Page 27

He followed her through the grounds, slightly tense as he waited for someone to call out through the night, telling them they must stop, that he must unhand her, but he heard nothing.

As the path curved, a sudden opening revealed a gazebo.

The moon's soft light danced off the white columns and ornate roof, creating intricate patterns on the ground below.

Trees encircled the structure on three sides, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze, and a small lake glistened in the moonlight just beyond the gazebo.

“This is breathtaking,” he said, blinking as they stepped onto the platform. He had never seen anything quite like it and guessed that he never would again.

“It’s my favorite place on the grounds,” she said, standing next to him in the middle of the gazebo, slipping her hand through his. “It’s where I come when I want to think or be alone.”

“Do you and Emmaline spend a lot of time here?” he asked, and she shook her head against his arm.

“No,” she said. “You are the first person I have ever brought here.”

Why did that make this all the more special than it had been to start?

As one, they turned to face each other, and he reached out, running his hand down the smooth skin of her cheek.

“Have I told you just how beautiful you are?” he asked softly, and her pink lips curled upward as her eyes met his.

“Not today,” she murmured, and then gasped and giggled when he reached down and swooped her up into his arms.

“Then here is your reminder,” he said, his lips but a breath away from hers. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I am so lucky that you have blessed me with any of your time.”

“Colin,” she said, her voice soft and breathy. “What am I to do with you?”

“Anything you want.”

Her heart raced as she gazed into his eyes, the intensity of his words sending a shiver down her spine. Lily's breath caught in her throat as Colin lowered his head, his lips brushing against hers in a tender kiss that quickly deepened, igniting a fire within her.

He carried her to one of the padded benches, gently setting her down without breaking their kiss.

His hands roamed over her the soft grey wool of her dress before deftly unfastening the row of neat buttons down the bodice and the narrow ribbon at the waist. Lily helped him, eager to feel his touch on her bare skin.

As he peeled away the layers of fabric, Colin trailed kisses along her neck and collarbone, eliciting soft moans of pleasure from Lily's parted lips. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, desperate for more.

"I need you, Colin," she whispered, her voice heavy with desire. She did need him. For more than just this moment. Worry for the future would have to come later.

He smiled against her skin, his hands caressing her newly exposed flesh. "I'm yours, luv. Always."

Colin shrugged off his jacket, spreading it on the bench beneath her before lowering her onto it. Lily's heart pounded as he settled between her thighs, his arousal pressing against her core. She arched her back, silently begging him to take her.

But Colin wasn’t so quick about it. Instead, he reached down, his fingers finding her, playing with her, making sure she was ready for him — which she had been since the moment she landed in his arms beneath her bedroom window.

With a groan, Colin claimed her lips once more, his tongue delving into her mouth as he slowly entered her. Lily gasped at the exquisite sensation of him filling her, stretching her in the most delicious way. She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him deeper.

They moved together in perfect harmony, their bodies joined as one. Colin's thrusts grew more urgent, more demanding, until he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, surprising her when he turned around and took a seat on the bench, their bodies still joined as she straddled him.

“Ride me,” he whispered, and it took her a moment to become used to the position, but soon enough, they found their rhythm, made even better as he bent his head to take one of her nipples between his lips, his thumb circling her bud of nerves.

The gazebo filled with the sounds of their passion – ragged breaths, soft moans, and whispered words of devotion.

As their climax approached, Lily clung to Colin, her nails digging into his back as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. She cried out his name, lost in the throes of ecstasy, and felt him shudder right before he lifted her off of him and found his own release on the floor of the gazebo.

He picked her up and held her close as they sat, entwined on the bench, their bodies glowing from exertion and contentment. Colin brushed a stray lock of hair from Lily's face, his eyes shining with adoration.

"I shouldn’t say this,” he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “But I think I just might be falling for you, Lily.”

"I feel the same," she replied, her heart swelling with the depth of her feelings for him. “I shouldn’t, but I do.”

Lily knew that this moment, here in the gazebo with the man she loved, would be forever etched in her memory. A perfect, shining example of the bond they shared. They had to find a way to be together, one way or another.

She wasn’t sure she could bear it if they didn’t.