by Wolf, Bree
Zach gritted his teeth at the feel of her rapidly beating heart against his own. “You want to swim?” he forced out before his gaze dropped from her eyes to touch upon her lips.
The corner of her mouth twitched. “Is that such an unusual notion?”
“Everything you do is unusual.” Raising his own, Zach met her gaze. “How did this find its way onto your list?”
Rebecca shrugged. “I do not know.” Then she danced out of reach, her feet carrying her back toward the window. “Does it matter?”
“Your uncle will be furious,” Zach warned. He knew this was beyond foolish, and yet, the thought of extinguishing that light in her eyes was unbearable.
A frown drew down her brows. “How can he when he doesn’t know?”
“Are you not afraid that one day he will find out? That one day your clever schemes will be revealed?”
Her face darkened. “Of course, I am.” She drew in a deep breath. “Still, fear is never a good reason to do something, and neither is it a good reason not to do something.” Determination marked her features, and he could see how important this was to her. Why swimming in the sea should matter to her so much he did not know and it was of no importance.
“You’re certain about this?” Zach asked nonetheless as he stepped toward her, his gaze fixed on hers. “I need you to be certain because once we leave here, all manner of things can go wrong. There is a good chance we will be discovered, that your uncle will learn of this. Have you thought this through?”
Something warm lingered in her eyes as though she felt utterly touched by his concern for her. “I have thought it through,” she assured him as she stepped closer, placing one hand over his rapidly beating heart. “For years and years, I’ve done little else but think everything through.” A mischievous smile teased her lips. “I’m done thinking. Now, I want to experience something for myself.” She drew in a deep breath. “So, are you with me?”
Amazed at her tenacity, Zach nodded. “As unwise as it is, yes, I’m with you.”
Her face lit up like the morning sun. “Then let’s go.” And again, she rushed for the window.
“Do you think there’ll ever be a time when we use the door?” Zach asked as he bent down to fasten his trusted rope to the heavy armoire in the corner.
Rebecca laughed. “What is so good about using doors? Everyone uses doors.” She winked at him. “But how many people can say that they’ve climbed in and out through a window?”
“I doubt most people would be impressed with such a boast.”
Stepping up to the window, she shrugged. “Then they’re fools who’ve never truly lived.”
Shaking his head at the odd woman he’d stumbled upon at a ball one night, Zach lowered himself out the window, feeling her eyes lingering on him the whole way down. Still, the moment he lifted his head to look up at her, something dark fluttered downward and then settled upon him, and for a heart-stopping moment, he thought they’d been discovered.
Then a faint laugh reached his ears, and he pulled the large piece of fabric from his head. “Did you just drop this on my head?” He eyed the cloak warily, then looked up at her.
“I can’t very well climb down holding it, now can I?” she hissed in a whisper as her boots appeared over the rim of the windowsill. “I might need its warmth later.” Then she lowered herself down, bracing her feet on the wall as he’d shown her. For someone lacking in experience, she possessed an unexpected proficiency when it came to something as unladylike as climbing out a window.
“Still, you could’ve warned me,” Zach muttered into her ear when she’d reached the ground and he placed the cloak around her shoulders. Then his gaze moved back to the rope. “We can only hope it will not attract attention.”
“What if we throw it back in through the window?”
He frowned at her. “Then how will you get back inside?”
A sheepish grin appeared on her face. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Zach laughed. “The woman who thinks of everything!”
Feigning annoyance, she elbowed him in the ribs and then rushed off down the street.
“Wait!” Zach hissed, reaching for her shoulder and pulling her back. “If indeed, you do not wish to be seen, let us not draw attention, all right?”
Rebecca rolled her eyes, but nodded. “Very well.” After pulling her hood over her head, she slipped her hand through the crook of his arm, leaning in close as her other hand held the cloak closed. Her head was bowed, her cheek resting against his shoulder, hiding her face. “Better?”
Zach swallowed at the feel of her in his arms. “Better,” he croaked, and quickly directed their feet down the street.
“Have you been to Brighton before?” she whispered, and he felt her breath brush over the side of his neck as she lifted her head to his.
“No.”
“Then how do you know where to go?”
Zach breathed in deeply. “I can smell the sea.”
“Does it smell like this in Boston?”
“It does,” he said, hearing the wistfulness in his own voice.
“You miss it,” Rebecca surmised correctly, her hand tensing where it lay on his arm.
“I do,” he replied, for it was the truth. “Still, lately, I’ve found…unexpected delight here in England.”
A soft chuckle rose from her lips. “I’ve enjoyed your company as well.”
Glancing up at the star-speckled sky, Zach drew her closer, his nose guiding him down toward the sea and leaving behind the small town. Soon, the rushing of waves mingled with the soft sounds of the night, and he breathed a relieved sigh when he found the beach deserted. “It seems no one is here,” he told her, now speaking louder to be heard above the waves rolling onto the sand. “However, we cannot be certain no one will find their way here.” He met her gaze. “We should not stay long.”
Her head bobbed up and down, her gaze directed not at him, but at the black water gleaming in the moonlight. “This is so beautiful,” she whispered, awe tinging her voice as she pulled the hood from her head, baring her dark auburn curls to the silvery glow of the night. “I’ve always wanted to see it like this. In the dark. In the quiet.” She sighed. “It’s breathtaking.”
Zach watched her as she slowly made her way down toward the water’s edge, dropping her cloak in the sand as she walked. Then she paused, looking out at the dark sea, before sitting down and unlacing her boots.
Swallowing, Zach collected her cloak, approaching carefully, his gaze fixed on the dim horizon. “You don’t truly intend to swim, do you?”
A soft chuckle drifted up to his ears. “Have you ever known me to say something I did not mean?”
His teeth gritted together at the thought of her. “Ladies do not swim with gentlemen present.”
Another chuckle. “Well, since I’m not a lady, there should be no problem then, should there?”
Despite himself, Zach looked down, his eyes meeting hers. “Excuse me?”
“I’m plain and simple Miss Hawkins, nothing more and nothing less,” she told him, pulling off the second boot. “I do as I please…if I dare.” Then she removed her stockings and thrust her toes into the sand, a delighted smile playing on her face. “I never thought it’d feel like this.”
Zach knew he ought to look away, but the joy that stood on her face had him transfixed. He could not remember the last time he’d felt equally touched by such a simple thing as the feel of sand between his toes.
“You should join me,” Rebecca told him as she rose to her feet and then stepped toward the water. The moment the first wave washed over her bare skin, she all but shrieked, then clamped a hand over her mouth.
Zach laughed. “Cold?”
“Freezing.” A bright smile rested on her features as she strode forward anew. Her hands gripped the front of her skirts, bunching them together and pulling them up and out of the water’s reach as she strode in once more, sucking in a sharp breath.
Zach’s gaze fell on her bar
e legs, and he spun around as though struck, turning his back on the luminous creature wading into the sea. “You’ll catch cold if you get soaked through,” he warned, trying to redirect his thoughts away from her standing before him, her wet clothes plastered to her skin, and to an image of her feverish, her skin pale and clammy and her eyes dull and exhausted.
“Will you help me with my laces?”
At the sound of her voice right behind him, Zach spun around, shocked that he hadn’t heard her approach.
Seeing his face, Rebecca laughed. “You look positively scandalized! Am I such a shocking creature to you?”
Zach drew in a slow breath, forcing his gaze to remain on hers. “That and more,” he forced out as her question echoed in his ears.
Her eyes sparkled. “Will you help me?”
“It is too cold to swim.” His voice sounded hoarse even to his own ears.
Again, she grinned. “Is that your only objection?”
“It should suffice.”
“It doesn’t,” she told him with a smirk, then turned around. “Help me loosen my laces and then you’re free to leave, to turn your back, to stick your fingers in your ears and hum loudly or whatever it is you wish to do.”
Zach couldn’t help the chuckle that rose in his throat. “Why would I stick my fingers in my ears and hum?”
Looking at him over her shoulder, Rebecca shrugged. “How would I know? All I do know is that you look awfully uncomfortable. If you’d prefer to leave, we can meet up later at my uncle’s hou—”
“No!”
Another smile danced over her face, glowing and oddly triumphant. “Then if you please.” Again, she turned her back to him, taking a step backwards, no doubt to compel him into doing as she’d asked.
Zach sighed as his hands rose to finger the small ribbon at the back of her dress. “Five minutes,” he ground out, beginning to loosen her laces. “Not a minute longer. I will not be held responsible for you catching cold. Do you understand?” What on earth was he doing? This was madness! What if someone were to come along and find her, swimming unclad in the sea?
“Of course, not a minute longer,” she assured him. He could all but hear the smile that no doubt decorated her lovely face in that moment.
“There.” Her laces hung loosely, and the moment she reached up to pull her dress from her shoulders, Zach once more spun around, his teeth gritting together at the thought of her stripping down to…what? Her bare skin?
As an image of her rose in his mind, Zach determinedly pushed it away. “Can you swim?” he asked, desperate to distract himself.
Rebecca laughed. “Of course not. My odious uncle would never allow me to swim in the sea. That’s precisely why we’re here. I’d thought that was clear.” Another chuckle rumbled in her throat, and he heard the soft sound of fabric gliding downward.
Zach swallowed. “Do not go in too far then,” he warned, “or I shall have to come in and rescue you.” The thought alone set his blood on fire, and he prayed with every fiber of his being that all would go well and temptation would not test him further tonight.
Rebecca laughed. “Is that a promise or a threat?”
Hanging his head, Zach sighed. “You’ll be the death of me.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
A Swim & a Kiss
For a terrifying moment, Rebecca thought her heart would stop.
The breath lodged in her throat, and her whole body seemed to pause as though uncertain how to continue on. The cold water swirling around her felt paralyzing and, for a moment, she wondered what she would do if she were to lose her footing and sink below the black surface. Would Zach save her as he had promised…or threatened?
Despite the cold, a smile stole onto her face, and she glanced back at the beach where Zach still stood with his back to her. A true gentleman. A man worthy of her trust, worthy of…
Rebecca swallowed, then moved her arms and legs when the cold began to settle on her limbs. She knew not how to swim, but she could still walk as long as there was ground below her feet. Her body was still cold and she felt a slight shiver run along her skin. However, the more she moved, the more comfortable she felt. The water was no longer stinging cold like needles pricking her skin, but rather like a gentle coolness invigorating her body, waking her from a long slumber and giving her strength.
It was a precious moment in more ways than one for it cleared Rebecca’s mind, freeing it of the cobwebs that had lingered, obstructing her view and distorting the image she saw.
An image of herself.
Who she was at heart.
What she longed for.
What she feared.
And in that moment, Rebecca realized that no matter what, she could not – no, she would not! – marry Lord Tedious or any other lord her uncle might push her toward. Certainly, marriage to a lord promised a secure life of leisure and comfort, and yet, it also whispered of the loss of all she held dear. Did she truly wish to sneak around for the rest of her life, tricking her own husband as she was now tricking her uncle? What kind of life would that be?
Deep down, Rebecca knew that the decision not to marry her uncle’s choice had found her long before this day. However, it was in this moment when life and death swirled around her that Rebecca found the strength to claim it as her own once and for all.
She was Rebecca Hawkins and she would not bow her head!
Her chemise lay plastered against her skin, and her hair was dripping wet. Still, elation soared in her heart, and as Rebecca moved back toward the beach, she felt almost liberated.
Cold, but free.
Her teeth sank into her lower lip as the water fell away and the night’s cool air brushed over her wet skin. Goose bumps rose, and she sucked in her breath as the breeze picked up, bringing with it a new cold.
“Are you all right?” Zach asked, his shoulders tensing as she approached. Still, he remained with his back to her, his eyes focused on something far away. “I can hear your teeth chattering.” A hint of disapproval clung to his voice, but Rebecca knew that it was his concern for her that had brought it on. He cared for her; she was certain of it, and it warmed her in a way nothing else could.
“I’m well.” A blush rose to her cheeks despite the cold when she pushed the sodden fabric off her shoulders, relinquishing the last barrier shielding her from the world. “Only a bit cold.” Fortunately, she’d worn two chemises in anticipation of tonight’s excursion and now quickly donned the dry one. The fabric felt wonderful against her skin, and she sighed in relief.
Slipping back into her dress, Rebecca settled it into place, smoothing down her skirts, before turning around once more, her gaze lingering on the black sea. “Will you help me tie my laces?”
Behind her, she could feel him turn, slowly, ever so slowly as though he didn’t dare look. Then his warmth moved closer, and she held her breath when his fingers brushed against her chilled skin reaching for the laces. His warm breath tickled the side of her neck, raising goose bumps anew, and yet, Rebecca felt like leaning into him and having his strong arms hold her tight.
In a way, he was a stranger. They’d barely spent any time together over the past months, and yet, the time they had shared in each other’s company had been…life-changing. The words they’d spoken had been conjured by honest emotions, not by politeness or the need to represent oneself to one’s greatest advantage. Despite the shortness of the acquaintance, Zach did not feel like a stranger. He felt like someone who knew her well, who knew her fears and hopes, whose heart understood why she’d needed to come here tonight. He might have had his objections. He might have tried to change her mind. But he had not stood in her way.
He had respected her wishes.
No man had ever done that before; not when it truly mattered.
And in that moment when she stood shivering on a deserted beach, Rebecca realized that she could love this man, that she might already be well on her way to giving him her heart. Was it a wise choice? That, she could not say. It was
her choice and she would make it as she saw fit.
As her heart demanded.
The touch of his hands on her became less fleeting as he pulled the laces tight. “Are you cold?”
“A little,” she whispered, clamping her teeth shut against the violent shivers that shook her.
A moment later, Rebecca felt her warm cloak settle on her shoulders before he spun her around, pulling it closed in the front, his dark eyes searching her face. “Better?” he whispered as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
Smiling, Rebecca nodded. “What about you? Do you enjoy swimming?” she asked, searching his gaze as it kept slipping from hers as though he didn’t dare meet her eyes.
Zach gave her a brief nod as he pulled up the hood and wrapped it around her head.
Feeling utterly daring, Rebecca pushed closer against him.
In an instant, his eyes snapped back up and finally met hers.
“You should have come in,” she whispered as her hands settled on his chest, right above his thundering heart.
His jaw clenched as he stared down at her. “Don’t tempt me.” His voice was hoarse and strangely ragged, a little gruff even. His eyes, however, whispered of something gentle, caring and utterly devoted. “We should go. You need to get inside and warm up.”
“Wait!” Holding him back when he was about to turn away, Rebecca felt her pulse jump in her neck. “There’s one more item on my list.” If one ignored the last one, that was.
“Later,” Zach replied, still holding her cloak tightly wrapped around her. “Now, we’ll need—”
“It’s something simple,” Rebecca interrupted before she could lose her nerve, “and it won’t take long.”
His gaze narrowed as though he could read her mind and knew what it was she was asking. “What is it?”
Rebecca pushed herself to speak, to say the words…and not drop her gaze. “A kiss from a stranger.”
For a second, she thought he might not have heard her for he remained perfectly still, his chest barely rising and falling with each slow breath. But then he blinked, and his jaw tensed. “I’m not a stranger.”