“I feel small?”
Trust a man to pick up on that. “Well…maybe it is all the clothing?” she asked with a hopeful note in her voice.
“I will show you the best time you ever had. Bingham has nothing on me!” He kissed her lips, first quickly and hard but then seemed to remember his words and started to kiss her gently and with tenderness.
This was worse. She thought nothing could be worse than being raped but being made love to by the man who abducted her was far worse than being taken by force. Luckily her body reacted the only way it knew how and she bit down hard on his tongue, flooding her mouth with his blood.
Where her scream went unnoticed, one bellow from him brought the owners of the property running. The door of the barn banged open and a cold gust of air accompanied the two figures inside. Their feet skidded to a stop when they saw the blood pouring from Robin’s mouth. They only looked at her when she sent a stream of blood into the hay as she spat it from her mouth.
“What is going on in here?” the man said from the doorway in disgust.
“See sukin bip me,” Robin mumbled through the blood and his swollen tongue.
“It’s time for you to leave, mister. You and your piece of fluff can get out of my barn. Find somewhere else to scratch your itch, you’re disturbing my horses!” The old farmer wielded his pitchfork at them.
Grace tried to explain. The old woman who stood behind the man would help, she was sure of it. “Please, I’ve been kidnapped. I need your help.”
“Don’t listen to the hussy, Arthur, they’s just trying to get out of paying for the privilege of staying the night,” the woman assured her husband.
Grace stared dumbfounded at them. They weren’t going to do anything! “Please,” she begged, “I need help.”
Lord Wester recovered enough by then to talk, unfortunately. He patted her on the ass and said, “Don’t bother, love, we’ve been found out. There’s no need to pretend any more. Come on, help me saddle the horse and we will be out of this lovely couple’s way.” He jerked her tied arm and turned to the couple still standing at the door. “So sorry we disturbed you. We’ll be out of here in no time.”
They left five minutes later. Grace was forced to ride behind him on his horse. At least he untied her rope; he claimed he couldn’t control the horse with it on. Her belly rumbled partly from terror of riding further and further from civilisation and help, and partly from hunger.
“We’ll be there shortly. I imagine you will be tired from our long trip…besides, you and I have some unfinished business to deal with.” Lord Wester’s hand reached around and squeezed her thigh as he chuckled.
A lump formed in her throat making it impossible for her to respond, even if she could have thought of any reply.
She could see a bridge up ahead on the road with a forest on both sides of the stream. If she could somehow get off the horse she might be able to hide long enough to get away from him. She shimmied back towards the horse’s rear, but Robin seemed to read her mind.
“I don’t think so,” he said as he grabbed hold of her leg again. “You’re not going anywhere. Besides, I spent summers here as a kid and know these woods like the back of my hand, you can’t hide from me.”
Around the next bend she saw a cabin set back into the trees. “We’re here.” The joy in his voice was evident.
As they approached the cabin she knew she was well and truly trapped.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The cabin was surprisingly comfortable. She was expecting dirt floors and rough furniture but instead the place was fitted with beautifully shining wood floors and plush furnishings. Heavy drapes hung at the windows, keeping the cold air at bay.
Robin crouched down and quickly lit a fire, sending a warm glow about the room. The cool afternoon air slowly warmed with its heat. The light from the fire illuminated more of the cabin and Grace could see a bed in the far corner behind a screen, shielding it from view. Only the end of the bed was visible but it looked like warm blankets topped the mattress. As inviting as it looked she was determined to stay away from that area of the room.
Lord Wester rose from before the fire and turned towards her. “Now you will pay for what you did this morning.” He leered at her and a shiver run up her spine as he gave her a slow bright smile.
She watched in horror as he came towards her. His eyes were wild with a crazed look in them. He looked desperate. His hands clenched at his sides as he stalked closer. Grace backed up with each of his steps until she felt the wall against her palms. He grinned, knowing she was trapped.
She choked on the scream rising in her throat. She would not scream. She would not scream! She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, no matter how close he came.
***
Riding hell for leather, Jasper hoped Lady Anne was right. He had a sickening feeling if she wasn’t, he would be too late to save Grace. He spurred his horse, urging him faster still, and as his mount’s sweat flew into his eyes, Jasper knew he couldn’t continue this pace much longer.
Neal and Philip kept pace. Their horses were blowing hard but not once did they complain. The grim look on their faces said it all; they were not giving up either.
They rounded a corner and at last they could see the woodsman’s cabin set amongst the trees. It was exactly as Lady Anne had described it to them.
They all reined their horses in. “What do you think?” Jasper asked Neal. “What is the best way in?”
“Well, we could always storm the door, but that might put Grace in danger.” Neal sat and studied the layout for a moment. “Our best bet is to go around the back and see if there is another way in. We could both take an entrance. That way Wester won’t be able to concentrate on both of us at the same time. Philip, you can cover us. We should be able to get Grace free.” I hope was left unsaid, but they all heard it nevertheless.
“Very well, let’s go then.” Jasper dismounted and led his horse closer to the cabin before tying it to a tree. He might need it in a hurry, but he didn’t want to alert Wester to their presence. Wester’s horse might call out in greeting if they got too close. Neal tied his own horse to the tree next to his and together they set off to scope out the cabin. Philip moved into the woods but stayed mounted in case he was needed quickly.
It didn’t take them long to get to the rear of the cabin but to Jasper it seemed like years. There wasn’t a door at the back, but there was a window. He sent Neal back around the front to the door while he peered through the glass.
***
“I’m going to have fun with you before I am finished.” Lord Wester’s hand was bruising her jaw. His knife was at her throat. He leaned in to kiss her roughly, forcing her lips open and thrusting his hot tongue into her mouth. She tried to bite down but his hand kept her mouth forced open and there was nothing she could do to get away from him. He had his knee pushed hard between her legs and she was trapped against the wall. His body was plastered against hers so closely she was having trouble breathing.
He forced her legs wider apart and thrust his knee up against her groin, grinding it into her. “Has he had you already?” he whispered in her ear as his wet lips slid along her jaw. The knife slipped from her throat and ran down her body, cutting away her dress. “Have you moaned his name against his lips?” He pressed the blade against her bare breast. “You will moan for me too.”
She felt the blade cut into her tender flesh and she bit back a moan of pain. He will not win. Her brain was fogged by fear, but she forced herself to think. If she could get him to grab her from behind she might stand a chance. She could remember the steps to S.I.N.G. from the movie Miss Congeniality. She moistened her lips and tried to take the fear from her voice and whispered in Robin’s ear, “I like it from behind.” She gave a small moan for good measure and prayed her plan would work. Hopefully he would fall for the ruse a second time.
Robin jerked in surprise and grinned. “Well then, we won’t disappoint you will we?”
Before
she could react to the small space he gave her when he jerked back, he spun her around and pulled her hard up against his erection so it fit tightly in the crevice of her buttocks. He placed wet sloppy kisses down her neck to her shoulder and she had a hard time suppressing the shudder of revulsion rippling through her body. He dropped the knife so he could undo the fall of his trousers. The clatter of it hitting the wood floor startled her into action. It was now or never.
She caught a movement at the window as she swung her elbow as violently as she could into his solar plexus. The window exploded, sending a million little shards of glass raining down on them as she stomped her foot as hard as she could onto his instep. She wished she had on a pair of stilettos as shockwaves ran up her leg from the impact. The door burst open as she smashed her fist into Lord Wester’s nose. Blood mixed with the broken glass. The two men who burst into the room stared in astonishment as she finished off her attacker with a hit to his groin. Lord Wester dropped to the floor like a rock. Who said watching TV was bad for you?
Chapter Twenty-Six
The aftermath of the kidnapping and the ensuing rescue took its toll on Grace. She sat on the window seat in her room at Victoria’s house, gazing out onto the street into the moonlit night. What would she have done if Jasper and Neal hadn’t shown up when they had? She knew all too well what Lord Wester had planned for her. He certainly hadn’t had any qualms about letting her know in detail what he was going to do to her. Even though she managed to break away from her captor, she was under no illusions she would have been able to make it back to London on her own.
A soft knock sounded at her door, startling Grace from her musings. Jasper came in before she could answer and he closed the door soundlessly.
“I thought I should come and see how you are. He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Jasper asked for the hundredth time. “Come here, Grace, I need to see for myself.” He held his hand out to her, silently inviting her to him.
She rose from her seat; she couldn’t stop herself from walking towards him any more than she could stop breathing. He grasped her arms and pulled her tightly into his embrace. For the first time since arriving back at Victoria’s she felt safe. The warmth from his body enveloped her and the ice around her heart and in the pit of her stomach started to thaw. A tear sneaked from the corner of her eye, leaving a trail as it ran down her face.
“Grace.” He breathed her name into her hair. He still didn’t seem to believe she was unharmed. “I need to make sure he didn’t hurt you. Please let me see.” He gently set her away from him and wiped the tear away as he looked deep into her eyes, trying to discern hurt or fear in the depths.
“Jasper, I am fine.” A shiver ran up her body at the intense look he gave her. If only there was a way to convince him the damage Lord Wester did was not to her body, maybe Jasper could fix the damage he’d done to her soul.
She stepped from his reach and gave him a sly smile. “Let me show you,” she said as she reached up and slowly took the pins from her hair. The mass of curls tumbled down her shoulders. She watched as Jasper’s eyes darkened with longing. “What will it take for you to know that I’m OK?” She reached behind her and undid the tie at the back of her dress, letting the garment slide to the floor.
Jasper’s breath hitched.
Grace undid the hooks of her stays one by one. She let them drop to the floor on top of her dress. She stood before him in her shift. “Do I look all right now, Jasper?”
He nodded his head.
“Would you like to see the rest of me?” She smiled before reaching down to draw up the last layer of clothing.
“Stop.”
She let the hem fall back down and looked down at the floor. She suddenly felt a lot more naked than she really was. She wished her dressing gown was close at hand.
Jasper’s hand grasped her chin and gently lifted her face. “Look at me,” he commanded. “Are you sure you want to do this? Because once you are naked there will be no going back.” His voice was husky and caught on the word naked. She looked into his face and saw the tension there. His jaw was clenched and his breathing shallow. His eyes were dilated. Heat radiated from his body; she could feel waves of it through her thin shift.
“I am sure.”
That was all he needed to know. He knelt down and slowly lifted her shift inch by inch up her legs, running his hands over her smooth skin. He stopped at the junction of her thighs and gently blew on her opening hidden amongst her curls. Her knees sagged and her back arched in anticipation. His lips curved in satisfaction and he placed a kiss on her thigh before raising her shift over her torso as he stood. “Arms up.”
He lifted the shift up and trapped her arms in the fabric, gently kissing the small cut on her breast from Wester’s knife, before drawing a nipple into his mouth. The bud grew hard in his mouth as he sucked and swirled his tongue. A low moan escaped her lips while she struggled to free herself of the rest of her clothing. He took mercy on her and pulled the shift the rest of the way over her head.
She grabbed his face and pulled his lips to her mouth. The heat of the kiss consumed them both. Her tongue swept between his teeth and stroked his demandingly. “I need more,” she breathed as her hands found the buttons on his shirt and frantically tried to open them.
The sound of tearing fabric and the ping of a button hitting the wall reached his ears. He pulled back, “Gently, darling, there’s no rush; we have all night.”
“I want you now,” she said fiercely and tugged his shirt from his trousers.
A joyful laugh tore from his lips. He pulled the shirt over his head while she reached for the fall of his trousers. He almost passed out when she cupped his throbbing member. All thought left his head as the blood rushed to a more important location. Her hands had fumbled with his shirt, but they were steady now. She had him free in seconds. She grasped him in her hand and started to stroke him back and forth. His whole body convulsed in pleasure. “We will have to do that some other time, my dear, otherwise this will be over awfully quick.”
He pulled her hands away from him and swung her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. The hairs on his chest tickled her breasts, sending desire to her core. She ran her hands over his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to the bed on top of her. She was wet and there was no need to wait any longer. Her senses sharpened when he entered her, everything came into focus and her heart burst from the love she felt for this man. Tears of joy flowed from her eyes and fell to the pillow. She felt complete as she shattered into a million beautiful pieces, the two of them coming together in unison.
“I love you,” she whispered into the darkness.
His heart stopped for a moment. Love? Yes, he loved her too. “Grace, will you marry me?” He wanted to ask her for her hand.
“Isn’t the wedding tomorrow?”
“I want you to marry me because you want to, not because you have to.” He rolled onto his side and looked down at her.
“I will be there, Jasper, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said as he lowered his lips to hers and she rose up to meet him halfway.
“I had better go. We don’t want to shock your maid in the morning.”
“Stay. There is plenty of time. It’s not even midnight yet,” she said as she snuggled close to his body and laid her head on his shoulder.
He gathered her next to him and wrapped them both in a blanket before kissing her hair and closing his eyes and falling into a contented sleep. Grace snuggled closer and closed her eyes, visions of their wedding tomorrow dancing in her head as she fell asleep.
Grace woke suddenly, the full moon shining down across the room to the bed. The brightness of it was startling. It drew her out of Jasper’s warm embrace and to the window. She shivered at the breeze coming in through the frame. The glass was definitely not double-pane. Snow had fallen sometime while she was sleeping; the streets were unmarked and the temptation to run downstairs and outside to make the first footprints was almost
unbearable. The cold stopped her. Her toes started to ache and the tip of her nose was tingling. But still she stayed. Somehow she was unable to turn away from the big, bright moon. She knew there was a shawl on the window seat. It was crazy that she stood here freezing. She could at least wrap it around herself before she froze to death.
Grace shook her head at her foolishness, wondering why she didn’t return to her warm bed, but instead she retrieved the shawl from where she had left it earlier. The warmth she felt when she wrapped herself in its softness was bliss. Her contented sigh almost drowned out the small thud of something hitting the floor.
There, by the chair at the desk lay the Lover’s Eye brooch she’d found at the New Year’s Eve ball in her own time the night she arrived here. She bent to pick it up. The picture of the eye inside was so familiar to her now, she knew in an instant that it was Jasper’s.
She heard the clock in the hallway strike twelve; the moon’s brightness seemed to grow. The lanterns lighting the street flickered and the room tilted. The object in her hand grew warm; she opened her palm and watched the eye start to spin.
She screamed and dropped the brooch, suddenly realising how she had got here. The brooch was the key!
Jasper was having the most wonderful dream. He was chasing Grace along the river bank at the Bingham estate, the spring breeze catching her skirts, tangling them around her legs. He caught her as she fell and together they tumbled to the ground, laughter in her eyes and on her lips. She opened her mouth for his kiss and just when his lips touched hers, she screamed.
He sat up in bed and reached blindly around for Grace, but she wasn’t there. Panic gripped him. Where was she? Had Wester returned? She screamed again before he could untangle himself from the sheets. They were intent on holding him down. His heart was threatening to burst from his chest.
She was on the floor by the window, huddled in a ball, gazing at something on the carpet in front of her. “Grace?” he called softly to her as he approached. He didn’t want to startle her. “Grace, is everything as it should be?” He joined her on the floor and wrapped his arms around her. “Have you had a bad dream? Grace, tell me what’s wrong?”
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