Page 33 of Lady of Fortune
And then, ever so gently, she leaned in and placed her lips upon his. Her kiss was hesitant at first, questioning, searching, as she longed for him to respond, to know that she wasn't the only one who was feeling this way, wanting more. He stood there, unresponsive, and Julia stepped back, blinking away the tears that were beginning to form. She was embarrassed, of course, but more than that, she was distraught by the fact that if he pushed her away now, it would mean they could never be together, that there would never be a path forward for the two of them.
But just when she was about to turn and flee, Eddie reached out and caught her by the shoulders.
“That’s the problem,” he said gruffly. “I can’t see anythingbutyou.”
Then in one rough motion, he pulled her to him so that her body was flat against him, and then with one hand twined in her hair around the back of her head and the other arm around her back holding her close against him, he dipped his head and crushed his lips against hers.
She nearly sobbed with both relief and the exquisite thrill of his lips upon hers once more. For kissing him, being held close against him, was both a rush of excitement as well as the feeling of coming home where she belonged.
When his tongue touched her lips, she eagerly parted them, welcoming him into her mouth. She couldn’t get enough of him, and she wanted more than this — she wanted all of him.
But, quite clearly, it wasn’t to be in the middle of an empty street in Newmarket.
Finally, after what seemed like far too short an encounter, he eased back away from her, though he didn’t completely release her. Eddie brought his forehead to hers, and for a moment, they simply stood there, holding one another as they breathed the same air.
Julia never wanted to let go. She wanted to stay here with him, against him, forever. But finally, with one last quick kiss on her forehead, he eased himself away from her, though he took her arm once more and tucked her close into his side as they started walking again.
They were silent as they continued onto her home just outside of town, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. It was the quiet that can exist between two people who are content in the knowledge of their ease with one another.
Julia still found herself nervous around him from time to time, it was true, but by the same token, she was more comfortable with Eddie than she had been with any other man she had ever met. This was where she belonged.Hewas where she belonged. Now she just had to convince him of the fact.
CHAPTER17
The light of the next day brought Eddie no answers — only more questions.
When he and Julia had reached her home the night before, he had done nothing but give her one last kiss and a promise to see her the next day. For that was as far in the future he could provide her any commitment. Despite her protestations, he did know who she was, knew far too well who her family was and what the expectations were for her future.
There was the outside chance her father would allow a match to occur between the two of them, though the Earl’s kindness to his servants likely did not extend as far as to allow his daughter to actually marry one. But even if they were permitted to marry, Eddie couldn’t spend the rest of his life knowing from what he had kept her. For no matter how successful he was, no matter how many champion horses he rode, he could never offer her the life she was used to, the life she deserved, which another member of the nobility could provide her.
When she had kissed him, he had done all he could to hold back, to keep from giving in and returning her kiss, but his draw toward her was far too powerful, and his body had acted of its own accord, the urge to be with her becoming so much stronger than what his mind knew was the correct behavior.
Eddie’s sleep had been restless as all he could think of was Julia and of what it would mean to be with her, to hold her close once more. While in his waking moments he could attempt to push the thoughts away, through the night his mind raced with all of the desires he had tried to keep within.
And then he had to see her again first thing in the morning. When she showed up, at the practice track today, despite the early hour and the late night they had the night before, she was bright-eyed and eager. In just over a week, already her stamina had increased and she was catching on. If Eddie was being honest, he had never seen a more natural rider, particularly when she was on a horse with whom she so connected. If he wasn’t careful, she could very well beat him in the Two Thousand Guineas — not that he would ever admit as much to her.
“That was good, wasn’t it?” she asked as she rode in once he told her that was enough for the day.
He nodded. “It was good,” he said. “You’re a natural.”
She beamed, but then sobered after a moment.
“I do have one problem.”
He wished he had only one.
“Which is?”
“My father wants to meet James Smith.”
“Damn,” he cursed, holding Orianna’s reins as Julia dismounted.
“Yes, I feel the same,” she said with a nod, clearly undisturbed by his foul language. “What am I to do? I may be able to fool others, but my father? He would take one look at me and say, ‘Julia, whatever are you doing dressed in your brother’s clothing?’”
Eddie couldn’t help but laugh at her perfect impression of her father, but he quickly cleared his smile when he saw that she was, in fact, rather distraught.
“I can see how that might be an issue,” he said. “I suppose we’ll just have to find someone to stand in for you.”
“But who? How could we possibly trust anyone not to share the secret with others?”
