Page 21 of One Scandal Too Many (Havenwood Academy #1)

C harlotte snuggled into the warmth of Declan’s arms and sighed. Nothing could be more perfect than this... She wanted to have this forever. She knew she couldn’t. Her father would never allow her to choose her own husband. Not that Declan had offered her anything. For all she knew, he had gotten what he wanted from her. He had taken her innocence. There was always a chance that he wouldn’t want more than that from her. Wasn’t he a known rogue?

It hadn’t escaped her that he had made her no promises. He called her darling with a regularity that suggested it was an endearment he used often. As if she was one of many. Something that she should resign herself to. That and disappointing her father. Charlotte seemed to do that more often than she would like. It seemed as if nothing she did was ever right.

Declan pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “Good morning, darling.” He sounded content. As if he might actually enjoy waking with her next to him. He might. She couldn’t discount that possibility.

But what if he did? What would that change? Nothing. It would change absolutely nothing. She would still have to face her father and tell him what she had done. She would not have Declan. Her life would not be better. In fact, it would become inherently worse. She didn’t know what her father would do when he discovered this scandal. This time, she had done something more wretched than the scandal that ensured her exile at Havenwood. Not that she saw her night with Declan in that light.

For her, being with him was more like coming home. She belonged with him. She needed him. Charlotte smiled at the thought of having him for always. She tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “Good morning,” she replied. Then stretched. “Has the storm abated?”

“I’m not certain,” he said. “I should check.” He stared down at her as if he was reluctant to leave her even for a moment. It made her heart sing with joy. Slowly, he unwrapped his arms and left her alone on the settee. He walked over to a window and peeked outside. Not that she paid much attention to the window. Not when she could watch him instead. He was gloriously naked and so decadent. Was it any wonder she had fallen into lust with him immediately?

“Raining?” she asked.

He shook his head. “The sun is bright and inviting.” He frowned. “I almost wish it wasn’t.”

She understood that sentiment. “Unfortunately, we cannot stay hidden in this little cabin forever.”

“That’s true,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean that I cannot wish for that very thing.” He stroked her arm lightly with his fingertips. “You never claimed your boon from our archery contest.”

“You’re right, I never did,” Charlotte smiled. “Would it be too much to ask that we stay here and pretend the world doesn’t exist? I’d love for that to be my boon.” She sighed. “If only wishing made it so.” She patted the settee. “We can live in a world of make believe a little longer. Come back here and kiss me.”

Declan met her gaze. The heat there sent shivers of anticipation down her spine. It held a promise that she’d find pleasure in his arms. Always. Charlotte loved how that made her feel. How he made her feel. As if he treasured her and would ensure she was taken care of, and maybe even loved. It was a nice fantasy. He hadn’t told her he loved her. This had to be enough. “Is that what you wish in exchange for your boon?” he asked.

“Perhaps,” she said. “Come kiss me and I’ll tell you.”

He sat on the settee and then leaned down to press his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and filled with so much passion it made her ache. She squeezed her thighs together as need built there. She understood now what those needs were, and she wanted him there. Between her thighs and deep inside her. She moaned as he deepened the kiss and stroked his tongue over hers. Almost like a dance that built her desire with each slide of his tongue over hers.

Declan lifted her from the settee and placed her in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he continued to kiss her. He pulled away and then trailed kisses over her shoulders, and then down to her breasts. He sucked on her nipple, then the other one. Charlotte squirmed in his lap, her need growing with each new sensation. “Declan.” She gasped his name as he slid a finger over her sensitive core. “Please,” she begged.

“Does this feel good, darling?” he asked. He licked her nipple, then blew lightly on the tightened bud. “Do you need me here?”

“Oh,” she moaned. “I do. Don’t make me beg anymore. Give me pleasure now.”

“Then you concede your boon to me?” He continued kissing her breasts as he stroked her needy flesh. Her moans grew louder with each slide of his talented fingers over her. She began to writhe against him. He moved his finger until it was centered at her entrance and then slowly slid it inside. He stroked it in and out of her as his thumb rubbed against her over-sensitized nub. Something built inside of her. That pressure on the verge of bursting forth and leaving her a puddle of satisfaction.

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “This can be my boon. Don’t stop.”

Declan sucked on her nipples and continued to stroke her with his fingers. Charlotte lost all ability to think. There wasn’t anything but Declan, her building need, and his ability to satisfy her. When it crested inside of her and then crashed until she went limp in his arms, Charlotte thought she might have blacked out. Until the world suddenly became clear and he kissed her softly. His lips were once again on hers, but this time it wasn’t filled with passion. It was more... coaxing. Like lulling her back to the present. “Was that what you had in mind when you demanded a kiss?”

Her lips curled up into a smile. “I had a kiss in mind when I made that request. That was far superior to a mere kiss. Perhaps I’ll request that sort of kiss in the future.”

“Will you now?” His lips tilted upward into that wicked grin of his. The one she melted for every single time. “Then I am glad I more than delivered. I’ll happily kiss you in any way you request, darling.” He kissed her quickly. “But now we should dress. We need to return.”

She frowned. Charlotte should not be surprised. He hadn’t made her any promises, after all. But her heart sank nonetheless. This little interlude was at an end. His interest in her would wane soon too. She couldn’t stay at Havenwood. Not with him so close. The temptation would be too much. Charlotte would never be able to keep her distance from him. Her need of him was far too great, and she had done something even more foolish. She had gone and fallen in love with the rogue. Otherwise, she would never have allowed him such liberties.

“All right.” Charlotte sighed. “If you insist.” She made herself crawl off of his lap. “But I’ll need your assistance. How to you feel playing lady’s maid?”

He stood and dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “It will be my pleasure, darling.” He walked away from her and started to don his own clothing. She was momentarily stunned as the sight of his naked body started to disappear as he slid his pants on. She would love to demand he remain naked always.

With a sigh she slid on her shift. Her clothing was wrinkled but serviceable. She slid her stays into place. “Declan, love,” she called out to him. “Come lace my stays.”

He had most of his clothing in place. He left his cravat and jacket on the settee. “I like taking this off much more than putting it on.” Declan slid a finger down her back.

“Don’t start that,” she demanded. “You’re the one that insisted we dress.”

“It’s a pity that we need to,” he said, but then started working on her stays. Once he had them secured, he kissed her neck. “Do you need help with your gown too?”

“I might,” she said. “There are a lot of buttons.”

“That there are,” he said. “I seem to recall that from last night.”

She finished dressing with his help. Charlotte never would have imagined that when she decided to join the hunt it would lead to her and Declan coming together. She knew she enjoyed his kisses, but the rest. She never could have dreamt of such a pleasure-filled night.

*

He had to discuss their future with her. He just couldn’t seem to find the right words. All he had wanted to do was lay her back on that settee and love her all day. Declan knew better than to do that. He’d already done far more than he should have. A more honorable man would have waited until they’d said vows before having his way with her. Declan had never claimed to be a true gentleman. He’d always been a rogue, and now he had claimed a woman that had been an innocent, and he did not regret one moment of his time with her. In fact, he could not wait until he could take her to bed again. This morning, he had given her pleasure without taking any for himself. It had been wonderful to watch her come undone from his touch. He couldn’t wait to do that again. But first he had to explain to her that they would be wed. As soon as possible.

They made sure they had everything packed up and ready to leave the cabin. He escorted her to where he had tied the horses, and still, he couldn’t seem to find the words he needed to say to her. Declan had never had any difficulty speaking before. Why was this so hard?

Kallippos lifted her head as they approached. Charlotte leaned against her and stroked her mane. Thankfully, Charlotte’s fall hadn’t injured her terribly, and the snake bite had been nothing more than a scratch. She had no difficulty donning her boots. What little swelling that had been there had lessened overnight. He’d never been happier that a woman had put on boots before. He would much rather have stripped them off...

“I’ll help you mount her,” he told Charlotte.

“Thank you,” she said.

He came over to her side and helped her onto Kallippos’s back. Then he mounted his own horse. “We should discuss our future.” There, he said the words. That hadn’t been as difficult as he supposed it would be, but now for the rest. “And when we will get married.”

“Married?” She lifted a brow. “I do not recall agreeing to that.”

“Darling,” he said. “We have to marry, or have you not considered the consequences of me taking your innocence?”

“I have,” she said an even tone. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As if she was fortifying herself for something. “My father won’t allow me to marry you, Declan.”

“Why the hell not?” What could her father have against him? He would be a good match for her. He was a bloody marquess. Most fathers would be ecstatic at the idea of their daughter being the wife of a marquess. That wasn’t arrogance on his part. That was a fact. One that he lived with when marriage-minded mothers were involved. “More importantly... I don’t hear you rejecting my offer.”

“You haven’t exactly offered,” Charlotte began. “You’re demanding marriage because we were intimate. Have you thought about what I want at all?”

He thought she wanted him. Wasn’t that what the past few weeks had been about? They had sneaked meetings and kisses because they desired each other. They had not made any promises, but Declan hadn’t thought that was necessary. The very fact he wanted to be near her should have shown her that he wanted her. Had he miscalculated? Surely, he hadn’t done any such thing? Declan did not make mistakes, and this wasn’t one now.

Declan gritted his teeth. “Charlotte, darling,” he began. “Will you be my wife?”

“No,” she said. There was sadness in her tone that made his heart ache. Why was she denying them this? She felt something for him. He would bet everything on that fact. Never would he have thought she would not consent to be his wife. This... was wrong. He closed his eyes and took several breaths to calm his growing anxiety. There had to be a way to correct whatever mistake he’d made. Because he had clearly made one somewhere.

“Why?” he asked calmly. Acting rashly would not aid his cause.

“Because my father . . .”

“Will not be an issue,” he said. “You can rest assured of that fact. Trust me.”

“I wish I could.” She sighed. “But you do not know him. I promise you that he will have something to say about a possible marriage between us. He has other ideas about my future husband.”

Declan didn’t like it, but she was correct on one point. He did not know her father. She might be correct in her estimation of him. What if he wouldn’t consent to their marriage? What would he do if the duke denied him her hand in marriage? What lengths would he go to if he couldn’t claim her ever again? What if he could never truly have her?

He shuddered at the thought. Charlotte was the only woman he had ever wanted this much. He could not imagine a life without her. “And what if you’re carrying my child?” He met her gaze. “Would he still say no?”

“A child would not matter if he has other plans for me. He would just make sure to marry me off to the man of his choosing that much sooner.” She frowned. “I wish that it could be different.”

“Do you?” He hated this. There had to be another solution. Charlotte was his, damn it. He would not let go of her so easily. “Would you have said yes if not for your father?”

“What would that change?” She met his gaze. “My father would still be an obstacle.”

He studied her. She hadn’t said no because she didn’t want to be with him. But he had to be sure before he did something irreparable. “Just tell me.”

“Let me ask you this,” she began. “Why do you even want to marry me? I never got the impression we were heading there.”

“You didn’t?” He furrowed his brows. “What did you think the clandestine meetings and stolen kisses were for? I do not seduce innocents.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know what you do or don’t do.” Charlotte met his gaze. “I only know how you make me feel. We haven’t exactly had long deep conversations about our hopes and dreams.”

Declan had definitely made some serious mistakes. She doubted his intentions. He would have to rectify that. “You’re correct.” He stared at the reins of Kallippos dangling from her hands. They had been sitting on their horses, not moving, during this entire conversation. They should have already started back to Easton Abbey. Perhaps that had been for the best. “If I had been different. If I had been more open about my intentions. Would we even be here now?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Perhaps.” Charlotte smiled at him. There was something in her gaze. Not regret, but maybe sadness. “I suspect not. I cannot seem to stay away from you.”

“So, you might have said yes,” he said.

“I wish I could,” Charlotte told him. There was honesty there in her expression. He wanted to pull her off Kallippos and hold her against him. The need to comfort her was overwhelming. Then an idea formed. An idea that had been there all along, but he hadn’t fully realized it until this moment.

He stopped his horse, and she did as well. Charlotte glanced in his direction. “Why have we stopped?”

“Because this is something we need to discuss before we return to the abbey. Come over here,” he demanded. “I think we need to dismount and work through all of this.” He wanted her, and he had to ensure that she agreed to be his wife. It was too important to him.

Charlotte dismounted from Kallippos and walked over to him. “I thought we were both dismounting.”

He stared down at her. “Do you trust me?” he asked her.

“Of course,” she said. “There was a time I might not have, but I do now.”

“Then give me your hand.” She reached up and he pulled her into his saddle. “We can talk like this.”

“So you can seduce me into your way of thinking?” she asked. Charlotte wasn’t unhappy to be with him in the saddle, though. Her grin stole away any doubt there.

He grinned. “You already know me so well.” Declan gave into his need and did pull her into his arms. He held her against him as he tied Kallippos’s reins to his saddle. “Then there’s no reason for you to object to this.”

“What is this?” she wiggled against him. “I can ride on Kallippos. I don’t need to be in your arms.”

“Yes, you do,” he told her. “Otherwise, you might ride away, and I cannot allow that. It won’t take long to arrive where we are going.” He grinned. “Luckily for us, Scotland isn’t too far away, and we will be married before anyone can prevent it.”

“We can’t...” She struggled against him, but Declan held her close. Once they were in Scotland, she would accept that this was the only way. She wanted to be with him. He was willing to wager his entire future on that belief.

“I assure you,” he said. “We can. Darling,” he said in a mischievous tone. “We are eloping. By the time your father discovers anything, it will be far too late.”

Charlotte sighed. “You might regret marrying me.”

“I’ll never regret that.” Declan had never been surer of anything in his life. If he had to elope with her to have her as his wife, then he would. He’d rather have married her in a church and kept it all proper. But if her father really would not approve of their marriage, then he was all right doing it the scandalous way.

“Then let’s get married,” she said. “We will weather the scandal together.” Her grin made his heart leap with joy. They were going to do this. He was going to marry Charlotte.

It shouldn’t take more than a few hours for them to reach the border, then perhaps another hour after that to the nearest village. Once there they could say their vows. As far as a wedding night, they could decide on that after. He’d already taken her innocence. There was no need for a consummation, but he’d gladly make love to her again if she wanted him. For now, he just needed to make her his wife. The rest could wait. At least for a little while.