by Juliet Moore
Jane was the one, however, who would make it much more. She pressed herself up against his body with a seductive growl.
Victoria felt as though she would be sick. She could hardly breathe. Couldn't think either. Her only impulse was to flee.
She stepped backward, straw crunching beneath her feet. Why did fate choose to reveal her just then? The couple broke apart immediately and both their gazes flew to Victoria.
Alex looked...she just didn't know. There was too much pain to be able to analyze anything he said or how he appeared. All her heart knew was that it hurt. Oh lord, how it hurt.
"Hello, Victoria."
Victoria's ears perked up--as she'd often seen Hugh's bloodhounds do during the hunt--at the catty tone. She looked at her and found it less painful than facing Alex. "How do you do?" she replied, refusing to show her that she'd won.
"Quite well, thank you. I thought I'd see what this quaint town has to offer. I must admit that besides the obvious draw that Coverack possesses." She paused for a wicked smile. "I'm disappointed."
"I wouldn't think it would hold any interest for someone so...worldly."
She smiled a little more, then frowned, unsure of what reaction she ought to have. "I suppose you hoped to see Alex this afternoon? I'm so sorry that I have to keep him from you."
"Don't worry. I only came to deliver a message from my uncle."
"Really? And what was that?"
Her limbs felt like jelly. Why wasn't he saying anything? Close to tears, she tried to focus on the question she'd been asked. "He just wanted Mr. Trevelyn to know that his...maid is going away and will likely never return."
She laughed meanly. "What does that have to do with Alex?"
"He was...uh, hoping that he knew of someone that would be a suitable replacement." She gained bitter pleasure from the subtle jab. "Knowing what I know about Mr. Trevelyn, I'm sure that he does."
Jane looked at Alex and preened.
"I'll leave you two to your...business." She turned and forced her feet to move and promised herself she wouldn't run. She wouldn't show them what they'd done to her. It was bad enough that it had happened at all.
When she continued her slow walk for a little bit longer, she looked back. They weren't following.
She ran like the devil was on her tail, and soon she didn't know the difference between the drizzling rain and the tears that streaked down her face.
Chapter 10
It had done funny things to Alex's insides, seeing Victoria standing there, pretending not to be affected by what she had just seen and probably thinking she was making a decent job of it. Except that it was obvious to him that it had upset her. Tiny indications of her discomfort were far more telling than if she'd run out of the stable and never looked back.
"Stupid girl," Jane said, after Victoria left the stable.
He almost didn't trust himself to respond. His heart was breaking. All he wanted to do was run after her. But his damn self-control refused to let him. It knew that his immediate flight would put her danger from a jealous, vindictive Jane. So he just said, "Yes."
Apparently, that wasn't good enough. "What makes her think that she can barge in here like that? I wonder how much she heard?"
As did he. Had she figured out what he knew and that he had known all along? What was the information doing to her at that very moment? He had to know the answers and to know them; he had to get rid of Jane.
"Alex? Are you even listening to me?"
He tore his gaze from the empty space where Victoria once stood. Quickly, he considered his next move. "Let's saddle up then."
She smiled, somewhat satisfied for the moment. It wasn't the derogatory comments towards Victoria that she had hoped for, but it was something. She would probably note that he had ignored her. If only she knew all the painful reasons why.
Alex stepped forward and, as he did, thought of something that would afford him both time and an opportunity to get away. He purposely tripped himself up and fell to the ground with a hard moan.
"Oh, what happened?" She rushed to his side and looked down upon his prostrate form. "You fell?"
No, I just decided to take a nap, he thought. Aloud, he replied, "I don't even know what I tripped on."
"Are you all right?"
"I'm sure that I am," he said. "I'm made of tougher stuff than that." But he proceeded to test his theory by attempting to stand up. He didn't make it.
"What is it, Alex?"
"I think it's my ankle." He felt the spot through his pants with a groan.
"We have to get you back to the house."
"I think you're going to have to call someone. I'll crush you if we try to make it alone."
She nodded. "I'm sure you're right." She brushed off her skirt. "I'll go right away then. Don't try to walk while I'm gone."
"I won't," he lied.
Jane hurried out of the stable.
Alex immediately stood up and approached the open door. He watched her until she was safely inside, then he made a run for it.
He would catch Victoria easier on foot.
It had started to rain while he was in the stable, the skies a romantic purple that he'd only seen in his native Cornwall. He shivered with both a chill and the premonition that he wouldn't find Victoria before she did something drastic.
Although she'd tried to hide it, he'd seen how effected she'd been by what she'd seen. Her sorrow had been palpable. But it wasn't just that. She may fear that his unintentional revelation of what he knew was cause for flight.
What he feared the most was that he would never find her.
* * *
"I'm a silly, silly girl," Victoria said to no one but herself. She shouldn't have gone to Alex's for many reasons, but one of them had been the impending storm. But she'd ignored the dark skies and the thunder's audible heralding and went anyway. Now she was paying for it. Even with her hat on, her hair was plastered to her neck and her shoes were disgustingly soggy. She might have expected the rain, but she never could have guessed so much.
Why hadn't she been able to see through him?
Oh, Alex! It befuddled her to think of why he'd kept it from her, why he'd pretended not to know any more than what she'd told him. Wouldn't he have turned her in by then if that had been his goal?
It hit her then and she realized that part of it, she should have known. All the questions that she'd instinctually become suspicious of...all a part of his mysterious plan. "But why?" she had to keep asking herself. "Why?"
"Victoria!"
The sound of Alex's voice, entirely unexpected, made her heart melt. It also had the unpleasant effect of making her stomach turn upside down. But at least he was there. He had followed her.
Then he was at her side. "You need to get out of the rain."
"What difference does it make to you?" One look at his similarly rain-soaked clothing and some of the anger fell from her voice. His wet breeches clung to his muscular thighs. He had come and he looked like...that. Her nether regions became even more turbulent.
"I don't want you to get sick. I care about you."
"For reasons that I am sure you understand, I find that hard to believe."
He shook his head and pulled her closer to the trees. "It is you who doesn't understand. You don't understand what you saw."
"I think I do." She wished she had the strength to run away from him. But she didn't. She wanted him to prove her wrong.
"First, Victoria, tell me how much you heard."
She met his gaze with icy aim and said, "Enough."
"You know that I know everything," he stated calmly.
"And have known for a long time," she replied.
His voice was pleading, softening her heart into malleable mush. "I want to explain it all to you. Come with me."
He was urging her off the path when at the end of it lay her uncle's house. A warm bed and silent walls beckoned her. "I should get home as soon as possible. My uncle is expecting me."
"I don't i
ntend to kidnap you, dear."
"Alex..." She'd taken to calling him by his shortened name. It bespoke of an intimacy that she couldn't honestly say they had any right to. If only things were different. Her parents could still be alive and Alex could be a guest at their home...entitled, gentlemanly, and suitable. She hated how her present situation made everything between them taste of decadence. She hated how it didn't matter.
Most of all, she hated how even her silly dreams had been crushed by the day's occurrences.
He ignored her weak protestations and guided her off the path. She let him. It suddenly became darker beneath the wet canopy of leaves. His fingers felt warm on her arm--regardless of how many layers protected her skin--and she quivered with anticipation. That her mind would betray her at such a time was unthinkable. The way he'd hurt her had been more than wrong. But he promised an explanation.
Thunder boomed overhead and she jumped closer to him.
He smiled wickedly.
"Where are you taking me?"
"A secret place that only I know about." The rain still dripped onto their heads even though it had to journey first through a thick umbrella of leaves. He squinted against the droplets. "Don't worry. I think you'll like it."
Oddly, the enigmatic answers only served to heighten her anticipation. What if he were to harm me? she silently asked herself. Her two answers were separated by a rift of unanswered questions. First, she couldn't imagine him intentionally hurting her. Second, she would accept it if he did. Death in his arms was preferable to life in any others.
His grip on her arm suddenly tightened. "I wanted to run after you immediately. You looked so...distraught."
"Why didn't you?"
"Jane was there and--"
"On second thought," she said, "I'd rather not hear it."
"Oh, Victoria!" He pulled her into his arms. "I hate to use a cliché, but it's not at all what you think!"
The smell of wet leaves overwhelmed her. She squirmed out of his arms with difficulty. "Please, Alex."
His expression was pained. "You'll let me explain, won't you?"
She laughed ridiculously. Deliriously. "Yes, but please explain first." She covered her head with her hands. "I feel like I'm drowning."
"Yes, of course!" he said, ushering her forward once again. "What am I thinking keeping you in the rain like this?"
They walked for a bit more, her heart hardly able to withstand the wait, when finally they came upon a small structure.
"Here we are," he said, sparing the gallant introductions.
Her interest was captured by the almost hidden structure, so cleverly built so that it was nearly invisible until you were right upon it. There was no indication of what its purpose was. She certainly couldn't tell much from the outside, except that it looked small. Intimately small.
He hustled her inside where--to her infinite pleasure--it was warm and dry.
She wasn't given much time to be thankful for the respite from the rain. Because right after she went in, Alex followed. The space became more confined.
The structure was tiny--that much had become clear in less than a second. If the leap of activity in her stomach was any indication, Alex's body was indecently close to her own.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"I guess you could call it a small, childhood fort."
"You played here?"
"Yes. I'm the only person who knows about it, along with my brother." His expression turned sad. "That was when we used to get along."
"You mean you don't like him either?" The moment after she'd said it, she clamped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. He's an ass." He laughed. "You see? I made a faux pas too and I'm completely unconcerned."
His humor helped to distract her from how close the walls were and how Alex was even closer. But nothing could make her forget it and as soon as the conversation lulled, her heart started to pound.
He saw her shiver and assumed a different reason for her condition. He handed her a blanket he'd pulled from behind him. "I keep this here for emergencies."
He helped her drape it over her shoulders and she almost wished he wouldn't. Each time his hand brushed against her, a trail of fire burned from that point to her lower belly. The added warmth from the blanket that she couldn't refuse made her feel as though her entire body was flushed. Then their eyes met.
Until then, even in such close quarters, they'd avoided each other's gaze. Or at least, she'd avoided his and she'd assumed he'd been doing the same. It was difficult, especially with the air between them full of something that was almost tangible.
Their gaze held and she felt something in her break. "Why, Alex?"
He was a hazy vision through her tears. "I'll tell you everything."
She cried into her hands, ashamed that he was to see her in such a way. "Why did you do it all in the first place? You knew, Alex!"
"Mark Freely was my cousin, Victoria."
She killed his cousin! "I'm so sorry, Alex."
"I'm not telling you to get an apology. I just want to explain the reason why I'm involved in this at all." He sighed. "My father wanted me to find out if we could prove you did it."
Her mouth fell open, and salty tears trickled onto her lips. "Like a detective?"
He nodded.
She started to rise, words of betrayal thick in her throat.
He pulled her down. "But that was only in the beginning, Victoria. That ended quite soon, even sooner than I wanted to admit."
Seeing sincerity in his steadfast gaze, she listened.
"How could I prove you guilty of murder when every time I looked at you all I could think of was how much I desired you?" Alex gripped her arm tightly with strong fingers. "How could I ask you questions when every time one of them affected you, I wanted to comfort the pain out of your eyes?"
Her voice quivered with fear. "And then, you were with me, for me?"
"I'll grant you that I was still confused, darling, but I think my mind convinced me of that more than the truth did." He rubbed her arm with a passion that matched his words. "I think you had me the moment I saw you standing in the daylight, the sun shining through your hair like on the wings of a raven."
Her body was precariously close to submission. "You kissed Jane," she said excruciatingly.
His shook his head. "As you know, Jane was there the night it happened. She knows all. She's threatened to return to Blackmoore and turn you in upon her arrival." He took a deep breath. "I can't let that happen."
"You kissed--"
"Yes, I kissed her, but it was only to shut her up. For some unknown reason, she's taken it upon herself to seduce me. My attention is the only thing that's keeping her here." Everything he said implored her to trust that he wanted her. That she didn't have false dreams and foolish hopes. "I did it for you, and only you."
She cried again, warm and fat tears covering her face. Doubt encroached upon what she wanted to believe, what she had to believe in order to go on. "How can I trust you, Alex?"
"Surely you can see it in my eyes."
"What am I looking for?" she asked with a sob.
"The knowledge that I care deeply for you, Victoria, and only you. More than I ever have for a woman. More than I ever will again."
Their eyes met and as the gaze held, she felt something inside her change. Walls fell down, the city of her resistance burnt to the ground.
He kissed her.
They leaned into one another as soon as their lips met. He was gentle and his movements were leisurely. Her insides melted when she realized what that meant. He didn't intend to run away this time. It was the truest expression of his feelings and one that matched her own. All traces of insecurity disappeared from her head. She ceased to worry about the meaning behind the kiss and whether or not she was doing everything right. She just enjoyed it and it felt as though she'd been kissing him all of her life. Right then, she didn't know why she'd ever want to kiss anyone else.
They connected like puzzle pieces. His lips were soft and pliable, unlike the violence of her great passion. An invisible rope wrapped around her and pulled her against him. She felt as though she had no control over her actions. They were just too ingrained and automatic. Furthermore, his will was too strong and compelling to be resisted.
Somewhere, from deep within his chest, came the soft hum of passion. With it came a quickening of the pulse she felt beneath her hand, the palm that was up between their bodies and pressed against his chest. The tempo of his kissing almost made her blind to the muted sounds of the forest and the sweet smell of wet grass. It had never been such a lovely odor before, but from thenceforth it would be. Slowly though, as the kiss deepened and her attachment to him solidified, everything around her disappeared.
All she knew was his body. His overpowering aura tightened around her and she felt as if something more than merely his hand was brushing the damp hair away from her face.
Please let this moment never end!
His lips left hers for the slightest of seconds, but she didn't have the chance to protest. Because as soon as the soft sucking was away from her mouth, it was on her cheek. Then it was on her neck. She clung to him and sighed with decadent pleasure.
"Oh, Victoria, how can so simple an act change everything?"
She had been wondering the very same thing. "Perhaps it cannot change anything that hadn't already changed."
Chest to chest, there was only an inch of space between them. "What it can do is make imagined conflicts disappear and minimize emotions at war."
It certainly made Blackmoore seem as though it were miles away, in measurements far more important than actual distance. Maybe she and Alex could have a future! The realization was momentous. It all seemed so simple when she was in his arms. She supposed that was what was meant by "living in the moment." She never really knew, until then, how necessary such a thing was to living a healthy life. She'd never had cause to worry about it before.
"I never want to leave this fort," she said.
"It is kind of like a fortress, isn't it? A barrier against our pasts...against slights and sins."