The Risqué Resolution by Jillian Eaton Page B

she had been a willing party, he would not let
her face the consequences of their actions alone.
    And yet James could not help but think
it would not be such a consequence. He knew nothing about Lily Kincaid except
the husky sound of her laughter, the stubborn glint that gleamed in her eye
when she’d set her mind to something, and her willingness to risk her life for
an old hound anyone else would have abandoned to the wilderness. More lies. He
also knew the taste of her skin. The tempo of her heart. The sound of her moan… He shook his head to clear it, and dared a quick glance
at Natalie. His sister was studying him intently, the oddest of smiles on her
pale face.
    “Do you know what I would like for
Christmas above all else?” she asked.
    James did not have the faintest of
ideas. “A new dress?” he ventured.
    Natalie shook her head. “A sister. I
should very, very much like a
sister.” Leaving him gaping after her, she gathered her skirts and skipped from
the room.

 
 
 
    CHAPTER ELEVEN

 
    25 days
until Christmas
     
     
    Time was running out.
    Lily knew it. Her mother knew it. Elsa
knew it. Even Mr. Betram knew it, if his constant
nightly howling was any indication.
    From James she’d heard not a word,
which only made everything all the worse for she thought of him constantly. He
invaded her dreams every night without fail, sliding into her subconscious as
stealthily as a shadow and filling her mind with the sound of his husky voice,
the serious slant of his mouth, the touch of his skin…
    During the day it was not much better.
Even though only three days had passed since their time together in the cottage
she must have imagined him a hundred, nay, a thousand times. If she did not keep herself busy she thought of
him. If she slept she thought of him. It seemed with every breath she drew she
thought of him, until she was so consumed it was nearly impossible to think of
anything else. Which was why, on a bright, sundrenched afternoon, she found
herself with Sarah at the very last place she desired to be: a holiday fair in
the middle of town.
    Shop owners hawked their wares from
every street corner. A man with a white beard pushed a wooden cart filled to
the brim with wreaths. Children ran through the crowd selling bright red
ribbons. A group of women, wearing matching green cloaks and fur muffs, sang
cheerful carols at the top of their lungs.
    Sarah, boasting a bright smile, held
fast to Lily’s arm and steered them both towards a vendor selling steaming hot
cups of chocolate. There was a rather long line – no surprise given the
frigid temperature – and Sarah turned to Lily after they’d shuffled their
way into it. “Isn’t this positively delightful?” she asked, raising her voice
to be heard above the din.
    Lily did a quick, sweeping glance of
the organized chaos and struggled not to grimace. “Yes,” she lied.
“Delightful.”
    Sarah’s face fell. “You are not having
a good time at all, are you?”
    The line moved forward a few feet, and
they moved with it. Lily sighed. “I am trying. Truly I am. But all of the
festivities—”
    “— are only reminding you that Christmas is right around the corner,” Sarah finished.
“I should have taken that under consideration. We can leave, if you would
like.”
    “No.” Lily shook her head from side to
side, causing the hood of her cloak to fall back. She’d pinned her hair up in a
circular braid that wound around the crown of her head and woven red ribbon
through the thick, glossy strands in an attempt to be festive. Unfortunately,
it seemed not even pretty ribbon could boost her spirits, but she was not about
to let her problems effect Sarah’s happiness. “We will get hot chocolate and
walk all around. I saw a booth selling glass snowflakes when we first came in.
I should like to buy one for Elsa, and find something for Mother as well.”
    Sarah’s expression was doubtful. “Are
you certain?”
    “Yes, I—I…” She trailed off