Page 49

“Is that who that woman was to you?” she hissed, attempting to get out of his grasp again.

This time, though, she was not fast enough, and in one swift moment, Ezra had her pinned to his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around her back.

“You had better answer my question first, Lydia,” Ezra growled.

Despite her rage, Lydia felt a barb of unwanted desire shoot through her as Ezra’s heat roiled from his solid body.

“Who is she?” she demanded, her voice cracking as she pushed at his chest.

“Lydia.” The deadly warning in Ezra’s tone was almost enough to make her make her stop.Almost.

With a final thrust of her palms, she bent her knees and ducked. Thanks to the pouring rain it allowed her to twist out of his grasp, and before she had a second thought, she picked up her skirts and ran down the empty street.

“Damn it,” Ezra growled, his jealousy rising as he watched Lydia run away from him.

Without answering your question,a wicked voice whispered into his thoughts. His fury over finding her in London had suddenly vanished when she made her comment about engaging in debauchery, and in its place a dark green cloud of choking possessiveness had arisen. Is that why she was pushing him to take other lovers? Did she desire someone else?

His mind flooded with erotic memories of her; not just how she had looked, but how she had responded to him. She hadwantedhim. But…did she also want someone else? His fury rising, Ezra began to storm down the street after Lydia, who had followed its curve to the left and led to a park.

With each vision of her sitting on someone else’s lap, of her biting another man’s lip, he began to run faster. Though Lydia had a good two-minute lead on him he caught sight of her again in less than one, heading down an empty, darkened path away from the main promenade area and into the woods.

“Lydia, stop,” he shouted, his blood boiling as he ran faster to catch up to her.

“Leave me alone!” she shouted over her shoulder, dodging off the path and through the trees.

“The hell I will,” he spat out, springing for her.

Lydia gasped as he gripped his good hand around her upper arm, and she spun and slid in the mud, flying toward him. His own feet slipping in the mud, Ezra attempted to right thembefore he too lost his footing, and they were hurled to the ground.

Neither had seen the steep slope just a few feet to their left, but as they slipped down its muddy bank, Ezra wrapped his arms proactively around Lydia and cradled her head to his chest. His back took the slide with no pain at all, so as soon as they came to a stop at its bottom he gripped Lydia’s wrists and pushed her back down into the sodden grass of the small, hidden valley.

He glared down at her silently as the rain pelted them, both of their chests heaving as they worked to catch their breath, and she glared right back. He would not ask her again and he would not let her up until she answered. And heknewshe knew it.

“I do not want another man,” Lydia said through panting breaths. “I did not want any man at all. Until you.”

Ezra felt the words drop into the empty pit of his stomach like a bomb. He had teased her about wanting him, made her a plaything to taunt to prove to her otherwise- but he had not actually thought she had wanted him. He let out a ragged breath, letting his grip ease on her wrists.

“But I willnotbe a simpering idiot who wants a man who does not want her back,” she spat out, hurt mottling over the rage in her eyes, “And if being with other women soothes your pain, maybe it will soothe mine.”

Guilt and hurt churned inside Ezra as thunder bellowed above them and the warm rain grew heavier. He had done this to her.Twisted her into this confused state until she felt helpless. Yet, is that not what he did toallpeople? Is that not how he bent them to his will?Not Lydia,a voice from deep within begged him.Not her. You can stop. You can spare her.

So distracted had Ezra become by his clashing thoughts that he was unprepared to prevent the sudden twist of Lydia’s body, the movement of her wrists as she slipped them out of his hold and shoved him into the mud. For a moment he thought she was going to run, but as he lunged for her she swiveled around in the slick rain and slammed her hands into his chest as her body came down onto his, pinning him.

The force knocked the air out of his lungs, and he felt Lydia’s legs straddled over his lap, her thighs holding tightly onto his to keep him still. He thought he could easily move her, but when he tried to do so, he found his hands were only able to grip her waist and hold her to him.

“Now answer me!” she demanded, her eyes glittering with wrath as she ignored his hold. “Was that woman your whore?”

Ezra glared back at her, uncomfortable with the storm of emotions raging inside of him. Part of him wanted to say yes just to punish her. But that part, a part that had once been so large within him, had become incredibly small and withered.

“There has been no woman but you since we wed,” he yelled above the clashing of the storm, his eyes locked on hers.

The rain and mud had ruined her dress and hair, but like this, all mussed and wild, he found her more beautiful than ever. As his thoughts became blank, Ezra gave in to what he wanted. In one swift motion, he sat up and pinned Lydia to his lap with one hand as he held the back of her neck with the other.

“And I hate how much I want you too,” he spat out, pressing his forehead against hers as he heard her breath hitch, “It is driving meinsane.”

His kiss was quick and possessive, giving neither of them a chance to say another word. Lydia whimpered as his lips claimed hers and she sunk into him, her fingers wrapping into the hair at the nape of his neck. Needing her taste, he used his lips and tongue to guide her mouth open, and he groaned with pleasure as he finally tasted her tongue again. It had only been three days, but he had craved her black cherry taste the moment he’d left Frampton, and he needed it like a vampire needed blood.

A booming clash of thunder followed by a piercingly white flash of lightning was the only thing that broke them from their spell, but it only lasted long enough for Ezra to guide Lydia into a nearby thicket. Once in the safety of the brambles, the spell resumed, and as their lips met again in passionate kisses, their hands began to tear at each other’s ruined clothes.