Adam took Rebecca’s hand and crept up the greenhouse stairs to the second floor where Faith dried herbs. It was closed on Sunday, which made it a perfect hideaway for him and Rebecca. But the sound of voices made him freeze near the top of the stairs. He brought his finger to his lips to warn Rebecca they weren’t alone.
Patrick had Iris trapped in his arms and backed against the plank wall. “You’ll never get away from me,” he said.
Dang it all! Adam had hoped he and Rebecca could sneak in here and talk, and maybe even kiss, but now everything was ruined because Patrick and Iris had gotten here first.
“I wasn’t trying to get away,” Iris said, breathless. “I planned to bring you up here and seduce you.”
Gads! Adam hoped Rebecca didn’t know he’d brought her here to steal a kiss.
“You won’t respect me if I submit,” Patrick said.
Iris laughed then got a strange look on her face. “I wish I’d met you before I . . . many years ago.”
Adam ducked lower on the stairs, worried she’d seen him. Rebecca sidled closer, and he knew they should leave, but spying was too exciting.
“You would have hated me then. I was afraid of spirited girls like you.” Patrick began unbuttoning Iris’s shirtwaist. “Are you wearing a corset?”
“I never wear a corset.” She ran her hands down his stomach to the top of his trousers. “Until I was thirteen, I was so sweet and naive, I would have bored you to sleep.”
Patrick pushed her shirtwaist open, showing off her lacy red chemise that Adam had seen drying on a rack in the house. “And you are definitely not boring, Iris Wilde.”
“Being outrageous is more exciting,” she said.
“I like outrageous.” Patrick buried his face in her breasts. “I like exciting.”
So did Adam. But he clutched Rebecca’s hand and nodded toward the foot of the stairs. If he were alone, he might peek a little longer, but he had to get her out of here.
Rebecca shook her head and grinned like she wanted to stay.
Adam hesitated, then saw Patrick put his whole hand over Iris’s breast. “I want you. Right here. Right now. Forever.”
“I don’t need forever. Right here, right now, is enough.” Iris straddled his thigh, and Patrick ground his body against hers.
Rebecca clenched Adam’s hand.
“Marry me, Iris.”
Iris gripped Patrick’s face, looking angry. “Don’t you dare fall in love with me.”
“Too late. I fell the first time I saw you.” He kissed her neck and she got all breathless.
“I’ll break your heart, farm boy”
“I won’t let you.” He put his hand on the front of Iris’s skirt then pushed the fabric between her legs, making her gasp and causing Adam’s stomach to go light.
“Men have been paying me to do that for twelve years,” she said.
Adam gulped. Rebecca shouldn’t know this.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, Patrick?”
“Yes.” He pulled his groping hand away to lift her chin up so she had to look at him. “And now I understand why you’ve never met a man you wanted to marry.”
Adam’s mouth fell open. Patrick didn’t care that Iris used to be a prostitute? Is that what he was saying? Because if he didn’t care, maybe Duke wouldn’t care that they’d lived behind the brothel. Maybe Rebecca wouldn’t care either.
“My sweet, wild Iris.” Patrick kissed her very gently and looked sad, like he was dying or something. “I’m a plain, honest man who loves you. Is that enough for you?”
Iris looked like she was going to cry. “You deserve better.”
