She imagined a lonely young man, spending hours apart from his family. The cabin stood in a beautiful place, and the loch appeared green in the afternoon sunlight as the water played against the stones. It was peaceful here, but her heart ached for the boy no one had noticed.
Dalton opened the door and held it out for her to enter. The interior was dark, except for one window which was covered by an oil cloth. It smelled musty, as if no one had been here in years. There were hardly any furnishings at all, except for a bed and a single chair. When Regina approached the hearth, she saw a mantel above it. There were polished stones, a few seashells, and a silver necklace that had once belonged to her. She had lost it years ago, never knowing what had happened to it. It was a simple silver chain with an amethyst pendant, hardly worth anything. But why did Dalton have it? ‘Where did you get this?’
‘I found it the day you came to see me—the day my brother was buried. You lost it, and I kept it for you. I had always intended to give it back, but I forgot to bring it from Scotland.’
He reached for the necklace now, and unfastened it, hanging it around her neck. The silver chain warmed against her skin, and the pendant nestled above her breasts. His hands lingered a moment upon her shoulders, but he said nothing. Then he turned away to build a fire. He stacked peat bricks in the hearth, tucking tinder around it. Regina watched him strike the tinder, and when the flames caught, she moved closer to warm herself.
Dalton studied her a moment. ‘I’m going to remove some of my wet clothes to dry them,’ he said. ‘I won’t harm you.’ He unbuckled his belt and set it on the floor. Then he removed the length of tartan and turned his back on her. His kilt was next to go, and she realised that his shirt was long enough to hang down to his thighs. Then he returned to the hearth. She didn’t know what to think right now, and her mouth had gone dry. Despite the warmth of the fire, her skin rose up with goose bumps.
‘Your turn,’ he said. ‘If you’ll allow me.’
He won’t make demands, she reminded herself.
Even so, she was afraid to let down her guard. For so long, she had guarded herself, keeping a tight control over every aspect of her life. But now, Dalton was offering her the choice.
Silently, she unfastened the belt and set it on the table. Then she turned her back and murmured, ‘Will you help me with this gown?’
Regina felt his hands upon the laces, and it took him a moment to untie them. Slowly, he helped her lift the gown away. Now she stood before him, wearing only her undergarments. She felt exposed, completely vulnerable to him. His green eyes fixed upon her, and he asked, ‘What else would you like me to remove?’
The old Regina would have said nothing. She would have returned to the house, shutting herself in her room and drying her clothes by the fire alone. Not any more.
Her hands were shaking, but Regina turned her back to him once more. ‘Will you help me loosen my corset?’
Again, she felt his hands upon her. Slowly, he untied the laces. He took his time, removing one lace, then another. It was almost seductive, the way he loosened her stays. And yet, she was terrified to expose herself to him. But she lifted her arms, allowing him to remove the corset until she stood only in her chemise and petticoats.
The fine linen was soaked against her skin, and she saw the dark look of desire in his eyes. She knew that the wet clothing hid nothing from his gaze, and she covered herself with one arm.
‘Don’t be afraid of me, Regina,’ he said huskily. ‘You are in complete command.’
She didn’t know whether to believe that. At the moment, her husband looked as if he wanted to remove every last inch of fabric covering her body. Clad only in his shirt, he turned to the fire with his hands outstretched.
‘Do you want to be more daring,’ he asked, ‘or should I leave you alone?’
Regina remained silent, which was the answer he’d expected. And he understood that. But he had glimpsed her naked body beneath the thin wet fabric, and the hunger it had aroused was beyond anything he’d ever felt before. He wanted to pleasure this woman, to watch her come apart in his arms. He wanted her to arch her back, digging her fingers into the coverlet while her release made her tremble.
But he already knew it would not be today.
He suspected Regina had been raped or attacked in some way. Her father had helped her cover it up, and that was why they were being blackmailed. If the wealthiest heiress in London had been ruined, no one would want her any more.
But after the scandal he and Regina had caused with their false marriage, it hardly mattered now. Even if the past was revealed, he could protect her with his family name—that is, if he could convince her to wed him legally.
Dalton walked to a small trunk on the other side of the room and withdrew a wool blanket. He brought it to Regina and laid it across her shoulders. ‘Here,’ he offered. ‘This should help you.’
She drew the blanket around her. ‘Dalton, I haven’t been very kind to you. You’ve done so much for me. But I am grateful. I want you to know that.’
He was startled when she touched her hand to his chest. For a moment, her palm rested upon his heartbeat, and he savoured the simple touch.
‘I suppose I should have asked you to help me climb a tree,’ she said ruefully. ‘At least we wouldn’t have been soaked.’ She
