Page 24 of The Earl's Secret
She eyed it as though it was uncertain food of a questionable age but, not being a woman to back down from a challenge, determination crossed her face as she reached up and wrapped her fingers around his.
Lightning raced from where their bare skin touched, up his arms to the very core of his body.
This woman made him feel things that he never had before and he never would again with any other, that was for certain.
He saw the shock in her own eyes, and knew that if he wanted this moment with her, he could have it, but decided that he would continue on with their initial quest instead. He kept her hand firmly within his as they began to navigate their way up the path on its slight incline, his eyes open for any sign of impediment on the path or within the ruins themselves.
“If something is hidden, it could be anywhere,” he said, lifting a hand to shade his eyes as he looked around, remembering the various nuances of the remnants of the building around them.
“We must be thorough, then,” she said. “We’ll begin at one side and work our way to the other. Do you want to start on one end and I will start on the other?”
“No.” He shook his head, his jaw set. “We shall search together.”
“But we shall be faster—”
“No,” he repeated, more firmly this time. He was not about to leave her alone. “Together.”
She must have realized that there was no use in arguing with him, that this was one of the few things he was not going to relent upon, for she reluctantly nodded, agreeing with him.
Fortunately, it was the right time of day and the light was agreeable to where they were searching, although it was beginning to fade and Devon had to wonder if it was due to the time of day or if it was simply clouding over.
Many of the ruin walls still held their original shape, so it was easy enough to each take a dilapidated section and search among its crevices for any signs of blemish or cracks where something could have been hidden.
They often had to dislodge plants or other vegetation, and now and then Devon would reach out to remove an odd brick from the path in front of Cassandra.
“If you paid the same attention to where we were searching as you did to the ground around us, then we might be having much better luck,” she couldn’t help but murmur, and his head snapped up at that.
“I apologize for seeing to your safety,” he said, not masking his sarcasm. “But as it is, we should be getting back soon. You must be getting hungry if you were already outside an hour before I was.”
“I’m fine.”
“But—”
“I said that I am fine,” she said firmly. “You must believe me.”
“Very well,” he said as they left their current area toward the back of the ruins, which would have been the rear of the building — castle or manor house at one point in time. “One more row and then that will be it for the day.”
“If that is what webothdecide.”
“Cassandra,” he exhaled with a sigh as they stepped into the new territory. As he looked over at her, however, he took his eyes off the ground around them, and he was the one whose toe hit a brick in front of them. He stumbled, attempted to catch himself, and then went falling forward, reaching out a hand to the remnants of the brick wall before him.
He surprised himself when he caught the wall, but, unfortunately, he must have been far too much weight for its current uncertain state to hold and he soon found that despite his initial stop, he was continuing to fall forward even lower – as he had broken the wall and it was crashing around them.
“Devon!” he heard Cassandra call out, but he was willing her away, hoping she would stay back from any of the bricks that could hit her.
She, however, did not seem to be listening to his silent command as she continued forward, one of her hands reaching out to grip his jacket as she attempted to either catch him or pull him backward.
Which ended with them both lying in a heap on the ground, her body slightly covering his as bricks littered the dirt around them.
Devon could only groan as he lay on his back, arms spread out wide – with Cassandra splayed over top of him.
He reached out, his hands running over her face.
“Cassandra, are you all right? I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
“I’m completely fine,” she said, her fingers digging into his chest as she started to push herself up. “What aboutyou? You’re the one who fell, who knocked down this entire wall after telling me that it was very possible I would hurt myself. Sometimes you must listen to your own advice.”
“I know.” He winced as something sharp – likely a stone or piece of brick – cut into his back. Cassandra caught the pain on his face and narrowed her eyes as she ran them over him, inspecting him.
