Page 11 of Redemption

“I believe I’ve indulged your curiosity quite enough, Mr. Rockwood. I would like to return to the ballroom.” Bitterness threaded through her words as her contemptuous gaze swept over him.

Percy frowned. From the tension holding her rigid he had to believe he’d pushed her to the edge of an abyss. There was more to her story, but he was certain she’d shared far more with him than she had with anyone else. Unfortunately, the little she’d revealed to him had been given under duress. It would never make her trust him, and oddly enough Percy wanted her to feel safe with him—to believe he wouldn’t do anything to harm her. Tomorrow he’d call on her at Green Hill House. He’d find a way to convince her that she needed his help, just as much as he needed hers.

“I’ll see you safely back to the house,” he said quietly as he gestured for her to take his arm.

Rhea appeared ready to protest until he narrowed his gaze at her sternly. With an abrupt bob of her head, she took a quick step forward. Percy never had the chance to warn her about the particularly uneven section of the gazebo flooring in her way. A split-second later, Rhea uttered a low cry of alarm as she tumbled downward. Percy lunged forward and caught her before she hit the floor.

As he pulled her close, the warm scent of her filled his nostrils. She smelled like a honey blossom—sweet, but with a tantalizing note of beguiling heat. The intoxicating essence of her stirred his senses in the way he’d not experienced in a long time. Although fear still shimmered in her violet gaze, there was an awareness darkening her eyes that gave her a sultry look. Instinctively, his body responded to her natural sensuality.

Every inch of him tightened and hardened in the space of seconds. The tip of her tongue flicked out to dampen her upper lip. There was no artifice in the action, and it ignited an acute need to taste her sweetly-shaped mouth. Without thinking, Percy bent his head and lightly caressed her mouth with his. A small gasp of surprise escaped her, but she made no attempt to reject him. Unable to stop himself he slowly deepened the kiss as he pulled her closer. She didn’t resist.

Instead, her fingers splayed across his chest as she leaned into him. It sent a rush of desire coursing through his blood. With a gentle nip on her lower lip, he startled her into parting her mouth beneath his. As he probed the honeyed taste of her warm mouth, she stiffened against him.

For the briefest of moments, he thought she would push herself free of his embrace. But she didn’t. Instead, her tongue tentatively mated with his. With each stroke of his tongue against hers, an unexpected hunger pounded its way into every inch of him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d tasted a woman so fresh and sweet.

In the back of his head, a warning bell rang out loudly. He ignored the sound as he continued to enjoy the tangy sweetness of Rhea’s mouth. The alarm clanged even louder until it broke through the desire gripping his body and alerted him to the sound of voices close by. With a jerk, he quickly released her, and put a small distance between them.

As the voices grew louder with each passing second, Rhea’s demeanor was one of calm serenity. The only sign she’d just been in a passionate embrace was the soft luminescent hue of her features and her plump mouth darkened by his kiss. The fact that she appeared completely unmoved by what had just transpired between them irritated him.

Most women he kissed still had the look of a lover wanting more when he released them from his embrace. Rhea Bennett looked as though she’d just exchanged a perfunctory kiss with him. In fact, the casual observer would never even contemplate the possibility that she’d just been kissed passionately. And the fact that she’d stirred such a raw desire in him without her experiencing the same emotion pricked his pride.

It had been a long time since he’d allowed himself to become so enthralled with a woman as to lose his head as he had just a moment ago with Rhea. The voices grew louder now, and an expression of dismay crossed Rhea’s features. Percy frowned and turned his head toward the gazebo’s archway.

“If possible, you’re even more autocratic than you were before you left England, Lord Foxworth.”

“And you’ve grown more stubborn,” Foxworth snapped. “Time might have altered us somewhat Beatrice, but you cannot deny you still desire me.”

Percy raised his eyebrows in amusement as he glanced at Rhea. It appeared Foxworth had decided to renew an old love affair. Percy’s amusement changed to puzzlement at the consternation on Rhea’s face. Her expression triggered a sluggish part of his brain. Beatrice. Rhea’s aunt was the woman with Foxworth. Clearing his throat loudly, Percy looked at Rhea and jerked his head toward the gazebo doorway.

“If you are fully recovered from the heat of the ballroom, Miss Bennett, I suggest we return.” The strength of his voice rang out through the air in such a way that there was no doubt the approaching lovers would know he and Rhea were in the gazebo. A look of relief and gratitude softened Rhea’s features as she matched the volume of his voice.

“Yes, thank you, Mr. Rockwood. I’m feeling much better now.” The moment she took a step toward the gazebo’s archway, Percy quickly caught her arm and brought her to a halt.

“Careful, this floor is quite uneven. I wouldn’t want you to take a spill.” His words caused her cheeks to darken with color, and he bit back a grin. Rhea Bennett might present the façade of a woman unmoved by his kiss, but she’d just betrayed she’d not been quite as unaffected as he’d thought.

“Why on earth don’t you have this floor repaired,” she bit out in a low voice.

“Because my brother and I built it when we were younger. The somewhat perilous footing has been a family joke for years.”

“Has it never occurred to the two of you to correct the problem?”

“That’s no longer possible. Caleb died last year,” Percy said with an almost crippling sense of sorrow he’d not felt in months. Her hand touched his arm in a consoling gesture.

“I’m terribly sorry, Percy.” The gentle way she said his name was pleasing to his ear. “I would never have…”

“You didn’t know. How could you?” he said with a shrug. “Come, I’ll see you safely back to the house.”

Together they walked toward the arched opening of the gazebo. In the moonlight he saw Foxworth and Beatrice Fremont walking toward them.

“Rhea, dear, what on earth are you doing out here.” There was a somewhat breathless note in Beatrice Fremont’s voice as she looked at the two of them, but there was disapproval in her voice as well.

“I have a small headache and felt a bit faint in the ballroom,” Rhea said quietly. “Mr. Rockwood was quite accommodating in finding me a place to sit down away from the heat and noise. I’m surprised to see you as well. I know how much you love to dance.”

“I convinced your aunt to take a walk with me in the gardens,” Lord Foxworth said.

“Ordered is more like it,” Beatrice Fremont said fiercely beneath her breath.

Beside him, Rhea made a small sound that Percy thought might be laughter. It made him want to hear what her real laugh sounded like. Beatrice frowned as her gaze flitted from Rhea to Foxworth to Rhea again. Like her niece, Beatrice Fremont could mask her emotions with great skill. Clearly it was a family trait.