clover
scented the air.
The earl, still astride, cast his gaze slowly
around the tiny glen as he studied the scenery. He then turned his
attention to Catherine but did not speak. A suggestive grin broke
the calm of his expression as he continued to watch her.
“ More beautiful than I could
have imagined,” he murmured.
Simple statement that, but it held a wealth
of meaning. Catherine dropped her arms while staring back in
fascination. Her mouth fell open and her breathing quickened. The
air vibrated with unspoken words as they shared a moment of
absolute understanding. The specter of desire had been brought into
the open and was acknowledged.
With a monumental burst of willpower, she
broke the eye contact and with it the mood. Her hands trembled as
she smoothed the wind-blown hair from her face. Unnerved, she
avoided speaking lest her unsteady voice give her away. Yet if the
earl thought it was he she feared, he was wrong. Catherine did not
trust herself. Temptation had made a grand entrance into her cozy
wild garden, and she didn’t know if she had the strength to
resist.
Lord Ashworth apparently took pity on her
then. He was businesslike as he climbed down from his horse and
brought the wicker basket to the middle of the clearing.
Catherine was relieved when his conduct
turned impersonal. One thing to tell the devil to take the hindmost
and quite another to follow through with it.
They conversed little as they spread their
blanket on the spongy ground and emptied the contents of the
basket. They avoided looking at one another for fear of bringing
highly charged emotions to the fore. But where their hands chanced
to touch as they arranged their meal on the woolen spread, there
was profound awareness.
Catherine stared in amazement at the
well-prepared food, and her stomach gave another growl of
discontent. It was a veritable feast, with cold roast chicken,
glazed ham and three varieties of cheese. Peaches, tinged with
pink, rounded out the repast.
“ I didn’t know Cook could
provide such a meal,” she said.
Adam looked at her curiously. “The baron
doesn’t demand excellence from his cook?”
“ Not usually. But since
you’ve arrived, I’ve been surprised by what has come out of that
kitchen. Either my husband has put his foot down, or Cook has seen
how handsome you are.” She spoke without thinking, and she glanced
at him quickly, embarrassed by her boldness.
He searched her expression for a moment
before that wonderful, ready grin appeared that made her nerves
tingle with excitement. “Whatever the reason,” he spoke gently,
“I’m grateful for what we are about to receive. Shall we?”
This last did much to ease the tension as far
as Catherine was concerned. She tucked her legs under her skirt and
reached for a leg of chicken. Taking a bite, she nearly smacked her
lips in appreciation. She was too hungry to be dainty, and for some
reason she could not explain it seemed unnecessary. The atmosphere
between them had become casual and uninhibited, and she was elated
by the sudden lack of restraint. She smiled hugely and took another
bite.
The earl appeared delighted by her
enthusiasm, and she knew he watched her from the corner of his eye
as he uncorked a bottle of wine, now grown warm, and poured them
each a glass. He talked with her then, about nothing of
consequence, as they shared personal tidbits of their lives. She
could feel them becoming imperceptibly closer in the process. They
ate until replete, and the comfortable tone continued unabated.
Lord Ashworth reached for a peach and began
to peel it. He cut a chunk away from the pit and, in gallant
fashion, presented a slice to her.
Catherine leaned forward. Because the piece
of peach was too large to take whole, she sank her teeth into the
fruit, her lips gently grazing the tips of his fingers as she did
so.
The smile edging Adam’s mouth drifted slowly
away while he watched her bite the succulent peach. His eyes turned
black and
scented the air.
The earl, still astride, cast his gaze slowly
around the tiny glen as he studied the scenery. He then turned his
attention to Catherine but did not speak. A suggestive grin broke
the calm of his expression as he continued to watch her.
“ More beautiful than I could
have imagined,” he murmured.
Simple statement that, but it held a wealth
of meaning. Catherine dropped her arms while staring back in
fascination. Her mouth fell open and her breathing quickened. The
air vibrated with unspoken words as they shared a moment of
absolute understanding. The specter of desire had been brought into
the open and was acknowledged.
With a monumental burst of willpower, she
broke the eye contact and with it the mood. Her hands trembled as
she smoothed the wind-blown hair from her face. Unnerved, she
avoided speaking lest her unsteady voice give her away. Yet if the
earl thought it was he she feared, he was wrong. Catherine did not
trust herself. Temptation had made a grand entrance into her cozy
wild garden, and she didn’t know if she had the strength to
resist.
Lord Ashworth apparently took pity on her
then. He was businesslike as he climbed down from his horse and
brought the wicker basket to the middle of the clearing.
Catherine was relieved when his conduct
turned impersonal. One thing to tell the devil to take the hindmost
and quite another to follow through with it.
They conversed little as they spread their
blanket on the spongy ground and emptied the contents of the
basket. They avoided looking at one another for fear of bringing
highly charged emotions to the fore. But where their hands chanced
to touch as they arranged their meal on the woolen spread, there
was profound awareness.
Catherine stared in amazement at the
well-prepared food, and her stomach gave another growl of
discontent. It was a veritable feast, with cold roast chicken,
glazed ham and three varieties of cheese. Peaches, tinged with
pink, rounded out the repast.
“ I didn’t know Cook could
provide such a meal,” she said.
Adam looked at her curiously. “The baron
doesn’t demand excellence from his cook?”
“ Not usually. But since
you’ve arrived, I’ve been surprised by what has come out of that
kitchen. Either my husband has put his foot down, or Cook has seen
how handsome you are.” She spoke without thinking, and she glanced
at him quickly, embarrassed by her boldness.
He searched her expression for a moment
before that wonderful, ready grin appeared that made her nerves
tingle with excitement. “Whatever the reason,” he spoke gently,
“I’m grateful for what we are about to receive. Shall we?”
This last did much to ease the tension as far
as Catherine was concerned. She tucked her legs under her skirt and
reached for a leg of chicken. Taking a bite, she nearly smacked her
lips in appreciation. She was too hungry to be dainty, and for some
reason she could not explain it seemed unnecessary. The atmosphere
between them had become casual and uninhibited, and she was elated
by the sudden lack of restraint. She smiled hugely and took another
bite.
The earl appeared delighted by her
enthusiasm, and she knew he watched her from the corner of his eye
as he uncorked a bottle of wine, now grown warm, and poured them
each a glass. He talked with her then, about nothing of
consequence, as they shared personal tidbits of their lives. She
could feel them becoming imperceptibly closer in the process. They
ate until replete, and the comfortable tone continued unabated.
Lord Ashworth reached for a peach and began
to peel it. He cut a chunk away from the pit and, in gallant
fashion, presented a slice to her.
Catherine leaned forward. Because the piece
of peach was too large to take whole, she sank her teeth into the
fruit, her lips gently grazing the tips of his fingers as she did
so.
The smile edging Adam’s mouth drifted slowly
away while he watched her bite the succulent peach. His eyes turned
black and
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