Seducing Anne (9 page)

Guy spun her around and inhaled deeply of her floral scent before launching her in the air again.

Before long, Henry was charging at them from across the hall.

“Your admirer comes calling, but never worry. I will not allow him to taint what is most becoming on you—your innocence.” Guy took her straight through the dancers, behind to the kitchen, and they were out in the back gardens before Henry had reached them.

“Why are we here?” she asked, gasping for breath after the quick pace he set.

“You tell me,” he replied, picking her up and carrying her at an even quicker pace.

“He likes the chase. You forget he is the great hunter—insatiable when it comes to tracking his prey.” She wrapped her hands around his neck.

“Yes, but he has never hunted the likes of me.” He marched out of the gardens and almost took a spill as he headed toward the stables.

She sighed. “You turned this into a game he cannot resist, good sir.”

“I thought that was your aim. Was I mistaken?” He leaned down and nuzzled his lips into her hair, taking another deep whiff. Mother of God, did she have to smell so delectable?

It wasn’t a kiss, though, so this was allowed. Another deep inhale and his head was buzzing.

“No, not mistaken, but you are overzealous. Maybe tempering yourself and finding a slower pace might suit the game better,” she said like a question, though it was clear she did not want him to answer.

“If you trust me to be the man to stir his lusts to epic heights, then that means you also have to trust me to do this
my
way. I will not lead you astray. I have a whip—I know how to use it. And if that bastard tries to take what is mine in this moment, then he will see that I can do more than knock a ring out of a woman’s hand.”

She chuckled. “When you are found without a head, I shall deny I ever gave you my whip. That is all I can promise you.”

“You can promise me that you will continue to please me, because thus far you are doing a superior job.” He wanted to kiss her so badly, but it was imperative she do it first. She had to submit. He would never take her against her will.

And this woman had a will the likes he’d never seen before.

“I am still in want of a horse, so tonight, we use yours again, but not your palfrey. Do tell me you have a destrier,” he said, jerking his head toward the stables. A few feet more and they’d be there.

“Of course I do. Harry insisted. He rides it when we go hawking together.” She searched his face.

Was she waiting for a jealous tirade?

“Well, at least he got one thing right. A man needs a good strong steed to hunt and to hide. And I am thankful for it.”

She pointed at the horse once they were inside the stable.

“He will be sorely vexed at me over this. You steal me away.”

He set her down. “I cannot steal what was offered to me. You gave your consent to be mine for the time being—correct?”

She nodded with her eyes still examining him and her lips pursed.

“Then, get you atop my noble steed, little lavender. I have a need to ride with you nestled up against me.”

Her face morphed into a naughty smile. “You have a
need
?” Her eyes darkened and went heavy.

“Good Lord, woman—I have so many needs around you, it is a sickness that cannot be helped.”

“I can help remedy it,” she said, hopping as he helped her onto the horse.

“Do not tempt me, little girl. I have better control than most, but even
I
have my breaking point.”

She chuckled and watched him mount the horse behind her. “Oh, I should very much like to see that.”

“That is something I cannot allow or place bets over.” Bareback on a horse with her was going to be interesting. “Are you ready for this? We have no saddle. Do you trust me to keep you astride?”

“Please do not think to teach me a lesson. Bareback is the only way to go when no one is watching.” She leaned forward, gave the horse a command and patted its neck.

The horse was calm as Guy walked them out of the stable.

Once in the open air, there were shouts coming their way.

It seemed Henry was closing in on them. Lucky for Guy, he knew a few ways to avoid angry, jilted men.

Chapter 5

Anne clutched onto Guy’s arms as they rode further into the Whitehall Park forest, taking the horse into a gallop.

The pace seemed fine with Anne. In fact, the harder he pushed the horse, the more relaxed she became.

Clearly, challenges and being pushed were something that made her flourish, rather than wither.

She was truly breathtaking.

He gripped his thighs into the beast and once he saw a thicket of downy birches ahead, he sighed in relief.

Henry’s men, and maybe even him included, were still in pursuit.

“We can lose them up here,” he said in her ear.

She lowered her head as if taking the challenge head on.

Once in the thicker part of the trees, he slowed the horse, slid off and tied the creature to a trunk.

He helped her down and then took her hand, leading her a few feet farther away from the horse.

“Wait here,” he said, setting her against the thicker of the trees in their vicinity.

He broke down two or three branches from the next tree over, then jammed the jagged tips into the ground.

The leaf screen he created should hide them perfectly, and the white bark of the birch in the moonlight would mask his silver brocade doublet and cream-colored breeches.

“Tuck your skirts around you,” he said, facing her and helping her do just that.

She followed his command, and once the thick layers of fabric were out of the way, hugged tight to her legs, he cocooned himself around her, making his body into a shield.

“Keep quiet so they do not find us,” he whispered, leaning in and taking his time to settle in close to her.

Her breathing stopped as she stared into his eyes.

There were various messages hidden in her look—fear, excitement and maybe even adoration? It was clear though that she was invested and would not give away their spot to Henry or anyone else that might come looking for them.

Horses passed by several feet away, and the men even discussed maybe taking her horse back to court since they’d easily found it tied to a tree.

Henry’s deep voice carried as he said, “She’s here. I shall find her. Go back if you like, but I will not leave without her.”

Upon hearing this, Anne let go of her skirts, keeping them tucked with her legs alone, and gripped Guy, holding her body up against his chest for protection.

Her trust in that moment overwhelmed him.

He leaned in, ready to kiss her, worried this might be his only opportunity, but then he closed his eyes and simply breathed her in.

This would be taking advantage of her in a weak moment. That was the exact opposite of what he wanted. He wanted to have her when she was clear of conscience and wanted it, too—not because she was a little scared, trapped and confused.

Guy stroked her hair down her back with one hand and held her with the other. Her legs braced them up against the tree.

It was an awkward position for both of them, but he was confident in the shadows at night in the forest right then that they were invisible.

Henry snorted louder than his horse and yelled for her.

She stiffened and tucked her head tighter into Guy’s chest.

“Anne! Get away from that brute this instant! Come back with me—your sovereign lord who loves you dearly!” Henry bellowed, his head darting around in frantic search of her.

She tipped her head up at Guy and gave him a startled look.

Had Henry not told her he loved her yet? She looked completely taken aback by the king’s confession.

Or was it because he was like a crazed animal in this moment—braying in the wind and howling at the moon for her.

“I know you are here! I will not take my anger out on you—just come to me now, and all will be well,” Henry hollered.

He was barely twenty feet away, so if she moved even an inch, Henry would probably hear it, or see the motion.

Guy held her tight and shot her a warning look.

She stayed motionless and silent.

“Good girl,” Guy mouthed at her, close enough to her face so she could see.

She nodded slowly and smiled, her eyes lighting up.

For several more moments Henry cursed the air and searched on his horse.

At one point, he got down, roamed around and broke branches, kicked the bark of several trees and proceeded to have a spectacular tantrum.

“Sire, someone is saying they think they saw her back at the stables with that man she left with,” one of his attendants said.

“Who
is
that man? I have never seen him before, and yet he strides into my hall and steals away the one woman I cannot live without!” Henry broke another branch down and chucked it in their direction.

“Sir Nicholas Carew knows. He is back in the hall, awaiting Your Majesty so he can explain the appearance of this man.” The servant hopped down off his horse and assisted Henry back on his.

“I want that man found and brought straight to me. He will be lucky if he does not see the rack tonight—and every night hereafter for doing this to me and my darling girl!” Henry trotted off.

Several moments later the woods were vacated of Henry’s search party.

“What do we do now?” she asked Guy, her voice tiny and distant.

“We wait a few moments so I can calm you down, and then we go back. Is there to be gambling tonight?”

“Yes. Most nights there is—I should think tonight would be no exception.”

“Excellent.” Guy leaned in and took a deep whiff of her at her left temple. “I shall explain myself over a game of cards, and all will be right. You shall see.”

“I shall see you hanged. Harry won’t stand for this. I was insane to allow you to remove me out here. He may never speak to me again after this,” she said, her voice tight.

Good. The bastard doesn’t deserve you.

She frowned.

Guy’s head ached, and his body was growing stiff all over.

What was he thinking? He couldn’t go against his mission. How in such a short space of time had he gotten so tangled up in her that he’d lost sight of what he was doing here? She needed to stay in the king’s good graces. Guy’s seduction of her was all supposed to be covert.

And here he was already bitch-slapping Henry VIII back and forth—and enjoying the hell out of it, too.

“’Twill be all right,” he said with a soothing voice.

She placed her palms on his chest. “Promise?”

“I swear all that I am—you will be well. I will see to it.” He dropped his head and peered into her eyes. “Can you trust me to keep you out of harm’s way?” His heart yanked hard when he realized this was not a promise he could keep. She would be dead in a few years’ time when Henry was done with her. He blinked that thought away.

“I trust you, sir. You have already proven more than a worthy adversary for the king, and you treat me with more respect than any man ever has. Why do you do this?”

“Because you are worth it.” In the next breath, the words of John, his fellow SHROAG agent, rang through his ears when he took that phone call before traveling through time to be here with her.

Because I love her. She deserves to be treated fairly, and if they hadn’t taken me back . . . I would’ve done my damnedest to find a way to save her.

John had fallen hard for her, been racked and tortured, then taken back to the present because he failed to do the job right.

I will not love her—I can’t. Do not fall for her. Do not fall for her. Do. Not
, Guy chanted in his mind.

His head throbbed now, almost debilitating him as he looked in her dark, luminous eyes that John described as black pearls.

He was wrong. They were more like deep pools of inviting water, hiding a deep well of emotion that only a brave man would immerse himself in.

And why, for the love of all that he was, did he want to dive right in head-first and believe he could survive?

He shifted away from her, feeling almost burned inside by his quickening desire for more of her. To have more than a few future fucks with her.

It made no sense.

“Let’s walk for a moment—gather our wits,” he said, not offering to take her hand.

Didn’t matter. She looped her arm through his.

“I will make sure he does not harm you,” she said quietly, her head dropping down as she stared at their feet, ambling along.

“Do not worry for me. I forbid you to. You remember our deal?”

“Yes.” She sighed and pulled her head back up, meeting his eyes with hers. “I am to only concern myself with pleasing you.”

“And that is all you shall do.”