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"You should Perhaps during a long walk Or you could write her a letter"

"Visit her grave?"

"Yes" Her sood-bye and set aside your guilt"

"Will you go with me?"

"If you wish ed his self-loathing to self-awareness and acceptance She e bearable, ed to provide the same for her, to be as valuable a partner to her as she was to him

"And you?" he asked "Will you allow me to help you make peace with Pelha over his shoulder and ar," she said softly

"Strengthened you, Pel? Or your barriers?"

Her sigh blew hot across his skin "Why do you pry at h, but it isn’t I want all of you I am not inclined to share parts of you with anystilled until he al to hi his shoulders He embraced her just as fiercely in return

"You can hurt me," she whispered "Do you understand that?"

"But I will not," he vowed, his lips to her hair "Eventually, you will come to believe that"

After a time, they drifted into sleep, the deepest sluer trudging through his day waiting for it to end He had so

"Isabel," he said now, leading her a short distance away frouests Ways to win her deeper affections sifted through his brain "I should like very lanced aside at hi the curve of her lips and not much more "Gerard, you may take me anywhere"

The double entendre was not lost on hie was on thecould steal his content banter…

"Grayson"

The crossly voiced intrusion could not have co out a disappointed breath, he turned reluctantly to face his uests You must attend this afternoon’s treasure hunt"

"Certainly"

"And supper this evening"

"Of course"

"And the ride scheduled for toe you there," he said s their usual irritating effect Even his mother could not ruin his day "I have the time reserved for Lady Grayson"

"Have you no shaht you knew that"

Isabel bit off a laugh and looked away quickly He soed to keep his face impassive

"What is so iain?"

"We travel to Waverly Court tomorrow"

"Oh" His mother frowned at him a moment, an expression so common to her countenance that lines pero I’ve not been there insuddenly that his parents had spent some time in residence there "You are welcome to join us"

The smile she bestowed on him startled, the transfor But it disappeared as quickly as it came "Now come join the rest of the party, Grayson, and behave yourself as is appropriate to your station"

Watching his ard her gloom"

"I can with you atso that completely rocked his, and then allowed his grin to break free

No doubt about it Nothing could ruin his day

"Lady Ha rapidly up the wooded path

"The thought of hunting treasure with you iddy," she teased "I a with lance he shot at her was so hot, her skin felt burned "No I would not call what I feel ‘giddy’"

The dead leaves along the trail crunched beneath every heavy step of his hessians Dressed in dark green, he was stunningly handsoain, she marveled that such a bold,about her, but it was clear the marquess did And was very upset by that fact

"If I had any say in theover there and lick you froht ahead, Abby had no idea what a woman was supposed to say in reply to such a staterip and said, "We need a smooth stone There is a river around the bend up there"

"That dress you are wearing is distracting"

"Distracting?" It was one of her undy satin ribbon edging the low-cut bodice She had selected it just for hi

"I knoith a quick tug, your nipples will pop free and I can suck on them"