Sweet Bea. Sarah Hegger

tingle. Thrilling. Too thrilling. She tore her mouth from his. “Nay.”

      Immediately, his hand dropped away. His fingers dug into her hip and he rested his forehead against hers as he took deep, calming breaths. “Forgive me, you have no idea what you do to me. I lose all reason.”

      “We must not.” She wasn’t sure on whom she was trying to impress this.

      “You must know how I feel about you, Beatrice.” He planted a soft kiss against her temple.

      “It is wrong.”

      “Do not say so, sweeting. Do not say it is wrong. Nothing can be wrong for us.” His lips burned the sensitive skin beneath her ear.

      Already, her traitorous senses were responding. The chaste maiden retreated to the back of her mind and grumbled. This was not so shocking. Harmless kisses. She tilted her chin so the sweet torment could continue, if only for a bit longer. “I should not.”

      “Let yourself feel,” he said. “Just for this moment. You and I, here and alone, let yourself feel what is betwixt us.”

      “It is a sin.”

      “Nay.” He nipped at her bottom lip. “Sin would not feel this wondrous.” Garrett moved his hand toward her breast.

      Beatrice’s knees weakened. Her head grew light. She could have stopped him. She should have stopped him, but she wanted more of his touch. A chaste girl would protest. Beatrice didn’t want to be that girl. She wanted to feel this wondrous always. Especially when his long, hard fingers brushed against the stiff peak and her nipple tightened.

      He took possession of her mouth. Hot and hungry, he demanded a response.

      It seemed the most natural thing in the world to arch her back and push her breast deeper into his hand. His rumble of approval reverberated through her bones. She made a soft protest as he withdrew his hand and lifted his mouth from hers.

      “Beatrice,” he murmured.

      She sucked air into her starved lungs, breast still tingling from his touch.

      “I ache for you.” He placed her hand on his braies. “See what you do to me?”

      His hard flesh pulsed in her palm. She let him curl her fingers around the shaft. It was so carnal and base, so incredibly exciting. Her thighs clenched together. She wanted him to join his body to hers, to ease the damp ache at her core. The chaste maiden whispered in the back of her mind. She tugged her hand away.

      He let her go without protest.

      Beatrice staggered back.

      A flush stained his cheeks. Garrett straightened his shoulders and his hands clenched over his rope belt.

      “We must stop.” She wet her parched lips.

      Heavy with desire, his dark gaze tracked the motion. “Why?”

      She couldn’t think of a good answer. Each time it grew more difficult to walk away. Disaster, hissed the maiden. It didn’t feel like disaster, though, or sin. It consumed her, glorious and so very, very tempting.

      “I will be missed.” She gestured toward the castle. “I need to get back.”

      He dropped his head as she retreated. The grip on his belt tightened, the skin going white around his knuckles.

      Beatrice hesitated. She wanted his touch again, but that way led to trouble. “On the morrow?”

      “I do not know.”

      “Nay.” The word burst from her. He was the best part of her day.

      He stepped away from her, raking his fingers across his scalp. “We cannot continue like this.”

      She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the sudden chill. “You do not want to see me?”

      “Beatrice.” He frowned. “You know I cannot tarry here. I would have been gone long since if it were not for you.”

      “What are you saying?” He couldn’t be telling her he was leaving. It caught inside of her like a barb, and she struggled to draw her next breath.

      “I cannot stay.” He grasped her shoulders.

      “You are leaving?” She could barely form the words past the constriction in her throat. Pain raked inside her chest. He could not leave.

      “You know I must.” He shook his head. Regret lined his beautiful face. “I cannot stay here, like this, and not have you.”

      “But you do have me, Garrett, you do.” Beatrice grasped the front of his tunic. She had to keep him here.

      “Not in the way I need you.” His words hung in the air. He wanted to lie with her.

      She wanted to, but doubt gnawed at her. Beatrice stepped back. Her thoughts were cloudy when she was close to him. He’d never said the words, but he touched her like he loved her.

      Her virtue, however, must be prized and guarded. It had been impressed on her since she became old enough to understand the notion. Still, what could be better than to give such a cherished gift to the man she loved? And, yet, that maiden shrieked caution.

      “Where will you go?” The thought of him leaving opened a yawning pit beneath her. This must be love. It could be nothing else. Since he had come at summer’s beginning, the loneliness hadn’t existed. With him, she was whole. She belonged. If he left, he would take that away. Her life would be gray again. Gray and boring and the same, day after cursed day.

      “It does not matter.” He shrugged. “I have been many places and will be many more before I am done. But here, Beatrice—” He opened his arms wide. “Here I have come home.”

      It so nearly echoed her thoughts tears flooded her eyes. She blinked to stop them from spilling over.

      “Do not cry, sweeting.” He cupped her cheek and caught her tears with his thumb. “I am not worth your tears.”

      “But you are.” Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “You are worth it to me.”

      “My sweet, sweet girl.” He tugged her to him.

      Beatrice burrowed into his chest, willing the world to fall away and let her rest here forever.

      “We knew it could not be this way always. Sooner or later, we will get caught. Then, it will go badly for both of us.”

      Beatrice shivered. Her family would kill Garrett if they knew.

      “Your father will die before he gives you to one such as me.” He leaned his head back and looked at her. “I am a churl, Beatrice, a penniless traveler with naught to my name.”

      She shook her head. It didn’t matter to her.

      “And you are a princess.” He rested his chin on the top of her head. “A beautiful, fiery princess, living in her castle on the hill, too good for any man to claim as his own. For you, there must be a brave paladin on his pure white charger to carry you away to his kingdom in the sky.”

      “I do not want a paladin. I want you.” With everything in her, she wanted Garrett.

      “But you have me, Beatrice. All that I am, I give to you.” His pressed a kiss to her crown. “I have only my love and my body, and both are yours. Held between your delicate hands. You could drop my heart beneath your dainty slippers and step on it. I would not care.”

      His words sank about her like golden honey. He did love her. She knew it.

      Gently, he set her aside. His eyes glowed down at her and warmed the aching hollow in her chest. “You must go back before you are missed.”

      “Do not leave.” She grabbed his tunic. She must have his promise before he left or she might not see him again.

      “Beatrice.” He raised her fingers to his lips. “If only you knew how you torture me with your