by Gill, Tamara
Drew sat, staring out at the Hydrangeas before them, the tinkling sound of the fountain somewhere in the distance. "About last night, Holly. I wanted to check that you're not angry with me in any way. I should not have allowed things to progress as they did."
She looked up at him. He could see she was thinking over his words. Of what to say and how to get herself out of the trouble he'd brought into her life. He was a bastard, a fiend to have been so forward. He never should have allowed such liberties between them, and now that he had, just as he feared, he had alarmed her. Drove her away.
He started as she reached up, clasped his face in her hands, and kissed him. Drew moaned, pulling her close and deepening the embrace. Damn it, he wanted her, the fear of a moment before evaporating at her touch.
The kiss, sweet at first, soon dissembled into a hot, deep mating of mouths. His tongue tangled with hers, their upper bodies thrust together. Her breasts pushed into his chest, the beading of her nipples teasing his senses.
He wrenched her close, and a little purr of delight escaped her lips. He kissed it away, unable to get enough of her, be close enough. Sweat beaded his skin in the humid space, fragrance bombarded him, but still, the kiss went on, igniting a fire in his soul that he'd never experienced before.
Her green muslin gown was soft under his touch. He reached around, sliding his hand up her stomach to cover one breast. Desire gut-punched him, his cock standing to attention at the feel of her in his hands. Her breasts were generous, a perfect handful, and he kneaded the flesh, rolling one nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
"Oh, Drew," she gasped, thrusting farther into his hold. He teased her, wanting to give her as much pleasure as she had given him, not just last night, but from the moment they'd first met.
He broke away, placing small, teasing kisses down her neck. He took his time, savoring the sweet taste of her skin, the jasmine that rose from her hair.
"You're so delicious," he murmured.
Drew reached up and slipped the bodice of her dress down, exposing one breast to his view. He pulled back, the air in his lungs expelling at the sight of her bared naked to him. The word beautiful reverberated about in his mind like a drum, along with the word mine.
She was his, and God save his soul, he would do everything in his power to keep her with him. Even if that meant fighting against a royal protocol that said she should not marry an English gentleman.
He wanted the pliant, giving woman in his arms to be his. That, above all else, he knew to be. As true as the sun rose in the east and set in the west.
"Touch me, Drew."
He would give her whatever she wished. He dipped his head, her hands spiking into his hair, holding him against her as he flicked his tongue over her beaded, rosy nipple. The little nubbin crinkled farther, and he closed his mouth over her fully. She moaned his name, holding him against her. He took a calming breath through his nose, lest he lose himself in his breeches.
His cock ached and stood rigid, threatening to come out over the top of his pants. Still, he worked his tongue over her as if it were the lifeline keeping him tethered to this world.
Holly reached up, wrenching the other side of her gown down, exposing her other breast to his view. So beautiful, he sat back, both hands reaching out to touch her, revel in her gift. He wanted to hoist her on his lap, rip open his front falls and take her. Bring them both to fulfillment. Instead, he settled for loving her other breast, tantalizing her nipple with his tongue.
She tasted as sweet as a forbidden fruit. The sound of voices penetrated his hazy mind, and he wrenched back, looking past Holly to see who was coming toward them. Holly fought with her clothing, and Drew helped her back into her gown just as his father and Niccolo came along the graveled path.
"Holly, my dear," his father said, taking her hand and kissing it, "we have found you. Your manservant Niccolo has been in search of you. A letter I believe has arrived from Lady Mary."
Drew met Niccolo's gaze, annoyance thrumming through his veins at being interrupted from their delightful interlude. The man was starting to be troublesome.
"A letter, Your Hi—" Holly stilled beside him and Drew held his breath before Niccolo righted his words. "A letter has arrived for you, Lady Balhannah. It came via special messenger, and so I have been looking for you."
Holly stood, taking the missive before seating herself back beside Drew. "I was merely admiring the beautiful greenhouse of the duke. I shall be back inside presently. Thank you, Niccolo."
The guard bowed and, with one last narrowing of eyes on Drew, spun about and strode out of the garden.
"Your manservant is very protective of you, Holly," the duke remarked, staring after the man.
Holly nodded, breaking the seal on the missive. "He has been with me for many years and is perhaps a little overprotective, but that is his position, and he takes it very seriously."
"Perhaps a little too seriously," Drew's father said before he too took his leave.
Holly read over the letter before meeting Drew's gaze. "It is not from Lady Mary, but Marco. He has received my missive and without interference. He has procured a ship, and some of my men have survived," she gasped, smiling, throwing her arms about his neck.
Drew hugged her back, happy for her. "What else does the letter say?"
Holly read farther down the pages. "The ship will dock here in a fortnight where we shall sail to Atharia on the following high tide."
The pit of his stomach churned at the thought of Holly leaving England, not because he was unsure if she would ever return again, but because it meant she would have to face her uncle. Be placed in more danger than she was already in.
"How long will it take to reach Atharia?"
"A month at most." Her eyes read down the letter. "It is true that my sister has been exiled to Alessandro Medici's country estate. There is no news of Elena." Her mouth pursed into a displeased line. "I must return and fight for what is mine. Show my uncle that I am not afraid of him." She studied him a moment before folding the letter and settling it into the pocket of her gown. "I will understand, Drew if you do not wish to accompany me. We are not married, going back to Atharia will mean that our time will not be our own, it will be different there for both of us. Are you certain you wish to help me? I have men trained for such circumstances to fight on my behalf. You do not need to put yourself into undue harm. I will not think any less of you if you do."
Drew wasn't ready to let her go, not now or ever. The trip to Atharia would take some weeks, and it would mean more time for him to spend with her. "You saved my life. I shall stay by your side until you no longer wish for me to be there. I will battle to ensure your future is secure and safe."
She reached up, touching his face. Drew leaned into her embrace, reveling in it. "You're a good man, Drew. Thank you for all that you've done for me."
He leaned forward, stealing a kiss, indulging in the fact she did not pull away, but leaned into his kiss, took her fill of him. "I have never been more thankful for a shipwreck in all my life, for it allowed me to meet you. I hope you know how much in awe of you I am. How much you confound and amaze me with your strength."
She grinned, a light blush stealing across her cheeks. "Do I really? How sweet you are."
"Yes, you do." And he was not sweet at all, merely a rake in love.
Chapter 15
Sotherton Estate, two weeks later.
Holly sat in the upstairs parlor the duke had given her for her own private use later that evening, a very annoyed and angry Niccolo staring at her from the settee across from her.
"He's a lord, a peer of England's realm, and you should not be dallying with him. You are the crown princess. You have Atharia to fight for, to defend against those who would take it from you. This guise as being someone's wife is as absurd as you or I marrying one day. An impossibility that you must come to see."
"I do see, Niccolo, and I do not need reminding of what is at stake in our homeland. I'm well aware of who
and what is after my crown, but we're safe here at Sotherton, and if that means we have to play a game to return home safely and not have what happened at Lord Bainbridge's estate happen again, then I shall."
"Your uncle's henchmen have been seen at Stowmarket. If they hear of Lord Balhannah's new bride, they may come to see for themselves who one of London's notorious rakes settled with."
Notorious rake? Holly did not know what to make of that. "That would make little sense. Nothing is tying me to Drew's family or estate. They do not know what direction I traveled to after the raid unless you know something that I do not."
Niccolo's eyes went wide, and he shook his head. "Of course I do not. I know no more than you do, Your Highness."
Holly leaned back in her chair, watching her guard as he paced the desk before her. "I understand you promised my father upon his death that you would care for me, all of my sisters in fact, but you forget your place, Niccolo. I am the future queen of Atharia, and as such, it would be wise for no man to start chastising me for decisions I've had to make these past weeks. The circumstances are not what we planned, but having escaped and survived my uncle's attack, we are not doing so bad. You may not like Lord Balhannah, but he has kept me safe and given us the use of his home, he too is playing a game to ensure we leave for Atharia and can take up our roles in our homeland. Please remember those facts."
Niccolo stood at attention, a soldier to his core. "I do not dislike Lord Balhannah, but we know very little of him. I urge caution, Your Highness, that is all."
"I am cautious."
Niccolo scoffed, and Holly stood, her patience for the man coming to an end. "You disagree?" Her tone sent goosebumps over her skin. She did not like to act mighty and highhanded, but she would not allow her guards to mock her choices and question her morals.
"You have become very close to his lordship. If the court was to find out that you have been sleeping in the same room as a man who is not your husband, I fear the repercussions."
"Who is going to tell the court this information, Niccolo? You? I have no one else here with me. My remaining guards are with Marco. It is only you who is here with me and knows the truth. Are you implying that if I do not behave, you will punish me with such degrading rumors?"
Niccolo blanched, shaking his head. Even so, Holly was no longer so certain about her guard's motives. What was happening here? He never questioned her choices. He'd always been steadfast in his resolve to support and protect her. She assumed the pressures they were under was the reason behind his cold demeanor these past weeks, but perhaps it was more than that.
Was he jealous of Drew?
"I am still a maid and intend to remain so until I marry. If I kiss Lord Balhannah, it is only so the staff does not talk of our indifferent marriage. It is so the duke does not find out that his son is harboring a woman on the run for her life. You will not have an opinion on this again, Niccolo, and I will not explain my motives to you a second time. Do you understand?"
A muscle flexed on Niccolo's temple, but he bowed and conceded. "I understand, Your Highness." Niccolo stormed from the room, the door slammed shut, putting paid to their conversation. Holly slumped onto her chair, letting out a relieved breath. Niccolo had never acted in such a way. Talking down to her as if she were a child in need of guidance. Of course, she needed opinions and support, but she was almost one and twenty, well past a girl in pigtails. She was a woman born to be queen, she was more than prepared for the role of ruler.
A light knock sounded on the door, and Drew popped his head around the threshold. His smile lifted her spirits, and she stood, going to him, wanting to be near his person. He gave her cheek a chaste kiss before placing her arm about his and leading her out of the room.
"I thought we could picnic for lunch today. A little north of the estate is a river. Our estate has a grotto there, and I thought you may want to see it."
She frowned, having never heard of such a place. "A grotto? Whatever sort of place is called such?"
Drew chuckled, grinning. "You will find out soon enough."
They took the curricle out to the private river that ran through the estate. A maid and footman awaited them, both standing a little from the grotto, setting up the picnic lunch they would have on the river's edge.
Drew gestured to the grotto his grandfather had found not long after becoming duke. It was a strange building, even one that Drew did not understand that well himself, but his mother had always loved the location, and therefore it would always hold a special place in Drew's heart.
"This is a grotto. Luckily ours is a naturally forming cave, but inside it has been changed to be more luxurious. Only the best for the Sotherton's," he teased.
Holly chuckled, stepping into the cave, her small gasp of delight warming his soul. He was glad she found it interesting enough to step inside. "What an amazing place. I never thought a cave could be so beautiful, and yet, this one is charming."
Drew joined her. "Being a natural cave, it is prone to flooding when the river runs high. That is why my mother had all the seats about the cave wall replaced with stone, the floors with large flagstones. It floods most winters, and yet it is always the same when we come to visit. I hope that my children and grandchildren can play in here as I did as a boy, and enjoy this naturally forming gift."
The footman came up to them, handing a glass of champagne to them both. "Lunch is prepared, my lord. Will you need us for anything further?" the servant asked.
Drew shook his head. "Thank you, no. You may return to the house." His servants did as he bade, and Drew helped Holly out of the cave and down toward where he'd had their picnic set up.
"I wanted to talk to you about Niccolo, Holly. I fear the man does not approve of my being near you, and after the glower he bestowed upon me leaving your sitting room this morning, I fear my take on the man is correct."
She sighed, taking his hand as she set herself down on the blanket. "He is against anything where I may injure or hurt my position socially. My being here, playing your wife, is not an easy concept for him to accept."
"Ah," Drew said, joining her on the blanket. "I thought he was jealous of me. Has it ever occurred to you that he may care for you more than a guard ought?"
Her silence was answer enough for Drew to know that the idea had crossed Holly's mind. "I spoke to him this morning. He understands what is at stake and why we're here. Niccolo will not cause any trouble."
"I'm not worried about that, I worry more for you. You can trust him, can you not?"
Holly glanced at him, her eyes wide with alarm. "Of course. Niccolo may be a lot of things—overprotective, famous in the royal court as a man who never stepped out of line, much to our lady’s maid's annoyance. He does not like the situation we're in any more than I do, but we have little choice. He is merely going against all the rules he has ever followed by doing what I ask of him now. Once we return home, and everything goes back to how it should be, he shall return to rights."
Holly did not like the situation she was living? Drew looked out over the running water before him, an ache in his chest that she was eager to be gone, to leave his home forever. "We are not so bad to live with, I hope? I must admit to you, Holly, that when I return from Atharia I shall miss you. You are so very different from anyone I've ever met. I fear no woman shall ever rise to your level."
Drew downed his champagne, a lump the size of a ball in his throat. He was not sure where the overwhelming emotions were coming from. Why the idea of Holly leaving him to start her life where she belonged hurt and poked him in places that he'd not thought would ever feel anything.
Men of his ilk did not fall headlong in love with women. It just did not occur, and yet, the idea of Holly leaving, of not waking up next to her sweet face, of losing the smell of jasmine on his bedding, in his room, gave him the megrims.
She clasped his cheek, turning him to look at her. "I love it here, Drew. In the three weeks that I've been with you, as your wife," she chuckled, "I have never
been more at ease or carefree." Holly placed her glass of champagne aside, lying beside him. "I shall miss this life when I return to mine. The situation is not ideal, but that is external to you. You have been a breath of fresh air that I did not know I needed to inhale."
Drew leaned down, kissing her. How could he not take anything and everything she was willing to give him? He was invested in her happiness and safety, and he never wanted to be parted from her. When he'd first offered to serve, he'd not thought anything further than assisting a woman in taking up her rightful place in the world.
How different it was now for him.
Now he never wanted to be parted from her side. She intoxicated his soul, and without her in his life, it would be a dull, stormy day instead of sunny and bright.
Holly clenched her fingers into his hair, pulling him close. She did not shy away from his kiss; she reveled in it, drank from him as much as he did her. The sweet melding of mouths soon changed to a conflagration of need, of promises and apologies for what could be. Her tongue tangled with his, her body rose up to press against his.
Drew rocked against her, and at some point, he was above her, settled between her legs. His hand wrenched up her gown to her waist, her skin as soft as the silk stockings on her legs. "I need to feel you."
She mewled beneath him, and his cock hardened. Holly helped him with her gown, rucking it up about her waist before she slipped one long limb over his hip, opening for him like a flower.
The breath in his lungs seized, but he had to feel her. He wanted to slide into her hot core, even if only with his fingers. Drew clasped and teased her thigh, electing an annoyed growl from Holly. Her heated skin burned his palm. He grazed his knuckles over her mons, the hairs on her cunny ticking his fingers.
With two fingers, he slid between her folds. Wet, so deliciously moist that his mind seized. She gasped, her hands scoring a line down his back. "Touch me, Drew," she begged.
