Chapter Thirty-Six
“HE WANTS THE MOON,” Dominic said angrily. “I offered him several alternatives, even sanctuary in Rothdale village for him and his friends—against my better judgment.”
Brooke had leaped at Dominic the second he walked through the door and was still hugging his waist fiercely. “Did he agree?”
“He still wants the moon. And if he keeps us here too long waiting for it, I won’t have anything left to offer him. The Regent will have taken it all.”
Embarrassment overtook her when she realized what she was doing, though Dominic was so frustrated he probably didn’t even notice. She stepped back. “Did you explain that?”
“That is none of his business. Then that old woman called him away. I could hear them arguing behind the hut they had me in, though I couldn’t make out what they were saying. But then I was untied and escorted here to you. Do you know why?”
“She’s his mother. I think she wants me to convince you to give Rory what he’s demanding. She made it sound like this would be our last night if you don’t.”
“Last?”
“She seems to think the matter will be settled one way or another in the morning.”
“Then we need to escape tonight.”
“How? The door and the windows face the campfire where there are guards watching this hut.”
“I’ll break the boards in the back once most of this camp is asleep.”
The hut was newly built. She didn’t think he could break any freshly cut boards without making a lot of noise that would alert the guards. She didn’t see any way out of this if Dominic couldn’t come to terms with Rory. But he was here with her now. Rory’s mother did come through on that! And Brooke had dug the potion out of her valise as soon as it had been brought to her. But it wasn’t going to do her any good if Dominic didn’t have a drink she could surreptitiously pour it into.
She could make the suggestion, but she didn’t think he would be open to an early wedding night when he was still so determined that there would never be a wedding. But the man excited her in myriad ways, and being alone with him in this small room, with a bed nearby, was affecting her. God, she wished he weren’t so handsome. She wished she could be indifferent to him. She wished she could figure out some way to bargain with him so this marriage could be more palatable for him, but all she wanted to do was kiss him again. How shameful, but that was certainly his fault for being so adept at it. Yet there wouldn’t be a marriage if they couldn’t get out of this camp of criminals alive. So this might indeed be her last and only opportunity to find out what it would be like to go beyond the kissing with him.
“Get some sleep,” he suggested. “I’ll wake you when it’s time.”
“I’m too hungry to sleep.”
The door opened again. A guard stood in the doorway while Matty came in with a tray of food, a lantern—and a bottle of wine! She set the tray on the table and said to Brooke, “Here you are, dearie. This might be your last meal so”—Matty cast a quick glance at Dominic—“enjoy every bite.” Then she walked over to Dominic and wheedled him with compliments and pleas to take pity on those less fortunate, great generous lord that he was. Brooke wondered what the woman was up to now, when she hadn’t been a bit supplicatory earlier. She supposed Matty might be too afraid of Dominic to threaten him with dire consequences, but then he had taken on a really menacing aura from the moment the weapons had been pointed at them.
Brooke quickly took advantage of the momentary distraction to pour herself and Dominic glasses of wine and slip the love potion into his, and not a moment too soon. Matty came back to collect her tray, setting the dishes on the table. She seemed to be in a hurry to get out of there. The guard who was escorting Rory’s mother looked even more wary and quickly closed the door again as soon as she was back outside.
Brooke sat down at the table with Dominic and was delighted to see him drink a good amount of his wine, so she did the same. Not knowing what to expect from him now that he’d imbibed the love potion, and a little nervous because of it, she talked about a dozen different things that were unrelated to their dangerous predicament: the dogs, the horses, his mother’s illness, and the advice Alfreda had given her about how to deal with a variety of serious maladies. “It’s a good thing I still have all those herbs in my valise. And as soon as we’re done eating, I can nap blissfully unconcerned, confident that you’ll keep us from any harm tonight. You are quite a big man, you know, much bigger than anyone here.”
“You sound like a babbling brook.”
She gasped. “Don’t you dare pun on my name.”
“I believe I will dare anything I like.” He grinned. “I have a dagger in my boot. I’m amazed they didn’t search me for a weapon, but I never leave home without it—just in case I run into your brother when no one else is around.”
She rolled her eyes at him as she shrugged out of her pelisse and wondered why he hadn’t noticed how warm the room had become. She couldn’t seem to get her eyes off his mouth, either, and that led to some vivid thoughts as she remembered how it had felt the last time he kissed her. When she looked at his hands, she imagined how they would feel caressing her breasts. He must be thinking the same thing by now. Why wasn’t he carrying her to the bed?
Instead he continued, “And you have reminded me that I am quite capable of taking on a dozen ruffians. We will be fine. If we get caught escaping, I’ll dispose of them quietly.”
She giggled, then gasped that she’d done that and jumped up. “I’m so tired!”
“Then get some sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time to go.”
That had been a hint for him to join her, but obviously not a good one. She couldn’t get those sensual thoughts out of her head, was afraid she might scream if he didn’t start kissing her soon. She weaved her way to the bed.
“I think you had too much wine.”
“Possibly,” she mumbled, and started undressing.
She didn’t even realize that she’d thoughtlessly taken off her dress along with her shoes and stockings until she heard him groan as she crawled across the soft quilt. But she complained, “It’s hot. Aren’t you hot?”
She lay down, but then leaned up on her elbows and saw that he looked a little more than surprised, or was he finally reacting to the wine? “I wanted to thank you for Storm, but mostly, for protecting me today.”
He raised a curious brow at her. “Thank me how?”
His tone was teasing. She locked her eyes with his and patted the bed next to her. He drew in his breath sharply, but was already walking toward the bed. He lay down next to her and put his hand on her bare arm, moving it up toward her shoulder in a slow caress. “Are you sure?”
She wasn’t sure about a single thing in that breathless moment—except that she wanted to feel his mouth on hers again. The leap of her pulse, the rolling inside her that felt so odd, the forgetting to breathe, it was all there to overwhelm her. She answered him by pulling his head down to hers until their lips met.
The touch was exquisite, so soft, pulling her into the kiss with finesse and an unspoken promise. A foray of his tongue, teasing her lips, licking them. She hoped the kiss would escalate to the passion he’d displayed before. She was quite frantic for it, which was why a few moments later, she did the escalating herself, putting a hand on the back of his neck and pulling him closer, much more impatient than she ought to be.
She sensed the passion was there, but he was trying to contain it, and she wasn’t sure why, unless—had she drunk from the wrong glass?! It didn’t matter, nothing mattered except the urgency racing through her, which was heightened by his every touch. The scrape of his teeth on her neck, followed by the softest kiss to the same spot. One deep, swift kiss, followed by the gentle touch of fingers moving over every part of her face. It was driving her crazy!
She finally gripped his cheeks to keep his mouth on hers, her passion escalating beyond reason. But he countered that by flipping her over to her stomach, leaning against her back to keep her there, his breath hot on the back of her ear when he said, “Slowly. We have hours.”
No, they didn’t! They could be interrupted again, the opportunity gone, possibly forever. They weren’t exactly behind locked doors just then—well, they were, but they couldn’t get out and other people could come in! But she didn’t say all that, she was too arrested by what Dominic was doing to her.
Goose bumps spread down her back from the brief kisses he was giving her there. She didn’t realize he’d shed his own clothes until she was on her back again and his kisses were no longer soft and slow. Passion unchecked, she was fully caught up in that storm. She thought he was, too, until he leaned back and she saw in his golden eyes that he wasn’t going to make love to her there in that little hut. A gentleman after all? Did he think she needed rose petals and soft sheets? She’d been reared by a woman of nature to appreciate nature and enjoy the simple things in life—a swift horse under her, the sun on her face, the wind in her hair, the scent of crushed herbs—and she could add, now, the gentle touch of a man, this man.
She put a hand to his cheek and with the boldness that had overcome her said, “If you think we aren’t going to be interrupted, I would like to feel you on top of me—inside me. Please don’t stop, not when we’re both caught up in this primal storm.”
He drew in his breath sharply yet again before a smile slowly curved his lips. Good God, how did that smile make him even more handsome?
She didn’t care if she’d just shocked him. She just wanted to feel his weight on her, taste his skin, know the joy of making him hers. She slid her hands over his bare shoulders, dragged her nails gently up his back. He easily removed her camisole, completely baring her breasts to his eyes, then his hands, then his mouth, driving her even wilder for him, if that was possible. She easily pulled off the tie that queued his hair, so she could feel his hair on her skin. She wasn’t sure if she got more pleasure from the way he touched her breasts, or the way he admired how plump they were. No, his mouth on them was definitely the best.
Small gasps escaped her as little shocks sparked her pleasure. He seemed to be finding every bit of sensitive skin she possessed, in places she wouldn’t have thought could be erogenous—the back of her knees, the tips of her fingers when he sucked on them, behind her neck, places she could touch with no such results. So it was him, only him, or just part of her mounting excitement, possibly that.
He did need to remove her pantaloons, which was not so easily done. She thought he might rip them off when he couldn’t find the ties, so she helped, even lifted her hips to make it easier for him. Even that was a caress, the way he did it, his hands on her skin as he pushed the thin stockinette down her legs, over her ankles, then brought a hand slowly back up her bare legs. But the finger he slipped inside her as he reached the junction was electrifying, like nothing she’d ever felt. She let out a sharp gasp as pleasure set her blood racing. She found it incredible that this wasn’t even the half of it. If this got even better, she might get addicted.
Like a cat, she wanted to rub her body against him, but settled for wrapping her legs around his hips as his hands and mouth moved back up her body, trapping him right where she wanted him. When his mouth came back to hers, she didn’t know he was poised to claim her. It was sharp, swift, her surprised cry caught in his mouth. She definitely didn’t like that part, almost pushed him away until she remembered she should have expected that pain and might thank him instead for dealing with it so quickly, especially since it was gone just as swiftly, leaving that glorious feeling of him filling her—and something else. It built, it exploded, ecstasy washing over her. And he hadn’t moved yet! The most amazing, delicious sensations flooded her, pulsed around him. He was even looking down at her incredulously. Toes curled, she almost purred.
She couldn’t help smiling. He was still looking down at her when a few sweet thrusts brought his own climax. It was amazing to watch. But he collapsed on her then. Her smile broadened. Her hands ran through his hair. She might not mind sleeping like this if they ever got to sleep again.
She pushed away a nasty thought that the danger might not be over and wouldn’t be until they were far from this camp. But for the moment she was in a different sort of heaven and wanted to savor every second of it. He seemed to be, too, at least he didn’t get off the bed. She was much too languorous to remind him about the vigil he’d intended to keep before she’d distracted him with her invitation. She didn’t even blush about that, just drifted blissfully off to sleep.