Chapter 89

 

The cool grass pressed against Elena's back, the late-autumn chill seeping through the thin fabric of her clothes and making her lashes tremble.

But almost immediately, the cold disappeared.

Richard's body covered hers, radiating heat from his workout as he braced himself above her. His broad chest rose and fell with each heavy breath, his presence overwhelming enough to block out everything else.

Elena could hear the bushes rustling in the night breeze and the soft movement of the trees overhead.

Her cheeks flushed as she turned her face away.

"What are you doing?"

"Why did you run?"

Richard looked down at her, his dark eyes almost black in the night. One large hand easily gathered both of her slender wrists and pinned them above her head against the grass.

His throat moved as he swallowed.

When he spoke again, his voice was rough.

Elena shifted beneath him. With years of dance training behind her, even the small movement brought her body closer to his.

"Mr. Sterling, you're being awfully mean..."

She tilted her head, her pale-blonde hair beginning to loosen from its bun and spill across the grass.

"You were the one who asked what I was planning."

A mischievous smile curved her lips.

"I was practically throwing myself at you."

Richard stared at that smug little expression.

Something in his gaze darkened.

Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

"Mm—"

Elena's startled sound disappeared against his mouth.

The kiss was hard and demanding, carrying all the tension she had deliberately provoked out of him. His breathing was still heavy from his workout, his warmth stark against the cold night air.

Elena softened beneath him.

At some point, Richard released her wrists. His hand slid along the side of her neck, the heat of his palm making her shiver even through her clothes.

She wrapped both arms around his shoulders and tilted her head back as his kisses moved from her lips to the delicate line of her neck and collarbone.

A quiet sound escaped her.

The ground beneath her head was harder than she had realized. Elena shifted slightly, uncomfortable as the grass and earth caught against her hair.

Richard noticed immediately.

His arm tightened around her waist, while his other hand slipped beneath the back of her head, cushioning it from the cold ground.

"Richard..."

Her voice scattered into the wind.

There was something almost contradictory about him. The way he held her was possessive and overwhelming, yet the hand protecting her head remained extraordinarily gentle, his thumb brushing softly near her ear.

The breeze moved through the hedges around them, unable to hide the uneven rhythm of their breathing.

A handful of pale stars hung above the late-autumn sky.

Elena stared upward, her vision gradually blurring until the distant points of light seemed to melt together.

"Look at me, Ellie."

Richard's low voice sounded beside her ear.

Elena blinked and turned back toward him.

The next moment, her breath caught.

A shiver rushed through her, and her fingers dug into the hard muscles of his shoulders.

Richard's forehead lowered against hers, his breathing rough and uneven.

The cold wind swept across the lake, but Elena barely felt it anymore.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him blindly, without rhythm or thought.

Richard let out a low, ragged breath.

His hand settled firmly behind her head as he pulled her closer and kissed her back.

The wind moved through the treetops.

Their breath clouded faintly in the cold night air before disappearing.

The night deepened around them.

And somewhere between the cold grass, the dark water, and Richard's arms around her, teasing turned into something neither of them had any intention of stopping.

By the time the storm between them finally passed, the chill of the grass had begun creeping back against Elena's skin.

The wind cooled the sweat on her body.

She lay bonelessly against Richard's broad chest, unwilling to move so much as a finger.

Her eyes were still slightly damp, and a faint flush lingered around them as she shamelessly buried her face against his neck.

"This is all your fault..." she mumbled. "Making trouble out here."

"Mm. My fault."

Richard wrapped an arm around her waist.

"It's getting cold. Let's go inside."

Elena rubbed her cheek against him.

"I'm tired. I don't have the strength to walk. Carry me."

Her body was warm and relaxed against his, every movement filled with complete trust.

Richard gave a low laugh.

He reached for the jacket she had left nearby and wrapped it securely around her before sliding one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back.

A moment later, Elena was in his arms.

Richard carried her toward the house, his strides long and steady despite the cold wind.

The heating inside had already been turned up. The moment the door opened, warmth rushed over them, driving away the last traces of the autumn chill.

Richard carried her straight into the enormous bathroom adjoining the master suite.

Water began pouring into the bathtub.

Soon, steam drifted above the surface.

Richard knelt beside the tub and dipped one muscular forearm into the water to test the temperature.

Satisfied, he turned toward Elena and reached for her jacket with every appearance of intending to personally help her bathe.

Elena had been sitting quietly nearby.

Only then did she seem to realize exactly what he was planning.

Her cheeks immediately heated.

The moment his hand reached her, she shrank back and grabbed his arm.

"Wait. I don't need help taking a bath. I can do it myself!"

"Really?"

Richard raised an eyebrow.

"Who was it outside saying she was too exhausted to walk?"

"T-That was because I wanted you to carry me back."

The tips of Elena's ears turned red.

"I'm an adult. I'm not a little kid. Why would I need someone to help me take a bath?"

In truth, she wasn't nearly as exhausted as she had pretended.

With her stamina and usual level of physical activity, she was perfectly capable of walking back on her own.

She had simply wanted an excuse to stay in his arms a little longer.

But now, looking into Richard's dark eyes and catching the faint return of something distinctly dangerous there, Elena's instincts immediately sounded the alarm.

If she actually let him stay and "help," she had a feeling this bath might not be finished until morning.

"Anyway... you need to go."

She glared at him, embarrassed.

Richard remained on one knee beside the bathtub, completely unbothered.

"Are you sure?"

His gaze lingered teasingly on her flushed face.

"You're not going to faint in here by yourself?"

Elena stared at him.

What?

Her eyes narrowed.

"No! If anything, you're the one who should be careful. You've done so much exercise tonight. Don't wear yourself out just kneeling there."

Richard fell silent.

That amount of exercise was nowhere near enough to tire him out.

One eyebrow slowly lifted.

"You seem to have recovered your energy."