her until her breasts were aching. Her stomach tightened with desire. She tried to hold her breath to prevent further invasion on her senses, and even closed her eyes. Nothing helped. Nothing stopped the blood from pumping fiercely to her private places.
Chloe bit back a groan. God, how she wanted this man. A part of her felt guilty for betraying her husband, but Lizzie had been right. Sam was gone, and it was time she moved on with her life.
But what about Lizzie?
Andrew’s hand reached up to cup her breast. Oh, God!
“Kiss me, Chloe,” he rasped. “Kiss me before I die of wanting you.”
Ten
“Aha! We are first to find her!”
Lizzie looked up from her position huddled between two tall hedgerows.
Where was Andrew? She was sure he would have made it a point to find her first at her request. And it wasn’t as if her hiding spot was difficult to find. Any numbskull could have found her, like Miss Smythe , especially if they'd been giving explicit directions.
Oddly enough,
“Shall we?”
They nodded and began walking toward a path at the far side of the garden. But before they reached the path, Princess Smythe bounded up to them, grabbing Michael by the arm.
“Lord Michael—you are Lord Michael, are you not?” She waited for his nod and then continued, “Would you accompany me on the hunt?”
Michael clearly fought the urge to groan, while Andrew and Chloe suppressed their laughter. He truly was never going to forgive Andrew for this. In the end, he smiled and offered his arm to the overzealous miss, who yanked him quickly to the other side of the garden.
“Well, Mrs. Hawthorne, it’s just you and me.”
***
You and me. Oh, goodness, this was most unnerving. Chloe could handle herself fine with Lord Andrew when others were present, but to run off, alone, into the garden was quite another thing altogether.
Thou shalt not lust after thy cousin’s betrothed, thou shalt not lust after thy cousin’s betrothed...
“I suppose it is,” she finally managed.
They strolled along in silence, neither of them truly looking for Lizzie. Truth be known, Chloe didn’t really care to get cozy with a lot of strangers. The thought made her palms sweaty. Or perhaps it was the fact that she was alone with Andrew again. It was hard to tell with the sun beating down so fiercely upon them.
She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. This was as good a time as any to tell him how uncomfortable his silent advances made her feel.
“Lord Andrew,” she said quietly, lest other partygoers lurked in the bushes. “I must ask that you refrain from watching me in the future.”
Andrew turned to look at her. “Watching you?”
“Yes,” she replied quickly. “I caught you staring at me several times on the ride over, and over lemonade as well. I’m not blind, my lord, and it’s not fair to Lizzie. She is your betrothed.”
Andrew caught her by the hand and she quickly withdrew. “Mrs. Hawthorne, I...I can’t seem to help myself.”
This sparked her fury and she swung to face him. “Well, you must!” she hissed. Good gracious, they shouldn’t be having this conversation.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t felt it, Chloe,” he whispered intently.
She shook her head. They absolutely could not have this conversation. “No, Andrew, don’t,” she pleaded with him. If he took this any further, God only knew what she would do. It had been too long since she’d been with a man, and she ached for the one who stood right in front of her.
Before she knew it, he had grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to the other side of a tall hedgerow. He pushed her up against the shrubbery and brought his face within inches of her own.
“You intrigue me, Chloe Hawthorne. Look what you do to me.” He took her hand and placed it on the bulge beneath his pants.
The balmy scent of earth and flowers mingled with his expensive cologne and aroused her until her breasts were aching. Her stomach tightened with desire. She tried to hold her breath to prevent further invasion on her senses, and even closed her eyes. Nothing helped. Nothing stopped the blood from pumping fiercely to her private places.
Chloe bit back a groan. God, how she wanted this man. A part of her felt guilty for betraying her husband, but Lizzie had been right. Sam was gone, and it was time she moved on with her life.
But what about Lizzie?
Andrew’s hand reached up to cup her breast. Oh, God!
“Kiss me, Chloe,” he rasped. “Kiss me before I die of wanting you.”
Ten
“Aha! We are first to find her!”
Lizzie looked up from her position huddled between two tall hedgerows.
Where was Andrew? She was sure he would have made it a point to find her first at her request. And it wasn’t as if her hiding spot was difficult to find. Any numbskull could have found her, like Miss Smythe , especially if they'd been giving explicit directions.
Oddly enough,
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