The smile Sebastian flashed her was stiff, though the gratitude was apparent in his gaze. “Thank you,” he said simply and she moved impulsively to take his hands in hers. “You are the only man I should be seeing alone,” she admitted and he ducked his head down to look at her, their eyes meeting.
“Indeed,” he agreed and she smiled up at him, moving to press a hand against his cheek. His skin was warm beneath her hand.
“It will not happen again,” she promised before leaning forward and pressing her body against his, the hardness of his chest pressing intimately against her soft curves. Sebastian relented with a sigh and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Perhaps,” she whispered as she buried her face into his neck, “you should spend some time with Edward and myself. You will see that he is harmless.”
Caroline waited for an answer, but it did not come. Instead, Sebastian lowered his head to kiss her and all thoughts of Edward Pembroke dissipated into thin air.
Chapter 23
The next morning saw Sebastian getting up quite early to go to the market. Though he could have sent any of his friends in his stead, the truth was that he wanted to get out of the manor and have some time to think. Despite Caroline’s promise to keep her distance from Edward and not see the man alone, Sebastian still struggled to keep Beatrice’s warning out of his head.
What had the other girl meant? Perhaps, he mused, it was a bit of jealousy but then again she had nothing to gain from it. So caught up in his own thoughts was he, that he hardly noticed Edward Pembroke until the man stood right beside him and he looked at him stiffly.
“Morning Lord Casterbridge,” Edward greeted happily. “I must say, I am rather relieved to be such good friends with your wife again. I am sure you will be seeing a lot more of me.”
At this, Sebastian turned and his eyes turned into narrow slits as he looked at Edward. “Lord Pembroke,” he said slowly, his voice measured. “I would appreciate it if you kept your distance from my wife.”
Edward lifted a brow at this and a smirk appeared on his lips. “Should she not ask me that herself, My Lord?” he said daringly, and Sebastian let out an angry breath.
“Do not test me, Pembroke,” he whispered, his voice low. “You will not succeed. Caroline is my wife—and while I respect the fact that you were childhood friends, you ought to know that I do not want you near her.”
“But she does,” Edward challenged, his eyes turning into narrow slits. “Think of it, Lord Casterbridge. Caroline never would have married you had it not been for the scandal. She was forced to endure your wedding, but before that happened, she was mine. My partner, my friend and she would have been my wife. Do you think she does not think of that whenever you touch her? Do you not think, even for a second, that a part of her wishes you were me?”
A muscle jumped in Sebastian’s jaw at this and Edward smirked—clearly gaining at least some pleasure from Sebastian’s discomfort. The latter moved forward slightly, his eyes meeting Edward’s without reluctance.
“Keep dreaming, Pembroke,” he said, his voice but a whisper. “Just know… that I do not want you near my wife and if I catch you with her… you will regret it.”
Though Edward opened his mouth for a retort, he was not given the chance to verbalize it, as Sebastian hastened his steps and walked away—leaving all he had intended to buy just there in the middle of the market.
For a few seconds, his rage at merely seeing the man was enough to dissuade Sebastian from going home. Logically, however, he was well aware of the fact that it was not at all Caroline’s fault that he had run into the man—and he would not refrain from seeing his wife because another man had gotten under his skin.
Caroline was seated at the kitchen table when he entered and her face lit up when she saw him. “I thought you left for work,” she announced and Sebastian shook his head before approaching her, taking her face between his hands and pressing his lips against hers in a kiss.
For a split second, she did not react—shell-shocked by the suddenness of his affection, but soon she gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving in to the kiss eagerly, allowing him to pull her to her feet. When he finally let go of her, she was breathless and she stared at him with wide eyes, pressing her hand to her heart.
“What was that for?”
Sebastian looked his wife up and down slowly, and a smile settled around his lips. “You just looked so beautiful sitting there,” he explained, reaching for her once more and wrapping his arms around her. “I just had to kiss you.”
It was half-true, he admitted silently. A part of him, yes, kissed her because Edward Pembroke did not have that honor. But intruth, she did look seductively beautiful where she sat and he felt himself unable to keep from tasting her lips.
She affected him more than any woman had, he mused, as he looked at her now while she attempted to pat down her hair. She was not unaffected by the kiss—that much was evident by the blush on her face and the sharp points her breasts made against her dress. He was certain that if he just pressed a hand under her dress, she’d be slick with arousal and the thought sent a jolt of warmth to the pit of his stomach.
“I was hoping we could spend the day together,” she whispered, and his glance turned to her quickly, his eyes dark with want. Her face flushed and she licked over her lips.
“Perhaps,” she continued, stumbling over her words, “perhaps we could… have a picnic or a promenade or… something.”
Sebastian looked down at her with a grin before brushing his lips against hers in a quick, chaste kiss. “A promenade sounds lovely,” he said at last and she let out a breath—one he was certain was relief.
Within minutes the carriage was called and he made sure to sit closely next to her as they rode to Hyde Park, his thigh brushing against hers with every bump of the carriage, and his hand trembling whenever she touched it.
Never before had a woman affected him like this, though this was not something he wanted to ponder too much.
Still, there was no denying that he was overly aware of his wife. The confines of the carriage seemed to magnify her presence, the soft floral scent of her perfume washing over him in the enclosed space.
As soon as the carriage came to a halt, Sebastian was quick to help Caroline step down, his hand lingering a bit longer than necessary on the small of her back, the warmth of her body sending a thrill through his own.
