AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Isadora had triedto tell herself that she was making a mistake, but as she said, there was something about being in this place, full of so many secrets, that made her feel a connection to these crumbling ruins. Like her, it had witnessed heartbreak and personal trials within these stone walls, but it was still standing. Isadora had faced terrible loss, but she was still able to climb out of the mire.
And it wasn’t as if she was embarking on a torrid affair with the marquess. She just wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him. A brief embrace and it would be over. Nothing more.
However, the moment her lips touched his, it was as if a fire had been lit within her. A spark that she’d long thought had died came flaring back to life. She moaned lightly and pressed herselfmore intimately against Lord Osgood’s hard, male chest. She clutched his shoulders and allowed herself to explore everything that he had to offer. And by the way he kissed her back just as fervently, something told her that he had plenty to give—and would gladly do so.
She pressed her thighs together as an insistent ache began to pulse in her midsection. Passion exploded in her core, and the urge to take things even further nearly made her dizzy with need.
“Isadora…”
It was the seductive whisper that the marquess uttered that brought her back to the present. And her sense.
Abruptly, she jumped back as if she’d been burned, shifting her gaze away from the surprised expression on his face.
“Forgive me, I…” She put a hand to her lips, which were still tingling in the aftermath of their embrace. But when she saw that it was trembling, she started to panic. She didn’t do things like this. She didn’t allow herself to get so out-of-sorts. “Excuse me.”
Without waiting for the marquess, Isadora lifted her skirts and hastily made her way out of the castle. The moment she went outside, the sun made it difficult to see, her eyes not fully adjusted to the brightness. She put her hand up to shield her vision, but it was too late.
Her boot caught the edge of a rock in the middle of the path and she lost her balance. She fell to the ground and her momentum sent her tumbling down the hillside.
When she finally came to a halt, she blinked—slightly disoriented, her hair in disarray around her shoulders. But there was no mistaking the marquess who was directly in her line of vision. The sun was blotted out of view by his angry expression.
“What the devil do you think you’re doing?” he chastised.
She swallowed down the angry retort that wanted to spring to her lips, but considering she had already made a cake of herself, she decided it would be best if she didn’t stir up his ire anyfurther. “I… n-needed some air,” she stammered. “The sun temporarily blinded me.”
“Did it rob you of your sense of reason as well?” he replied crossly.
She glared at him, but he ignored her.
“Are you hurt?”
My pride,she thought dryly. Nevertheless, she glanced at her dress which had suffered a few smudges of dirt, but thankfully, appeared to be free of any lasting stains. Next, she tested her limbs, but there didn’t appear to be any unusual twinges or pain. “No.”
“Good. Do you think you can walk, or should I carry—”
She was already scrambling to her feet. “I can manage, thank you.”
He said nothing more until they were settled in the phaeton. He gathered the reins but didn’t immediately set them into motion. His focus was straight ahead, his jaw clenched tightly. When he spoke, it was gravelly, filled with emotion. “Why did you rush off like that? You could have seriously hurt yourself. There are loose rocks and boulders all over this area. It would have been easy to strike your head and cause severe injury.”
Isadora put a hand to her forehead. She didn’t even know what to say. In truth, she wasn’t sure how she was feeling.
After a moment, he asked, “Was that kiss so distasteful to you?”
Isadora whipped her head around. “What? No! I just—” She stopped because she couldn’t say anything further without giving too much away. She lifted her chin and said proudly, “My reticence to continue had nothing to do with you. I was just afraid it was going too far.”
Suddenly, there was a strong hand on her chin as he forced her to look at him. His eyes were fervent when he said, “There is nothing wrong with feeling desire andallowingyourself to enjoy passion. You are a woman with needs that shouldn’t becontained. It’s natural to explore those urges.” He released her and softened his tone. “Perhaps it’s time you throw discretion to the winds and take a chance on yourself for a change.”
She shook her head and closed her eyes when they started to sting. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“And why not?” he countered. “What are you trying so hard to run from, Isadora?”
“Nothing!” she returned hotly, and then turned away from him. “Everything.” She whispered, as she closed her eyes. “Please. I don’t want to discuss this anymore. Can we just go back to the inn?”
There was a brief hesitation, and then the carriage started moving. Thankfully, some of the tightness started to loosen in her chest, making it possible for her to breathe again. Using the pins that she hadn’t lost in her fall, she started to repair the loose strands of her hair.
With any luck, most of her armor would be in place by the time they reached the Old George.
Rem wasangry as he replayed what had just happened. His mind was still trying to process it all as they pulled up in the courtyard of the Old George. The day had started off promising with the sun shining high in the sky. It got even brighter when Isadora kissed him. He finally had hope that his luck was about to change.
