Betrayal of Innocence (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 1)

e.

This time, Vanessa knew what to expect. It wasn’t any shock to feel his lips brush gently against hers. She remained still when the soft warmth of his breath swept across her mouth. While everything screamed at her not to, she met his tender caress and allowed his lips to settle more fully over hers for a few moments. She was helpless to deny either of them this precious moment of oneness.

This time, mostly because she knew it would be the last time they would ever share such intimacy, Vanessa decided to take out of the situation what she wanted. For once, she was completely selfish, and took what he so readily offered. He didn’t object when she boldly slid her hands up his chest until they came to rest on the edges of his waistcoat. He didn’t budge an inch when she stood on tiptoe and began to copy the movement of his lips with a boldness that shook them both. When she deepened the kiss in the way he had done in the bedroom earlier, she was rewarded by his low moan. The sound of it rumbled through her, but rather than warn her to stop, it encouraged further exploration. Fuelled with a heady rush of success, she clung tighter and edged just that little bit closer.

Justin knew he had to stop her. She was exploring, and it was dangerous to his self-control. While he wouldn’t mind indulging her in ordinary circumstances, these were no ordinary circumstances. They were alone, together, in a darkened barn, on a farm they shouldn’t be at, with villagers only a few feet away; villagers who could catch them together and spread gossip which would ruin Vanessa’s reputation in the space of just a few hours.

Just another minute more, he thought vaguely while his arms tightened about her.

Suddenly, his hold loosened, and he stepped back.

“We can’t do this again,” he growled, more to himself than to her.

Vanessa, scalded, immediately released him and stepped back. What they had just shared felt terribly wanton but something deep within her refused to apologise for it. He hadn’t objected or made any attempt to stop her. She had wanted to know – something, she wasn’t entirely sure what. Now she had explored and reassured herself that what they had shared in the farm house hadn’t been a figment of her imagination, she needed to decide what she as going to do about the attraction she felt toward him, and unless she was very much mistaken, he felt towards her.

“It won’t happen again,” she bit out, a little stymied at just how abruptly he had been able to cut off the emotion that had been flowing so freely a moment ago. She was still trembling and struggling to pull her thoughts into some semblance of order.

Rather than allow him to see how deeply she had been affected by it, she headed to the door on trembling knees. Without stopping to think about what she was doing, she made her way to the path that would take home.

She didn’t bother to look behind her when she heard the steady thud of footsteps. She just assumed it was Justin. It was a shock when someone drew alongside her, but it wasn’t Justin. Vanessa gasped and slammed to a stop.

“Reuben,” she gasped, placing a hand over her thundering heart. “You gave me a start.”

She struggled to contain the urge to look around for Justin. Unfortunately, she had been so wrapped up in her own emotions she hadn’t even bothered to see if he had even left the barn. She had no idea where he was, and that was disconcerting.

“Sorry,” Reuben replied with a toothy grin. There was an open affability on his face that belied the thoughtful look in his eye.

“What?” she prompted when he continued to stare at her.

“You shouldn’t be here all alone,” he grumbled, shaking his head with the firmness of someone considerably younger than his two and thirty years.

Reuben had a childlike quality about him that was in complete contrast to his physical maturity. It was what confused most people when they first met him, and made most people keep their distance once they did attempt to draw him into conversation. Sadly, Reuben’s lack of understanding of life, and the world around him, quickly became evident in some of the odd things he said during conversation. Still, he was harmless enough.

“I am just on my way home,” she replied. She nodded in the direction of the farm. “I didn’t realise you knew Curtis, or Lisa.”

When he didn’t answer her, she looked at him only to lift her brows askance when she found him still staring thoughtfully at her.

“What?” she prompted again.

Reuben blinked. “Er.” He glanced around as though struggling to remember something.

“Do you know Curtis?”

“Who?” Reuben scratched his head.

“The man who lives at the farm.”

He shook his head, again in a childlike fashion. “No.”

“You know Lisa, though, right?” She prompted softly.

Reuben nodded. “She is milking the cows,” he declared suddenly.

“I know,” Vanessa replied. A somewhat uneasy silence settled between them. “Well, I had best be getting home.”

“I can come with you, can’t I?” Reuben asked, hobbling along beside her anyway.

“Of course,” Vanessa murmured.