Ruin Me Please (29 page)

Her lips q
uiver
ed
with l
aughter.

“
W
ould you
please pass me a Bath Bun? 
I’m starved and they
are simply
too
delicious
to pass on.
  You must try one.
”  Taking the
bun,
she slowly pulled it
apart
,
closing her eyes
as she
s
a
vored each sugary
bite that melted on her tongue.

Declan snatched
a bun from the hamper
and proceeded to take
a large bite.  “You do realize that we need to head back soon or Parker is going to draw my cork
.
”

Poppy could not help
her sputter of l
augh
ter,
trying to
picture Parker and Declan parti
c
ipating in bout of
fist
icuffs
. 

Leaning back on her elbows she closed her ey
es and took a deep breath. “It’
s so
peac
e
ful
though,
I could stay here all day.”

Declan watched as the bodice of her dress strained across her breast
s
. 
He w
anted her. 
Rational or irrational, he wanted her. 
His manhood
grew
rock
hard
as he watched
Poppy’s breast rise and fal
l.
 
He grimaced
due
to his suddenly snug breeches. 
He was
an ass. 
He obv
i
ously had
no control over
his
desires. 
D
e
clan rose up to his knees crawling slowly towards
her
.

Feeling the coolness of his shadow cross
her face
, Poppy
shaded her eyes
, looking straight into his emerald depths
. 
She caught the glint
in
his eyes beneath his hooded
lids. 
Slowly
she
smil
ed
.
“Just what are you up to
, Declan?”  Poppy’s brow rose
inquir
ingly.

The
unmistakable look in his eye
s assailed her senses
.

H
is voice
changed to a dange
r
ous purr
.
“
R
escuing a damsel in distress
?
”

Poppy barely had time to take a breath b
efore he captured her lips.

He
gently h
eld
her chin
as
he softly nibbled on her lips
, the taste of the
Bath Bun
still li
n
gering on their pillow
y
softness
.

Delicious warmth emanated from her
when
he
swirled
his tongue in her mouth
despe
r
ate
to taste all of her
sweetness
.

His fingers trailed down her neck impatiently
unknotting
the
frothy
cravat
that covered her throat.
  Gliding his mouth down the curve of her jaw he trailed kisses of fire
that
caus
ed
Poppy to tremble
uncontrollably
.
He slowly lowered his hands so as not to frighten her
, filling
his hands with the softness of her breasts
he groaned
in
rapture
.

Arching into his hands, a fire raged low in Poppy’s belly. 
A whimper escaped when she took
a ragged breath raising
her hands to his
chest slowly wrapping her arms
around his neck holding on for dear life.  A wicked thrill shot through her
as he co
n
tinued to feast
at her mouth
.

Declan knew his limits. 

He knew that he was close to the edge.

With obvious reluctance, he
released her lips and raised
his head
searching her
eyes.  His
long
, lean
fingers stroked down her side. 
H
is other hand adoringly brush
ed
at the curls
on
her nape. 
He
kiss
ed
her
deeply
one last time
before
h
e stood and held out his hand.
  “Take that, dragons.”

With a dreamy half-smile
, Poppy
placed her
small
hand in his and stood
to prepare for the
re
turn
trip
home.

Without saying more, they gathered
their belongings
and swung into the
ir
saddles
, Po
p
py looked at Declan. 
“Race ya back,” she calle
d digging
her heals into Bluebells
sides
.  H
er
laughter
captured by the wind as she ga
l
loped across the meadow.

When I saw you I fell in love,

And
you smiled because you knew.

Romeo and Juliet

*William Shakespeare

B
y the time they saw to their horses and exited the stable
, it was already late afternoon.  L
aughing
too
loudly
as they walked in
side
the house,
Dobbins was forced to
inte
r
rupt
with a discreet cough.
“
Your G
race
, Lord
Ashford has requested th
at you join him in his study
upon your r
e
turn
.”

Poppy glanced at Dobbins
, her brow lifted in a questioning manner
.

Dobbins
informed Poppy
, “
H
e has also requested to meet wi
th you once you have
r
e
moved the dust from your ride.
”

Poppy frowned
when she looked at Declan
.

Dobbins pursed hi
s lips and led
Declan
to the study
leaving Poppy to stand alone for a moment before she
made her way
up
stairs to wash
and change.

Sinking
into the copper tub filled with
her favorite
vanil
la and honey scented Pears soap
,
a
dear
gift from Piper on
t
he
i
r last birthday
she leaned
her
head back against the
rim,
lif
t
ing
her fingers
and allow
ing
them to
glide
softly
over her lips
.
Her entire body tin
gling
with the memory of the kisses they had sh
ared at the ruins. She really
shouldn’t allow him to kiss her
,
but she couldn’t
seem to control
herself.

Unfortunately, Poppy’s intimate reflections were crowded with Parker’s ominous su
m
mons. 
“Pooh,”
she muttered aloud. 

***

After a quick knock, Declan poked his head in the door
.

“Come in.” 
Parker rose from the chair behind the desk
and waved
Declan to a seat
in front of
the desk.

He closed the door and
walked to P
arker’s desk, sitting
down in one
of the matching leather chairs.

Parker turned an assessing look
at Declan
.
“
Would you like some brandy?” 
He held
up the decanter
. 

Declan
nodded
thinking he was going to need to fortification before this conversation was over
.

Parker filled two glasses and walked
around
the desk leaning h
is hip on
edge
.

“Thank you.”  Declan took the tumbler then crossed his legs
, sitting
back
comfortably
.

“Ho
w was your ride this morning?”

Declan noted Parker’s raised eyebrows. 
“We had a good time.”

“Did you take a chaperone?”

“No,
” Declan drawled.
“W
e were both going for a ride and just happened to meet at the sa
me time.”
  He shrugged.  “Nothing was planned.”

“
H
ow convenient for you
.
”
 
Parker
looked him evenly in the eye. 
“We’ve already had a discussion about
your
reputation.”

“If you didn’t want me to meet your family
,
Ash, why did you invite me to Ros
e
briar?”

“It never occurred to me that you were going to take up with my sister the m
inute you stabled your horse.”

Leaning back, Declan
crossed his arms over his chest.
“
I didn’t know you had such d
e
lightful sisters
,” he
replied
,
his
brow mischievously
quirked.

Parker made an odd snorting sound that was almost a laugh.
 
“Don’t forget my war
n
ing.”  He walked around to sit in his chair.  “I will kill you.”

“I have no doubt, my friend.”
Declan smiled
smugly before he
swallowed the rest of his brandy.

***

Parker
looked up as Poppy entered the room.
“Oh good, I wanted to talk to you. 
Please sit down for a minute.”

Slowly she perched
herself
on the edge of the leather chair
, waiting
as Parker completed some paperwork
.
“Was there something in particular that you
were in need of
?”  Poppy asked uncertainly.

His pierci
ng eyes silently regarded her.

Squirming in her seat, Poppy gripped the arms of her chair to still herself. 
The
irritated tapping of Parker’s fingers on his desk
starting to rattle in her head
,
she
sat sile
ntly.

“Poppy, have you any idea
what you are doi
ng?”  His brows rose in inquiry.
“I know where you were this morning.  Do you think this is at all wise
to be alone with Hawksley without a chape
r
one
?”