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What Jack saw took his breath away

"No one comes here but me," Grace said softly "I don’t knohy"

The light, the ripple through the air as the sun slid through the uneven glass of the ancient s

"In the winter especially," she continued, her voice just a little hesitant, "it’s ic I can’t explain it I think the sun dips lower And with the snow"

It was the light It had to be It was the way the light trembled, and fell on her

His heart clenched Like a fist it hit hieHe could not speak He could not even begin to articulate it, but -

"Jack?" she whispered, and it was just enough to break his trance

"Grace" It was just one word, but it was a benediction This went beyond desire, it was need It was an indefinable, inexplicable, living, pulsing thing within him that could only be tamed by her If he didn’t hold her, didn’t touch her in that verywithin him would die

To a man who tried to treat life as an endless series of ironies and witticis

He reached out and roughly pulled her to hientle He couldn’t be He couldn’t e it, not now, not when he needed her so desperately

"Grace," he said again, because that’s what she was to him It was irace, his Grace, and it was like she had always been there within hi for him to finally open his eyes and find her

His hands cupped her face She was a priceless treasure, and yet he could not force himself to touch her with the reverence she deserved Instead, his fingers were clu Her eyes - so clear, so blue - he thought he ht drown in them He wanted to drown in them, to lose himself within her and never leave

His lips touched hers, and then - of this he was certain - he was lost There was nothing more for him but this woman, in this moment, maybe even for all his hed It was the first ti she’d used his nah his already taut body

"Grace," he said in return, because he was afraid to say anything else, afraid that for the first tiue would fail hi and it wouldand it would mean too much And then she would know, if by some miracle she did not already, that she had bewitched hirily, passionately, with all the fire within hientle slope of her spine, and when he reached the more lush curves of her bottoainst hihtly than he’d ever i at all - was that he needed her close, closer Whatever he could get, whatever he could have - right noould take it

"Grace," he said again, one of his handsto the spot where her dress touched her skin, just at her collarbone

She flinched at his touch, and he stilled, barely able to iine hoould tear himself away But her hand covered his, and she whispered, "I was surprised"

It was only then that he once again breathed

Fingers shaking, he traced the delicately scalloped edge of her bodice Her pulse seemed to leap beneath his touch, and never in his life had he been so aware of a single sound - the quiet rasp of air, brushing across her lips

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, and the a at her face It was merely her skin, the pale, ers

Softly, gently, he bowed his head and brushed his lips along the hollow at the base of her throat She gasped then, or maybe it was a reement Her arms were around him and her hands in his hair, and then, without even considering what it meant, he swept her into his arms and carried her across the room, to the loide settee that sat near the , bathed in the ht that had seduced the at her side, he could do nothing but look at her, then one of his tre hands reached forth to stroke her cheek She was staring up at him, and in her eyes there onder, and anticipation, and yes, a little nervousness

But there was also trust She wanted him Him No one else She had never been kissed before, of that he was certain She could have done Of that he was even more certain A wo refused (or rebuffed) multiple advances

She had waited She had waited for hi beside her, he bent to kiss her, his handdown the side of her face to her shoulder, then to her hip His passion grew deeper, and hers, too; she was returning his kiss with an unschooled eagerness that left him breathless with desire

"Grace, Grace," he moaned, his voice lost in the warmth of her mouth His hand found the he the slender circle of her ankle And then upupto her knee And higher Until he could bear it no longer, and heher with his own body

His lips had moved to her neck, and he felt her sharply indrawn breath on his cheek But she did not say no She did not cover his hand with hers and bring hi but whisper his name and arch her hips beneath him

She couldn’t have knohat the movement had meant, could never have knohat it would do to hiainst his own desire, brought him to the very peak of need

He kissed his way down her neck, to the gentle swell of her breast, his lips finding the very spot at the edge of her bodice that his fingers had so recently traveled He lifted hih so he could slide his finger under the hem and slide it down, or maybe push her up - whichever was needed to free her to his devotion

But just when his hand had lorious second to cup the fullness of her, skin to skin, the stiff edge peaking in his palm, she cried out Softly, with surprise

And dismay

"No, I can’t" With jerkyher dress Her hands were shaking More than shaking They seey, and when he looked in her eyes, it was as if a knife had pierced him

It was not revulsion, it was not fear What he saas anguish

"Grace," he said, ?"

"I’ back "I - I shouldn’t have Not now Not until - " One of her hands flew up to cover her mouth

"Not until? Grace? Not until what?"

"I’ his belief that those were the worst tords in the English language She bobbed a quick, perfunctory curtsy "Ihim quite alone He stared at the eure out just what had happened And it was only when he finally stepped into the hall that he realized he hadn’t a clue how to get back to his bedcha, half skippingrunningwhatever it was she needed to do to reach her roonity and speed If the servants saw her - and she couldn’t iine they didn’t; they see - they er would not expect her Surely she would think she was still showing Mr Audley the house

Grace had at least an hour before she ht need to show her face

Dear God, what had she done? If she had not finally reht be, she would have let him continue She’d wanted it She’d wanted it with a fervor that had shocked her When he’d taken her hand, when he’d pulled her to hi within her

No It had been awakened two nights earlier On thathad been born within her And now

She sat upon her bed, wanting to bury herself in the covers but instead just sitting there, staring at the wall There was no going back One couldn’t ever not have been kissed once the deed was done

With a nervous breath, h, she covered her face with her hands Could she possibly have chosen anyone less suitable hom to fall in love? Not that this was the s, she hastened to reassure herself, but she was not so s If she let herselfIf she let him

She would fall in love

Good heavens

Either he was a highwayman, and now she was destined to be the consort of an outlaw, or he was the true Duke of Wyndhahed because really, this was funny It had to be funny If it wasn’t funny, then it could only be tragic, and she didn’t think she could e that just now

Wonderful Perhaps she was falling in love with the Duke of Wyndham Now that was appropriate Let’s see, how many as this a disaster? He was her employer, for one, he owned the house in which she lived, and his rank was so far above hers as to be nearly immeasurable

And then there was Amelia She and Thoht to expect that she would be the Duchess of Wyndhaine how crass and overreaching she would appear to the Willoughbys - her good friends - if she were seen to be throwing herself at the new duke

Grace closed her eyes and touched the tips of her fingers to her lips If she breathed deeply enough she almost relaxed And she could almost still feel his presence, his touch, the warmth of his skin

It ful

It onderful

She was a fool

She lay down, let out a long, weary breath Funny how she’d hoped for change, for so to the dowager Life was a , wasn’t it? And love