Page 49 of Gambling with the Earl
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He had kickedoff his shoes and his feet were bare like his muscular chest. He stood in the shallows with the waves rushing up over his toes, his breeches rolled up above his knees. A smile played across his handsome face and the sun shone down on him like a blessing.
He had never been so attractive, nor so unobtainable.
Kitty crept along the beach, shame pulsating through her. She was a petty thief. A common criminal. She had been in his employ under false pretences all along, but now there was no turning back. She had hidden the jewels inside her closet, knowing as she fastened the door that this must be her final day at Rossfarne Castle. She had a half day this afternoon and low tide was expected at sunset, meaning the causeway would be passable. Her fate was sealed.
She should be full of joy, for she had done what she set out to achieve. Rosalind’s future was once again bright with possibility. But a small voice had started up in her ear and it would not be silenced.
“What about your own future?” it whispered. “What about Guy?”
But Guy had no place in her future. He had never been hers, and now he never would be.
He turned towards her, breaking through her thoughts with a smile as warm as the day. “You have come, at last.”
“It took a while for me to gather a change of clothes.”
Her arms were full of his things. A soft blue shirt and long breeches which she’d hurriedly grasped on her flight from his chamber. The masculine scent of him was impressed upon them; she’d been breathing him in since leaving the outer walls.
“No matter.” He gestured impatiently. “Come and enjoy the water. It is very refreshing.”
She looked around for somewhere to keep his dry clothes and spotted a long, flat stone which would suffice. She folded themneatly and placed them down, painfully aware that this could be the final service she would perform for him.
She had nursed his strong body back to health. Felt his muscular arms closing around her. And now she was planning to sneak away from his castle.
It would be improper to go and stand with him, as if they were equals, friends, or even something more. Yesterday she would have refused, citing work in the kitchen or perhaps a headache. But she had abandoned propriety when she deliberately ran her hands down the length of his spine, delighting in his response.
And she might never get another chance to stand at his side.
She kicked off her pattens and her stockinged feet sank into the soft sand. It was difficult to walk, but she crossed the beach with as much dignity as she could muster, hovering just behind him when her courage failed.
He didn’t turn to face her, but he was aware of her presence, she could tell by the set of his shoulders.
“Have you removed your stockings?”
She blushed, even though he was looking away from her. “No, my lord.”
“You should. I can’t imagine how dreadful it would be to paddle in stockings.”
Her pulse began to pound. Her body became as warm within as the parts exposed to the bright sun. “I was not intending to paddle.”
“That’s a shame, on a day like this.” Now he turned, and the impish smile on his face chased away her prim concerns. “After all, there’s only the two of us here.”
She shouldn’t do it. But she was going to. The sun was hot and relentless. Her dress was clinging and restrictive. What harm could it do to allow herself the slightest breeze?
“Don’t look,” she cautioned.
He swung his gaze back to the waves. “I will not.”
She wobbled with the effort of pulling off her first stocking. When it eventually came away, she fell into the soft sand with a small grunt, but Guy kept his promise and didn’t turn. She stayed where she was to remove the second, forsaking etiquette in a sudden urge to be free.
The sand felt glorious beneath her toes. Warm, but wonderful. She strode out to the shallows and squealed with surprise as the cold water rushed over her feet, soaking the hem of her dress.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” He looked at her sideways.
“Very good.” The tide drew back, leaving her feet firmly planted in the sodden sand. She half closed her eyes, giving herself over to the moment. “I haven’t set foot in the sea since I was a child.”
“Me neither. But today, that changes.”
