by Merry Farmer
“How could I forget?” she asked with a saucy smile, sliding her arms over his shoulders and playing with strands of his hair.
Marie made him happy. That was all that mattered. They were completely mad to carry on the way they had, they were risking so much more than just their reputations by encouraging the spark between them, but Christian wouldn’t have had it any other way. It settled him so deeply that he risked kissing her right then and there, in the doorway of the carriage house, where anyone might have seen them.
“Delightful,” Marie sighed as their kiss ended. A moment later, her eyes widened and her smile grew. “So why did you want me to meet you here, of all places? Are we going to run away together and live the life of vagabonds, traveling the world and constantly running from our families?”
Christian laughed aloud, heart full. “No, but I like that as a secondary idea.” He stepped away from her, taking her hand and leading her deeper into the line of parked carriages housed in the old building. “Is everything still set up for the party at your brother’s house later?” he asked, heading for the carriage his father favored for paying calls. It was a large, black-lacquered thing with the family crest painted on the doors. Granted, all of his father’s carriages were large, black-lacquered things with the crest on the doors, but this one was the largest.
Marie huffed and leaned against the carriage when Christian let go of her hand. “Yes, unfortunately. I’ve begged and pleaded with Fergus to renege on the engagement. I’ve wept and I’ve cajoled. I even told him exactly why I would rather die than marry your brother.”
Christian glanced over his shoulder at her as he fetched the box of tools for maintaining the carriages from one of the shelves at the side of the room. “And why would you rather die than marry my brother?” he asked with a teasing grin.
Marie’s answering look—wicked as the day was long—made Christian’s heart swell. It made other things swell as well. That gave him ideas far beyond the initial prank he had in store.
“I think you know what my reasons are,” she said, flickering one eyebrow at him as he returned to the carriage.
He laughed, then dropped to squat and stare at the underside of the carriage. “If you continue to look at me like that, Lady Marie, you’ll put notions into my head that would make even the sauciest of souls blush.”
“I certainly hope so,” she hummed. A pause followed, then she asked in a far more serious voice, “What are you doing?”
“Putting my plan in motion,” Christian said, taking a wrench from the toolbox and going to work on the bolts that held the carriage’s axel together.
Marie squatted by his side, her eyes round as she watched him work. “Good Lord. If you do that, the wheels will fall off.”
“That is the general idea.” Christian sent her a naughty wink.
Marie clapped a hand over her mouth to hide her giggle. “I knew you were impish,” she said a moment later, “but I had no idea you were downright bad.”
“I’m clever,” he said, loosening another bolt, then leaning closer to Marie, flickering one eyebrow. “But I can be bad, if that’s what you want me to be.”
Marie’s answering laugh shot straight to his groin as he went back to work, loosening bolts. “But how do you know this is the carriage your father will take to the party?” she asked, following him around the carriage as he worked.
“This is his favorite,” Christian reasoned. “And I’m not disabling it outright. If I’ve calculated correctly, the carriage will hold together long enough to get them away from the house before the wheels fall off. That way, they’ll be forced to walk back here to fetch another carriage. With any luck, they’ll give up entirely and call the whole party off.”
“What a delightfully mad-capped plan,” Marie asked. “I hope it works.”
“It will,” he promised her with a deep earnestness. “You won’t have to marry Miles, I swear.”
It was mad, but Christian disabling his father’s carriage might have been the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for Marie. She asked Christian questions about his experience with carriages as he finished loosening bolts underneath the thing, then stood to replace the tools and wipe his hands.
“I never was one to stand idly by and let other people solve my problems,” he explained once he was done, as the two of them headed outside to where Marie had left her bicycle. “When I was traveling with my friends in Europe after university, I found it necessary to repair the carriage we’d hired on a regular basis. As it turns out, that was a useful skill to have.”
“So, if your father tosses you out on your ear for defying him, you’ll be able to find work as a mechanic,” Marie said with a wry grin.
“I will never want for anything,” Christian replied with mock seriousness.
Marie laughed, and her heart felt light. In the last fortnight, Fergus had insisted she spend as much time with the Darrow family as possible, ostensibly to get to know her fiancé better. Fergus foolishly believed that if Marie liked one brother, she would like the other as well. But Miles was nothing like Christian, and Christian was the most magnificent man she’d ever met. The days they’d spent together, even though they hadn’t been alone, had confirmed every initial feeling she’d had for the man. She’d be damned if she married anyone but Christian Darrow.
“What do we do now?” she asked grabbing the handlebars of her bicycle and walking it around so that it pointed toward the drive leading away from the carriage house and stables. “The party isn’t for several hours.”
Christian swayed closer to her, even though the bicycle stood between them. “We’ll just have to find something to occupy ourselves,” he said with a look of such mischief that Marie’s insides threatened to turn to jelly. Christian wasn’t just handsome and clever, he made her want to throw every bit of caution and propriety to the wind so that she could explore all the things that were supposed to be forbidden with him.
“We could go for a bicycle ride,” she suggested. “If you owned a bicycle.”
“I don’t,” he said, deflating. A moment later, he brightened all over again. “But we could try something I saw some of the girls in Southern France do with their beaux.”
Something about the sentence sent a giddy thrill through Marie’s gut. “I think I would rather enjoy attempting things that girls in Southern France do with their beaux.”
Christian’s eyes heated, as though he knew exactly what she meant. “Come on, then.”
He reached for her hand—or rather, he took the handlebars of the bicycle from her. Before Marie could figure out what he was doing, he’d mounted the bicycle and was ready to ride.
“You can ride on the handlebars,” he said with a wink.
Marie’s jaw dropped, and a spike of genuine worry twisted around her gut. “Really? Is that even possible?”
“Like I said, girls in France do it all the time,” Christian said.
“And I won’t be outdone by girls in France,” Marie said, mostly to herself.
It took a few tries for her to figure out how to climb up onto the handlebars. Christian helped her, but then they had to spend a few minutes figuring out how to tuck her skirts in so that they wouldn’t catch in the wheels. After a few false starts, they coordinated their actions enough for Christian to peddle the bicycle forward with Marie as a passenger.
Once they got the hang of things, Christian picked up speed as they sailed away from Kilrea Manor and onto the road. Marie was dreadfully uncomfortable with the solid handlebar wedged against her unmentionable bits. The wind threatened to rip her hat clean off her head, so she had to hold it with one hand and grip any part of the bicycle she could reach for dear life with her other hand. But they managed to keep their balance as they shot off into the green countryside.
“Where are we going?” Christian shouted over the wind as they rolled along at a speed that had Marie’s heart in her throat.
She thought fast, glancing around as best she could. All she wanted to do w
as spend time with Christian. Alone. That would never happen if they went on to Dunegard Castle, or even into one of the towns and villages nearby. There was really only one option.
“To the cottage,” she said over her shoulder as best she could without losing her balance.
“The cottage?” Christian asked.
“You’ll see.”
She directed him along the road, telling him when to turn and which way to go. The ride was made extra thrilling, knowing they were headed somewhere they truly shouldn’t have been, and that they would be there alone. All the same, Marie was grateful to see her home for the last few years peek out from around the corner as they neared the cliff where it was perched. She and her sisters had left the place less than a month before, and even though Fergus had forbidden it, they had all been checking in on their home to make sure it was in good order.
“This place is lovely,” Christian said, glancing around after Marie hopped off the bicycle—or rather, stumbled clumsily and nearly ended up splayed in the grass. “And you say you used to live here?”
“Up until very recently,” Marie confirmed, pointing to where Christian could prop the bicycle against the side of the house. No other bicycles were there, indicating that her sisters weren’t there either. They were probably all at the castle, preparing for the party. “Fergus made us move back to the house so that he could marry us all off mercilessly.”
“Mercilessly,” Christian repeated teasingly as Marie unlocked the cottage’s front door and led him inside. “It’s a good thing we aren’t going to let that happen,” he said.
“Isn’t it, though?” Marie laughed.
Christian took in the front rooms of the house instead of replying. Everything was the way Marie and her sisters had left it while living there. The kitchen was still set up for brewing beer, which came as no surprise to Marie. She had a sneaking suspicion Shannon had kept their scandalous enterprise going since they’d all moved back to the castle. It was a pleasure to show Christian around the beloved place. Judging by the spark in his eyes, he was impressed by what he saw.
“What a cozy little home,” he said with genuine feeling.
“I love it,” Marie said with a sigh.
“As do I.” Christian glanced to her, his smile growing. “The walls are filled with happiness.”
Marie beamed at the compliment. “They are,” she agreed. “We were always happy here.”
“And did you bring gentlemen to your cozy little home?” he asked, slinking closer to her as they reached the main downstairs parlor.
Marie bit her lip, letting herself slide into his offered embrace. “Not once.” She tilted her head to the side. “Though heaven knows why I didn’t think of that sooner.”
He laughed deep in his throat, and Marie thought she might explode right out of her skin. He followed that with a searing kiss, his mouth slanting over hers and devouring her with tender passion. He was easily the finest kisser Marie had ever known. He made her wish she’d never kissed another man before. Then again, after the way he teased her with his lips and tongue, his hands brushing her sides and caressing her breasts, she didn’t think she would ever be able to remember another man as long as she lived.
“Do you know,” he began in a low purr, “I’ve just had a thought about a practically fool-proof way my father and your brother could be convinced to call off our erstwhile betrothals and let us marry each other.”
Marie sucked in a breath. It was the first time either of them had spoken outright about the possibility of marrying each other. She’d known in her heart it was what she truly wanted, but hearing the words spoken aloud thrilled her beyond measure.
“What way is that?” she asked breathlessly.
He inched back enough to gaze into her eyes with fire. “If I were to thoroughly ruin you, I don’t see how they could say no to our union.”
Marie stared back at him, her blood racing through her veins. “Heavens, Mr. Darrow. Are you actually suggesting whisking me upstairs to my old bedroom and ravishing me?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting,” he said with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
“That would certainly convince everyone to back away from the ill-advised betrothals they’ve thrown us into,” she said, sinking against him. She loved the feeling of his body against hers, and if she wasn’t mistaken, part of his body was already excited by the idea of sneaking upstairs with her.
“Like I said.” He kissed her lightly. “A fool-proof plan.” He kissed her again.
“How could I possibly say no to a fool-proof plan?” Marie asked, grinning from ear to ear. She didn’t wait for him to continue with the banter or ask for some sort of permission. She broke away from him, grabbing his hand, and dashed down the hall to the stairs with him.
Christian’s laughter as they hurried up the stairs went straight to Marie’s head. There was something innocent and almost childlike about the way they took the stairs two at a time, hardly pausing for breath when they reached Marie’s room at the top. As soon as they crossed Marie’s threshold, Christian shut the door behind them with his foot, then yanked Marie into his arms for another kiss. It was absolute joy, unfettered desire, and everything Marie could have hoped for. Whether society approved or not, she had what she wanted in her arms, and, like a child with a toy, she was determined to get the most enjoyment out of the situation that she could.
“I don’t suppose I should ask whether you’re sure about this,” Christian said as Marie peeled his jacket from his shoulders and fumbled with the buttons of his waistcoat.
“Of course not,” she gasped, wriggling so that he had better access to the buttons lining the front of her blouse. “When I know what I want, I know what I want. And I want you.”
“Thank God,” he groaned, taking a moment to wriggle out of his waistcoat, then tug his shirt out of his trousers and off over his head. “Because all I want is you too.”
Marie made a sensual sound of approval in her throat, then spread her hands across his broad chest, loving the feel of his hair against her fingers. He was so perfectly masculine in every way. She felt as though she’d waited a lifetime to explore a man’s body, and nothing felt more perfect than that body belonging to Christian. She couldn’t get enough of touching him, and leaned in to bring her lips to his shoulder and collarbone. He let out a sound of approval, pausing in his clumsy efforts to undress her, and let her kiss and nip at his skin.
“I’m not sure if this is going to be the longest and most amazing experience of my life or if it’ll be over before we’ve truly begun,” he laughed. That laughter caught in his throat and turned into a groan as she reached into his trousers.
She gasped as well, biting her lip as she stroked her hand along his powerful length. She’d seen his penis in the light of day, glittering with sea water and sunshine, and she’d had the barest hint of what it might look like when he was genuinely aroused. Feeling that arousal as it grew and filled him out left her with an aching, restless sensation deep in her core.
“I’m not sure if I care how long it lasts, as long as it happens,” she panted, leaning back to meet his eyes.
Christian laughed, joy and lust radiating from him. “Oh, you’ll mind.”
“Will I?” she asked with a coquettish arch of one eyebrow.
“Believe me,” he said, finishing with the buttons of her blouse and pushing it open. “Once we get going, you’ll want it to last forever.”
“I like the sound of that.” She fumbled with the fastenings of his trousers.
He paused after pulling her blouse from her skirt. “Perhaps not the first time.” He winced. “Have you ever been with a man before?”
“No,” she answered honestly, her heart thudding against her ribs as the gravity of what they were doing hit her.
“Then maybe rushing through things this first time would be best,” he said.
She blinked, hands hovering over the hot hardness beneath his trousers. “Why?”
&n
bsp; “The first time might not be that…comfortable,” he warned her.
“Oh, I’ve heard all about that,” Marie laughed. “But if you want to charge through and just get it over with—”
“The last thing I want to do is just get it over with,” he laughed, continuing to undress her.
“Then by all means, take your time.” Marie caught her breath as he reached around to tug at the drawstring holding her skirts in place.
The one thing they didn’t take their time doing was undressing. It was far easier for him to shed his clothes—something she had a feeling he did on a regular basis, judging by how fast they dropped off him. She only had a moment to bite her lip and appreciate the pure, male glory of his erection as framed against his lean hips and flat abdomen. Her clothes took far more effort to remove and required her turning her back to him far more than she wanted to.
But at last, they were both as naked as the day they were born. They spilled into Marie’s bed, panting and reaching for each other.
“You’re beautiful,” Christian sighed, stroking his hands across her sides and treating her breasts to feather-light touches. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get enough of you.”
“If our plot works, you will have all the time in the world to get as much as you’d like,” she told him, running her fingers through his hair.
“It still wouldn’t be enough.” He bent down to capture her mouth, kissing her until her head spun and her body throbbed.
He didn’t stop there. As glorious as his kisses were and as much as they enflamed her, it was his hands that made her writhe against him, aching for everything. He caressed her breasts, thumbing her nipples and then pinching them just enough to have her arching off the bed and gasping at the pleasure.
“I don’t know how we waited so long for this,” Christian panted as his hands traveled down across the flat of her stomach to delve between her legs.
“So long? We’ve only known each other for—oh!”
She nearly arched off the bed as his fingers stroked the wetness of her sex. She’d pleasured herself plenty of times before, but it was nothing to the expert skill of his fingers teasing and arousing her. He didn’t hesitate in the slightest, thrusting first one and then two fingers inside of her to test her readiness. She was more than ready from the start, but he worked her into a need that was so desperate she thought she might come out of her skin.
