Page 62 of A Rogue's Rules for Seduction
Her breath gusted against the wooden door as she fought a surge of desire. She hadn’t been thinking clearly last night, nor had she tried to protect herself. She’d been too caught up in her need for him when she let him carry her off the stage. Afterward, tenderness had surrounded them. It was too easy to want more of this. To let herself be wrecked and ruined again—and now it would be completely leveling because they had grown even closer. He could hurt her badly, worse than before.
So, she’d retreated from him. It was either that, or else wrap her arms around him and refuse to let go.
The way hetouchedher. The way helookedat her. She never felt as beautiful, as important, asnecessaryas when Dom stared at her with his whole self in his eyes.
She shook her head. No.No.She wouldn’t give in. She would stand firm and protect herself.
There was a sound next door, coming from Dom’s room. He could be coming for her, when she wasn’t ready to face him.
Moving without thought, she wrenched open her door and rushed out into the hallway. She passed servants going about their duties, and even Lakshmi, but she didn’t slow when the young woman greeted her. Instead, Willa hurried down the stairs and dashed from the house.
She wasn’t certain where she was going, only that her body had to be in motion.Awayfrom Dom. When she hadn’t been able to fight her battles, she’d run away, and today, she gave in to that old impulse.
Willa hadn’t planned on going outside, so she had no shawl to protect her as blustery winds buffeted her as she headed into the craggy hills. Thick, iron-gray clouds hung low and ominous overhead. She also paid little heed to the shouts coming behind her, shouts that sounded suspiciously like Finn and Kieran.
Facing them right now was impossible. She could only keep going. Maybe somewhere on this island, she could stop and allow herself space and time to think, and to figure out what came next with her and Dom. God knew that at this moment, she was completely adrift.
She pushed herself hard, charging up one rugged mountain and down another, striding swiftly through the low stands of rowan trees, always moving forward, even as the wind began to blow fiercely, nearly shoving her to the ground with its force.
Something flashed overhead, and she started as it was followed by a deafening boom of thunder. And then... the heavens ripped apart.
Rain pounded down on her in heavy curtains that nearly made it impossible to breathe. Within seconds, she was drenched, her pink gown plasteredto her and offering not a whit of protection or warmth.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she muttered.
What was she supposed to do? Already, she shivered with cold, her teeth knocking together. The rowan trees were far too small to take shelter beneath, but if she tried to make it back to the house, she’d surely perish of cold.
Looking around, she saw a familiar arrangement of rocks, and recognized the gorge in which she stood as the very same one near Mr. Longbridge’s cabin. She remembered his instructions to reach the small house—it wasn’t too far away—and she could take shelter until the storm abated.
As she followed Mr. Longbridge’s directions, a loud roaring sounded ahead. She drew up short as what was promised to be a small creek had now swollen to a raging river. Thankfully, on the other side of the river stood the cabin, a cozy-looking structure with timbered walls and roof that appeared blessedly dry.
To reach the cabin, she’d have to cross the footbridge that spanned the river. It wasn’t very sturdy-looking, though, and it appeared even more fragile as the water beneath it churned and foamed furiously, straining the wooden structure’s integrity.
It groaned ominously beneath her weight when she stepped onto it. As she crossed the bridge, she glanced down to see the creek-turned-surging-river rising even higher so that it washed over the planksand soaked her boots. There was a terrible fracturing sound under her, and she flung herself toward the shore just as the little footbridge was washed away, its wooden boards immediately taken by the heaving water.
She scrabbled for a hold on the slippery bank as the rushing river pulled at her legs. Panic seized her and she screamed. She wasn’t strong enough to fight the current.
A strong grip surrounded her, pulling her up to safety. She was lifted out of the water and hauled high—into Dom’s arms.
She clung to him, tucking her head into the crook of his bare neck. He strode toward the cabin, carrying her up the steps, and through the open door.
Dripping, freezing, she shuddered as he kicked the door shut behind them. She pulled back and only then did she realize that not only had Dom rescued her from drowning, he was also completely nude.
Dom struggled to hold on to a soaked Willa. “Stop squirming.”
“P-put me d-down.”
His heart still thundered from almost losing her to the river. “Not a chance.”
“Down,”she insisted, kicking her legs. When he reluctantly let her go, she gaped at him. “Wh-why are y-you n-naked?”
“Had to take off my wet clothes. I was just starting to light a fire when I heard you scream.”
Even though she shook with cold, her gaze shot to his groin.
It didn’t matter that she’d seen his cock last night—this was broad daylight, in the middle of a squall, and, well, it was cold out, which didn’t do a man’s paraphernalia any favors.
He grabbed the closest thing at hand, which happened to be a stuffed owl mounted on a wooden base, and held it in front of his crotch.
