The chilly night air, as they stepped through the open doors onto the terrace, was a balm to Adeline’s overheated face, neck, and arms. It had nothing to do with the ballroom being warmer than usual and everything to do with Jasper. His hand on her lower back, pulling her ever tighter to him as they danced. His stare on her as they conversed with Theo’s brother.

Every inch of her blazed with unbidden heat, and, at some point, that heat had changed to a deep-seated need. A desirous longing that she’d never experienced before.

One dance with Jasper was not enough.

An entire day would not be sufficient to keep her satisfied, her mind full of memories after Jasper returned to Faversham.

This night was their goodbye.

She’d known from the moment they left Kent Jasper would deposit her in London and his duty to her would be fulfilled. She should be content with the additional time she’d been allowed to spend with him; though it only seemed to make her want him more.

It had taken but a brief moment to realize the shiver running down her body, the flutter in her stomach, the tightening in her chest was due to one thing.

One complex, all-consuming emotion.

Love.

It went far beyond mere infatuation.

It would not be dampened or diluted by giving in to a lustful tryst. Or satisfied by a harmless walk in the park or ices at Samson’s.

No, this sensation coursing through her, driving her every move, pushing her to claim Jasper as hers would not be easily ignored or assuaged.

His presence in London had made it clear why Adeline hadn’t met a man who captured her notice beyond a mere glance. No man of her acquaintance held a candle to Jasper. None were as loyal, devoted, capable, courageous, and confident as the man who presently walked at her side. He stood—tall and proud—though she knew his every instinct told him he didn’t belong in London and among society; that his place was in Kent, hiding the burns that had nearly taken his life.

Yet, Adeline was confident in one thing: society would benefit by knowing Jasper. He would make London a better place, if only for her. The ton could learn much from a man who gave up finding his own happiness to serve those who’d dedicated generations to his family.

Adeline released his arm and walked to the railing separating them from the gardens below. Though she heard nothing, she knew he followed. She sensed him behind her as she placed her hands on the railing. The cold soaked through her thin gloves, sending a shiver down her back. The chilly evening air would not drive her back inside, however.

No.

The terrace was deserted, it being too early in the evening for others to seek the outdoors yet.

It was only she and Jasper and the strings of a light melody drifting out from the ballroom at their backs.

“Adeline,” he whispered close to her ear. The single word was enough to banish any doubt she had about how he felt about her. “I do hope you are enjoying your celebration.”

She glanced up at the clear, night sky. The moon overhead shone down on the gardens, creating shadows and darkening alcoves of privacy. Even the stars twinkled brighter than she’d ever noticed before. “Now that you are here, I am enjoying myself immensely, my lord.”

“I am certain it is not my presence that makes a difference,” he countered.

“You are correct.” She turned to find he was scant inches from her. “It is you who makes all the difference…to me,” she added, making certain there was no question as to her meaning.

Adeline held his stare, losing herself in his moss green depths. It was much like entering the woods at Faversham, the hue of his eyes matching the foliage as if the surrounding countryside had laid claim to him—and would soon demand his return.

Tentatively, she set her fingers on his cheek, allowing them to caress lower until they met his damaged skin. She could feel the warmth of him through her glove, more powerful than the cold of the railing from a moment before.

It was Jasper who broke their connection first, his eyes closing as her touch slid lower to his neck. She longed to remove his cravat, unbutton his shirt, and explore further what he kept hidden.

His scars did not reveal weakness, not in the least.

They proved his strength.

He’d lost his parents and cherished servants in that fire.

The people who should have been there to catch him had only labeled him a beast.

Adeline would not allow that to continue. Never would she allow another to force Jasper into the shadows; a forgotten man and something to be feared.

“I do not fear you, Jasper,” she confessed in a whisper. “Since the moment we met, I have become a different person, a better woman. I am far more patient and do not see the worst in every person upon first inspection. I owe that to you.”

“It is not only you who has noted a change within themselves,” he confided, his remaining closed. Could he not look at her when he spoke? “I have lived many years alone, and now I wonder what I have gained from any of it.”

Adeline could not let him stand before her with his emotions so bare. “It is because of you I can think of understanding a situation as opposed to judging others for their choices before I know their reasoning.”

His eyes sprang open, and he searched her expression as if he thought to find she was misleading him in some way. He pulled away from her, his exhale labored, and her hand fell to her side.

But she could not allow him the distance, and so she followed him.

“Adeline…I—“

She gave him no opportunity to speak, to offer an excuse to flee or put more distance between them—either physically or emotionally. If this were to be the last night they had together, she would not let it pass without giving him some hope for his future, even if that future did not include her.

Jasper needed to know he was loved, that his years of caring for others had come full circle.

Standing on her tiptoes, Adeline pressed her lips to his. At first, neither of them moved, and Adeline lost herself in the warmth of his mouth.

She knew when he gave in, threw caution to the wind, and stepped closer to her.

Adeline did not question it nor give Jasper time to change his mind as she moved her lips against his and pressed her body close until they touched from chest to hips.

There was no line crossed, no warning given, no change in tempo, but suddenly, it was Jasper who commanded, led, tempted her further. His hands settled on her waist, lifting slightly, and her toes barely felt the ground beneath her. They were so close, she felt his heartbeat against her bosom as he claimed her lips, setting the pace as his tongue darted across her lower lip.

She’d never kissed a man before, had never met a male worthy of a stolen embrace, but her body knew what to do as she parted her lips and allowed his tongue to explore. Every instinct told her they’d done this a million times before: pressed their bodies close, sealed their lips. And she could not let him go. Adeline’s hands clutched at his shoulders, kneading them as his mouth moved with hers.

This connection between them was more than the sum of them together.

He was everything, and without him, she would be reduced to nothing.

Less than nothing.

His need for her was evident in the hard length pressed to her midsection, obvious even through their many layers of clothes.

Did Jasper know she wanted this, too—likely far more than even he?

Heat coursed through her, pooling at her core as if it waited for something, but what, Adeline was uncertain.

Suddenly, something pulled her away from Jasper, their bodies stumbling apart, and her hands ripped from his shoulders.

But no, it wasn’t something pulling them apart, it was Jasper pushing her away.

Adeline found his stare in the darkened evening, and she searched for her answer, but his gaze was hooded as he hid from her and returned to the man he’d been for over a decade.

Jasper had not only kept himself physically hidden from others, but he’d also kept himself sequestered emotionally.

Did he not realize she would never harm him? Did he have no understanding of how he affected her?

She reached out toward him, her stare begging him to return to her, but he only took another step back. The light escaping the ballroom at his back cast a menacing shadow over her. His eyes were wild and frantic as his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He appeared the beast his people claimed him to be.

But Adeline knew the truth of the matter…

Jasper was her beast.

And she would have him as hers, no matter the consequences or hardships to come.