Ruin Me Please (52 page)

Turning towards him, her eyebrow arched.  “Is that so
?  I
n-depth s
tudy
?  I had no idea you were seriously contemplating flowers this whole time.
”  She crossed her arms over her chest.
 
“
Which one is your favor
ite?”  She asked,
look
ing
around her garden.  “Let me guess, the cherry blo
s
som?”

“No
,
”
h
e responded succinctly.

“Hmmm…the sunflower?”  Sh
e guessed again, turning to search out
other
choices
.

“No
,
”
h
e shook
his head.

Wrinkling her nose, she pondere
d the remaining flowers.  “B
luebell
s
?”  She asked pu
z
zled.

“Not even close.”  He chuckled
, letting her continue with her guessing game
.

She turned
back to him
and
waited.  After a moment without a
response,
she started talking again.  “Is it
one that I have in my garden?”
 
She looked
innocently around.  “Or one you discovered by reading a book in the library?”

“Do you want me to tell you, or do you want to continue with your interminable gues
s
ing?” 
His lips twitched. 

“Oh, so sorry,” she said, blinking in surprise.  “Please, tell me.”

On
impulse,
he raised his hand
twin
ing
one of her loose curls
around his finger slowly pulling
her closer.

Poppy took a
sure
step clo
ser bringing them toe to toe, drawing in a
deep
breath
exha
l
ing with a shudder as sparks ignited
the
moment the
tips of her breasts met the
thickly
mu
s
cled wall of his chest
. 
She reached
out
and
touched him,
her palms
splayed over his
wildly beating heart
.
 
His harsh groan filled her ears when she ran her hand over his chest, h
er touch like a brand.
 
W
ith a catch in her throat
,
she asked once more,
“What is your favorite flower?” 
E
as
ing
her hand
s
as far
as she could reach over
his
shoulders until her soft hands curled around his neck, pressing their
bodies to
gether
from knee to chest.

His eyes
darkened.  “Do you truly
care what my favorite flower is?”  He gazed into
her eyes for a long moment his
eyes flashing
with a mixture of humor and desire
, slowly leaning
forward.    The evidence of his desire pressed firmly against her
belly
.

“Yes I do,” s
he said encouragingly
, her voice
husky.

“Y
ou will probably think me sappy.
”
T
heir
playful
exchange exhilarated him
.

“Just tell me,” she pleaded playfully.

“Poppies
,” h
e
stated matter-of-
fact
tracing
his finger down the curve of her smooth cheek. 

“Poppies,” she repeated, pulling
her eyebrow raised in disbelief
.

“Yes.”  He grinned. 
“I have decided that poppies are my
all-time
favorite flower.”

“You’re a tease, Your G
race.” 
She chuckled
, tucking her head against the curve of his arm and shoulder
.  “No one
in their right mind
would choose a poppy as their favorite flower.”

“Do you believe in coincidences
,
Poppy?”  His hot breath wafted in her ear causing a shiver of anticipa
tion to skate down her spine,
he bit playfully on her earlobe. 

H
er eyes closed at the velvety timbre of his voice. 

“Do you belie
ve in destiny?” h
e asked, t
rail
ing warm, moist kisses
down her jaw line
. 
“Or possibly fate?”
h
e asked,
nuzzl
ing
and
lick
ing
her neck. 

Poppy
’s hands gripped his lapel as
a lifeline afraid she would puddle at his feet if she were not holding on to something
, considering the hungry, possessive look in his eyes
.

“I find it highly ironic that my favorite flower would be named after you.” 
He inhaled
her sweet fragrance.
“
I’ve read their
scent is intoxicating, but surely it does not rival your scent.” 
He peppered
moist kisses along the curve of her jaw again.
 
“They can be prickly.” 
D
e
clan chuckled
as she stiffened in his arms.  “But of course you are not prickly
,” he
argued
with hu
mor lacing
his voice. 
Nuzzling
her again, running
his tongue along the fragrant curve of her neck
.  He felt
the tension slowly melt away.  “They can also be addictive.  I am definitely finding that I cannot live without you
,” he
murmured
right before he captured her lips in a searing kiss demonstrating
how addictive she was to him.
 
He deepened
the kiss as she moaned into his mouth.  His tongue explored the depth of her heat.

Her lips parted farther as she touched her tongue to his igniting a fire that burned ho
t
ter and hotter with every flick of her tongue.

The warm delicious taste of her plump lips called to him like the sirens of old.  Just like the power of opium.  He could not stop now that he had a taste.  He could not get enough of
her
.  Wrapping his arms around her, he traced the softness of her curves. 
He lowered
his hands until they cupped the curve of her bottom.

A tiny breathless sound caught in her throat
as her tongue tangled with his, the kiss long and lingering
.

He held
her tightly insinuat
ing
his knee
between her legs
slowly rubb
ing
against
the damp heat between her thighs
.

Unable to remain still for long, Poppy’s hips moved
of their own accord pressing her mound firmly against his leg.

Mindless to anything else, time
and
place meant nothing.  His arousal strengthened.  His willpower stretched to the limit
, kissing her with a desperate hunger.
Groaning
harshly,
he
pushed her from him.

Her breathing
was shallow and rapid, her knees weak.

He held
on to her arms to steady her.  Waiting until her shaky limbs could hold her up.
 
Closing his eyes, he counted to ten slowly.  They had to stop before it went too far. Ta
k
ing deep breaths and waiting for the beating of his heart to taper off.  “Poppy,
”
h
e
said in a husky rasp.  “We have to control ourselves.”

Her vision still cloudy with passion, Poppy trembled.  Her lips throbb
ed
from their hea
t
ed kiss.  “I think that is a very, very wise decision
,
”
s
he said breathlessly
. 
She paused
taking a
n
other deep breath. 
“Probably the wisest decision I have heard in a long time.” 

His lips twitched.  “I have never wanted anything as much as I want you.  You are ma
g
nificent.  Since I obviously have no control around you, we have to go somewhere less private.” 
He turned
her
around, grabbed her hand and dragged
her out of the garden. 

***

Strolling to the chaise, Poppy plopped down next to her aunt
and sighed rather dramat
i
cally
. 
“How am I supposed to behave rationally when he makes me feel so muddled?”  Poppy grimaced
. 
S
he was acquainted with
plenty of
men
, b
ut
none had never made her want to throw caution to the wind as Declan did. 

T
his is the first time she thought more of the future. 

The first time she had actually pictured her future with one particula
r
man
.  Declan wanted her,
she did not doubt that.  What she doubted was whether it was purely physical or if his feelings ran more deeply.

Adele looked steadily back
with a benign smile on her face.  “I must say, I would much prefer a man full of passion than not.”

Poppy turned to her
and blinked.
 
Detecting amusement in Ad
ele’s tone Poppy’s frown grew.
             

“Taming a man like Hawk
s
ley is a triumph, my dear
.”
  Adele smiled.
  “One to be savored not feared.”

***

Poppy wandered into the library after leaving her aunt and came to a screeching halt at the frantic whispers coming from the high alcove. 

A collective gasp greeted her ascent. 

“Expecting someone else?”  Poppy’s brows arched, daring them to fabricate a lie.

If it proves so, love goes by haps:

some Cupid kills with arrows,

some with traps.

Much Ado
A
bout
Nothing.

*William Shakespeare

R
estless and u
nable
to sleep
,
Poppy slipped out of her bed
and paced before the window.  She couldn’t get her mind off of Declan. 
The quiet of the house allowed for the mindless wande
r
ings of her thoughts.  His kisses provoked odd sensations in her belly, feelings she had never felt before.  Unable to clear her mind, she finally
sat in her window seat
, a woolen shawl wrapped about her shoulders. 
The perfume of the honeysuckle that wafted through her open window did little to soothe her soul tonight.  There was an odd agonizing feeling that she was not used to bubbling up inside of her.  Her
usual sanguine personality
swamped in sadness.

He loved her---she knew it with every fiber of her being. 
She had never been in love b
e
fore.  She had never experienced physical pleasure before. 

What man would go to so much trouble if he weren’t truly in love?

So deep in thought
, Poppy did not hear her chamber door open and close.

Walking
quietly
t
owards
the
tiny figure bundled on the
window
seat
,
Declan placed his arms around her and lift
ed her against his chest, gently rubbing her back. 
“
Sweeting
.” 
He ca
r
ried her
t
o
wards the deep cushioned leather chair in front of the fire
and
sat with her in his lap.