Page 27 of A Governess' Forbidden Flame
“I’m sure he will love the flowers just as much as we do,” Amelia responded, as both of them stopped immediately. “Lead the way!”
Anna did not need to be told twice. She rushed back, knowing that her uncle and Amelia were right behind. Sebastian knew this was his moment. He walked alongside Amelia, his eyes following Anna. The moment she disappeared from plain sight, his own footsteps melded with the rustle of leaves as he led Amelia away from the well-trodden path. The once vibrant gardens now held a quiet enchantment, as if nature itself conspired to keep their stolen moment wrapped in a veil of secrecy.
The dappled sunlight filtered through a canopy of leaves, creating a mosaic of dancing shadows on the forest floor. The air was saturated with the heady perfume of blossoms in bloom, adding an ethereal quality to the secluded setting. The weight of unspoken emotions hung between them, a palpable tension that seemed to draw them closer with each step.
“What are you doing?” She chuckled sweetly as he held her by the hand, leading the way.
“Shhh,” he replied playfully, without turning around.
She obeyed without a single word, stifling more laughter, which he could hear, but he didn’t mind. When they reached a quiet glade, Sebastian gently guided Amelia against the rough bark of a venerable tree. The forest, with its ancient sentinels and the hushed symphony of rustling leaves, became the backdrop for a stolen moment that crackled with anticipation.
Without wanting to waste a single moment explaining his intentions, he locked his lips with hers. It was a kiss that mirrored the fervor of emotions kept at bay, the sensations that had been stirred the previous night. At that moment, they were both unable to control themselves. Her hands flew to his hair, gripping it, pulling him closer to her. His own hands wrapped around her waist. Their bodies blended into each other, a perfect amalgamation of desire. They were no longer two, but one.
Sebastian’s lips were firm, yet tender, exploring the soft contours of Amelia’s with a hunger restrained by the weight of unspoken promises. The world around them blurred as the kiss deepened, an unspoken understanding passing between them in the language of shared secrets.
While they were kissing, he realized that he was desperate for her. It had been less than an entire day, and he was provoked to the point of madness by the sheer yearning for the taste of her, the smell of her, the touch of her. The way she kissed himback innocently only seemed to make him even more ravenous because he knew how she would have reacted if his fingers slid beneath the confines of her gown once again.
But even through this mad need, he knew they had to be cautious. It had been so easy to give in to temptation around her. She drew him to her with everything she did, everything she said. Her touch was what men yearned for, her voice the desire of a lonely mind. Reluctantly, he pulled his lips from hers. She was left breathless, her lips slightly swollen from the passionate kiss, with a smile tugging at the corners. Her eyes were wide and sparkling, devouring him.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he admitted, his voice a low murmur. He could read the response in her eyes, but he wanted to hear her say it. In fact, he would have done anything for it.
“I also couldn’t stop thinking about you,” she admitted shyly, much to his pleasure.
“Did you like it?” he asked with a mischievous grin, for some indescribable reason needing more confirmation that she enjoyed herself as much as he did.
“I did…” she smiled, her cheeks blushing.
He couldn’t get enough of her eyes, of her lips, of her perfect body as it melted in his arms.
“Do you want more?” he teased her, enjoying the sight of her breathless and entranced. Her desire was laid bare, just like his. She nodded subtly. “Perhaps we should do something about it then…”
Their lips met in a hungry kiss yet again, while the world around them seemed to fade into a blur of sensation. Her touch ignited a passionate dance, and he followed suit. He slid his fingers into her hair, guiding the kiss. He wanted control. He wanted to possess her, to claim her. He wanted her to be all his.
He kept kissing her wildly, passionately, reverently. He released all the savagery within him that had been slumbering up until that moment, but at the same time, he knew he had to control himself. He wanted to show her how desperate he was for her, even more so when she surprised him by fitting her mouth against his and sucking his lower lip.
He knew that their time was running out. But he didn’t stop kissing her. He couldn’t because it felt as if it might be the last time. He never wanted this kiss to end. He never wanted to leave the garden and go back to the real world. He wanted to stay in this fantasy forever.
But reality intruded in the form of a little girl’s voice who was calling out to them. Reason returned much more slowly than he expected it to, but to his delight, when he opened his eyes, hecould see Amelia chuckling while fixing her hair and touching her cheeks.
“I must look a mess,” she said upon noticing that he was staring at her.
“No…You look lovely,” he told her. And she did.
“It’s not that.” She was still smiling. “I’m wondering if you ruined my coiffure.”
“This is nothing compared to what I want to do to your coiffure tonight,” he whispered, tracing her cheek with the tips of his fingers. His manhood roared, confined within his trousers, and he had to focus hard on keeping this desire at bay.
“Tonight?” she echoed softly.
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “Library.”
She beamed upon those words and accepted his offered arm as they walked back.
Chapter 15
That evening after dinner, Amelia sat down at her writing table to scribble a quick letter to her sister. She felt that she needed to put her thoughts on paper, and Penelope, along with her best friend Rosalind, was her closest confidante who would understand the turmoil that reigned inside of her.
With each passing day, she missed them both more and more, and a sad thought reminded her how wonderful it would be to have them near, so she could speak to them in private and get some much-needed advice on everything that had been taking place within the confines of her newfound home.
