Tempest's Embrace

Chapter 34

"I want to woo you for the next two days before I leave," he murmured with a devilish grin.

And he did just that.

The late morning sky was clear and made for a beautiful day. Enough to accept an invitation for a stroll in the park. The missive that arrived both intrigued her, and had her stomach in knots with eager anticipation.

She was invited for a stroll with Justin.

Her mother sadly could not be bothered to accept as she was too busy. Therefore, she sent her two maids and Lady Agatha, The dowager Baroness of Brant,  a trusted friend in her steed as a chaperone. Tempest wanted to scream. The Dowager was ancient by anyone's standards. Propriety in all things was Lady Agatha's biggest concern in life and she took to her duties strongly.

Their stroll through the park was painstakingly slow which made Tempest broodingly walk in careful strides beside the elder woman with her two maids in tow. As they slowly approached the main garden's entrance, she could see him up ahead. He stood straight, hands clasped behind his back, muscular and tall in contrast to his other male counterparts that walked nearby. Dashing and devilishly handsome as ever.

Her stomach fluttered in earnest with his watchful gaze. The distance between them shortened, and as it did, images of the night during the ball when they made love; came back to her.

She flushed with such vivid memories of the exquisite pleasure he gave her as she got closer and closer. She caught his gaze as it suddenly grew dark, sensual, knowing.

Finally, she stood before him quietly meanwhile he regarded Lady Agatha with a cordial greeting and low bow before turning to face her and do the same only this time, his greeting was accompanied by a warm gentle kiss on her gloved hand.  

Under the watchful- scrutinizing eyes of The Dowager, he smiled down at Tempest and offered his arm. With no time to waste, they turned to walk slowly only to be stopped by Lady Agatha and informed that she would rather sit and wait by a nearby bench. She sent the two maids to walk behind them.

For a while, they walked in silence taking slow steps down a narrow pathway. They began a light conversation appropriate and loud enough for her maids to hear. They spoke of everything from daily Tea Parties she would attend to the next upcoming Soiree's.

Deep down she knew that their small talk was only a diversion from what he really wanted to tell her. The intimate gesture of rubbing his fingers softly over hers was indication enough. She turned her attention to the path before her then and concentrated on the graveled pathway filled with leaves and flowers while listening as he spoke in a low deep rich tone that warmed her down to her core.

In the distance, she heard footsteps approaching before them. Then looking up, her heart seized to a stop. The familiar faces of two men strolled leisurely in their direction.

Bellamy and Quinn strode by them in customary humor and held their gazes with tricky mischief she knew too well. She felt Justin's fingers gently squeeze her own. Her lips curved into a smile admiring the two sailors that transformed remarkably from what they wore at sea.

Now they wore elegant attire befitting men of respectable wealth. They acknowledged her and Justin with a curt nod passing them and continuing on. The sensation that they were up to no good was short-lived as they approached her two maids at a distance.

Their jovial tone approaching them could be heard as she continued to walk along with Justin, not daring to look back.

Shortly after, in horrified fascination, she felt Justin pull her into a secluded spot of low branches, closed the space between them, and pulled her tight against him. They stood with scarcely a hair's length between them.