Scarlet Kisses

by Tish Westwood

“You think my father an idiot?” Harry snapped.

  “No,” Robert said and looked around him as the servants ran in and out of the house with buckets of water.

  “He knows it was Alyssum.”

  “But I told him—”

  “Lies.” Harry stared at Robert until he exhaled.

  “She’ll just get spanked as usual, right?” Robert asked with worry. He knew the earl was a good man who loved his family deeply, he would never hurt them, unlike his own father, but he had never seen the earl so mad.

  “I don’t know,” Harry muttered.

  “She’ll be fine,” Robert told himself. But little did he know it was the last time he would see her for four years. The next morning she had been put into the family’s carriage crying and sent to the school in Paris.

  Present

  “Have you ever told anyone?” Robert watched Alyssum stiffen at the sound of his voice. Robert could no longer hear the chatter of the guests up on the Darrel’s terrace. They were all alone in the garden.

  “Told them what?” she asked with her back still turned.

  “That you burned down my father’s office.” As he spoke he walked over the grass and stepped into the gazebo.

  “No,” she replied. “Have you?”

  “No.” He leaned against the entrance frame. “It’s still our secret.”

  “You almost told my family that night you came to the house drunk.”

  “Ah.” Robert nodded. “Apologies.”

  “Why this topic of conversation?”

  “I was just thinking of the last time I saw you. It was that day wasn’t it?”

  Alyssum turned with a frown. “You’re looking at me right now.”

  “But you’re not the girl who left, nor are you the girl who used to call me by my first name.”

  “I grew up.”

  “You got prudish.”

  “I did not.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “Did not.”

  “All right, if you’re still the same girl then when was the last time you swam in the lake back at the country estate?” She stared at him in silence so he continued baiting her. “Or played in the rain? Had a mud fight?”

  “I’m not five anymore,” she replied.

  “Nor are you any fun.”

  Alyssum huffed and moved to storm past him, but Robert stood straight and stepped in her way. She took a step back as he came closer.

  “Moments ago your hands were on me, now you can’t stand near me.”

  “If someone saw…”

  “Right.” Robert nodded curtly. “Ruin.”

  Alyssum kept the proper distance between them. “I’m sure you’re quite acquainted with ruin,” she snipped tartly.

  Robert chuckled. “I am quite acquainted.”

  “Will you let me pass?”

  “No,” Robert replied easily and crossed his arms over his chest.

  Alyssum let out an aggravated breath.

  “All right. I have a solution to our dilemma.”

  “What dilemma?”

  “Regarding how you’re going to get past me.”

  “I wouldn’t call it a dilemma, more like arrogance.”

  Robert smiled. “Call me by my first name,” he told her happily.

  “What, that’s it?”

  “That’s it. But—” he raised a finger to her,”—say it nicely.”

  Alyssum rolled her eyes. She took a step towards him and looked up to meet his gaze. “Will you please let me by...Robert?”

  Robert twisted his lips and contemplated. “No.” He shook his head.

  “You said.”

  “I said say it nicely.”

  “I did,” she snapped.

  Robert shook his head with a smile. “No, you didn’t. Now try again.” He planted his feet apart and leaned down slightly to hear her answer.

  “Robert,” she clipped. “Will you please let me by?”

  “I’m just not feeling the happiness. Try again, Alyssum.”

  Alyssum’s fiery gaze burned him. He quirked a brow and tried not to laugh.

  “Will you please let me by?” she asked in her sweetest, sugary voice. “Robert.”

  Robert’s laugh made her forced smile turn into a real one.

  “Well, I could argue the fact that that was very fake.”

  Alyssum gasped and shoved his chest. He laughed louder as he stumbled back a step.

  “That’s not ladylike.” He rubbed his chest.

  “Well, you’re not behaving like a gentleman.” She raised her chin.

  “Sweetheart, I never do.” He grinned.

  Alyssum took another deep, even breath. Calm yourself. It’s just a grin. Keep your hands to yourself. With a nod, she took a step forward and moved to walk around him and out of the gazebo. Robert suddenly jumped to the side and blocked her path, again.

  Alyssum exhaled loudly and looked up. “You said I could pass.”

  “You took too long to leave. Now we have another dilemma.” His smile was gone.

  “What is it now?”

  “I don’t want you to leave.”

  Deep breaths. “People will start looking for me,” she said quietly. “Do you want Harry to find me like this?”

  “What, speaking to me? That is what we’re doing, isn’t it?” He took a step towards her and she took a step back. They slowly moved farther into the gazebo.

  “You’re standing too close to me,” Alyssum whispered.

  “This isn’t close,” he spoke quietly while his eyes bore into hers. “This is.” He took a quick step towards her which made her jump backwards. Her back pressed into the frame of the gazebo and Robert pressed into her front. She gasped, unable to control her reaction to feeling him again. She slowly lifted her gaze back to his. “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Standing too close to you.” His chest pushed against her breasts, causing her to pant lightly. Their thighs were pressed to one another. Alyssum felt him everywhere.

  “I don’t think you should be standing this close to me,” she whispered.

  Robert stared at her intently. He lowered his head and her breath caught. His nose brushed hers then he tilted his head to the side. She gasped as his mouth hovered over hers.

  “Very bad idea,” she told him, her breath fanning his lips.

  “Then why does it feel so good?” he murmured.

  Alyssum stared at his eyes as he stared at her mouth. She lowered her gaze slowly to his mouth. Robert raised his arms to let his forearms rest on the wood beside her head.

  Caged in his embrace, Alyssum found herself leaning in. He looked into her eyes just before she closed the space between them and pressed her mouth to his. She sighed in pleasure and let her mouth linger on his. How she had missed doing this. Suddenly terrified of how he would react, she pulled away slowly and met his gaze.

  “You kissed me,” he said in disbelief.

  Alyssum cleared her throat and kept a straight face. He wouldn’t upset her, even if he laughed at her kiss. “I thought that was what the new deal was to get by you,” she snipped.

  Robert shook his head, his nose nudging hers. “No, you didn’t,” he breathed and stared at her too intently.

  The gazebo suddenly became very hard to breathe in. Alyssum panted, her eyes wide as she stared at Robert. What had she done? Why had she kissed him? Because you wanted to, had wanted to since the last time you had.

  “Why did you kiss me?” he asked quietly.

  “Because I thought—”

  “No, Alyssum,” he cut her off and brought his body closer. “Why?”

  She tried not to moan as her body aligned with his.

  “Why?” he snapped.

  She kept quiet.

  “Why?” he demanded.

  “Because I wanted to,” she retorted.

  Robert exhaled as his mind swam in disbelief. Alyssum had kissed him. That sweet mouth that loved to snap at him had kissed him gently. The party behind them vanished. It
was just him and Alyssum in this gazebo.

  With a quick swoop, his mouth caught hers. He groaned. God, how long had he wanted to do this? He lowered his arms from beside her head and framed her face with his hands. He held her for his plundering kiss, stroking his tongue into her hot mouth, licking, coaxing. His kiss became harder, rougher as her arms came around his neck and pulled him closer. His chest crushed against hers, wanting to be as close as possible. As his mouth moved impatiently, greedily, he distantly recognized these kisses. He had felt this mouth beneath his before, had felt this lush, pliant body mold to his. He had heard these soft whimpering moans.

  Scarlet.

  He gasped against her mouth but didn’t stop. Instead he became more ravenous for her. His hands released her face and reached around to grasp her buttocks. She moaned as he gripped her then lifted her. His mouth released hers for a moment as he set her on the railing of the gazebo. He looked into her flushed face and grinned at his discovery.

  Before she could stop him, he whisked her fringe back with his hand. He looked at the yellow bruise and remembered Scarlet hitting him. Alyssum leant back and pushed her fringe back down.

  “I bumped it,” she rushed to explain.

  “On my forehead,” he replied.

  Her eyes widened. “What?”

  “You think I wouldn’t remember your kiss?” He moved forward for another taste.

  Her legs parted for him and he moved between the cradle of her thighs. He ran his fingers over her lips, his gaze over her face, memorizing every feature, even though he already knew every curve and line.

  “What are you speaking of?” She pushed his chest and moved to hop down.

  Robert gripped her thighs and held her still. His mind was reeling. He was only able to say one thing in answer to her question. “Scarlet.”

  She didn’t move. “I’m not her,” she whispered, eyes wide.

  “You’re a terrible liar.” He tangled his hand into her pinned up curls and placing his mouth back to hers. It took her only a moment before she was kissing him back. She wrapped her arms around him, her mouth moving hungrily. Robert moaned in pleasure. He released his grip on her hair and glided his hands downward. He ran his hands down the column of her neck, cupped the round globes of her breasts with a groan then stroked down her stomach.

  He took the hem of her gown in his hands and drew the material up. As he raised the material, he smoothed his hands up her legs. He reached her thighs and moaned as his fingers touched bare skin.

  “Robert?” Harry’s voice called out.

  Alyssum and Robert tore apart. She jumped down from the railing and ran from the gazebo. Robert watched her disappear around the back of the hedge. He panted for breath and groaned at his aching shaft. He found his hands were shaking and his heart pounding. He had found her. His Scarlet. And she had been exactly who he had dreamed her to be. Alyssum.

  “There you are.” Harry stepped around the hedge and came towards the gazebo.

  Robert pulled his coat forward, hiding the evidence of his desire for Harry’s sister. As Harry stepped up into the gazebo he looked at Robert then exhaled. “Do you know what Miss Darrel would do if she found out you’ve been ruining a member of her party?”

  Robert laughed breathlessly. He could never hide anything from Harry.

  “Who was she?” Harry asked.

  Robert shook his head with a whoosh of breath.

  “That good?” Harry quirked a brow.

  “Amazing,” Robert answered with a grin.

  “Come on, people will soon realize you’ve been missing.” Harry stepped out of the gazebo and Robert followed.

  “Does this mean you are letting Scarlet go?” Harry asked cautiously.

  “Never,” Robert answered as they walked together up the steps of the terrace.

  Chapter Eleven

  That night, as Alyssum and her family sat at the dining table eating dinner, she could only stare at her food. Robert knew. She had thought he would be horrified, angry, but he had kissed her. Knowing the truth, he had wanted her, or did he want Scarlet?

  After returning from the gazebo, Alyssum had kept beside Lilly for the rest of the afternoon and kept her gaze away from Robert.

  She distantly heard Harry talking and tuned in.

  “…leaving tomorrow.”

  “What?” she asked quickly.

  Harry turned his gaze to her. “I’m leaving tomorrow,” he told her.

  “You could stay for one more week,” Caroline urged softly.

  “I’ve had enough.” Harry spoke quietly and Caroline nodded in understanding. Her gaze drifted to her son’s cheek where a thin scar lay.

  “I’ll come with you,” Alyssum said.

  “What?” Their mother gasped. “You can’t.”

  “I’m not finding a husband this season, Mother.”

  “But you could, if you bothered to look.”

  Violet chuckled.

  “Don’t make me start on you, young lady. You need a husband too.”

  Violet stopped laughing and looked horrified.

  “What about Lord Avery?” Caroline asked Alyssum.

  “I wouldn’t allow her to marry him,” Harry spoke firmly.

  “Thank you,” Alyssum smiled at Harry while their mother huffed.

  “I’ll join you two,” Violet spoke up and Caroline huffed louder.

  “Fine.” She threw up her hands and stood. “Never get married. Never give me grandbabies.” She left the room in a storm.

  “Harry, give Mother a grandbaby,” Violet told him.

  “You give her a grandchild,” he snapped back.

  ”You’re older.”

  “You’re female.”

  “Oh, you’re going to draw that card?” Violet asked with fire in her eyes, a look only her family saw.

  Alyssum smiled. “When will we leave?”

  Harry turned his gaze slowly from a fuming Violet. “In the morning.”

  “Early morning or late morning?” Violet asked.

  Harry arched a brow and Violet smiled. “Late morning it is,” she said, pleased.

  “Are you sure you want to leave, Alyssum?” Harry asked. “Lilly will not be pleased.”

  “She’ll forgive me. Plus I’ve had enough too.”

  Harry nodded then excused himself, leaving Alyssum alone with Violet. The servants came forward, took the plates and left.

  “Are you running from a certain someone?” Violet placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her fists.

  “No,” Alyssum retorted.

  “He’ll follow you.”

  “Who?”

  Violet gave her a look that said do I look stupid?

  “He knows.”

  Violet raised her brows. “He knows.”

  “He saw the bruise.”

  “You bumped it in the kitchen.”

  “He said I bumped it on his forehead.”

  “More like slammed it,” Violet muttered. “Has Harry seen the bruise?”

  “No.”

  Violet looked at Alyssum’s wispy fringe. “Mother?” she asked.

  “No,” Alyssum answered.

  “We’ll have to wait and see.”

  “For what?”

  “To see if he’ll come after you.”

  “Who—”

  “Stop that. We both know of whom we are speaking.”

  Alyssum sighed. “Do you think he’ll follow?” she asked, hesitant.

  “I saw you two in the gazebo. He’ll follow,” announced Violet.

  “You saw?” Alyssum gasped.

  “I had my eye on that gazebo first.”

  Alyssum shook her head, speechless. “What did you see?”

  Violet arched a brow as her cheeks turned pinkish. Alyssum exhaled in mortification then dropped her head into her hands with a groan.

  “It looked like fun,” Violet said quietly.

  Alyssum laughed and kept her head in her hands.

  “Was it?”

  Alys
sum raised her head. She stared at Violet for a moment before sighing. “Yes.”

  “Thought so,” Violet muttered.

  Robert took a deep breath before knocking on the Rosewood’s door. He turned his head to look at a carriage roll by. In the middle of the day the streets were bustling.

  When no one answered the door, he knocked more loudly.

  Hopefully Harry wouldn’t kill him when he announced he wanted to marry Alyssum. With any luck, it will only be one punch, perhaps two, then he could see Alyssum. But asking Alyssum to marry him terrified him more than facing Harry. He could take a punch to the face or the gut, but to the heart? That bruise might not fade. He would be strong and if she moved to run he would just pin her down and wait till she said yes. With that thought, he smiled.

  When the front door opened, he took another a deep breath and announced to the butler that he wanted to speak to the Earl of Leighton.

  “He’s not here,” the butler informed him.

  “Is Lady Alyssum?”

  “They left, sir.”

  “What?” Robert snapped in confusion.

  “They traveled back to the country estate this morning.”

  “Why?” He took a quick step forward and the young butler jumped back in fright.

  “Don’t know, sir.”

  Robert growled in anger and hurried back to his own townhouse.

  “Otis,” he yelled for his butler when he stormed inside.

  “Yes, sir.” The old man scurried forward.

  “Ready my horse and pack my bags. I want a light travel bag for my journey and send the rest of my things after me,” he snapped out orders.

  “Where are you off to, sir?”

  “My country estate,” he grumbled and strode up the stairs towards his room.

  A knock on the door made him pause on the staircase and turn. He waited to see who it was as Otis opened the door. “Jackson.” He watched Jackson stride in to the foyer.

  “Lambert.” Jackson grinned. His grin slipped as he saw the anger in Robert’s face.

  “Didn’t go well, huh?” He knew Robert had been going to Harry’s to talk to him, but Robert hadn’t told him what it had been about.

  “They weren’t there.”

  “So wait.”

  “Until they come back to town?” Robert snapped sarcastically.

  “Pardon?”