Page 70 of The Lady and the Footballer
“Yes!” she said. “I…” She bit her lip as she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. “I missed you.”
“Well, I am glad to hear that,” he said. “I was concerned about you.”
He finally set her on her feet, as much as he wanted to keep holding her close.
“My father wouldn’t allow me to come to the game,” she said, splaying her hands across his chest. “He said I must stay away for my own safety, but I think it has more to do with keeping me away from you. He says he believes we are not involved, but I think he is still concerned.”
“He has every reason to be,” Colin said, his eyes wandering up and down her body, trying to see beyond all those layers of fabric to what he knew was underneath.
“Well, here you are,” she said, her quick breath telling him she was just as affected as he was.
“Here I am,” he agreed, uncertain of what else to say.
“Come with me,” she said, her eyes taking on an impish glow.
“Where are you taking me?” he asked, even as he followed her. The truth was, he would follow her wherever she led.
“I know of a place on the outskirts of my family’s grounds. It’s not much – a small gazebo – but it’s sheltered from the elements and there is even a padded bench where we can… sit.”
“Sit,” he said, his lips spreading into a smile.
“Sit… talk… or whatever we are interested in doing with one another.”
“It will be difficult to think of something,” he said, but then quickly sobered, reaching out to stop her. “Lily, before we go any further, I must apologize.”
“For what?” she asked, her eyes so clear and trusting that he felt even worse than he had before.
“When we came together, I was being selfish. I was thinking only of how we would be together, what we could do together, of how much I wanted you, even if it was only to spend time with you. But I wasn’t thinking clearly about what the consequencescould be for you. I have ruined you, with no idea of how we could ever find a way forward together.”
“Colin.”
She stopped him, placing her hands on his arms, holding him close. “I have chosen this as much as you have. Please don’t apologize, because then it takes away my ability to think for myself.”
He managed a small smile, appreciating what she was saying to him but still feeling guilty. “Understood.”
“Now, would you still come with me? Please?”
“How could I ever say no?”
He followed her through the grounds, slightly tense as he waited for someone to call out through the night, telling them they must stop, that he must unhand her, but he heard nothing. As the path curved, a sudden opening revealed a gazebo. The moon's soft light danced off the white columns and ornate roof, creating intricate patterns on the ground below. Trees encircled the structure on three sides, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze, and a small lake glistened in the moonlight just beyond the gazebo.
“This is breathtaking,” he said, blinking as they stepped onto the platform. He had never seen anything quite like it and guessed that he never would again.
“It’s my favorite place on the grounds,” she said, standing next to him in the middle of the gazebo, slipping her hand through his. “It’s where I come when I want to think or be alone.”
“Do you and Emmaline spend a lot of time here?” he asked, and she shook her head against his arm.
“No,” she said. “You are the first person I have ever brought here.”
Why did that make this all the more special than it had been to start?
As one, they turned to face each other, and he reached out, running his hand down the smooth skin of her cheek.
“Have I told you just how beautiful you are?” he asked softly, and her pink lips curled upward as her eyes met his.
“Not today,” she murmured, and then gasped and giggled when he reached down and swooped her up into his arms.
“Then here is your reminder,” he said, his lips but a breath away from hers. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I am so lucky that you have blessed me with any of your time.”
