Page 68 of Rogue of the Greenwood
Rounding the corner to enter the narrow passage, he found her in the pool of dancing light near the sconce. She still wore the hosen and he was treated to the lovely silhouette of her stretching and reaching backward, tugging at the surplus of fabric that covered the top half of her.
“What the devil have you done?”
“I tried to pull my gown on over the tunic—I wore it that way when I left my house earlier. But it seems… this time I forgot that I was also wearing my quiver. Now the gown has caught on it and I can’t take it off or put it on.”
So he would have to assist. This would require moving very close to her, fitting himself in the narrow passage right next to her. Then he would have to touch her.
Indeed, this adventure was far, far more interesting than rescuing Mr. Green from the gaol would have been!
“Very well,” he said boldly. “Now, perhaps if I take hold of your gown—”
“Don’t pull at it! You’ll rip it. I rather like this gown.”
“I’m being careful; just hold still. Let me try to untangle this.”
“You have to reach up under it to find where it’s caught on the quiver.”
“I am… I can’t seem to find—”
“Reach up under my gown, not the tunic!”
Good God, but he contacted her skin. She was warm, remarkably well-formed, and soft as silk. His hand moved on its own accord, sliding up from her waist, skimming over her belly as she stood stock-still with her back to him. His other hand joined the first and in just moments she was pulled tight against him, the tunic and gown nearly forgotten as he pushed them easily aside to better hold her, touch her, discover her secrets.
Her breath caught in her throat as she gasped for air. He leaned in, pressing his lips to her neck. She smelled of rosewater and tasted like honey. Heat scorched his soul.
“I told you following me down here was risky,” hewhispered.
“I’m still not afraid.”
Perhaps she wasn’t, but he was. He felt desire take hold and was terrified of what it could do to him. Now was surely not the time to give in, to explore Miss Maidland the way he wanted to. If she was not going to stop him, he would be the sensible one. He cared too much for her to let her forget herself here. He feared too much for his own sanity to dive into the floodwaters of longing and emotion that threatened to sweep him away. He wanted—no, needed—much more from Miss Maidland than a hasty dalliance in this dark cave.
“Here,” he said, righting her clothes and clearing his head of the intoxication her nearness had caused. “I found the trouble. You can pull your dress down now. It should cover your costume.”
“Er… yes, it is free now. Thank you.”
Her face was flushed and her eyes wouldn’t meet his. He busied himself, gathering the light from the wall as she slipped a cloak over her shoulders. It covered her quiver, her bow, and the rest of her almost completely so that no one would notice the wrinkles and layers beneath. The feathered cap was further disgraced as she shoved it into a pocket. Although not the height of fashion, when she pulled the cloak’s hood over her disheveled hair it was unlikely anyone would think her out of place on a crowded street.
“Excellent,” he declared, keeping a healthy distance from her. “Come along. We still have to find our way out of here.”
He knew, of course, he would never really leave this place. It would linger forever in his mind; thelight flickering against her velvet skin, the feel of her in his arms, the heat of want surging through him, the sound of her breathy voice echoing off the stone walls… none of it could be forgotten. All because ofher.
They finally made it out of the caves and emerged into a tidy park. Few people noticed them as they left the darkness of the caves and strolled out into the light. Marianne watched passers-by carefully for any sign of suspicion but, apparently, she and Mr. Locksley looked as innocent as any other couple wandering through Nottingham on this lovely day.
She felt decidedly not innocent. Oh, but how the man had touched her in that darkened passageway. How he had made her feel when he pressed his lips against her skin! Most shocking of all, how she would have gladly let him continue.
Thankfully, he had not. He was a far more decent person than she was and had bustled them safely out of there. They had only needed to wind through a few more passages, each one wider than the one before, until he proclaimed that he recognized where they were. Sure enough, very quickly he brought them to the surface.
He seemed to be even more relieved to be back above ground than she was. It was almost insulting, in fact, how eager he seemed to be rid of her. Perhaps whatever had passed between them below had not been to his liking, after all.
She truly wished she had not liked it so very much.
“Shall I walk you to your house, or would it be bestif we do not take the risk of being seen together?” he asked as they approached her street.
Again, it was difficult not to take offense. She knew there was a practical reason he should ask this, but how it grated to think he would not wish to be seen with her!
“I am fine to continue alone,” she replied. “Thank you for your assistance, and I do hope that all is well with your friends. I’m sure you’re eager to find them again.”
“Yes… they must wonder what happened to me, and of course I am worried for them. Despite the excellent distraction you provided—for the sheriff, I mean—there is a chance they were not enough to succeed in their objective.”
