An Elopement Gone Awry: A Clean Regency Romance by Sariah Drake

Author:Sariah Drake [Drake, Sariah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sariah Drake
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

Charles

Charles vibrated as he walked across the lawn, hands flexing at his sides. A raging fire consumed him—every inch of him that had touched her burned with intense need. He could still smell her—like cream and sugar—the caramel scent lingering like a perfume. Georgiana had been warm and inviting, like curling up in front of a hearth with a book on a cool day. He had wished to stay there forever, holding her in his arms. Their proximity during the shooting lesson had nearly undone him.

He picked up his pace, struggling against the swirling emotions within his breast. He wanted to tear at his clothes, claw at his skin, but most of all, he wished to turn around and go back to her. And there was more he wanted, but he dared not dwell upon the deepness of the desire that had bloomed within him, lest he become consumed entirely by it. He let out a low animalistic growl and raked a hand through his coarse locks.

He needed to clear his mind of her. He needed to forget her smell, escape her intoxicating presence. He needed to stop thinking of how the woman would taste if only he had leaned in just a few inches and kissed her. He wondered where the nearest bucket of water was to dunk his overheated head in.

As he got closer to the estate, a figure moved in his periphery. He was so out of his mind he nearly bumped into it.

“Sinclair?”

Charles continued, the person’s voice like background noise, as inconsequential as the birds chattering in the trees. When he did not reply, a hand reached out and seized him by the collar, yanking him back. Charles blinked, caught off guard by the force, and prepared to send a fist flying into the man's face. But as he turned towards the figure, he realized it was Henry.

"Sinclair, my boy, what in seven hells has happened to you?" Henry said, voice bewildered.

"I … erm …"

Charles could not speak, he wouldn't. He stammered, completely unable to articulate his inner turmoil. Georgiana's virtue was already in question because of the acts of her fiancé, and admitting to lusting after her would only make the situation worse.

He suddenly focused on that single point. Her fiancé. The woman Charles had touched—the woman that every inch of his body yearned for—was engaged to be married. And while the man she was betrothed to was missing and likely dead, it did not matter. Georgiana's heart still burned for another. Charles let out a shaking breath and hid his face in one hand.

"I must not have eaten today," Charles said with a feigned nonchalance, attempting to deflect.

"I'm not sure if you recall, but I had breakfast with you," Henry said, "and you ate like a boar. Now tell me what is truly going on." He grasped Charles' arm firmly, not letting go even as Charles tried to pull away.

Charles didn't want to talk to Henry. He didn't want to talk to anybody but Georgiana.

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