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“You won’t have to,” he assured her.
In spite of his assurances, he could see from the way that she kept glancing at the tavern door that she wasn’t convinced. Indeed, from the worry that was evident on her face, she was clearly terrified of the local thugs. He suspected he knew why.
He glanced down the road, and mentally cursed when he saw that one of the men had spotted them.
“He is the one who has been pestering your brother to pay him money to supposedly ‘protect’ the mill, isn’t he?”
Hetty was surprised that Charlie knew about that, and nodded miserably. “He keeps pestering Simon, mainly because Wally is always at work in the mill.”
Charlie rubbed her back when he saw tears on her lashes. It annoyed the hell out of him to see her so upset because she was only going about her business in a way that every resident in the country should be able to.
He hated to think that anyone, not least Cedric Meldrew, had the power to worry anyone so much, especially Hetty.
He glared down the road at Meldrew and his men, and sidled closer to Hetty.
“They are coming this way,” Hetty gasped in horror when movement drew her attention back toward them. “Please, let’s go. Please, Charlie.”
Charlie glanced around them. Unless they were going to run back to the tavern and make it obvious that they were trying to avoid Meldrew, there was nothing they could do except wait to hear what the man had to say. Determined not to allow the man to upset Hetty any more than he already had, Charlie did the only thing he could think of.
Hetty gasped when Charlie hauled her into his arms, and slammed his lips down upon hers with a fierce hunger that left her unable to do anything except cling to him. Her senses swam as she fought to think of anything other than the way his lips slid so shockingly against hers.
She had never been kissed by a man before. A peck on the cheek from her brothers was all she had ever had, and that had certainly not been anything like this masterful possession that rendered her practically useless.
Her hands bunched up the material of his jacket as her fingers clenched. She was aware of someone saying something nearby but couldn’t focus her attention on what was said. When she tried to ease away, Charlie’s arms tightened and drew her back against him again. She had no choice but to either make a scene and pull away more forcibly, or settle against him.
He shifted to accommodate her weight and deepened the kiss when she leaned against his heavenly warmth in mute appeal.
She was only vaguely aware that a carriage rolled past and someone called something, but didn’t bother to try to pay them any attention. Every thought, every feeling, every emotion she possessed was focused completely on the man who kissed her with such mastery that she struggled to find the will to draw breath.
Charlie was only vaguely aware that Meldrew had gone, but made no attempt to stop the kiss. He could taste innocence on her lips. It was addictive. The somewhat hesitant way she copied his movements called to something deep within him, and it brought forth a need to protect her at the same time that he had to claim her as his.
He tried to draw away, to remind himself that she wasn’t used to this and he mustn’t frighten her, but made no attempt to stop her when she held his jacket tighter and, in doing so, drew him closer.
“God, Hetty,” he growled when his fevered body began to demand more than circumstance would allow.
His lips nibbled across her chin, and became buried in her lavender scented hair while he willed his body to cool. Inevitably, when he lifted his head to look down at her, the temptation of her mouth was too much to resist, and he was drawn back to the delicious temptation of her mouth.
This time, when his lips settled over hers, Hetty slid her fingers into his hair and copied his caresses with a fierceness that left him unable to deny her anything. His answering groan swept through them both, and left her quivering against the force of desire that raged between them.
Their embrace would have continued undeterred because neither of them hadn’t the strength, or the will, to pull away. However, the sudden slam of the tavern door down the road was like a bucket of cold water over them, and they jerked apart guiltily. The once all-consuming passion suddenly evaporated, but left them both shaken and wanting.
Hetty eased back, and tried to gather her wits about her while she tried to identify the source of the noise.
Charlie tipped his head back so he could gaze up at the sky while he willed his body to cool.
“It’s Wally,” Hetty moaned, unsure what she should think, feel, or do.
She looked at her fingers and, one by one, slowly unfolded them so that she could release her tight hold on his jacket. It was shocking to think that she had been so wanton with this man; a veritable stranger. Her brother knew him better than she did. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“We have to see where this takes us, Hetty,” Charlie whispered urgently when he saw Wally walking toward them. He looked down at her and groaned at the stunned look of wonder in her eyes, but made no attempt to remove his hands from her waist and allow her to draw away.
“Do you really want to?” she asked a little nervously.
She stared at him, amazed by the raw need on his face that was an echo of her own desire. The thought that she, Hetty Jones from Hemsley, had the ability to affect a man like Charlie the way she apparently had left her a little stunned.
Although she wasn’t frightened by what they had just shared, the thought of her brothers’ reaction if they ever found out made her more than a little nervous, and uncertain about the wisdom of allowing Charlie so close again.
After all, he had just said himself that he was only due to stay for another week or two. What future could they have together if he didn’t even live nearby?
