Page 81 of Cocky August Rake

The thought ought to have reassured her.

It didn’t. Instead, dread tightened beneath her ribs, and for one wild moment, she nearly turned back.

Then she saw him.

The captain. The lord. The man…

Reginald stood beneath the trees near the water, his back to her. Tall, broad-shouldered, and hatless… and then he turned.

Even from a distance, Rose saw the light flare in his silver eyes.

And when he walked toward her, he did so almost cautiously, as though he was not entirely certain of his welcome.

But seeing him, after four dull, anxious days, any dread she’d felt disappeared.

She felt awake again. Warm again.

And far too aware of the myriads of questions between them.

Reginald stopped before her, his hat in one hand.

Up close, she saw the shadows beneath his eyes, the thick sweep of his lashes, the tension drawn around his mouth.

He looked tired. Troubled.

And still, relief moved through her simply because he was there.

“You look lovely.”

There was no practiced charm in it. If anything, he seemed almost uneasy.

“Thank you.” The words nearly caught in her throat.

He dipped his chin, one corner of his mouth quirked as though attempting a smile, and then he offered his arm.

Rose didn’t hesitate even a second before taking it. Because she didn’t just want to touch him. She needed to.

She was having the same feelings she’d felt that first night. This pull, these threads wound tightly around them.

They’d always been there.

With a hitch in her breath, Rose waited until they had gone several steps before she found the courage to speak.

“I missed you.”

His hand closed firmly over hers. But when he still didn’t speak, she continued.

“Have I had done something to offend you?”

“No.” He looked down at her, and something in his face made her breath catch. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

She waited, but he seemed to require a moment to consider how to say what he meant to say.

“I have been at the shipyard. The repairs are moving faster than expected.”

“Oh.”

Oh.