At times, he was relieved to know the truth about his identity was finally out, but he still worried for her safety. If Walter ever discovered Alexandria was helping him, she would be in grave danger. It pleased him so much to think she was so selfless in her endeavors. And now after just sharing that magical kiss and seeing the twinkle in her eyes, he suspected she had some feelings for him, as well.
Could he possibly feel this strongly about a woman he’d just met only yesterday? Impossible! Yet, his insanely beating heart and the pure pleasure flowing through him right now told him he was indeed falling…and hard. He’d never met a woman like her, and he hoped she would be in his life for a long time. Never before had he felt like a hero until he met her.
She licked her lips. “What should we do now?”
He couldn’t stop the grin tugging on his lips. She would certainly slap his face hard if she knew what he wanted to do now. “I’m actually just enjoying this coziness. Aren’t you?” He slid his arm around her waist and scooted closer.
Alexandria’s face flamed. “No, I meant, what should we do about Walter?”
Get your mind out of the gutter, Greystone. Embarrassment washed through him, which doesn’t happen very often. He should scoot away from her, but curse his hide, she was just too soft and cuddly to leave this position. “Good question. If you say you didn’t find any information leading toward my cousin’s guilt, then he is sneakier than I first suspected. Where else would he hide the evidence?”
“Do you think he has an office in town?” She hesitantly slid her hand over his arm, caressing his limb as it lay over her.
“My friend, Lord Trent, has followed him into town several times. Walter only frequents the taverns, I’m afraid.”
“There must be something we’re missing.”
“I agree, but I’m encouraged after you mentioned the arm wound. That will narrow our suspects down a bit.” He moved his hand up her arm and to her neck, softly caressing her soft skin. “Have you noticed Walter rubbing his left arm in any way?”
“Like the way I’ve seen you rub your injured leg?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“No. I haven’t noticed, but then I don’t look at him that much. I have never really taken the time to study my brother-in-law. Perhaps that’s what I’ll do at dinner tonight.”
“See if he stretches his arm in a certain way. The ache from a bullet-wound lingers months afterwards, so if Walter was the man I had shot, he’d still hurt.”
“I’ll be certain to watch him closely tonight.”
“Just take care not to make him curious.”
“Indeed. He would surely know something was amiss then.” She chuckled. “He’s not used to me watching him.”
“I would hope not.” Julian winked, suddenly feeling very possessive. He knew Alexandria would never think of Walter in such a way, but he wanted to make certain he was the only man on her mind.
As he drew small circles on her neck, he had the incredible urge to see if her skin was as soft on his lips as it was on his fingers. He couldn’t resist any longer and lowered his mouth. When he touched his lips to her neck, she sucked in a quick breath and held still.
“I hope I’m the only man you watch from now on,” he whispered as he placed tender kisses along her throat. She tilted her neck, giving him better access—which he didn’t hesitate to take advantage of. Indeed, her skin was as silky smooth, and tasted just as scrumptious.
While he devoured her neck, he rubbed her shoulder and gradually pulled the material of her gown to expose more skin. Her fast breaths caused her bosom to lift up and down, drawing his attention there instead of her bare shoulder. There was so much more skin to partake of.
Warning bells rang in his head, reminding him this was not something he should be doing to such an innocent woman, but Heaven couldn’t stop him. Only she would be able to stop his actions this time.
Chapter 8
Pleasure poured through Alexandria like hot liquid. Just when she thought she’d experienced everything she could with Julian, he had proven her wrong. Her chest ached like she couldn’t breathe very well, yet, she was breathing much too fast as it was. His kisses had thrown her emotions in different directions, yet they were still all heading toward one place. Heaven.
She couldn’t remain still any longer. The confusion inside her head mixed with the excitement shooting through her body, made her squirm and sigh with pleasure. In fact, small moans escaped her throat several times.
Her skin burned with awareness, and the more he exposed the skin on her shoulder, the higher the temperature inside of her grew. She needed to stop his improper actions…yet at the same time, she wanted never to stop him.
But they weren’t married. They weren’t even engaged. He’d mentioned earlier that he wasn’t used to kissing fair maidens, which meant he was used to more experienced women. Alexandria was definitely not in that category, and never would be. No way did she want him believing she was like one of those women.
Indeed, she must stop him. She must find the strength to say the words in her mind. Unfortunately, her tongue must have been swollen because no words were forthcoming. The only words coming out of her mouth was repeating his name in a sigh. Julian. Even the phrase, don’t stop, found its way from her brain to her tongue, but thankfully, she wouldn’t let anymore words pass further.
His mouth put her mind in a different place, and his soft caresses calmed her fears. Within moments, she didn’t care anymore. All she wanted now was his love. Her mind whirled in a confused daydream, and the earth moved beneath her.
Actually…the earth was indeed moving beneath her!
She snapped out of her dream-like state and became more aware of her surroundings. Why was the ground shaking with the rumbling of horses’ hooves—several horses’ hooves.
Julian jerked his head up and looked around. Before she could ask what was going on, he jumped to his feet and ran toward the edge of the grove of trees.
She struggled to stand, but it took a few minutes to gain her strength. His kisses had sapped it from her. Once she stood upright—and steady—she hurried after him. He stood where she’d met him earlier, holding a telescope to his eye as he surveyed the commotion toward the house.
“What…what is happening?” she asked breathless. She couldn’t see the men who were riding, but several horses were moving toward the house. This group didn’t appear to be the Cavalry, however, by the way the ground had sounded a few moments ago, she wouldn’t be surprised that these men were soldiers.
“I don’t know.” He continued to peer through his small telescope. “Walter is with them, and he just went into the house. I don’t know who the other men are. None of them are familiar to me.”
“Are they nobles?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“How are they dressed?”
“Like well-to-do gentlemen. But they aren’t anyone my father or brother has hobnobbed with before.”
“How many are there?”
It took him a little longer to answer, and she figured he was counting.
“Twelve.” He lowered the scope and looked at her. “Did Walter mention having any of his friends over today?”
“Not to me. I believe he would be foolish to have a social gathering when his wife was ill.”
Julian lifted the scope back to his eye. “Well, it appears he’s going to have one now. At least with his friends. There are no women in this group. I wonder why he invited only men… Oh wait. Walter is coming out of the house.”
From the distance, her brother-in-law called her name. She sucked in a horrific breath, the energy inside of her quickly draining. “Oh, no!” Her voice broke as dread washed over her. “I think I know why they are here.”
“Why?” He lowered the telescope as his focus came back to her again.
“Walter is going to sell me to the highest bidder today!”
~*~
Anger flared through Julian like never before. He woul
d not allow this to happen. Even if it meant coming out of hiding and declaring he was the rightful duke. If that happened, he and Roland would have to figure out a different way to find the evidence needed to put Walter away.
He pulled Alexandria into his arms and pressed her head against his chest. His heart squeezed with emotion. He could not let her go!
“I won’t let this happen. You are going to stay right here with me.”
“No,” she sobbed into his vest and cravat. “He will come looking for me, and then he’ll discover you are alive.”
“It doesn’t matter any longer. I promised I would keep you safe, and I stick to my promises.”
She lifted her head and met his eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, wrenching his heart even more.
“Julian, nothing will happen immediately with Walter and his friends. Even if one of them offers marriage, it’s still going to take a couple of weeks. Meanwhile,” she gently stroked his cheek, trying to smile, “we shall keep searching for evidence. I’m confident we’ll find something soon.”
“Oh, Lexie,” he whispered, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her soundly. He tried to show her his feelings in just the brief moment it took for his lips to caress hers. How did he get so blessed to have this woman in his life? He’d never know.
“Alexandria. Come out now.”
Walter’s irritated voice made the hackles rise on Julian’s back. He wanted to take his cousin out to the dueling field this very moment. If only he had the faith his Lexie had. But once again, she was correct in assuming nothing would happen immediately. They still have time, and if time slipped away and they couldn’t find any proof, then and only then would Julian come out of hiding.
She pulled away from him and wiped the tears from her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. “I must go before he comes searching for me.”
“I know.”
“I shall return tonight after dinner to let you know what has happened. I will do all I can to dissuade these men. I certainly do not want them to offer marriage.”
“Please be careful.” He stroked her cheek. “Remember, I’ll be watching you.”
Nodding, she turned and walked away from him, and moved toward Walter and the other men. Julian tightened his grip on the telescope as he watched her. If his cousin allowed his friends to lay one hand on her, Julian would certainly lose his temper and those men would believe they were in hell!
~*~
Relaxing in her steamy bath, Alexandria closed her eyes and relived the events of the day. A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth and she giggled. How daring she’d been with Julian today, how forward. Not even the women in her stories dared to say or do so much with a man. Yet, Alexandria enjoyed the newfound awareness buzzing through her. She wanted to explore her feelings more, and oddly enough, she wasn’t frightened. Julian would be there to give her assistance and even encourage her. He had certainly changed her life for the better. Smiling, she trickled water over her arms with the sponge.
Unfortunately, Walter had to ruin her wonderful afternoon with Julian. Her idiotic brother-in-law had indeed brought his acquaintances to the house to meet her. Walter knew that would be the only way for them to see her since she didn’t attend many society functions.
This afternoon had been a disaster. Not only was she embarrassed beyond belief, she was so upset at Walter that she wanted to hit him in the face, and she wasn’t a violent person. She punched her fist into the bath water, splashing it over the tub. Nevertheless, she rarely met the men’s eyes while Walter was making the introductions, and she mumbled her responses when the men asked her questions.
She received the impression that most of them were put off by her lack of enthusiasm, but there were a couple that still appeared overeager to sit by her when they had congregated into the house, or fetch her a drink.
It made her wonder how much Walter would pay these men to marry her. She prayed she’d never have to find out. Yet, the tender way Julian had taken her into his arms, and the catch in his voice when he told her he wouldn’t allow the marriage to take place, made her believe that she was safe. Julian would protect her, always.
She didn’t get the chance to really study Walter at the dinner table tonight, only because he had invited a few of his friends to join them, the insufferable man. However, the few times during the meal when she looked his way, she couldn’t tell if he was cradling his arm in any way.
The only good thing about dinner was when Joanna showed up to take the meal with them. She still looked a little weak, but more color bloomed in her cheeks, which relieved Alexandria greatly. She could tell her sister tried to entertain their unexpected guests the best she could, but immediately, after dinner, Joanna had claimed a headache and hurried back to her chambers. Alexandria had wished for just a moment with her sister to tell her the real reason those men were here, instead of the lie Walter had fed his wife about his friends just passing through town.
After dinner, Alexandria waited for the men to leave, but they took their drinks into the other room to continue their visit. Since she didn’t want to join them, the only other thing she could think of to do was retire for the evening or at least appear as if that was what she was doing. But as the minutes turned into hours, she realized she had better start retiring for the night because these men were not going anywhere for quite a while.
When her bath water turned cool, she climbed out and toweled herself dry. Frowning, she pulled her nightgown over her head and slipped into her wrapper before moving into her bedchamber. She sat at her vanity and stared in the mirror. Sadness encased her expression, and the only way it would change was if she saw Julian again.
She picked up the brush and pulled it through her long strands, taking out the tangles as the fire in the hearth next to her assisted in drying her hair. Closing her eyes again, she tried to think of something that might get her the answers needed to have Walter arrested. She wondered if getting him drunk and asking him about the murders would help. That would have to be Julian or Lord Trent’s assignment. She could definitely not drink to become intoxicated. Even now she had to watch how much wine she’d consumed during dinner.
Perhaps she would have to talk to Joanna and ask about Walter’s arm. His wife would certainly know if he had an injury to his left arm, wouldn’t she? Alexandria could only hope that her sister was aware, and would tell her something.
A noise from the window brought her immediately out of her thoughts. Why did it sound like scratching? Could a bird be stuck on her windowsill?
She stayed sitting on her stool as she stared at the curtain drawn window, hoping that the scratching noise would disappear. But that didn’t happen. Instead, the sound increased, until it turned into knocking.
Fear throbbed in her throat and on hesitant legs, she moved to the window. She grabbed a vase from off the table to use as protection. Slowly, she parted the curtains. The moon was full, and shone upon a familiar face. Julian grinned.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she placed the vase on the floor and quickly parted the curtains and opened the window. “What in Heaven’s name are you doing out here?” she asked as she grasped his arm and pulled him inside.
“I worried when you didn’t come back out,” he said as he stepped inside. Just as he gained his bearings, he took her in his arms. “Forgive me, but I happen to care about you, my love.”
Her heart skipped with excitement once again. “Oh, Julian. You’ll never know how much it thrills me to hear you say that.”
He caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “What kept you inside tonight?”
The smile she had just displayed disappeared and she couldn’t stop a frown from taking over. “Walter’s friends are still here. I feared that if I tried to sneak out, someone would see me.”
Julian nodded. “I agree. It was best for you to stay inside.”
She ran her palms up and down his arms. “As much as I’m very happy you are here, I think you need to le
ave. I don’t want you getting caught.”
His dark eyebrows lifted. “Here? In your room? Pray, how am I supposed to get caught?”
Chuckling, she shook her head. “You never know who will stop by. Perhaps one of the maids might check on me.” She shrugged. “I just don’t want to take that chance.”
He nodded. “Then I will take my leave because I don’t wish to worry you.” He touched a finger to the tip of her nose. “But before I go, I want one more kiss that will last me through the night.”
Her heart melted as she slid her hands around his neck, pulling him closer. “And an enduring kiss you shall have, my dearest Julian.”
Their mouths joined in unison. In the other times before, he started their kisses soft, but now he kissed her as if hungry for more. A spark of desire…wanting, and longing took over in her soul, and she wished she could keep him in her room all night. Forever, in fact.
His hands moved over her back urgently, and she suddenly realized she was still in her bed clothes. How could she have forgotten such a vital thing? Tingles erupted throughout her, and instead of wanting to push him away from embarrassment, she cuddled him closer.
Improper ideas filled her head, and she tried to push them away. They weren’t married! Creating such a scandal would ruin her for good. Men in his standing usually hurdled such disgraces with ease, but not women.
Before she could muster up the courage to break the incredible kiss, the floor outside her room squeaked and the door opened. A loud gasp hit the wall in a thundering surprise, ricocheting around the room.
Alexandria jumped in Julian’s arms, but he didn’t remove his hold. Instead, they both faced the intruder, ready for battle.
Chapter 9
Julian’s heart raced. At this moment, he didn’t know if it was more from the pleasure he felt while kissing Alexandria or because he’d just been caught…and in a woman’s room, no less. He would have never thought of doing something like this before. Either the near-death experience he had a few months ago changed him, or it was the lovely woman in his arms.
Sweet Summer Kisses Page 32
