Page 99 of Taming Ivy
“I'm very glad you changed your mind about them,” Sebastian breathed. “Because you are astoundingly breathtaking wearing rose petals and nothing else.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“Scoundrel,” Ivy gave him a light push. “I won’t fall for it, you know. Not out here. No matter how many rose petals you might cover me in.”
“Pity. I must imagine you then, on this hillside, in the deep, green grass, blue skies overhead. White and red petals covering you, while I decide what to uncover and what parts of you to kiss.” His eyes blazed, sweeping her body with such heat her clothes should have caught on fire.
Ivy’s breath was decidedly quicker as she admonished him. “You, my lord, are wicked.”
“Hmm, one of my better qualities, don’t you agree?” Taking mercy on her, Sebastian reclined on an elbow to gaze over the countryside.
"Shall this be our residence when we are not in London?" Ivy asked a few moments later.
"Do you wish it to be?" He was still contemplating making love to her there on the hillside, thoughts of her naked firing his imagination. He knew she was worried about their return to London, but was unsure of its reason. "This is the closest of my residences to Town. I have an estate near the border of Scotland and a plantation in the Caribbean, should you ever desire to visit the tropics. As well as a small chateau on the southern coast of France.”
"Is this why you are brown all over? From visiting the tropics?"
"Why, my dear countess,” Sebastian teased. "Have you been peeking beneath the covers?"
Ivy's brow arched. "It's difficult not to notice when you refuse to wear a stitch of clothing to bed.”
"I did warn you our first morning here, remember?"
“You’re not answering my question.”
He chuckled and with Ivy’s help, began packing up the lunch items. With everything gathered, she followed him to the horses and watched as he secured it all to the back of the back of Raven’s saddle. They walked down the hill to a second gate, the horses held loose by their reins. As they traipsed through the yellow flowers, the same lamb, which before sat so contentedly in Ivy’s lap, stumbled away from its mother. With a plaintive baa’ing it attempted to follow them, Sebastian and Ivy watching in bemusement before the mother ewe emitted a distinctively stern sound that made the little thing turn back.
After passing through the gate and remounting the horses, they turned to the path leading deeper into the woods. Sebastian resumed their conversation.
"Before I returned to London by way of Paris, I spent nearly a year at Rosethorne. If I was not working the plantation, I lazed the days away on the beach. You cannot imagine the color of the water, Ivy, it’s such a beautiful blue-green. Your eyes are nearly its exact shade, you know, and the sand is so white, it's almost blinding. It’s very hot, although it rains nearly every afternoon to cool things off a bit. When the sun sinks down over the water, it’s such a gorgeous sight, you wonder how God could create so many colors.”
Ivy’s head tilted as she regarded him with a contemplative eye. "How lovely. Still, it does not explain why you are so tan.”
Laughing at her determination, Sebastian confessed, "Because I swim as I sleep. The Caribbean sun is quite strong; it bronzes the skin quickly. The same would probably happen to you, my little English butterfly, ruining that rose and cream complexion of yours. I'm afraid you’d turn color of a walnut. Then I’d have to call you my little brown moth.”
"I would hardly be running about on the beach with no clothes on, Sebastian.” Ivy blushed. “Someone might see.”
Sebastian saw little sense in mentioning that he and his mistress spent hours cavorting on the beach and in the surf and no one ever violated that privacy. That other woman, he could not recall neither her face nor her name.
A silent promise was made in that moment to take his wife to Rosethorne one day. They would spend their days swimming, making love, on the soft white sand and in the jade green sea. All memories of any woman before her would be forever blotted out until only his butterfly countess existed.
"No one would dare intrude,” Sebastian replied softly, his eyes glowing with half-made plans. "And yes, we may reside here at Beaumont, if you wish. My parents did.”
"I would like that. We would be close to Lord Bentley and Sara after their wedding, should they choose to reside at Bentley Park. If you’ve no objections, I would like it a great deal.”
Bringing Raven to a halt, he leaned over to press a kiss to Ivy’s lush mouth. She tasted of tart strawberries, wine and cool lemonade. “You only need ask, my sweetness. I will grant your every wish.”
"I'm pleased to hear it.” The grin she gave him was cheeky. "For the moment, however, I shall settle for another kiss.”
Sebastian happily obliged.
CHAPTER 35
This corner of Beaumont was dense, almost primeval, with dark, cool woods and hilly terrain, but as the afternoon passed, even the forest’s coolness did little to combat Ivy’s discomfort. Removing the smart little jacket of her riding habit was necessary. Soon, even the long-sleeved shirt beneath became uncomfortably warm.
"Will you melt?" Sebastian asked. Sunlight filtered through the tree canopy and Ivy sighed with visible relief every time a shady patch appeared.
"I should hope not.” The heaviness of her apparel exasperated her. "I don’t know what Molly was thinking by not packing my summer riding habits.”
"We can go back if you like.”
