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Chapter Six
Trey’s hand trembledas he tugged Noelle off the road, around the gathering of sheep, and then into the meadow. Though the winter’s chill had long ago wilted the colorful wildflowers and the long grasses would soon die, there was a certain beauty inherent in that vast expanse of land. It was only her and him beneath the heavens on this most holy of nights. Coupled with the undeniable interference of the sheep and the glorious perfection that had been dancing a waltz with her, it was all the confirmation he needed.
For whatever reason, that invisible connection between them was there for a reason, and perhaps this was indeed the change he needed in his life.
Thank goodness I just had such a conversation with Mr. Gedney earlier in the evening.And now with her father’s blessing, he merely needed to discuss the possibilities with Noelle. Once he’d found a particularly pleasing spot, he drew them to a halt and faced her. “Thank you for going along with my madcap plans tonight.”
“It’s been quite some time since I’ve invited such excitement into my life.” In the dim illumination, her blue eyes had darkened to sapphire, and in those pools, he had a glimpse of his future, if such a thing was possible.
Perhaps it was, on this night with magic and romance all around them.
He cupped her cheek, slipped his hand to her nape, and dragged her against his body, for he couldn’t spend another second apart from her. “There’s something about you, Noelle, that I can’t ignore,” he whispered, seconds before he claimed her lips. Over and over, he drank from her, moved his mouth along hers and told her in no uncertain terms how much he wanted her. When he wrenched away for the pedestrian reason of needing to breathe, he grinned. “Did that satisfy your curiosity?”
“No, it merely ignited an inferno.” She dropped the fur-lined blanket to loop her arms about his neck and kissed him back. For several seconds, he was lost on a sea of heated sensation and unadulterated desire. “Besides, you promised me more this night. Or have you changed your mind?”
“I have not.” With trembling fingers, he manipulated the clasp that held the cloak closed at her throat. “From the moment I saw you across that flock of sheep the other day, I had the feeling we would mean more to each other than a renewal of friendship.”
“That’s exactly what I thought too.” Noelle shrugged and the cloak fell to the grass at their feet. The longer she looked at him with the near-midnight darkness around them and the millions of stars twinkling in the sky when the clouds shifted, the more he tumbled down that slope that would lead to love. She drew her hands down the length of his chest, unbuttoning his greatcoat as she went. “When Henry wrote to me, sometimes he would say a military man justknewthings before they happened. Perhaps it was due to them being so close to death that they were very aware of how precious life was.”
“Yes, that’s what it was like most of the time while at war.” Damn, but she was easily one of the most beautiful women he’d seen, and with the chill in the air, her hardened nipples were on display through the thin bodice of her gown. “There were times when men either knew they’d be injured or even die during a specific battle. I’m sorry to say, most of those premonitions came to pass.”
What was her point?
She shoved the greatcoat from his body. It fell to their feet with her cloak. “Like those men, I know deep in my soul that you and I have been waiting for this moment, when our paths would cross, all our lives.”
“You might be right.” Suddenly, he needed to touch her, feel her skin against his, discover if his hunch—thisknowing—was indeed correct. He raised his hand to his mouth, tugged off the kid glove with his teeth, and let the garment drop to the ground. “Noelle…”
“Wait.” She kneeled and quickly spread the blanket over the grass then covered that with her cloak and his greatcoat. “Come.” When she offered him a hand, he took it and fell to his knees before her on the pallet she’d made. Slowly, she removed her gloves, discarding them without apparent thought. Her jewelry sparkled in the dim light with her every movement. When she met his gaze once more and he discerned the blatant need in those depths, Trey was lost. “I want you, Captain, and if that makes me seem wanton, so be it.” A trace of uncertainty crossed her face.
“If that’s what you’re labeled for being honest, then the tabbies will need to disparage me as well.” He closed the distance between them, wrapped his arm about her as he kissed her, and then gently laid her down on the temporary bed. Being in her company was like coming home and seeing a welcoming light shining from a window. It was feeling wrapped in an old, comfortable blanket while listening to the rain. There was a companionship between them, as if they’d already shared a lifetime together. And he wanted to chase that glory again… or for the first time. Several minutes passed while he leisurely explored her mouth, teased the underside of her jaw with nips and nibbles in the quest to discover what pleased her. Then, with a sigh, he eased a bit off her, so he could peer into her eyes. “May I ask you something?”
“Of course.” She was so tempting lying there beneath him with her gown crumpled and the warmth of her breath skating across his cheek.
Damn, but he could hardly concentrate. “I talked with your father earlier this evening.”
“Yes, when you both more or less ordered me to find something to wear.” Her chuckle sent eddies of raw need down his spine and into his length that burgeoned into hard, throbbing life more than it already was.
“Well, during that time, I told him of my regard for you, that I thought we might suit.” Because he could, Trey lowered his head and pressed gentle kisses to the upper slopes of her breasts. Good God, how much did he want to explore her body?
“And?” That one word held so much hope in it that he grinned.
“He’s agreed, so will you marry me? I realize it’s quite fast and perhaps a bit sudden…” Trey broke off as uncertainty rose in his chest. Perhaps it was a nodcock idea.
Shock lined her face and reflected in her eyes. Her hand shook as she laid it against his chest. “We barely know each other.”
“To all outward appearances, but I feel as if I’ve known you forever.” When she said nothing, he rushed to continue. “And what difference does that make? We can enjoy a long engagement, then marry in the spring or the summer.”
“But I… My life is here. Yours is in London.”
“You’d let logistics keep us from perhaps grasping what could be a great romance?” Suddenly, he wanted everything that engagement—that hope of change—represented. He had to better plead his case. “I assure you, I’m not asking out of desperation or boredom. Truly, I’ve discovered I’m properly enamored of you, and I’d like to further explore the connection between us.”
“Oh, Trey.” She cupped his cheek. Shivery sensation coursed down his spine from that light touch. “I haven’t a dowry.”
“That matters not to me, for I can’t give you the grand life like the earl my brother is. We’ll live modestly, and I quite suspect your father will frequent London often when we’re in Town.” He dropped a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Are there any other objections I can combat for you?”
Oh, this was reckless indeed, and never in his life had he acted so impulsively, but how could he not when everything he’d ever wished for in a woman was here?
Perhaps that’s what it meant to be an honorary Storme. Chaos happened around them and to those people; why should his own life be any different? And with the right person, calm rode in to soothe the storms, providing clarity.
