The Bride and the Brute(26)
“No,” he whispered, leaning toward her.
Thunder rumbled in the air, and her grip tightened around his. “I’ve been afraid of storms all my life,” she said softly. “The thunder, the wind, the rain. It’s so loud...”
Reese leaned forward and brushed a kiss against her lips, quieting her words. When he pulled back, it wasn’t far. His blue eyes filled her vision. Their noses touched, and his breath fanned across her mouth. Jayce parted her lips to speak, but nothing came out.
Reese leaned toward her, pressing his lips to hers in a more demanding kiss. He covered her mouth with his, and she was shocked at the desire that flamed to life inside her. Her stomach swirled, as did her entire world.
She felt his hands move up her arms, pulling her closer. She was suddenly so lost in the tumult of emotions raging through her she didn’t even hear the loud crack of thunder that filled the castle.
*****
Reese crushed Jayce to him, enticing her to open to his exploration. When she parted her lips tentatively, he took the invitation and thrust his tongue into her mouth, tasting her sweetness. His hands cupped her face, tilting her chin up to meet his desperate kiss. He groaned softly. She was heavenly. She tasted of warm honey and sweet innocence. He kissed her chin and trailed kisses down her neck. He wanted her like he had never wanted anything before.
She was his world, the center of his universe. She was... his wife. The recollection shattered the shell of deception he was immersing himself in. He froze, then pulled away from her.
He saw the confusion in her priceless eyes, saw the hurt. He looked away from her and stood. “Jayce,” he said, the word like a groan of denial. “I’m sorry... but I can’t take you as my wife.”
He chanced a look at her. She was nestled in the chair, wrapped in a warm blanket, her lips swollen from his heated kiss.
Jayce rose stiffly. He could see the pain he was causing her in her trembling lower lip. If she were any other woman, he knew she would burst into tears and flee from him. But not his Jayce. She stood righteously before him, her chin angled in a brilliant show of determination.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she whispered harshly. “If you despise me so, then---”
“I don’t despise you,” he interrupted, and was shocked at the tenderness in his voice. He stepped toward her, meaning to comfort her.
But she took a step away from him, banging into the chair, sending it toppling to the floor. “But you can’t love me. And if you can’t, then what future is there for us?”
Love? Reese wondered. Future? What future did they have together? Hadn’t he asked himself that question time and again? A loveless marriage. His father’s agonized visage rose before his mind’s eye. It was not a life he would submit himself to. His wife would be devoted to him completely, so in love with him that she would not think of looking at another man. Jayce already commanded Dylan’s devotion. Who else would fall victim to her charm?
Reese turned away from her.
Thunder growled through the castle like a stalking lion. A log in the fire crackled and popped. The wind screeched outside the fortress.
Reese heard her footsteps and whirled, finding her fleeing toward the kitchens, the blanket still wrapped about her shoulders. Her long dark hair whipped out behind her like the flag of a retreating enemy.
Reese knew he should go after her. She was frightened of the storm, with no one to turn to. His heart began to hammer in his chest. Alone. He knew what it was like to be alone. Truly alone. He had lain in his bed after his mother had died, heir to Castle Harrington, frightened, overwhelmed. And very much alone.
Thunder scolded him from the heavens.
Reese shot out of the chair and found himself running toward the kitchens.
Chapter Nineteen
Jayce wasn’t really sure where she was going. She fled through the castle, searching for a safe spot where she could sit out the storm. But her vision kept blurring and the rumble of thunder was growing louder, confusing her senses. As a flash of lightning lit the hallway, Jayce ducked into a room, covering her ears against the crash of thunder. She pressed her back to the wooden door, waiting and praying, pulling the blanket tighter around her.
“Sweetheart,” her father had said. “Your mother... she can’t be with you anymore.”
A fierce crash resounded around the castle, and Jayce swore she felt the stone structure tremble.
“Father,” she whispered, “how could you leave me here? Why would you give me to a man who wants nothing to do with me? A man who can’t love me?”
The warmth of a single candle fluttered briefly, drawing her gaze. Jayce stepped toward the heat, hoping that somehow it would erase the sudden chill engulfing her body.