To kiss her again

“I told you I knew who you were Miss Charlotte.” Randy said with an easy grin. He tried not to move quickly unsure if she’d feel threatened enough to scream. She sat up on her bed pulling the duvet up modestly covering her nightgown.

“What do you want?” Charlotte asked in a hushed tone.

“What do you want?” Randy's thoughts threatened to overwhelm him. What did he want? Why was he even here? He thought he had come to talk to the Lady Marlton, but now seeing her sleeping in the cool moonlight reawakened his desire for her. What would she do if he slipped under her cotton sheets and tried to take her here in her own bed? Would she call for help, the last thing he wanted was Lady Marlton's screams to wake the household. She was surprisingly calm considering the circumstances, and he wondered what she was thinking as she waited in silence waiting to see what this strange outlaw was going to do.

“What I want Lady Charlotte, you can’t give me.” Randy wasn't even sure if that was true, but it gave him a moment to collect his thoughts.

“I’m sorry about Mary.” Randy froze when he realized that Lady Marlton had figured out who he was and why he hated her family. Instead he turned to the topic what had been bothering him for the past few days.

“I expected to see your father’s men at Rainbow Falls.” Randy said as he stepped into the room. He wanted to kneel by her side and take her hand in his, but instead he lowered his body slowly his large frame into the cushioned chair that stood by her desk.“Or maybe a troop of the King’s Foot blundering through the forest.” The question in his statements hung in the cool night air between them.

“I haven’t told anyone, at least not yet. I didn’t want your mother to have to lose her son.” He knew it! Randy didn't understand why she cared about his family, but it was the only thing that made any sense.

“How very noble of you Milady.” He joked sarcastically, and as soon as he heard his words aloud he regretted saying them, but there was something about Lady Marlton's calm reserve that he wanted to shatter.

“How dare you!” Charlotte exclaimed angrily. “YOU **** me. YOU assaulted me, you dragged me off into the woods and it was YOU that kissed me in a most improper way.” In her passion she let the blanket slip from her hands revealing the modest nightgown that she had been sleeping in. “And then you laughed at me and sent me away.” Her hands clenched into little fists on her lap. Well Randy wanted to see Lady Charlotte's reserve broken, and even angry she was beautiful. He slipped to his knees and reached for one of her delicate hands taking it in his.

“And now you invade my most private domain…” Charlotte suddenly realized she had dropped her covers and that Mr. Fuller had captured her hand her voice was suddenly nervous as she finished her sentence “…and you mock me again, this time in my own boudoir.”

“My apologies, Lady Marlton,” His brown eyes just inches from hers when he lifted her hand to his lips and brushed the back of her palm with his lips, Charlotte breathed sharply at his boldness. “I do most humbly thank you for not revealing my lair. Most of all I thank for your kindness to my mother.” He turned her hand in his and this time his lips caressed the inside of her wrist sending a shiver up the length of her arm.

Charlotte was speechless, how had he gotten so close to her? She was acutely aware of the blankets that had fallen to her lap and the flimsiness of the lace nightgown that was her only protection from this outlaw. He was moving closer still, his eyes searching hers for some kind of sign as his lips slowly drifted towards hers.

God in Heaven! He was going to kiss her again, only this time in her room and on her own bed!