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Arthur shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize because of your trauma. I get you.”
I get you.The words echoed in her head. It felt like a burden inside her had lessened. Their eyes met and stayed. Before she knew what she was doing, she reached for him, her thumb brushing over his jaw. His twelve o’clock shadow scratched her skin, but she liked touching him like that. He put his hand over hers, but he made no move to stop her from touching him like that. And she didn’t want to stop either.
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her. Carmen shivered at the slight touch. She pulled his face close and deepened the kiss. His arms came on both sides effectively trapping her against the tree’s branch. And then he moved away from her. Carmen grumbled at the loss of his touch.
Arthur’s voice was heavy with want. “I want you, Carmen.” This was the first time he had addressed her by name and her stomach tightened. She loved the way her name sounded on his lips. He spoke her name with reverence, as if she was something to be treasured. “I’ve tried to deny it since the first time we kissed but I cannot bear it anymore.” He shook his head as if he was fighting against himself. Carmen’s breath hitched and something inside her tightened. He desired her against his better judgment. Something inside her unfurled. “I can’t,” he said again.
“Then don’t,” Carmen whispered. Their eyes met; desire evident in the way his eyes heated when they dropped to her lips.
“You drive me crazy,” he murmured as he leaned in to kiss her again. Carmen moaned softly as his lip pulled at hers. There were no pretenses between them anymore. She put her arms around his shoulder and pulled him closer till he was practically cradling her lap, her breasts crushed to his strong chest. The proof of his desire pressed hard against her stomach and she moaned at the delicious contact. Carmen was hardly aware that she was wanton, but she was past caring. He kissed down her lips and then bit her earlobes making her shiver. His skilled fingers skimmed down her sinful curves. They seemed to kiss for hours.
Just then they heard voices drawing closer. Reality crashed back on them and they sprung away from each other. Carmen’s heart beat furiously against her chest. She had forgotten in her haze of desire that they were in a public park and could be discovered at any moment. “Hush,” Arthur said. As they were still sitting, they would escape notice if they stayed still. A couple passed by with their arms linked in each other’s but thankfully neither of them saw the scandalous duo.
After they were gone, Carmen had the strangest desire to laugh. The sound burst out of her chest and before long she was giggling. Arthur looked at her with a smile playing on his lips. “What?”
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Carmen said wiping the tears from her eyes.
“That we were almost discovered?” Arthur prompted with an amused smile.
Carmen nodded. “If we continue this, we mustn’t be this careless.”
Arthur frowned for a few beats. “What does that mean?”
Carmen hesitated, wondering if she had thought way too much into it. “I mean this—”
A wicked grin came on his face and his eyes crinkled. “You mean kissing?”
Carmen shrugged. She could hardly believe she was discussing such matters with the Duke, but stranger things had happened. “I mean it wouldn’t hurt to kiss once in a while.”
“I would be incredibly honored,” he said. Before he could lean in for another kiss, there was a loud shriek. Carmen stood up, almost knocking her knee into his face. “Did that sound like Lady Nora?”
“What?” Arthur asked still in a daze. “What do you mean?”
But Carmen didn’t stop to listen to him. She ran towards the lake, looking for Nora. Arthur caught up to her easily. “Carmen your lips—”
“What?” Carmen said in a distracted voice. “You look like you have been properly ravished.”
Carmen blushed deeply and she could hardly meet his eyes. “I-I…”
“I was just messing with you,” Arthur said. “But you should have seen the look on your face.”
Carmen’s mouth dropped open. She couldn’t believe that this was the same man she had met just a month ago, one seemed capable of striking someone down simply by his cold gaze. “You forgot this,” he said, nudging her shoulder. Arthur handed her the bonnet that had been abandoned behind the tree where they had kissed.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she said putting it in on in haste. It felt strange to address him like that, considering what they had shared just moments ago. But despite what happened, it didn’t change the nature of their relationship and Carmen would be wise to remember that. She hoped that her hair was presentable, and, in fact, she didn’t look as if she had been kissing the Duke behind the trees just moments prior.
When she finally spotted Nora with Mrs. Cooper by her side, she waved at them. Nora waved back and dragged Mrs. Cooper back to where Carmen and Arthur were standing. “Where were you? I turned around and you had disappeared.”
Carmen’s mind drew a blank. What could she possibly say to that?
“We went to look for plums. We had heard that there was some somewhere around here.”
“Did you find them?” Nora asked excitedly.
“Alas, no,” Arthur said. “But I suppose we may look for it again before we head home.”
“Excellent!” Nora said and followed her father towards the tree. Carmen smiled after them and when she turned to face Mrs. Cooper, the older woman was watching her shrewdly.
“What might be the reason of the Duke’s sunny disposition? He was extremely sullen during the picnic.”
Carmen shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “You know men, their moods are as unpredictable as London weather.”
“Right,” Mrs. Cooper said but Carmen had the feeling the other woman didn’t believe her.
