Page 32 of Forbidden: Claude

Evelina reached out and slapped him.

“Bid the devil, if you don’t stop slapping me every time you are near me, I swear I will tie you to a rope and pull you behind the horse instead. Now spread your legs.”

Before she had a chance to object, he’d picked up her leg and placed it on the other side of the horse. She felt like a strumpet with her legs spread and her gown pushed up to her knees. Her bottom end was wedged in between Claude’s legs and pushed up against his groin.

“That’s better,” he said with his mouth pressed up against the side of her head.

“I’m ready, my lord.” Felix directed his horse out of the stable and Claude followed.

As soon as they got over the drawbridge, Claude directed the horse into a run. Evelina jerked and almost lost her balance.

“Don’t worry; I’ve got you.” Claude’s arm slipped around her waist and pulled her closer to him. With his body pressed up against hers, she felt heady. Safe in his embrace, the wind blew her long tresses up into the air. With her eyes closed, she focused on the feeling of the warm sun on her face and the scent of Claude’s leather doublet. It felt right to be in his embrace, and she couldn’t stop wondering how it would feel to kiss him.

“You need to wear a wimple,” he growled, bringing her out of her daydream.

“I lost it on our last ride and no longer have one.”

“Well, get your hair out of my face. It is blowing into my eyes and mouth.”

“So sorry, my lord.” She reached up and pulled her hair to one side.

Claude could barely concentrateon the journey with Evelina sitting wedged between his legs. With his arm wrapped around her small waist, he felt like he wanted to protect her as much as he did Rose. Her scent filled his senses, and her hair kept blowing in his face, embracing him in her essence of rosewater and fresh air.

He tried to sound gruff because he didn’t want Evelina to know her presence was affecting him. Hell, he was even starting to feel randy with their bodies pushed together like this. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to have her ride with him after all.

And then she moved her hair to the side, exposing her long, smooth, milky-white neck. It took all of his control not to lean forward and kiss her. He already knew what her hair tasted like, but now he wanted to taste her skin and her lips as well.

They’d been riding for about an hour when he felt himself getting hard with the bouncing motion of her bottom end against his groin. If he didn’t get away from her quickly, it was going to prove to be a very embarrassing situation for him.

“We’ll stop to rest and water the horses just up ahead at that brook,” he called out to Felix.

“Aye, my lord,” said Felix.

“I am glad we are stopping because I need to use a bush,” Evelina told him.

Claude stopped the horse and slid off before it even came to a complete stop. Then he reached up and put his arms around Evelina’s waist, helping her dismount. With her hands on his shoulders, she slid down his chest. Claude was award of every womanly curve of her body against him and beneath his fingers. Then, she looked up, and he found himself falling deep into her bright eyes.

Sunshine illuminated her oaken hair as it lifted in the breeze. She was beautiful. Just as beautiful as any noblewoman he had ever known. Why hadn’t he fully realized this before?

“I’ll be right back,” she said, turning and walking into the foliage. He watched her go, feeling the bulge in his breeches growing even more. Damn, he wanted her. By right, she was only a servant, and he was a noble. He could command her to go to bed with him and she couldn’t deny him.

But Claude wasn’t like that. He didn’t possess the ways of his father or some of the other nobles. Nay, he had never taken any woman, not even a servant, to his bed without her consent. Bedding Evelina was out of the question. It was evident the girl didn’t like him because she kept slapping him.

“Do you want me to tend to the horses, my lord?” asked Felix.

“Aye,” he said. “I need a few minutes alone, so don’t bother me.”

“Of course, my lord.”

Claude went down to the water to douse his face and, hopefully, extinguish the fire burning inside him. With Evelina along, this was going to be a very long trip.