Mistletoe and Mayhem - Cheryl Bolen Page 0,267

toddle, she lifted her gaze and searched the trees. There must be an apple or two still high in the branches overhead waiting for her to spot.

“There you are,” she said.

A tiny red ball peeked out from behind a patch of leaves. Perfect. All that now remained was to address the problem of getting the apple down without bruising it. Her collection of whacking sticks was in the barn and even then, Wister doubted any of them would be long enough.

She did a quick check of the lower limbs of the apple tree. They were broad and sturdy, enough to support her weight.

With skirts tucked up and a scandalous amount of stocking-covered calf on show, she put one foot on the bottom branch of the tree and lifted herself clear off the ground.

“If you break your neck, I am going to be very angry.”

Gripping a higher branch, Wister glanced over her shoulder. Standing a yard or so away was Rhys. He did not appear the least impressed with her climbing skills.

“I wanted to get that apple,” she replied.

He huffed angrily and marched over to the tree. “You will get my hand on your backside if you don’t get down this instant.”

The thought of being laid across Rhys’s knee while he spanked her sent heat racing to Wister’s cheeks and other more delicate parts of her body.

Before she had the opportunity to argue any further, strong hands were placed either side of her hips and Wister was hauled out of the apple tree and deposited safely back on solid ground. Rhys put one large boot on the limb where her foot had been only a moment before and clambered up into the branches. “Look out below!” he cried.

One. Two. Three apples dropped out of the tree, followed by a large Welsh male.

Wister quickly picked up the manna from heaven and placed them in the pocket of her apron. “Thank you.”

Rhys dusted his hands but didn’t reply. Taking that as her cue to leave, Wister turned ready to head back to the house. She had got no more than a foot or so away from him before a strong hand took hold of her arm and pulled her back to him.

“No,” said Rhys.

Her gaze met his deep green eyes. They held a warmth, a kindness which almost took her breath away. He really was a handsome devil. The sort of man who a woman could make a fool of herself over and secretly never regret it. “What do you mean no?” she asked.

His gaze dropped to where he held her firmly by the arm. He immediately let go of her. “I am not much of a wordsmith, so I know I am going to make a mess of this. Which is why before I say anything else; I have to say I don’t regret anything which happened last night.”

“You…you don’t?” she stammered

“My only regret is that you disappeared before I had the chance to talk to you. A woman of your breeding should not be pawed at by a man. You should be introduced to the ways of seduction by a gentler route.”

It was tempting to tell him a lie, to let Rhys think she was innocent. But Wister had never been one for falsehoods. She believed in honesty in her dealings with others. And that included lovers and potential lovers.

“Rhys, I am not unaware of the ways of the world. Of what happens between a man and a woman. I had a romance two summers back. He promised me marriage, but then turned out to be a blackguard. He even told Lord Kington of our affair and he was most displeased.”

He needed to know the truth of who she was. The whole issue of her sexual experience was irrelevant to her way of thinking, but she still knew that those sorts of things mattered to men of rank.

Rhys brushed the back of his hand over her cheek and leaned in close. Wister shivered as a soft kiss was placed on the side of her neck. A second kiss which followed, had her knees trembling. He slipped a hand around her waist and drew her against him. The hardness of his erection could not be mistaken.

“Thank you for telling me. It means a lot that you trust me with such a personal matter. I am grateful for your honesty. It also makes sense of something Deri discovered in London. Lord Kington wasn’t just displeased with your affair, he used it against you,”