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“From me?”
“Yes.” Annie pulled on his hands a little. “My lord, I could not deny I am attached to you, even if I wished to, but I do not want there to be secrets between us. Please, I beg you, is everything she said true?”
He bent down toward her a little, resting his forehead against hers. It was an intimate moment, one that was held by him for a few seconds, before he lifted himself higher and moved his lips to her forehead, kissing her softly.
“It is true,” he said with a sigh. “When thetonwere so cruel to Jemima, I could not handle it. I felt I had to stand between her and thetonat every chance to protect her, but I was startlingly useless in that regard. Sooner or later, their cruel words got to her.” He lifted himself higher so that their gazes connected once again.
“Soon enough, I kept company with crowds I was not so fond of, just to escape the whispers. I gambled, I drank, and I spent nights with women that I do not wish to remember. The gambling soon stopped, as did the drinking, but the stolen nights were a harder habit to abandon. Yet I always vowed to myself that I would never approach a lady who had everything to lose, such as yourself.”
Annie smiled, feeling the tenderness of his words. He was a man who had suffered pain, and he liked to keep it hidden.
“That is why you apologised for our kiss,” she said softly.
“It is. I never wanted to risk your reputation. It seems I’m a fool in that regard, am I not? I keep saying I do not want to risk your name, yet here I am again, sneaking off with you into studies.” He smiled and gestured to the room they were in.
“I was the one who crept off first.”
“I had noticed,” he said with a soft laugh. “That is why you wished me to follow you? To ask me this question?”
“That question, and one other.” She breathed deeply, knowing now she was about to take down the last secret that was between them. “Lady Shrewsbury said you were sad after the ball because of me. Is that true?”
He stepped toward her, reaching for a kiss. Annie willingly gave it to him, finding her body couldn’t resist him. It was a chaste kiss, merely a press of lips together, yet their hands clung to each other in that kiss, and his thumb rubbed a circle on the back of her hand. It was a loving touch, one of care.
When he pulled back a little, he had a smile on his face.
“I was sad, and it was because of you.” He nodded. “I felt I had to keep everything a secret, and I didn’t want to. By staying away from you all night, I missed you. Even though I could see you across the room, I could not talk to you.”
“Your sister said you were attached to me. Is that how you would describe it?”
“You are wishing to know what is in my heart tonight, are you not?” he asked with a small chuckle. “You have a lot of questions.”
“Tell me your secrets, and I will tell you all of mine, my lord.”
“Very well, you wish for the whole truth?” Lord Yeatman asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked at her.
“Yes,” she said eagerly with a nod, aware that their hands were moving together now, as if trying to hold onto each other that little bit more.
“Everything I said to you the other night at that ball was accurate. I cannot stop thinking about you. I cannot stop myself when I am around you.” He breathed deeply, as if summoning the courage to continue. “In truth, I care for you in a way I never thought I would care for another.” He lifted one of her hands between them and raised it to his lips, kissing the back.
It was unlike any formal kiss. He held it for some moments, closing his eyes and indulging in that touch completely. As he kissed her, Annie felt that same heat growing and encapsulating her body.
“I care for you too,” she whispered. Her words had a startling effect, for his eyes shot open, and he lowered her hand from his lips.
“You do?” he asked with a smile, appearing in disbelief.
“I cannot control it.” She shook her head. “Neither can I stop it, nor do I wish to stop it.”
“Thank God for that!” he said in a rush and bent toward her. When his lips found hers, the kiss was gentle this time. It held the same heat as before, but it lacked urgency. It had intimacy instead, so much so that Annie felt their lips moving slowly together, exploring one another, as if they were indulging in freedom together at last.
“We should return,” Lord Yeatman said after a minute, breaking from their kiss just long enough to utter the words before he returned his lips to her.
“You and I do not want to return, though,” Annie said, knowing the truth. “Do not leave me yet, my lord.”
“Luke.”
“What?” Annie paused as he leaned back from their quick kisses.
“It is my name. Call me Luke, Annie. Please.”
