Wouldn’t he?
I glanced away from him. As if by magic, without asking my permission, my legs carried me over to the bed and I slid under the thin blanket, fully clothed. Shivering, I curled up into a ball. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Rikkard Ambrose: he was standing in front of the window now, his arms behind his back, his posture as stiff as a rod of iron.
I felt a tug at my heart.
Dammit, Lilly! Your heart is not the part of your anatomy you wanted to focus on tonight.
I couldn’t help it. I was forgetting all about my insidious seduction plans for the night.
Finally, he unfroze from his post at the window and silently moved towards the bed. Another tug at my heart - he was being quiet because he didn’t want to wake me. Mr Rikkard Ambrose being thoughtful? Impossible! And yet…
Stiffly, he lifted the other end of the blanket and slid into bed.
Now! Now’s your chance. Jump him! Make him see you. Make him want!
Instead, all I did, was whisper softly into the darkness: ‘Feeling a bit restless?’
He gave a little jump as he realised I was still awake. For a long time, no reply came. Then…
‘Yes.’
I bit my lip. ‘Nervous about seeing your family again?’
‘Yes.’
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why, to demand answers to all my questions, or better yet, demand that he take his clothes off and let me ravish him.
Instead, I simply turned towards him and, reaching out into the dark, found his hand.
For a moment, he stiffened like a spring under tension - then slowly relaxed under my touch. Oh, how I wished it wasn’t so dark. What I wouldn’t give to see his eyes right now…
‘Don’t worry.’ The words seemed to be pulled from my mouth without my knowing how or where they came from. ‘I’m here.’
His grip on my hand tightened. ‘I know. I…’
‘Shh.’Sliding over, I snuggled up against him. ‘No words. Just… I’m here. Always.’
The last thing I felt before sleep claimed me was his arm sliding around my waist, holding me close.
*~*~**~*~*
Light. Bright, white light. That was the first thing I saw when, with all my might, I managed to drag up one eyelid the next morning. Yawning, I rolled over. My hand reached out - only to find that I was alone in bed. From downstairs, I could hear a familiar cool voice barking orders, and smiled into the cushion.
With another yawn, I pu
lled myself up and slid out of bed, padding over to the window on unsteady feet. The sight that greeted me took my breath away.
Out there lay a winter wonderland. Over rolling hills and high-rising trees lay a sparkling blanket of snow, painting everything in an angelic white. The sun, peeking through the trees at the horizon, was just beginning to tinge the land in a faint hue of gold. A deer stuck its head out of the forest, blinking in the morning light - then dashed off across the fields, leaving its tracks on the virgin snow.
Daring. Wanting to leave its mark.
I smiled.
‘Mr Linton?’ came a familiar voice from downstairs. ‘Mr Linton, I know you’re awake! Stop wasting time and get your posterior down here. We’re leaving.’
My smile widened.
‘Coming, Sir!’