Page 59 of The Rake Desires the Diamond

He dropped his hand and stared. Meanwhile, her cheeks burned. Had she just done the most delicious, daring deed of her life?

Indeed, she had. “I call itNaked God Proclaiming His Power,” she said.

His breath hitched. “Bloody hell. Is that what I think it is?”

Trying to remain stone-faced when she was amused with herself was no easy task. She shrugged. “That depends on what you thinkitis.”

“Hmm,” he murmured. He glanced at the pencil and wiggled his fingers.

Anxious to see his response, she handed it over.

“Close your eyes and no peeking,” he said.

Delighted with their game, she held her breath and closed her eyes. She’d wager her pearl hair clips that he drew a large manly appendage on the profile of his naked buttocks. He could hardly make it anatomically correct since his crotch faced the waves. It was just the sort of smart-arse thing EvanEaton would do. Not that she cared in the least since she’d developed a fondness for both his body parts and his irreverent humor.

Each time his pencil scraped the paper, a happy bubble tickled her belly. Meanwhile, the wind increased in intensity, stinging her nose. A raindrop dripped down her cheek, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

If he did not hurry, their project would soon be soaked.

“The storm is coming,” she reminded him.

“Finished,” he finally said.

She opened her eyes. He presented their joint artwork with a hand flourish. Beside her naked man stood an equally naked woman, long hair cascading past her shoulders and blowing wildly. The couple’s hands were joined, and Evan had sketched a simple heart above their heads.

A heart, by God. She’d taunted him with his naked buttocks, and he’d drawn her a heart. Well, he’d sketched her naked backside and a heart. But hearts meantlove.Did they not?

He shoved the sketch pad beneath his waistcoat, placed the pencil into his pocket, and then pulled her to him.

Who would have known kissing in the rain would be so romantic or that his tongue thrusting into her mouth in time to the thunder would be so thrilling?

But it was a million wonderful things, and nothing else mattered but this wonderful man in this perfect moment.

Chapter twenty-four

July 6th, 1818

The wind howled around them, and the temperature seemed to have dropped ten degrees in the last ten minutes. They should have left the beach at the very first clap of thunder, but Evan had been enjoying his time with Katrina too much to let it end. And who knew when he would again have a chance to be alone with her since Harrington was being a complete arse.

The second Evan saw her walking toward him; his heart had somersaulted. Then she’d arranged herself beside him as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her to sit in the grass in her lovely gown. If that were nota big enough shock, she’d drawn him naked. At least, he was ninety-eight percent sure the backside was his. How grand it would be if she conjured up images of his bare arse on a whim. Unless… Had she seen his naked arse as he stood on the beach stretching?

Bloody hell! Had Lady Katrina spied on him on one of his swimming ventures? If so, how delicious.

Their feet splashed in inches of water as a river of runoff rushed past them. Lightning zig-zagged across the sky, the ground shook, thunder crackled, and Katrina squeaked. He clasped her hand and tugged her beneath the closest eave. Water poured from the overhang, blocking the view of the street. At least for the moment, they were out of the downpour. Another flash of lightning shot across the sky, and the thunder echoed.

Evan hugged the soaked Katrina to him. She snuggled against his chest, his ruined sketchpad between them.

Unfortunately, he didn’t expect the storm to abate anytime soon. Fortunately, the eave they were tucked beneath belonged to an inn. Not a fancy inn like Justine’s, and not an establishment a woman like Katrina would ever step foot in, but at least it was not a brothel. Most importantly, it was dry. They could simply rent a room and wait out the deluge. They really should since lightning was dangerous, and the poor woman was drenched. She might catch her death.

Pfft. Who was he kidding? It wasn’t as if they were in some romantic novel where everyone caught fevers from chills and died. The dashed truth was he wanted to be alone with her. And if the way she clung to him right now was any indication, she also desired his company.

“Katrina?”

“Hmm?” She snuggled into his chest. “’Tis nice. Watching the storm.”

He chuckled. “But we cannot see a blasted thing through this torrent.”

“I know, but I like being here with you.”