Read Online Seeds of Love: Prequel to Lily in Bloom by Tammy Andresen - Free Book Online
Authors: Tammy Andresen
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he placed his hands on her petticoats and ripped long strips. Her shaking hands rested on his shoulders. He looked up at her and gave her an encouraging smile. “You’re all right now. Just another minute.”
She gave him a tiny nod. Having several strips, he returned to the man he had knocked unconscious. He quickly bound his hands behind his back and tied his ankles together.
He returned to Regina, wrapping her in his arms. “You were so brave.” His lips found hers and she turned her face eagerly up to his, pressing closer to him. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him closer still as her soft lips responded to his kiss. God’s blood, she set him on fire. He gathered her body up against his.
“What the hell happened?” Charles’ voice boomed across the garden.
Reluctantly James pulled his lips from Regina’s. Her face held the same regret he was feeling. One thing was clear, Regina was his. He had known it before but now he was absolutely certain that no man would ever touch her but him. He turned to his friend. “Where were you?”
Charles stopped. James could have sworn that a blush crept up his friend’s cheeks. “Clarissa wanted to see the statues—”
“Clarissa?” James slowly removed his hands from around Regina. “Later I will introduce you to Miss Lafayette’s father. Right now, I need you to get my carriage and find another for hire. I’ll not have the ladies ride with this thug.” James peered around Clarissa and Charles to see Abigail hiding behind them. “Miss Worthy, I would like a word.” Charles ran in the other direction as James stared intently at the woman.
Abigail stepped from behind Clarissa, crossing her arms over her chest. Her chin held a defiant tilt. “I only wanted a moment alone. Look at the way you’re holding her. You’re not even giving me a chance.”
“Did you know that Regina would be attacked?” James watched her carefully. Her eyes darted everywhere but him. She had known. “Of course I didn’t, I—”
“Who is responsible, Miss Worthy?” He reluctantly let Regina go and walked over to the other woman. He needed to know and she wasn’t leaving until he found out.
“How should I know, I only…” she stopped talking because the man on the ground moaned. Her eyes rounded as she peeked around James. He ground his teeth together, trying to be patient with this fluff of a girl.
“People are getting hurt, please tell me the truth.” He stepped closer to her and she attempted to look anywhere but him. “Look at me,” his voice ground out. He was losing his patience.
She started at the rough sound of his voice. Good , he thought to himself.
“Mr. Stillwell told me to get Regina alone.” He heard Regina gasp. “But he said he only wanted to talk to her to convince her to marry him and then I could be alone with…” her voice died off.
“Do you know how dangerous that was?” His voice was ragged. His breath coming in short gasps.
“You wouldn’t pay attention to me!” she huffed.
The sound of wagon wheels on the dirt path snapped James’ head up. “Come on, all of you.”
“I don’t have to…”
“Go,” he snapped. He didn’t care if he lost the Worthy contract anymore. He couldn’t bear another word out of her mouth.
James grabbed the kidnapper by the arm and dragged him along as the women walked ahead. Regina looked back at him several times and he tried to tell her with his eyes that it would be all right. Charles hopped out of the carriage door and hustled back over to James. Then he grabbed the assailant’s other arm. Together, they tossed him into the carriage. “I will take him to the Lafayette house. Bring Miss Worthy to her hotel and then follow me back to the Lafayette home.”
“James, I am so…”
“We will talk about it later.”
Charles gave a quick nod and then raced off again to procure a hansom. James turned to look at Regina. Clarissa was holding her sister’s hand, stroking it as she
She gave him a tiny nod. Having several strips, he returned to the man he had knocked unconscious. He quickly bound his hands behind his back and tied his ankles together.
He returned to Regina, wrapping her in his arms. “You were so brave.” His lips found hers and she turned her face eagerly up to his, pressing closer to him. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him closer still as her soft lips responded to his kiss. God’s blood, she set him on fire. He gathered her body up against his.
“What the hell happened?” Charles’ voice boomed across the garden.
Reluctantly James pulled his lips from Regina’s. Her face held the same regret he was feeling. One thing was clear, Regina was his. He had known it before but now he was absolutely certain that no man would ever touch her but him. He turned to his friend. “Where were you?”
Charles stopped. James could have sworn that a blush crept up his friend’s cheeks. “Clarissa wanted to see the statues—”
“Clarissa?” James slowly removed his hands from around Regina. “Later I will introduce you to Miss Lafayette’s father. Right now, I need you to get my carriage and find another for hire. I’ll not have the ladies ride with this thug.” James peered around Clarissa and Charles to see Abigail hiding behind them. “Miss Worthy, I would like a word.” Charles ran in the other direction as James stared intently at the woman.
Abigail stepped from behind Clarissa, crossing her arms over her chest. Her chin held a defiant tilt. “I only wanted a moment alone. Look at the way you’re holding her. You’re not even giving me a chance.”
“Did you know that Regina would be attacked?” James watched her carefully. Her eyes darted everywhere but him. She had known. “Of course I didn’t, I—”
“Who is responsible, Miss Worthy?” He reluctantly let Regina go and walked over to the other woman. He needed to know and she wasn’t leaving until he found out.
“How should I know, I only…” she stopped talking because the man on the ground moaned. Her eyes rounded as she peeked around James. He ground his teeth together, trying to be patient with this fluff of a girl.
“People are getting hurt, please tell me the truth.” He stepped closer to her and she attempted to look anywhere but him. “Look at me,” his voice ground out. He was losing his patience.
She started at the rough sound of his voice. Good , he thought to himself.
“Mr. Stillwell told me to get Regina alone.” He heard Regina gasp. “But he said he only wanted to talk to her to convince her to marry him and then I could be alone with…” her voice died off.
“Do you know how dangerous that was?” His voice was ragged. His breath coming in short gasps.
“You wouldn’t pay attention to me!” she huffed.
The sound of wagon wheels on the dirt path snapped James’ head up. “Come on, all of you.”
“I don’t have to…”
“Go,” he snapped. He didn’t care if he lost the Worthy contract anymore. He couldn’t bear another word out of her mouth.
James grabbed the kidnapper by the arm and dragged him along as the women walked ahead. Regina looked back at him several times and he tried to tell her with his eyes that it would be all right. Charles hopped out of the carriage door and hustled back over to James. Then he grabbed the assailant’s other arm. Together, they tossed him into the carriage. “I will take him to the Lafayette house. Bring Miss Worthy to her hotel and then follow me back to the Lafayette home.”
“James, I am so…”
“We will talk about it later.”
Charles gave a quick nod and then raced off again to procure a hansom. James turned to look at Regina. Clarissa was holding her sister’s hand, stroking it as she
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