jesting, you don’t even know me. Why would you say such a thing?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
The tone of his voice alarmed Lilly and she stood. Robert followed. He put his hands on her waist and walked her closer to his chest.
He should not be touching her. Lilly looked around and saw the groom standing.
“What are your plans for a wife? You see the other Randall offers a yearly visit for a few days to breed heirs, then he returns to town and his mistresses. That’s not your offer too?” Lilly asked, trying to step away.
“That bastard actually suggested such a plan ? He is absurd,” Robert hissed, his grip tightening.
Robert’s face flushe d dark red and he let go and paced around the giant oak.
“Robert, it’s getting late, I have to go back,” Lilly stated, growing uneasy. She waved to Todd and he nodded.
“No,” he growled , suddenly back by her side. “You won’t marry Reece, you cannot. A life like that would damage you, make you miserable.”
Robert took Lilly into his arms and started kissing her cheek, then slid to her neck and around to her lips.
“Has he kissed you Lilly?” Robert whispered.
“No, I don’t think he’s very inspired.”
“Gads, I’m inspired.”
He turned her into his embrace and started kissing her with serious intent. She was warm and soft, innocent and enticing, and she started kissing him back. Just feeling desired was soothing. That was all Robert needed. He ran his hands over her figure and pressed her against the oak, never breaking the kiss.
It was more t han pleasant, but a small part of Lilly wondered if all Randall’s were the same. Was this another offer of a liaison under a tree?
Lilly pushed back and stepped away.
“ You wouldn’t ruin me?” Lilly asked, brushing bark from her skirt.
“I can’t say I blame you, with the experience you’ve had thus far with my family, but I’d never hurt you. Take a chance with me Lilly,” Robert said, longing to kiss her again.
A small part of her wished she had kissed Reece just once to compare, but he’d never tried, or as much as hinted at it.
Lilly could tell Robert was forming his plans as he spoke them, and she smiled at his serious expressions. Suddenly a thought came to her and she interrupted him.
“Robert, Reece would not harm you would he?”
Robert waited, he wondered that himself. Would Reece challenge him? Could he kill his own brother over a woman he knew one day?
Lilly saw it then, the doubt and turned to hide her disappointment. Robert didn’t love her either, he was just another man trying to gain what he desired. It was no good.
Neither of them saw Reece sitting astride his horse, on the next rise.
……….
CHAPTER FIVE
The Wedding
Reece was burning with anger. He had never felt rage like this in his life. Bad enough, his brother was meeting with Lilly, but when he started kissing her and backed her into that tree, Reece would have shot him, if he’d been armed. He stopped himself from riding down to them, afraid of what he might do. What the hell was that groom doing, besides standing by the next tree and acting uncomfortable?
“Damn it, I’ve not even kissed her myself. Her first kisses with my brother betw een us forever,” Reece cursed aloud.
He tried to calm down, but he was only growing hotter. In a fit of insanity he wondered if he might love Lilly, for what else could explain the heavy emotion, this new pain in his gut? Suddenly he kicked his horse and rode directly at them.
The y both saw and heard Reece together and separating further, they waited, the nervous energy crackling around them.
Reece rode in-between the couple and shouted, “I warned you Robert. What part of, ‘hands off’ don’t you understand?”
Robert had neve r seen his brother half this furious. My God, he really loves her, Robert thought. He backed further away and Reece dismounted.
Lilly looked
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
The tone of his voice alarmed Lilly and she stood. Robert followed. He put his hands on her waist and walked her closer to his chest.
He should not be touching her. Lilly looked around and saw the groom standing.
“What are your plans for a wife? You see the other Randall offers a yearly visit for a few days to breed heirs, then he returns to town and his mistresses. That’s not your offer too?” Lilly asked, trying to step away.
“That bastard actually suggested such a plan ? He is absurd,” Robert hissed, his grip tightening.
Robert’s face flushe d dark red and he let go and paced around the giant oak.
“Robert, it’s getting late, I have to go back,” Lilly stated, growing uneasy. She waved to Todd and he nodded.
“No,” he growled , suddenly back by her side. “You won’t marry Reece, you cannot. A life like that would damage you, make you miserable.”
Robert took Lilly into his arms and started kissing her cheek, then slid to her neck and around to her lips.
“Has he kissed you Lilly?” Robert whispered.
“No, I don’t think he’s very inspired.”
“Gads, I’m inspired.”
He turned her into his embrace and started kissing her with serious intent. She was warm and soft, innocent and enticing, and she started kissing him back. Just feeling desired was soothing. That was all Robert needed. He ran his hands over her figure and pressed her against the oak, never breaking the kiss.
It was more t han pleasant, but a small part of Lilly wondered if all Randall’s were the same. Was this another offer of a liaison under a tree?
Lilly pushed back and stepped away.
“ You wouldn’t ruin me?” Lilly asked, brushing bark from her skirt.
“I can’t say I blame you, with the experience you’ve had thus far with my family, but I’d never hurt you. Take a chance with me Lilly,” Robert said, longing to kiss her again.
A small part of her wished she had kissed Reece just once to compare, but he’d never tried, or as much as hinted at it.
Lilly could tell Robert was forming his plans as he spoke them, and she smiled at his serious expressions. Suddenly a thought came to her and she interrupted him.
“Robert, Reece would not harm you would he?”
Robert waited, he wondered that himself. Would Reece challenge him? Could he kill his own brother over a woman he knew one day?
Lilly saw it then, the doubt and turned to hide her disappointment. Robert didn’t love her either, he was just another man trying to gain what he desired. It was no good.
Neither of them saw Reece sitting astride his horse, on the next rise.
……….
CHAPTER FIVE
The Wedding
Reece was burning with anger. He had never felt rage like this in his life. Bad enough, his brother was meeting with Lilly, but when he started kissing her and backed her into that tree, Reece would have shot him, if he’d been armed. He stopped himself from riding down to them, afraid of what he might do. What the hell was that groom doing, besides standing by the next tree and acting uncomfortable?
“Damn it, I’ve not even kissed her myself. Her first kisses with my brother betw een us forever,” Reece cursed aloud.
He tried to calm down, but he was only growing hotter. In a fit of insanity he wondered if he might love Lilly, for what else could explain the heavy emotion, this new pain in his gut? Suddenly he kicked his horse and rode directly at them.
The y both saw and heard Reece together and separating further, they waited, the nervous energy crackling around them.
Reece rode in-between the couple and shouted, “I warned you Robert. What part of, ‘hands off’ don’t you understand?”
Robert had neve r seen his brother half this furious. My God, he really loves her, Robert thought. He backed further away and Reece dismounted.
Lilly looked
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