Chapter 6
Ignoring how wrong his actions were, Jackson concentrated on the striking woman at his side. If he had any sense, he’d resist her appeal . . . and the temptation it presented. Mostly because the exact predicament he avoided in life would be the very thing he’d be bound to do if they were discovered—
Marry the chit.
Her gloved fingers, encased in his, drew his attention. The simple touch of her slender hand roused reckless pleasure in a way no woman ever had.
He was powerless against her.
With no set destination, Jackson guided her down the pebbled path, away from the joyous sounds of the esteemed guests. Until he skidded to a stop, causing his little nymph to collide into him with a solid, “Umph.”
An apology died on his lips as he stared at the anomaly before him.
The tree from the grove. He swore it was the very same, standing before him now in all its twisted bark and gnarled glory. Was it possible for two trees, residing in two separate locations, to be so very similar? Could a tree have a long-lost twin?
He wouldn’t consider what it could mean, unwilling to entertain that particular idea just yet. For now, he’d mark it as a coincidence. After all, and despite her claiming as such, his nan didn’t know everything.
A slight gasp came from his side and he turned to take in his companion’s widened eyes, pinned on the image behind him. Had she seen the same vision as he had in the grove?
Pulled under by the warm chocolate of her eyes, he dismissed the impossible tree and fixated on her and the unbearable urge to be closer, to swing her into his arms. To hell with all the reasons he shouldn’t. Her eyes met his, their depths further enticing him to dance with temptation.
A wave of sensation tracked down his spine as her tentative fingers tightened on his.
“What is your name?” As much as he longed to forever think of her as his private wood sprite, he needed more.
Her voice held a touch of hesitation. “Kate.”
He wrapped her name around his mind and held it tight, all the while knowing, illogical or not, she would always be his seductive nymph.
“This is unwise.” His base desire cursed him for injecting prudence into the moment . . . and in opposition, his common sense decried his lack of better judgement for the desire to have her in his arms.
He repudiated both.
Kate remained silent as he lifted his hand and traced his gloveless finger over her cheek, mesmerized by the smooth silk of her skin.
As much as he wanted to pull away, to flee before it became too late, he was lost.
He curved his hand around the back of her neck, urging her closer. Their eyes remained locked as he lowered his head, drawn to the inviting promise of her lips. Instinctively, Jackson knew the moment he acted on the sweet provocation, everything would change.
I don’t give a damn.
He needed to possess her.
As his mouth fell over hers, sparks like lightning sprang from their gentle touch, spurring him on. He deepened the kiss, pulling her flush against his chest. Trapped between their bodies, her hands fluttered restlessly and a deep groan passed through him when her slender fingers curled around his neck and into his hair.
A womanly sigh parted her lips, prompting him to tangle his tongue with hers. At the intimate touch, time ceased, leaving only the woman in his arms and how right she felt there.
He moved his hand down her back until it settled above the curve of her backside. His fingers itched to travel further, to grip her fullest curves and haul her against the ache in his breeches. He wanted to ravish her. Make her his in every way possible.
Reluctantly he eased back, maintaining his hold on her, an arm’s length away. He had to remember possessing Lady Kate came with a price. A recompense he refused to forfeit.
Breath labored, his gaze roamed her beautiful face. Her eyes glazed with a heated longing and, coupled with her kiss-swollen lips, threatened to undo him. Thankfully he remained strong and, rather than drawing her back into his arms, he released her.
“That was unwise.” His voice roughened, exposing how deeply she affected him. Not that the swelling of his cock could be mistaken behind his tight breeches. Thankfully the cut of his coat concealed the evidence.
The passion in her eyes cleared. She had evidently grasped the situation and how damning it could be. “You, sir, are no gentleman.”
He laughed halfheartedly at the truth of her announcement. He’d never regretted his lack of gentlemanly status until now. A gentleman would claim the woman before him. Tie her to his side within the bounds of matrimony.
As fiercely as Jackson desired her, he wouldn’t submit to marriage to make her his.
Especially now, with his father’s ultimatum hanging over his head. If he discovered Jackson’s interest in Kate, dishonorable or not, the man would attempt to force a union. Something Jackson could not permit. Just as he couldn’t displease his father and risk being cut off. His plans depended on his allowance.
“I thought we’d already debated this. Either way, you would be a fool to believe otherwise,” he finally replied, hoping she’d prove stronger than him. The lingering hint of longing in her eyes, as she gazed at him, suggested otherwise. If not for his father forcing him into Society, he’d be far from Kate . . . and the ton.
Eventually her eyes narrowed, removing all traces of passion. “Enough. I demand you relinquish my ring.” Her wrath proved as formidable as a kitten.
Jackson chuckled. “I don’t have it with me.” A lie since the delicate band currently sat hidden in his pocket. Inexplicably, he’d been unable to leave the house without it.
“But . . . but you said . . .”
Her stammer was rather adorable.
“You are confusing me with a gentleman again.”
A very unladylike huff snuck past her tight lips, yet she stewed in silence.
Since the taut bow of her mouth only tempted him to employ a kiss to ease its harsh line, he broke the quiet, though the words escaping his lips were far from wise. “Three days.”
“Excuse me?”
Don’t answer. He needed to walk away; end the insanity before he lost everything.
“Three days. Meet me for three days and then I will return your ring.” Apparently, his sanity had long fled.
“Why would I believe you? You said yourself, you are no gentleman,” she mocked. “Besides, I’m betrothed. I shouldn’t even be here with you.”
He stepped closer, ignoring the plunge in the center of his chest at learning she belonged to another man. “Yet here you are.”
Her eyes blazed as she held his regard. His wild sprite wanted to refute him, flay him with her words. Yet, as he edged closer and her face clouded with passion, he knew her incapable of denying the pull between them.
“Three days, Kate, and you shall have your ring.”