“Ye misunderstand me, lass.” His voice was rough as he swiped one tear from her cheek with his callused thumb.
She gulped down a breath in an effort to regain a bit of composure. “You could have sent me straight home the last time I came here. But you didn’t. Did you? So don’t place all the blame on me now when you were just as happy to break the rules.”
“Christ, Charlotte. Do ye not understand?” His forehead pressed against hers and he quietly murmured, “It would kill me if ye got hurt.”
She blinked. It was the closest he’d ever come to revealing his feelings. Her heart leapt. Could he possibly care for her just as much as she cared for him? She drew a tremulous breath. “I know you helped end things between me and Mr. Cooper.”
There was a brief moment of silence. And then…
“Daisy told me of yer father’s arrangement with him,” Blayne said, his voice thick with emotion. Easing back, he released her from his grasp and took a deep breath. “She also mentioned the deal ye made in an effort to find a solution.”
“How did you get him to walk away?”
“By making a different match for him.”
“Yes, but how? How did you convince the Earl of Dervaine to marry his daughter off to a man who’s in trade?”
Blayne took a step back. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he crossed to the window, and all she could think was how much she missed his nearness – how even a few feet of distance between them was much too great.
“I asked the Duchess of Windham to get together with a few other peeresses. Together, they drew up a list of ladies for whom a rich American gentleman might be ideal. The list consisted mostly of younger daughters who’d made unsuccessful debuts or who’d somehow been linked to scandal.”
“Women who stood little chance of making good matches for themselves here in England.”
“Precisely.” He glanced at her. “All Mr. Cooper cared about was the connection with a title.”
Charlotte gazed back at him. “So to him it made no difference that Lady Fiona has a tongue as sharp as a whip or that she tossed her wine in the Marquess of Narwhol’s face last season.”
“If anything, Mr. Cooper seemed to appreciate her gumption,” Blayne said with a smirk. “And he most certainly approved of her being styled Lady Fiona.”
“An earl’s daughter is more desirable than a mere viscount’s,” Charlotte agreed.
“To some, perhaps, but nae to me.”
She held his gaze a moment while letting his words infuse her with warmth. “But finding Mr. Cooper an alternate bride only solved one part of the problem. How did you convince him to give papa a thousand pounds in compensation?”
Blayne gave his attention back to the window and raised one shoulder in a careless shrug. “It wasnae too hard, lass.”
An incredulous laugh escaped her. “Not too hard? From my point of view you worked a miracle for me.” When he refrained from responding she said, “I’m grateful to you for getting involved. If you hadn’t, I honestly don’t know what I’d have done.”
Stepping away from the wall, she moved toward him. It had been an emotional evening and all she really wanted right now was for him to offer assurance. She needed to know he’d forgive her for coming and that all would be well between them. And yet, when she reached him, she lost her courage. He was still so rigid, she didn’t quite dare wrap her arms around him for fear he might push her away. So she simply found a spot close to his side and asked the first question that came to mind as she studied the long row of plants before her. “What are you growing?”
“Some chives, mint, and parsley for the most part. This here, as ye can see, is cucumber.” He plucked one of the larger fruits from the vine, bit away half of it and handed the remainder to her. “Ye can try it, if ye like.”
She did so without hesitation. Blayne’s smile of approval instantly soothed the remainder of her agitated nerves. His anger with her had dissipated and they were finally getting back to where they were meant to be.
“I was trying to grow tomatoes over here,” he added, indicating a few pots at the end, “but as ye can see, I havenae been very successful.”
“They might need to be outside.”
“Hmm. I suppose that’s true for all the plants. It’s part of the reason why I’ve been looking to buy a place for myself in the country. Nothing big mind ye, just a small house somewhere with a decent-sized piece of land to go with it.”
Disliking the sadness the thought of him moving away stirred in her breast, Charlotte did her best to ignore it by aiming for levity. “Do you know, I never would have pegged you for a farmer.”
He grinned. “Not a farmer, lass, but a leisure gardener of sorts. I love watching plants grow and if I can benefit from them, then all the better. It’s why I took the job ye offered, because it would have helped me reach my goal a lot quicker.”
“Yet you refused to accept the money.”
“Only because it feels wrong to do so now. After everything we’ve shared, I’d hate for ye to think it was still about the money. God forbid ye should wonder about my reasons for kissing ye, Charlotte.” He shook his head. “I cannae let ye pay me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Dinnae be.” His arms came around her shoulders, drawing her into his warmth. Turning her slightly, he brushed his fingers under her chin, tipping it upward until their eyes met. “I’m certainly not.”
Dipping his head, he brushed his lips over hers. The caress was soft and sweet, conveying a depth of emotion no words would ever be capable of expressing. He did it again, and then a third time before giving in to more. And when he finally did, it was with an unrestrained passion that made her feel like she was caught in a storm.
His mouth devoured as if he were starved while his hands grabbed her tightly, pressing her to him with such force it felt like their bodies would meld. All Charlotte could do was hold on. Her fingers gripped the back of his neck and curled into his solid shoulders.
“My God,” he murmured as he gave the ribbon securing her cloak a hard tug and pushed the garment away. His jaw scraped her cheek as his lips sought her neck, the unshaven stubble causing a series of tremors to dart through her body. “I could feast on ye like this forever.”
She smiled with contentment and arched up against him. “I wouldn’t mind that one bit.”
A guttural sound left his throat as he leaned in to nuzzle the spot where her neck met her shoulder. “Charlotte, luv. Ye’ll be my undoing.”
“I think that’s only fair since I’m already quite undone by you.”
His fingers, which had begun tracing the edge of her neckline, stilled. Charlotte’s heart hammered wildly against her breast while Blayne’s hot breath swept over her skin. “What are ye saying?”
Fighting for courage, she speared her fingers through his hair and nudged him back slightly so their eyes could meet. Slowly, she brought her other hand up to cup his cheek, her thumb gently stroking along the edge of his jawline.
He turned his head slightly and pressed a soft kiss to her palm, the yearning etched in his features so fierce she had no choice but to say what was in her heart.