I have to tell her how I feel.
The thought scared him a little, but not as much as the thought of never telling her that she was all he ever thought of. He could hardly recall a time in his life when she was not around. It sounded absurd given the short time he had known her, yetnothing else seemed to matter in the face of having her by his side for the rest of his life.
She meant more to him than Anne ever had. It scared him how much and how deeply he genuinely cared for her. There was far more at stake than there had been with Anne, but he reminded himself that Lily was not Anne.
Lily was kind, gracious, loving, forgiving, and a bit naïve when it came to believing the best in others. All of those things made her far worthier of his love than any other woman he had ever met.
Shifting a little closer to her face, he moved the tips of his fingers over her cheek before turning to use the back of his knuckles. Her skin was softer than the skin of a peach. Perfect in every way possible, just like the rest of her.
She stirred slightly in her sleep and sighed contentedly as if she were dreaming.
God help me, I love her.
Julian felt his chest clench when a single curl fell over her face, prompting him to shift it aside.
Stirring again, she opened his eyes this time, blinking away the sleep that had claimed her for so many hours. He expected her to move away, but she just lay there, staring at him with that peaceful look in her eyes.
“Good morning,” she said in a thick, sleepy voice that tugged at his heart.
“Good morning.” The breath moved effortlessly through his chest as if he were breathing her in.
She shifted a little, angling her head toward his. “When did we fall asleep?” Her eyes dropped to his lips for a mere moment before meeting his gaze again.
“I am not certain. The storm was raging quite badly at one point, and then…” He hesitated to say that she had jumped into his arms, willingly allowing him to embrace her against his chest.
Her eyes opened a little wider as if she suddenly recalled, but she stayed where she was, close enough for her lips to press against his.
Does she want me to kiss her?
His breath suddenly stilled in his chest when her lips parted with what seemed like a silent gasp. He inched his face closer to hers, taking in the soft lavender scent of her curls. If she had remembered what had happened between them, it had not made her move away from him.
Did that mean that she felt something for him? His pulse began to race with anticipation when she mimicked his motion and moved a little closer.
Her breath moved over his lips, inviting him in like a fresh summer’s breeze after a warm day. “Julian…” She whispered as her eyes fluttered shut, allowing her lashes to kiss the top of her cheeks.
Finally.
His heart unclenched, releasing all the tension from his body as his lips brushed hers, softer than the day before, but more meaningful and slower. Closing his eyes, he felt their bodies finally breathing together.
The sound of horses’ hooves beating against the wet and muddy earth made their eyes shoot open at the same time. Someone was close to the mill, close enough for the sounds of worried voices to carry through the air.
“They must have come looking for us,” he quickly said as Lily began to back away from him.
Pushing herself up with one arm, she frantically looked around. “I… I…” She began to stammer as if they had been caught red-handed.
“There is no need to panic, we will just tell them the truth. We were waiting out the storm, and we fell asleep.” Julian reassured her, quickly coming to his feet before helping her up.
Lily dusted off her cape and began to pick the straw from her hair before fixing her skirts. She seemed flustered as she avoided looking at him, and he wondered for a moment if she regretted the almost kiss or the fact that people were coming.
“Lily, Julian, are you in there!” Arabella’s voice cut through the air, sharp and urgent, before someone pounded on the door.
“We had better let them in before they break down the door,” Julian said, pushing his confused thoughts aside.
Hurrying forward, they both reached the door at the same time before Julian unlatched and opened it.
Arabella’s eyes were wild as she burst into the mill, her gaze frantically searching for Lily before she found her. “Thank goodness!” she shouted tearfully before falling into Lily’s arms and hugging her tight. “I was so worried!”
Lily hugged her back and glanced over her shoulder, meeting Julian’s gaze just as Benedict came striding in from outside.