Page 5 of Love with a Notorious Rake

“Have you heard from your family recently? Is your uncle much recovered?” she asked.

Cristyn had never allowed his petulant silences to dissuade her from discourse. Though he’d mentioned snippets from the many letters from his family, he hadn’t told her everything. Garrett had been shot; he had shown up in Standon in February with a sling on his arm, but it was much later when Aidan found out the particulars. The drama his family had endured the past ten months was staggering, and he had only added to their woes. “Yes, completely. No lasting effects.”

“I am glad.”

They walked on in companionable silence, heading toward a cluster of oak trees.

“I would like to think we’ve become friends,” she said, her voice soft.

Friends? “Hardly appropriate, considering the circumstances.”

“I thought as much at the beginning, but I’ve since amended my thoughts on the matter. Over the course of the past several months, once you began to recover, we’ve had many interesting discussions. I believe we have much in common.”

Oh, God. Aidan did not like where this was leading. It was better to remain silent than to acknowledge that she was correct.

“Aidan, will you write to me?”

He stopped and stared at her incredulously. She could not be serious. “Do you ask all your former patients to correspond with you?”

She gazed up at him. “No. You’re the first.”

“Why, for God’s sake? What is to be gained?”

Cristyn turned her gaze to the blue sky above. “I cannot explain it. I wish for us to stay in touch.”

“It’s not wise,” Aidan replied, his voice devoid of emotion. He started forward, but Cristyn laid her hand on his arm, halting him. Her touch seared his skin through the layers of clothes.

“Because you’re recovering from an addiction? That is not an impediment.”

Aidan shook off her hand. “Well, it should be.” He continued forward.

“We are not even to be friends, then?”

“I make it habit not to be friends with the fairer sex. It leads to complications. Like infatuations—with me. Messy things.” He winced inwardly at the pompous statement, but even though he was attracted to her, and had been from the first, he was not ready to enter into any sort of relationship, innocent or not. Perhaps he never would be.

“Your ego knows no bounds, Mr. Black,” she scoffed. “I thought we shared…something. It appears I was gravely mistaken.”

Aidan gripped her arm, pulling her behind a large oak tree. The hurt he had heard in her last few words tugged at his heart. He stood close, and he was aroused. If only she knew the maelstrom of confusing emotions blazing through him. A soft moan left her throat as his body adjoined hers. They were almost touching—not quite, but close enough to savor the heat. Nuzzling her neck, he briefly leaned against her and rolled his hips to allow her to feel his arousal. His cock was hard, to the point of sweet, agonizing pain.

Her fingers tunneled through his hair, making him release an animal growl from deep in his chest. How he yearned to kiss her and taste the sweetness within. He inched closer to her mouth. Her lips parted, as if anticipating.

Aidan froze. He was losing all control and could not allow it. He swiftly stepped away from her. “I apologize. How inappropriate of me to take such liberties. You have my assurance it will not happen again.”

Cristyn exhaled and smoothed her skirt. “Apology accepted. I should not have allowed it. However, I will not deny I quite enjoyed it.”

God spare him from plainspoken women. “Are you always this frank?”

“I was raised to be honest on all fronts, and to be forthright in my dealings, especially with men. Then there are no misunderstandings,” she replied matter-of-factly.

His angel was bold. He damned well liked it. Imagine all that fearlessness in his bed. Cease this at once.

“Forget I said that,” she muttered. “Forget anything happened at all.”

“Allow me to be equally forthright.”Aidan lifted her chin with two fingers and made her look at him. “When I leave here, we will not see each other again. It is for the best, for I am not a man to pin any hopes or dreams on. There will be no correspondence, no hope of more. I am not a nice man, Cristyn. I would use you and toss you aside, as I have with many other women. You are too fine of a person to be subjected to the likes of me.”

Her eyes glistened. “Isn’t that for me to judge?”

“Not in this case. I would taint you with my wretched, completely miserable past.” He caressed her blushing cheeks with the tips of his fingers. “I must end this before it begins. You will thank me.”