Page 47 of The Cruelty of Thorns

“There’s no other way. We have to make it to the stables.”

“I don’t know, Julianus. I…”

“You can do it. I’ll be right beside you.”

She swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

I looked around to ensure myself there was no one lurking about, then grabbing hold of her hand, inched out away from the house and started running. I didn’t go as fast as I did the last time, knowing Rosetta still wasn’t at full strength, but she stayed with me, her breathing labored, her eyes wide and fearful.

When we got to the woodpile, I pulled her around and leaned her up against it so she could catch her breath. “See? That wasn’t so bad. Are you all right?”

She nodded, still panting. The activity had brought some color to her cheeks, but she was still more pale than I liked and I could tell she was struggling just to stay upright.

“I promise you when we get out of here, we’ll take a rest. Just a little farther.”

“I’m okay.”

When her breathing leveled out, I took her hand again and led her around the back of the stables toward the pasture. It was about a dozen steps in the open to get to the gate, then a quick trek to the cypress stand. I pointed it out to her while pressing my ear to the wall to listen for any sounds of activity inside. I didn’t know how long Giovanni and his stable boys would be up at the main house or if they had already come back, but it sounded silent inside.

“You ready?” I asked her.

“Yes,” she nodded, her hand squeezing mine.

“Let’s go.”

I led her away from the back of the stables toward the gate, holding my breath the whole way until we were inside the pasture. We skirted along the fence toward the cover of the cypress trees. One of the horses nearby whinnied as we passed, but no one was around to notice.

When I was sure we were hidden from view of the stables, I stopped and motioned for her to climb up on the fence. “I’ll help you.”

“It’s okay. I can do it.”

She placed one foot on the lower rail and lifted herself up, swinging her leg over until she was straddling the fence. She leaned forward, trying to bring her other leg over, but her dress got caught on the wood and she started to panic.

“Hold on,” I said as I moved to help her. I found the splinter that had grabbed the fabric and pulled it loose, setting her free and allowing her to clear the fence. She fell onto the other side, but smiled up at me to assure me she was all right. I followed her over and grabbed her hand to pull her to her feet.

“See? That wasn’t so bad.” I couldn’t believe it; we were free. “Let’s get out of here and find the road.”

We walked for several minutes, putting some distance between us and the Contessa’s property, until I felt we were safe enough to allow Rosetta to take a break. I found a row of stones and indicated for her to take a seat.

It took several minutes for her to catch her breath, during which I watched her closely to ensure she was all right. If I could carry her the rest of the way into town, I would have just so she didn’t have to walk. I knew she was still weak from her ordeal with Christopher, and just thinking about that made me want to go back and revisit my initial vow to kill him.

It was starting to get warm, the sun now well up in the sky, and I wished we had brought something to drink, especially for Rosetta’s sake.

“Sit down, Julianus,” she urged, patting the stone beside her. “I’m sure there’s no one following us.”

I smiled and lowered myself next to her. “Are you, now? You were the one who was worried.”

“Yes, and you were right. I still can’t believe we’re out of there.”

“And once we reach my father’s house, we’ll be able to get far enough away we’ll never have to worry about her again.”

“I can’t…” She hesitated, her eyes clouding with tears. “I can’t ever thank you enough.”

“Hey, you don’t have to thank me.” I couldn’t stand to see her cry, even if it was tears of relief. I reached out and swiped a finger across her cheek to dry them. When our eyes met, something passed between us and I felt my heart stir. “Rosetta?”

“Yes, Julianus?” she breathed.

“I…” I suddenly wanted to kiss her so badly nothing else mattered. I leaned closer, our foreheads touching, my lips brushing hers and I felt that stirring ignite into a flame. The kiss that started out innocent became something more, something hungry and powerful, and before I knew it we were in each other’s arms, my mouth seeking to devour hers. I held back, not wanting to force myself upon her, but when she moaned against my mouth, I knew she was feeling it too. I pressed closer, my arms wrapping around her, my tongue slipping out to encircle hers, so overcome by the taste of her that I couldn’t get enough. All the weeks of dancing around our attraction finally came to a head, and I felt like a starving man finally being allowed to eat.

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