AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Instead Callie had seen him with Lady Dryden, and now she believed the worst about him. That should make him happy. It didn’t. The look of dismay in her blue eyes had gutted him. She would never look upon him with any sort of favor. He would miss having her in his life, but it was for the best.
Jonah glanced over in her direction. She hadn’t greeted him or even looked at him since he arrived. He had truly ruined any chance he might have with her. He was an imbecile. There was no other woman as perfect, for him, as Lady Calliope Andrews.
He comforted himself in the knowledge that he wouldn’t hurt her ever again. That damage had been done and he could breathe a little easier. She would find another man, one worthy of her, and have a great life. One that did not include his demons…
Her laughter floated in the air and pierced his heart. She was talking with the Duke of Carrington. Callie had danced with the duke at her debut ball. Was Carrington searching for a wife? Hadn’t his younger brother died in a riding accident recently? Shouldn’t he be in mourning? Goodland could be wrong on when the brother had died. He didn’t pay enough attention to those details, but he did vaguely recall that Carrington was given guardianship of his niece. He might need a wife to oversee the girl’s care.
Callie shouldn’t be seen as only a stand in mother for an orphaned girl. Jonah might not be good enough for her, but that didn’t mean Carrington was an acceptable replacement. The duke and Callie walked way from the crowd and toward the nearby pond. There were ducks there and the marchioness had left buckets of food the guests could toss to them if they chose to.
Jonah followed behind them at a safe distance. He was only doing it to protect her. He had made Hampstead a promise he would do so in his stead. Yes, that was why he pursued them. There was no other reason to do so.
“Lady Calliope,” Carrington began. “I hope to make my intentions known.”
Good grief…was the man about to propose? Jonah had to stop him and fast.
“Your intentions?” Callie said. She quirked a brow upward. “And what pray tell are they?”
“I would like to court you to determine if we suit.”
“You don’t,” Jonah interjected. “She’s far to independent for you.”
Carrington laughed. “I am not certain I require a wife that relies on me for her every need.”
“It would be tedious,” Jonah said. “I agree with that. But Lady Calliope wouldn’t merely be independent. She’d insist on having her life only be dictated by what she wants...what shedesires. Do you want a duchess that can’t be bothered to consider the duchy’s needs first?”
“That’s enough Lord Goodland,” Callie said in a stern tone. “You’re presence and opinion isn’t needed.”
“I disagree,” he said. “Accepting His Grace’s suit would be a mistake.”
“You think you know what is best for me.” She jutted her chin upward. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”
Carrington sighed. “He might be right about us though.” The duke faced her. “My courting youwouldbe a mistake.” He gestured between Jonah and Callie. “Whatever is happening here I don’t wish to be in the middle of. I’ll leave you two to sort it out.” With those words the duke walked away.
“What do you want from me?” Callie spat out. “Do you intend to chase all my suitors away?”
“No,” he said in a calm tone. “Only the ones not worthy of you.”
She threw her hands up in the air. “I do not want you interfering with my life any longer. You don’t want me.”
“I never said that,” he said in a soft tone. “Wanting you has never been a problem.”
“Do you love me?”
He turned his head and couldn’t meet her gaze. “I don’t know if I’m capable of love?”
“You’re not sure if you love me, and you’re definitely not certain enough to let me go. How is that fair to me?” She took a step toward him. “Why are you still standing here? Do you want to watch me fall to pieces?”
Hell, he was mucking this up. Jonah ran a hand through his hair tousling it even more. “There’s nothing I want less than that,” he murmured.
Jonah should walk away from her. She was right. He was playing with her emotions but he couldn’t let her go. Instead of turning on his heels and leaving her by the pond he stepped closer to her. He had almost kissed her at the theater. If he had tasted her lips he never would have let her go again. He somehow had regained enough strength to walk away then. Now he couldn’t.
“Perhaps you should discern what it is that youdowant.” Callie’s eyes were blue flames that were close to burning through him.
“Desire and desperation rule my heart,” he said in a hoarse tone, then leaned down. They were far enough away from the picnic no one should witness this. He prayed he wasn’t consigning her to a fate she’d regret. Jonah pressed his lips to hers.
Callie gasped opening her mouth for him to plunder. He pushed his tongue inside and tasted her. Jonah had been right. One taste would never be enough. He had to stop now though before he ruined her reputation. It took every ounce of his will power, but he managed to extricate himself and put some distance between them.
He didn’t know what he expected, but he didn’t think she’d be angrier with him. “Are you satisfied?” She lifted a brow. “Are you ready to listen to me now?”
Jonah nodded. Where had he gone wrong? Had that kissed meant so little to her? He had thought he understood what she wanted from him. Clearly he didn’t know her as well as he’d thought. “What do you wish to say?”
“There’s nothing you can do or say to make this right between us.” Her eyes practically poked daggers at him her anger was so palpable. “You made your choice. Now it is time to let me go.” Her gaze didn’t waver once as she spoke her truth. “You broke something inside of me, but I don’t want you to concern yourself with me any longer. I’m more than capable of picking up the pieces you left behind and mending myself together again. I don’tneedyou, Lord Goodland. I never did.”
God…what had he done?
“Obtaining your love isn’t worth the cost I’d have to pay,” she told him. “We both know you’re not capable of giving me your heart. You were right. I deserve better than you.”
With those words she moved past him and left him alone at the pond. How was he going to fix this? His actions may have made it impossible to be with the only woman he could ever love…
