Stealing a Lady's Heart: A Regency Fairytale (Fairfield Fairytales Book 1) (9 page)

While Graham now felt familiar with every inch of Charlotte’s body, he had yet to see it. He turned his back as she changed.

* * * *

Charlotte, on the other hand, felt heat travelling through her, with this man so close to her naked body.  She peeled off the tattered coat and filthy nightgown. Graham remained facing the door and she could see his measured, slow breathing as she stood without a stitch of clothes. She felt shy but she also longed to press her naked body against his.

He continued to ignore her, and Charlotte let out the smallest of sighs before pulling on the chemise. She didn’t exactly know what she wanted from Graham but she knew she wanted more. She imagined him pulling her naked into his arms and could feel her own breath quickening.

“Charlotte, whatever you are thinking, let it go,” Graham ground out, still facing away from her.

Charlotte scowled at his back and yanked the dress over her head.  She buttoned up the front and then began ripping a comb through her hair. “I don’t need you to be here.”

“The last time I left you alone in a room, several men carried you off.” Graham turned slightly to see she was dressed.

Charlotte hastily braided her hair then stomped out of the room. She felt Graham follow her out of the store.

“What happened?” Tom looked up from the basket he was weaving.

“Nothing,” Graham shrugged.

“Ahhhh,” Tom replied as if that explained it. 

Charlotte turned back to both of them, scowling deeper. What did they understand that she didn’t?

Will approached the group, a rabbit in hand. “It is going to take me a long time to catch enough game to buy horses.”

“Keep the animal. We’ll have it for dinner,” Graham said. Taking Will to the side, he whispered instructions that Charlotte couldn’t hear.

When Graham walked away from the group, Will grabbed Charlotte’s hand.

“Where are you going?” Charlotte’s voice was choked with fear. Had her annoyance driven him away? Was he leaving her with his brothers?

Graham turned back, a smile of comfort on his face. His eyes were soft and assuring.

“I have a brief errand to run. Stick close to Will. I will be back shortly.” Then he turned and trotted down the street.

Will pulled Charlotte along behind him as they headed for a trail into the forest.  He turned to her, drawing his brows together, “Some ladies like my company.”

Charlotte laughed. “I am sorry Will. I meant no offense. It is just that Graham….”  Charlotte trailed off.  How had Graham become so important in just a few days?

Will patted her shoulder, “I tease you Charlotte. We all understand what is happening here.”

She looked at him perplexed. What was happening?

Will, Tom, Nick and Charlotte made their way out of town. Will put her on his back, and the group picked up speed. They seemed to be moving slightly inland. Riding on Will’s strong back, Charlotte had time to survey the land.  Or perhaps, she could just focus on it without Graham’s presence. Scotland’s green grass and rugged landscape were breathtaking.

They continued on for several hours and Charlotte grew both tired and hungry. She also was beginning to worry that Graham had lied to her. They were moving further and further from the village and he was nowhere in sight.

  The brothers were walking, while she was riding, so Charlotte hated to complain but her muscles were starting to ache. “Will we stop soon?” she finally asked.

“Soon,” Will responded.  Charlotte made a face. Of all the brother’s to be stuck with, why did it have to be Will who barely spoke?  Neither Tom nor Nick were strong enough to carry her. Only Graham could do both.

She bit her lip. There she was thinking about Graham again. She sighed and Will turned slightly to look at her.

“He’ll be here shortly,” Will said. Suddenly Charlotte liked his plain speaking again. She grinned in response but she wondered how he knew what she was thinking.  

They found a forested area, and entered the cover of trees. Charlotte again worried that Graham wouldn’t be able to find them. The group entered deeper into the wood until they came to a small brook. Each took a drink and then Nick began to build a small fire and Will found a stick to roast the rabbit. 

Charlotte sat with her chin on her knees. She had been separated from Graham for three hours and yet it felt like a lifetime. She pondered her feelings. She felt perfectly safe with the other brothers so it wasn’t her safety that made her long for Graham. She paused on the word long. She longed for Graham.  This is what her friends had talked about. Why perfectly sane girls started doing rash things like sneaking off at parties into the garden.

She chewed on her lip.  When her father sent her to the Fairfields, did he mean for her to consider the third son or did he only mean for her to consider the first? His lack of directions indicated that he would accept any suitor but then again he hadn’t really directed her to pick anyone at all. She had assumed that was his mission.

The only way she could assure that her father would accept Graham was to have Graham ruin her.  A thrill of excitement ran down her spine. It was a delicious idea.

A twig snapped nearby and Charlotte jumped. She yanked her head around to see Graham approaching leading a horse.

“You’re here,” she jumped up from her spot and ran to his arms. He caught her up in a hug. Just as quickly Charlotte could feel him try to set her down but she locked her arms around his neck and pulled his head down, planting kisses on his face.

Charlotte heard someone clear his throat behind her and she scowled. Being ruined was going to be difficult with three chaperones in tow.

“Charlotte,” Graham’s voice was gentle but it held a tone of warning too. He unwrapped her arms, and tied the horse to a tree limb. Charlotte bristled again. Why did he suddenly not want her kisses?

“I see you were a successful horse thief.”  Nick grinned at his brother, his eyebrows bobbing up and down.

“I didn’t steal, I borrowed. I will return the horse with compensation.” Graham, usually jolly about being teased, looked irritated.

Nick ignored his brother’s irritation. “So you struck a deal with the owner of the horse.  He has agreed to the terms?”

“You know I did not.” Graham punched his brother hard on the arm and Nick stopped talking but his eyes still danced with merriment.

Will pulled the rabbit off the fire. “It will be dark soon. We will make camp here.”

Charlotte watched the brothers, suddenly feeling like an outsider.  She joined the group and ate some rabbit but she felt awkward without Graham’s arms around her.

Night fell and Graham got up and returned to the horse. He pulled three blankets off the back of the animal.

“Will, the beast, gets his own covers. Nick and Tom you will have to share. Lady Beaumont, for your protection, I would have you sleep next to me.”  Graham did not look her in the eye.

“Of course Mr. Fairfield,” she gave a slight curtsey but her tone was frigid and her eyes spit fire.

Graham gave a brief nod and spread the blanket out for them. He lay down and motioned for her to join him. Charlotte lay down next to him but left several inches between their bodies. She rolled over so her back faced him. She felt him roll on his side too. She heard Graham sigh as he reached over and pulled her closer. “You need to keep warm.” He pulled the other half of the blanket over them.

Their bodies were spooned together but Charlotte lay there stiff as a board for a few minutes.  Here she was deciding she wanted him to ruin her and he was calling her Lady Beaumont. She shifted in her anger and suddenly felt his shaft press against her backside.

She had never felt this before but instinct told her to explore and she did.  She shifted her bottom back and forth against the hardness.  It was remarkable the way her softness and his hardness seemed to fit together.

“Charlotte, I beg you to stop.” Graham ground out through clenched teeth. His entire body had gone rigid.

“I’m just getting comfortable.” She turned and smiled sweetly. His face looked absolutely tortured and she wiggled again for effect. His eyes squeezed closed and his teeth clenched.

How interesting. Charlotte wanted to feel more of him. She lifted her hand and reached between their bodies.

“If you don’t’ stop, you are going to have to sleep with Will.” He whispered harshly in her ear.

She stilled her hand instantly but anger filled her chest again. Why was he being so difficult?

His breathing was ragged in her ear and it matched her own. They lay there both awake for what seemed like hours.  She could hear the gentle snore of the other three brothers when she finally felt Graham relax and fall asleep. 

Frustration again filled her chest. Her perfect plan was being completely thwarted. Her desire for Graham was building. She needed a minute to think with a clear head so she gently slipped Graham’s hand off of her and slid her body away from his.

She followed the brook around a bend and came to beautiful tree growing near its bank.  She slid under its branches, took off her shoes and rolled down her stockings.  She dipped her toes in the water. She leaned back into the soft moss. This place was like a fairy house.  Nothing could hurt her here, she was safe and protected.

“Charlotte, what are you doing?”  Charlotte stretched, as Graham parted the dangling branches of the tree.

“It’s magical,” she breathed in the fresh night air.

Graham was undeterred. “The last time you were alone, he snatched you away. You need to stay with me.”

She waved his comment away, “What kind of tree is it?”

Even in the dark, Charlotte could sense Graham’s tension. “It’s a bay willow.” Graham moved closer. 

Charlotte knew he would scoop her up and carry her back to camp. They were playing cat and mouse now. But this mouse had a few tricks up her sleeve. “I feel safe here.” 

Graham knelt down next to her, placing his arms underneath her limp body. “You are safe back at camp with me and my brothers…”

He didn’t finish because Charlotte turned suddenly and planted her lips on his. She put all of her frustration into that kiss. Her hands snaked around his neck and up into his hair.  His mouth ground into hers with increasing pressure. Then his lips pressed hers open and his tongue slid into hers and the tips of their tongues met.  Fire rushed straight to her groin.  She moaned but the sound was lost in their kiss.  He angled her so that their bodies pressed together.  His lips left her mouth and started kissing a trail down her neck.  Everywhere his lips touched sent sensation shooting through her.  His hand quickly undid the first few buttons on her dress and he reached in to cup her breast over her chemise. 

Charlotte groaned and arched up into his hand. His mouth met his hand and he kissed the nipple under the fabric.  She went wild in his arms. He pushed the chemise aside and kissed her bare nipple.  Charlotte thought she might die from the pleasure of it. Her hands tugged at his hair. She wanted more. More of their bodies touching. More of their skin together. More of his kisses.

She pulled on him until his weight came down on hers. He continued kissing her breasts and she wrapped her legs around his waist rubbing her softness against his hardness. He let out a groan.  “Charlotte,” his lips left her breast and crashed down on her mouth again.

His hand travelled up her leg but stopped before it reached her soft core. She wiggled under him and he stilled. “Just a second my love,” his lips slowed and his fingers ever so gently stroked her soft folds. Her head fell back at the pleasure of it. His lips kissed her neck again as his hand stroked her. A need was growing inside her.

Charlotte’s hands travelled down his back. She wriggled them between their bodies and pulled his belt open. Then she started tugging down his pants to his knees.

His hand stilled, “We can’t do this.”

Her lips found his again. Her skirt was already around her waist and she pressed her body against his. She could feel the tip of his hardness pressing against her and she wiggled so that it began to penetrate, stretching her.

She could feel Graham beginning to sweat. His breath was ragged.  “Heaven save me. Charlotte, please.” He pulled back but she wiggled closer keeping her arms locked around his neck. “You are not mine to have.”

His words penetrated her fog. “I want to be yours.”  She moved closer and she felt the tip touch her soft folds again. She moved ever so slightly and her insides started stretching to accommodate him.

“Only your father can say that you are mine to have and I know he would not approve of the third son of a baron for his daughter.” His voice was laced with pain.

Charlotte was losing, she could feel it. “He won’t have a choice if…” 

His hands came to either side of her face, “I’m no thief.  I won’t steal you.” 

Charlotte let out a sob of anguish and frustration. They were so close and yet…   “Please,” she whispered.

“Don’t do this. Do you know how beautiful you are?” Graham’s face twisted in pain.

“I don’t want to take a chance that my father will say no.” She tried one more time to wiggle but his hands came down their bodies and held her hips.