In the broad light of day, it was perfectly discernible why the house seemed imbalanced, for the right wing, for some odd reason, was still under construction. The brick walls were complete, but in place of the roof, only the framework stood, like a wooden skeleton against the greenery behind and above it.
The extensive lawn boasted only overgrown weeds and felled trees, and then closer to the riverbank, golden-tipped marsh grass swayed with the breeze. The dodder grass seemed to grow as far as the eye could see. Lord, she missed England suddenly. Nay, not her brother or his wife, for they had made her life intolerable before banishing her to this godforsaken place, but she missed the comfort to be found in her family’s ancestral home, the sprawling, manicured gardens in which she so often took refuge. There was no order to this place, no order at all, and it made her feel strangely out of sorts.
Finally, finding repose amid a small cluster of trees, upon a half-buried, half-rotten log near the marsh’s edge, she sat and, for the first time since her banishment, allowed herself to grieve for all that was lost in her life. She had lost everything, and it was all his fault—Christian, or Hawk, or whatever the devil his name was! This instant she loathed him, despised him for every shred of her lost dignity. He’d taken her greatest possession without a single word of love, or even comfort. Her eyes blurred with tears she refused to shed. How could she have allowed it?
A flock of seagulls swooped silently toward the water in the distance, all of them flying out of formation. She watched them, curiously mesmerized by their graceful, airy dance. One sailed just above the surface of the water, so close that it seemed its flapping wings were skimming the water’s edge, and yet never did it so much as immerse a talon into the river. One bird led the flock above the trees, and the three behind made the ascent as though it were a dance they’d choreographed and rehearsed. In their wake, a small fish vaulted into the air. So quickly did it do so that by the time she turned in its direction, all that was left to show of its hasty retreat was a small circle of ripples that filtered its way past the waterlogged marsh grass and ultimately faded into nothingness.
For a long while, Jessie sat in that nothingness, hearing nothing, seeing nothing. When suddenly she heard Christian’s voice calling her, so close, she started, and nearly panicked. God’s truth, but she had no wish to see the lying cur just now! Searching about desperately, she spotted the low limb upon an enormous oak behind her, and made her way quickly toward it. The trunk itself must have measured at least twenty feet in circumference, and massive, weepy limbs stretched groundward, grazing the leafy ground as though their groaning weight were somehow too much for the poor oak to bear. Its majestic stature reminded her of a protective old grandfather, arms outstretched and bending earthward to pluck even the tiniest of insects from the perils of the forest floor. Just now, it was she in need of shielding.
Starting at the lowest point, shoving the hem of her gown between her teeth, she scrambled upward upon the thick limb until she was perched safely out of sight. She was probably behaving foolishly, she knew, but she couldn’t bear to face Christian this moment. Sheltered here, she didn’t have to worry about it. Nope, she thought somewhat flippantly, and almost giggled at the absurdity of the situation. She would simply wait until he was gone and then hurry to the house; surely there was someplace in his accursed mausoleum where she could find sanctuary?
It was only another moment before Christian found his way to the decaying old log she’d been sitting upon only an instant before. As though by instinct, he stopped there, gazing out over the expanse of river, shading his eyes with a hand. Then, as though sensing her presence, he turned, and Jessie held her breath as he scanned the area. Cursing him under her breath, she watched his movements.
Good Lord, but even now he was much too handsome for her peace of mind. His hair caught the glow of afternoon sun, making it seem lighter than it actually was. He stood there a long instant and his profile mesmerized her, with his thick, lightly whiskered jaw, and those deep-set blue eyes that could liquefy her limbs with scarcely a glance.
“Jessie!”
She bit into her lip, refusing to answer.
“Jessamine!”
Jessie remained perfectly still, unwilling to be discovered now in such an absurd place... unwilling to be caught spying, for spying, she was, whether she liked to admit it or nay. She sat there without moving, watching him search the area as he shouted her name at the top of his lungs, and the inanity of the situation struck her all at once. Good Lord, what was she worried about? Christian would never think to search a tree for her, and here she was, hanging like a chimpanzee directly above his head!
“Damn it!” he muttered to himself, coming closer. “Where the devil has she gone?”
He never even bothered to look up, and when he walked to the lower end of the very limb she was perched upon and then sat, arms crossed and deep in thought, she was suddenly giddy with the hilarity of it all. They were sitting upon the very same tree limb, yet he could have remained there an eternity and never thought to search up here for her. She couldn’t help it. For the first time in days, she felt like laughing hysterically. Lord, what if she started to cackle and fell out? Never could she bear that! Suddenly a vision of him as he’d looked when Mrs. Brown had toppled him from the fence assailed her. She tried desperately not to giggle, but her laughter burst forth.
As though unsure his ears had heard correctly, Christian slowly turned his head up, and the surprised look upon his face made Jessie giggle all the harder.
“What the devil are you doing up there?”
She couldn’t help herself, she started to laugh without restraint. She held on tightly to a small tree limb for support and resisted the urge to clutch her aching sides as she shrieked with laughter.
“Get down here!”
Overcome with glee, Jessie shook her head, refusing him, even as another bout of laughter overcame her.
“Whatever possessed you to climb up there?” His brows cocked. “Come down from there, Jess, before you fall.”
Biting her lip to keep from shrieking once more, Jessie shook her head again. “Nay,” she refused, choking on her giggles.
“For Christ’s sake, if you won’t come down,” he advised her, “I shall be forced to come up after you.” Even as he issued the warning, he was making his way up the oak branch. Yet when he reached the spot where she sat, he merely hauled himself onto the limb beside her, instead of dragging her down as she’d expected him to do.
“You had everyone worried.”
She sobered at that.
“I didn’t mean to,” she admitted, still smiling, though her eyes remained melancholy. “I simply needed to be alone.”
“You couldn’t do that safely within?”
Jessie choked on her reply. “Safe... within?”
He misunderstood her.
“I’m sorry for the disorder.”
That wasn’t what she’d been referring to, but she asked, “How can you live like that?”
“Actually, I haven’t been.” He yielded a lazy grin that sobered her completely. That smile had been her downfall once upon a time. But not this time, she swore—not if she could help it. She would not allow herself to melt like a giddy schoolgirl falling under his devil’s spell.
“It was my intent to stay in Charlestown during the construction,” he explained, reaching out and plucking a leaf. He stared at her. “Circumstances, of course, have dictated otherwise.”
She nodded knowingly. “If you’ve been inconvenienced,” she informed him at once, “’tis your own fault.”
Christian’s jaw tautened, but he said nothing in response to her accusation.
The silence between them grew awkward, but he found himself unwilling to abandon their unlikely refuge so soon. Nor could he end this bittersweet diversion as yet.
There were traces of tears in her eyes and upon her cheeks, but he attributed them to her laughter, and ignored the flash of guilt that stabbed at him.
Nor could he deny the fear that had gripped him when he’d found her gone. “Jessie,” he began, his words carefully weighed so as not to frighten her. “Do me the dubious favor of not leaving the house again—not without apprising someone of your whereabouts, whether it be Jean Paul... or even Ben,” he suggested reluctantly, raking his thumbnail over the spine of a leaf. He gazed at her with narrowed eyes as though to see into her thoughts, then sighed heavily. “So I’ll know... where to find you, if... if I need you.”
She averted her gaze. “What if I’ve no wish to be found?”
“Just give me your word,” he demanded, overlooking her flippant response. He tossed the leaf before him. “We’ve had reason to be concerned over gators here,” he lied, looking away. “ ‘Tis for your own well-being I ask this of you.” He turned again to face her. “’Tis true,” he insisted, seeing her wide-eyed expression. “We’ve a few animals missing with no sign of a carcass to be found. I should loathe that fate to be yours.”
A shiver passed down Jessie’s spine, but whether it was over his grisly disclosure, or the way he was gazing at her so solicitously, she could not discern. “And what makes you think ’tis a gator?”
His eyes held hers, unblinking. “For one... ’tis their way to haul their prey back to their nest and dispose of it there, thus no carcass would be found.”
Jessie made a disgusted face. “Gruesome!” she declared, tearing her gaze away. “They are the vilest of creatures.”
He smiled ruefully. “I rather thought you believed I was the vilest of creatures?”
“Yes, well... it seems you have a rival, after all, my lord.” She cocked a brow at him, unable to reassure him, though she was tempted. “Tell me,” she said on a sigh, glancing away, then back, somehow more composed, “are they always so vicious?”
He shook his head, his eyes alight with some unnamed emotion.
Christian’s heart began to pound, for it had not escaped him that she’d managed to call him “my lord.”
“Of usual,” he said, clearing his throat, “they keep very much to themselves.”
“Really? Why not now?”
“Perhaps because their hunting ground has been overrun—or because there are too many, possibly. I dunno. Of usual, they are rather docile creatures.” He smiled, thoroughly amused over the way her brow rose at his disclosure.
“’Tis true,” he asserted, his smile deepening when she cocked her head as though considering. “In fact, I once stood so close to a gator as to be nearly standing upon its snout.” He chuckled softly at the memory, shaking his head in wonder. “It did nothing... nothing at all. In fact, the lazy beast did not so much as stir from the spot where it lay sunning. However,” he continued on a dire note, “those to be found here upon the Ashley seem more vicious than those found inland. They seem to prefer fresh water, and ’tis my guess that if they are found in these salt rivers, such as the Ashley or the Cooper, it is because they are hungry and foraging.”
Shivering, she told him, “I believe I’ve heard quite enough, my lord. I shall suffer nightmares as it is.” She turned her gaze away, seeming suddenly bored by his presence.
“Perhaps ’tis not the most pleasant subject, but it is for that very reason you should not wander about unescorted.”
He couldn’t bear it if anything were to happen to her.
Jessie turned to frown at him. “If it is such an awful place, then why did you choose to come here, my lord? I thought you were so enamored of Rose Park.”
Gazing into her eyes, he again marveled that they never lost their power to captivate him, to reach into his soul. He could never admit to her how he’d felt that day after leaving her at Westmoor—that he’d felt nothing but revulsion for anything that reminded him of her. And Rose Park reminded him of her more than he would have thought possible. He’d envisioned fathering their children there... in the bedchamber he would have eagerly shared with her. He could almost picture her there now, as he’d so often imagined her... lying thoroughly loved within his bed—their bed—her dark curls tousled and softly framing her face... a child’s voice calling to them from the hall... little feet scurrying to greet them... and Jessie... scrambling to repair herself in order to face their... son? daughter?
His tone carefully devoid of emotion, Christian told her, “I’d as soon not discuss Rose Park. Enough to say I sold the estate months ago. Shadow Moss is my home now.”
Could she love him?
Aye, she had given herself to him last night, but lust was one thing and love another entirely.
When Christian looked at her once more, his expression was solemn, his eyes questioning, and Jessie longed to ask him what he was thinking. But she had gone that route once before, and that had been her first mistake. He’d made her care so very much, and then he’d ripped her heart out from her breast. She didn’t want to know anything more about him. Didn’t want to care.
They were probably all lies anyhow.
She found herself staring at his lips, remembering how they’d felt upon her body, and her heart lurched.
“Jessamine,” he whispered. “If you don’t stop gazing at my mouth just so... as though you would devour my lips... I might have to kiss you senseless, love.”
Startled by his words, Jessie dragged her gaze from his mouth to his laughing eyes, and her face flushed crimson. “I—I wasn’t staring at your lips!”
Was it so obvious she yearned for his kisses?
Could he read in her eyes that she wanted him to touch her again? to make her feel alive once more?
Her head reeled at the possibility, and she felt a tiny thrill at the memory of his lovemaking, bitter as it might have been.
His answering grin infuriated her. “I see... and you weren’t wishing that I might lean forward... like this,” he asked. His hand slid behind her neck, though instead of drawing her toward him, he only supported her as he came the distance to her. She didn’t resist him, couldn’t, so dazed was she by his boldness and his nearness. “And you weren’t wishing that I would touch them ever so softly to yours...” His lips brushed hotly against her own. Jessie closed her eyes, helpless to answer. “Like this?”
Jessie was dizzy with wanting him, but she opened her mouth to deny it still. Her negation came out a wistful sigh that made him groan in response. Her body became suddenly liquid, her limbs lethargic and heavy. She felt as though she would die from the sheer pleasure he was offering her. Her belly fluttered nervously as his breath mingled with hers and she caught the scent of sweet brandy.
Their lips separated briefly, and then his mouth descended upon hers once more, tentatively at first, then moving urgently as he suckled her lower lip before raining more kisses upon her delicate chin, moving down ever so slowly to the heated flesh of her throat.
Lord, Jessie thought, his kiss was searing her clear unto her soul!
Had she no pride?
Had she no will?
“Jessie...” He groaned. “You taste so very sweet, my love.” His words felt like delightful caresses to her ears, sending shivers of anticipation down her spine. Desire swept through her, making every inch of her body sensitive to his nearness. Heaven help her, but if the truth be known, she hoped he would never stop. Even against her will, she had dreamed of this, ached for this, wished for it—even at the high cost of her dignity.
God save her, he’d given her the sweetest taste of heaven, and it was not such an easy thing to forget.
Cupping her face within his hands, he turned her cheek, kissing it hungrily as he nibbled her face and whispered softly against her throat, “Come back to the house with me, Jess... Let me love you as I yearn to.” A shiver coursed through her.
It was a long moment before her mind registered his words. But when finally it did, she felt much as though she’d been slapped and then called a whore. He did not love her, she knew that well enough. Did he think she would lie with any man who asked it of her any time it was asked of her? Surely he did, if he thought for one m
oment that she would allow him to touch her again after all that had passed between them!
Anger filled her breast, and she reared back and shoved him, hard. Somehow, he managed to remain rooted to the tree limb, and it made her all the angrier. It would have served him well to break his neck, or leg—better yet, his pride. Curse the man! “You mean to ask me if I would lie with you, do you not? Unless you mean love, then do not speak of it, my lord! Say what you mean instead!”
As though he were privy to her thoughts and was now taunting her, Christian suddenly grinned, a slow, lazy grin.
Eyeing him wrathfully, Jessie scooted around him and down the stout limb, and in her haste nearly tumbled to the ground. When she was far enough away that he was no longer a threat, she turned and screamed, “I do not like you Hawk!” But his expression remained smug and it reignited her temper. “In fact, I loathe you!” she shouted and wished fervently that she were near enough to scratch his accursed eyes out. Then she turned and marched away.
Smiling still, Christian never moved from his perch within the ancient tree, only watched, chuckling softly. “I’ll bet you do,” he replied glibly, rubbing his jaw as he watched the saucy sway of her hips.
His curiosity was more than appeased.
Chapter 24
If it was the last thing Jessie did, she was going to find her way back to Charlestown!
She was not—absolutely not—about to remain in this crude hollow even one more instant! In the short time she’d been out of the room, someone had managed to unpack her trunks.
Angrily she now searched the bureaus for her personal items, and when she found them tucked neatly away into Christian’s wardrobe, she snatched them out at once, stomping across the room and shoving them wrathfully back into the trunk in which they belonged. She would not remain near that man for even one more accursed moment! Not if she could help it!
Three Redeemable Rogues Page 46
