‘I was afraid you would say that.’
Some of his amusement dimmed and she could tell from the line of his shoulders that her answer had disappointed him. ‘I try not to think of Clare in that carriage, but sometimes I do. I wonder if the outcome would have been different if someone had come to their aid.’
She braced herself, ready for his eruption, for him to tell her that what had happened to Sebastian and Clare was irrelevant to her own safety. That regardless of what she believed, she had to follow his rules or else. The horses’ hooves continued to plod along the hardened ground, and Tobias rubbed his jaw with his fingers. Further along, the birds were settling back down, swooping in loops before coming to rest. Eventually, Tobias said, ‘You do know how to take my argument from underneath me. I cannot fault your logic. Naturally, I also wish there had been someone with good intentions like yourself, who had been there to help when Sebastian and Clare needed them. Let us hope that life is kinder to you going forward, and that you do not find yourself in need of coming to the aid of people in peril.’
They entered the woodland, a cool, green darkness enveloping them. She half-expected him to push his point, but he did not speak as their horses picked over the thick roots. Something inside of her slowly unknotted, a tension relaxing. Tobias was not Ichabod; he would not try and control her behaviour in the same way her late husband had.
‘Is it typical for summer to be this lovely in England?’ asked Grace, more for the need to keep speaking to this man than because she wanted to know the answer.
‘No. It normally rains a lot. We have been blessed with an unusual amount of sunshine. It means the lake will be warm for swimming in.’
‘Are you going to swim?’ she asked, her heart taking flight at the idea, all dark thoughts forgotten.
‘No,’ he said slowly.
‘But you want to.’ Images flitted through her mind. Tobias stripping off his jacket, rolling back his sleeves, his forearms bare to the sun. Maybe he would take his shirt off. No, that was too much. He would not be that improper in front of her. But he might roll up his pantaloons as he had done before. She might see his calves. She blinked, shocked at the direction her mind was taking her. In an instant, she had become like one of those men older women warned debutantes about. The ones young women were not supposed to show even a hint of ankle to lest they become overwrought with desire. It was a shock to her that women, or at the very least she, could experience the same sort of thoughts.
‘Grace,’ said Tobias, his voice gravelly. ‘What are you thinking about now?’
She turned to him. He was watching her, his dark eyes hooded. Heat spilled over her cheeks. A slow smile spread over Tobias’ face, one she had not seen before. It was filled with hidden promises, the sort of look a man gave a woman he wanted. A thrill shot through her. She’d thought her appreciation of his body was one-sided, but his look suggested she had been wrong. They were alone. No one else in the house party stirred much before midday and they never ventured outdoors before noon, not even Kate and Edward’s wards, whom Kate was trying to teach to read and write. It was hours before anyone would expect them back at the main building. A lot could happen inthat time. Perhaps she could cure herself of this ache in her chest that happened whenever Tobias was near.
‘You could swim,’ she said, her voice husky. ‘It is warm enough to dry before we return to the house.’
His gaze flickered to her lips, quickly but noticeably, and the thrill running through her intensified.
‘We shall see,’ was all he said in response but that didn’t stop the anticipatory thrill running over her skin.
ChapterTwenty-three
By the time they reached the lake, Grace felt as if she were vibrating. It was amazing to her that, when she looked down to check, her fingers were steady on the reins. The water was a shimmering blue, surrounded by the woodland for as far as she could see. A small island stood in the middle of it, blocking the view of the far side.
‘Is that a house?’ she asked, pointing to a wooden structure on the patch of land.
‘It is not a habitable building. My parents had it built to entertain guests with picnics on the island. When we were allowed, Sebastian and I used it as a base from which we played. But it is not much more than a room. I have not visited it in years.’
She waited for him to suggest that they do so now, but he did not. Some of her excitement at being alone with him in a secluded spot dimmed. Perhaps she had misinterpreted his look in the woodland, for surely a man intent on seduction would want to be alone and as hidden from view as possible.
‘Would you like to ride around the lake or turn back?’ he asked, and her spirits sank lower. Those were definitely not the words of a man bent on a romantic tryst.
‘Do you think we could take a walk?’ she said, because, if nothing else, this would mean he would have to lift her on and off the horse more than once.
‘Of course,’ he said, like she had known he would, because he was polite and obliging. Thinking that she meant anything special to him had been a foolish assumption. Just because she was having all these inappropriate thoughts, it did not mean that he was too. Tobias dismounted easily and the way he did it momentarily distracted her. There was something captivating about the movement, his confidence and ability calling out to her in some way.
His hands came about her waist again and she was weightless once more. As he set her on the ground, she stumbled over a stone and grabbed his arm to keep her upright. His hands, which he had been dropping, were on her instantly, holding her still.
They stayed like that, breathing as if they had been running. His height meant that her face was level with his chest and she watched as it rose and fell quickly. Her fingers dug into his upper arm and he made a noise deep in his throat and she was certain she had not been wrong after all.
Tilting her head, she looked up at him. He was staring down at her, his lips slightly parted. Pushing herself onto the tips of her toes, she leaned up and gently pressed her mouth to his. Tobias was so still, her gesture may have turned him to marble. For a few heartbeats, she held her position, enjoying the whisper of his breath across her skin. But she could not stay there for long. If he did not want her there, then she should step back. Just before she lowered her head, his mouth moved, slowly at first, his lips barely skimming over hers, once and then again and again, featherlight brushes that hinted at more. She lost herself in the movement. His fingers brushed over her cheek and his thumb coasted along her jaw, touches light and gentle, reverentalmost. Her hands were tangled in his hair, the silken strands soft against her skin. Her heart raced and her blood sang.
One large palm on her back was pulling her closer, and closer still until her body pressed against his, all her softness against the hard lines of him. He groaned and she felt the noise in her mouth. The kiss deepened, their breathing harsh in the soft summer morning. Their hands explored, touching wherever they could reach: his on her neck, tangling in her hair, the flare of her hip, her palm against the scrape of his stubble, the solid strength of his shoulder, the long length of his spine. He pressed kisses to her jaw. She whispered his name and his fingers flexed against her.
Her body was alive, bursting into sensation. Kissing had never felt like this. She hadn’t loved her husband, but in the beginning he had thought of her needs a little. Even then, he had never treated her as something special, something to be prized. She hadn’t even known it was possible to feel this way, as if everything else had ceased to exist, as if it were only them and this timeless moment. This was… his mouth reclaimed hers and her world became him.
Chapter Twenty-four
Grace had no idea how long they clung to each other, minutes, hours, days. Nothing mattered except Tobias.
When he finally lifted his head, she was dazed.
