Page 87 of Lord of Fortune
Chapter 16
The coolnessof the tree canopy was a welcome balm to the irritation rioting through her. Amelia didn’t stop her purposeful march until she reached the lean-to, where she turned and crossed her arms over her chest. Her body, taut as a drum, hummed with myriad emotions—anger, frustration, hurt. And determination.
“You aren’t changing my mind.” It bore repeating.
He came into the lean-to and put his hands on his hips. “You can’t do this.”
“Ican’t?”
He blew out a breath. “Youcan, but you shouldn’t. A thousand things could go wrong, and we’ve no idea what Forrest is capable of. You shot him—why didn’t you tell me you shot him?” He didn’t wait for her response before saying, “Clearly, you thought him a threat.”
“I didn’t keep it from you on purpose. Last night was…difficult.” If she thought about it too deeply, she’d lose herself again. Her emotions were far too close to the surface. “He had two men with him, and it was just Kersey and me. Kersey took on the other two while I distracted Thaddeus. He tried to take the heart, and it fell. I didn’t want him to get it, so I shot him in the arm.”
Penn stared at her a long moment. “I don’t want you to do this. We can’t control the situation when you’re alone with him. I don’t like it.” He clenched his jaw. “Unless you’re considering going back to him.”
“No!” Why was he behaving like an imbecile? “Of course I don’t want to go back to him. Iwantthe book and the heart—the real heart, assuming the book will lead us to it and it actually exists. I am in this hunt until the bitter end.”
She paced from one end of the lean-to to the other. “I thought about my grandfather all night.” Notallnight. Only when she hadn’t been thinking of Penn, which was a fair amount. “I think it’s likely he knew the heart and the dagger were fake. If he believed the White Book was the key—”
“Then he’d have to think it was the key to something, and what else besides the real heart, especially since the fake heart contains a clue. Assuming itisa clue. I keep thinking it could all be a ruse. Until we get the book, we can’t know.”
She’d stopped when he interrupted her. “Yes, weneedthe book. Gideon’s plan is the best chance we have, and you know it. He will be with me in the coach, right outside the house. And you’ll be there,inthe house. I trust you both to keep me safe.”
He took the one step that separated them, then lifted his hand to her face. His fingertips caressed her cheekbone and trailed down along her jaw. “I promise to always keep you safe, no matter what the future holds. You may not be mine, but I will always wish you were.”
The dam inside her broke, but not in the way it had last night. Instead of sadness and despair, she gave in to her anger and frustration at her situation.
You may not be mine, but I will always wish you were.
His words fed the hunger in her soul and pushed her to take what she wanted, and not what she should be content to receive.
She clutched his lapels and pulled him to her until they crashed together—lips, chests, pelvises. He kissed her hard and fast, his tongue lashing at hers. She poured every emotion she had into the embrace, curling her arms around his neck, and pushing her body against his.
He clasped her back, his hands running up and down her spine and sides without stopping. If they’d been in a bedchamber, she envisioned them tearing at each other’s clothes. But they weren’t in a bedchamber.
She drew back with a gasp and stared at his kiss-reddened lips. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Do you want to stop?”
“Shouldn’t we?” She glanced at their surroundings—a narrow bench that spanned just half of the lean-to’s wall. It couldn’t support their weight.
His gaze speared into hers, dark and intense. “If you want to.”
“No. I mean, I don’t want to stop, but it seems rather impossible to continue. Here.”
He gave her a slow, seductive smile. “You know I enjoy a challenge.” He clasped her waist and lifted her farther into the lean-to, until her back was against the wall. “Put your leg up here.” He gestured to the bench.
She positioned her foot securely onto the wood, and his hand delved beneath her skirts. His fingers danced across her thigh before tangling in her curls. She clutched his shoulders, holding on to him for balance.
“You can lean against the wall,” he murmured against her ear as he teased her sex with languid caresses. “In fact, I suggest you do. I’ll be using it to support our…activities shortly.”
His mouth covered hers in a searing kiss. She moaned into him as need spiraled through her. He slipped his finger inside her, and she bucked against him.
He tore his mouth from hers with a groan and kissed along her neck. She dug her fingers into him as her legs tensed. She wanted more, needed more.
“Penn. I want—”
He kissed her again, his mouth ravaging hers. She couldn’t get enough. Then there were two fingers pumping into her again and again. Pleasure built, and she wasn’t sure if she could sustain herself.
