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Midnight arrives with agonising slowness. Hunter ducks out of the door when he is sure his brother's attention as well as his men is otherwise occupied. The only one who notices him leave watches him with curious, slightly worried eyes. She bites down on her cheek till she tastes blood. Orion had not minced his words when he spoke with her. He was concerned about Hunter and she could tell that it had been completely genuine. He did not give reasons but he asked her... no she had already decided to ignore what he had asked of her. To be so deceitful is not in her genetics and she had told him as such.
Hunter finds his way to the maze with little difficulty. She is not at the entrance so he can only assume that she waits for him within. He strides within and takes note of each turn he takes; annoyingly he meets several dead ends and has to retrace his steps. His impatience soars. Was this really the best place that she could suggest to meet? His mind clears with his anger and he starts to second guess his decision to meet her alone, in the dark. But then he is on the path to the centre, he knows this because the hedges are dotted with tiny blooms of hopeful flowers.
A shadow appears out of the darkness and staggers straight into him. The bulk is easily identified as male as it pushes back against Hunter and with surprisingly agility bypasses him at a run, disappearing very quickly from sight. Something white flashes in the pocket of the man's coat but only before a free hand pushes it down, securing its safety. A letter. Hunter frowns and his gut tells him he should follow the man. Who is he? And what is he doing so deep within the maze at this time of night?
He is about to chase after him before another thought occurs to him. Is Arabella safe? Would she have encountered this man in his desperate escape from the maze? That makes up his mind and he delves further into the maze, his pace quickening as he sees the arch up ahead. He enters the middle of the maze where a bench sits beneath a metal arch covered in crawling ivy and tiny closed white buds. Underneath sits the most beautiful vision and Hunter feels his heart quicken within his chest.
She rises to her feet, her hands shaking a little with nerves and perhaps a bit of excitement. "Hunter." She breathes out his name and he quickly covers the distance between them. She hurriedly places her hands against his chest to keep him at a distance. Instead it just causes the electricity between them to crackle and threaten to explode and destroy the both of them. Hunter swallows roughly, his hands on her slim waist. "This cannot happen." She tries to convince the both of them but the words sound hollow even to her ears.
"You did not say to meet here to tell me that." Hunter replies, his tone confident.
Arabella licks her lips and Hunter's heated gaze drops there. She closes her eyes, long dark eyelashes brushing against warm caramel cheeks. She takes a deep steadying breath before opening them to find it did not help at all.
"I..." She struggles to continue. "You must realise how dangerous this is."
"I am willing to risk it if you are." Hunter answers and she gulps. The electricity is at a boiling point and neither of them wish to step away to preserve themselves from the burning damage it could become. "Arabella, are you really going to keep fighting what is between us?" Chocolate eyes gaze up at him, darkening slightly. She shivers in the cool night air but feels nothing but the warmth of his scrutiny.
Despite the danger, despite the obvious truth that this could mean both of their deaths, despite the fact that this could only last for the moment, they give in. She pushes herself up on to her tiptoes and melds her mouth with his. Hunter chuckles and she feels the rumble against her hands before he pulls her closer, forcing her hands to go up around his neck and fasten there. Lightning strikes around them, searing their lips together with ferocity.
This is not Hunter's first kiss. Plenty of girls had liked the idea of the trouble and risk that came with kissing the illegitimate son of the late Lord Usani. They had all been beautiful girls but there had never been anything particularly special about any of them. There was never any strong feeling between them and him. It had just been a passing amusement. They had revelled in the idea of their small rebellions. And Hunter had enjoyed the hilarity of the trouble he caused if their parents ever found out. Regardless this kiss rivals them all.
All he can focus on is the feel of her lips on his and the searing heat crackling all around them. If it was real there would be a startling blue flame encompassing the two of them. Her fingers dig into his shoulders as he lifts her off her feet. Their lips break apart as they recover their breathing, lungs dragging in the cool air in quick uneven breaths. She leans her forehead against his not wanting to leave the heat of the moment behind just yet. His eyes drill into hers asking permission and she is only able to give a weak nod. His lips smash into hers and they drink each other in greedily and with no thought to their actions.
The heat refuses to die and just seems to grow and consume them both more with each passing moment they stay so close together. Sparks tingle up his spine and the fine short hairs on her neck rise. Again they are forced to separate, but only their mouths as they stay firmly in each other's grasp. Arabella gasps at Hunter's pure black eyes; he barely retains any humanity within that gaze now. The blue that usually competes with that darkness has completely submitted. This is what finally has her pushing him frantically away, her feet thudding into the ground as she bodily returns to earth.
His chest rises and falls, she notices this with clarity as he recovers from the moment. She places a hand over her own rapidly beating heart, hoping it will calm and allow her voice to retain some sense of strength. It does not seem to be happening anytime soon and she does not believe it ever will when she is still basking in the presence of the moment. Hunter's jaw tightens and loosens. She has to hold her ground not to be swept up again. Her lips burn at the thought of continuing. She sweeps her tongue against the lower lip and regrets it instantly. He steps forward forcing her to take a step back.
"That can never happen again." She firmly proclaims. Hunter freezes and tilts his head, dark eyes narrowing. A smirk slowly grows on his incredibly kissable mouth. Arabella shakes her head to clear her vision. No, this is too dangerous. There is a plan and she must stick to it. She must marry Theodore. Hunter is just a distraction. This connection between them will not last. It will burn out sooner or later. "No, Hunter, read my lips. This can never happen again."
His smirk slowly slides off and he crosses his arms, muscles stretching the fine white material of his shirt. Arabella forces her eyes up as her throat dries. "You really want to walk away and pretend this never happened?" He questions incredulously.
"No, I did not say that." He steps closer and again she steps away but finds the prickly leaves of the hedgerow behind her. There is nowhere to go now if he keeps advancing. "Stop!" She orders. He halts and his eyes bore into hers. "That is all that can ever happen between us! I am marrying Theodore." Those words actually have him stepping back, coldness settling in to the fiery furnace they had both fanned.
"So what... you used me?" He asks his voice cold and tinged with darkness. She shivers.
"We used each other." She echoes his tone. "I do not regret it, do you?" His sadistic chuckle shocks her. He shakes his head and she glances towards the exit of the maze.
"No, I do not regret a moment." His voice once again carries heat and she wraps her arms around herself, retraining herself. "But I do not believe you." He bows low to her as her jaw clenches. "You can keep fighting all you want but you will never be content with Theodore and we both know that very well." He turns sharply on his heels and strides away.
Arabella hates herself for what she does next, "I will be Queen; I will be honoured and respected. I will have everything I could ever wish for. What could you offer me?" Hunter's steps slow as he listens. "A connection?" She laughs. "A few months and that would be gone, perhaps even faster, mere weeks. You may be handsome but you have nothing else I could possibly want." The words bite into Hunter's soul. He is gone from her sight before she can spit out any more poisonous vile words. They taste bitter in her throat. She wishes she did not have to say them. Only she knows that they could not be more untrue.
It is also only when Hunter is marching away, his blood pumping angrily in his veins that he realises something. He never asked her whether she had seen that man. But she must have. He was coming from the centre of the maze, exactly where she had been. There is little chance she would not have seen him or not acknowledged his presence. The strange thing is she did not mention it to Hunter nor seem startled or worried that someone else was in the maze with them. Hunter pauses. He should return and ask her. The urge to rid himself of the energy thrumming under his skin keeps him walking. She simply was caught up in the moment just as he was. He can ask her tomorrow, if he can allow himself to be so close to her.
He exits the maze and breathes in the air not tainted with the sweet smell of leaves and tiny perfumed flowers. It is much too late to collect his horse and go for a ride. It will be not be fair on the poor beast either. He must find another way to drain himself so he can actually get some sleep later on tonight.
"Hunter." He almost jumps out of his skin. He had sensed no one's presence and the voice had come as a shock. Jasper jogs up to him, an easy grin on his mischievous face. "I have been looking for you all over." He tilts his head and glances at the opening of the maze. "Were you in the maze?" He asks, clearly confused with the idea of entering a maze in the middle of the night.
"I needed a bit of space to clear my mind." Hunter answers coolly and steps forward. The light from the moon shines down onto his face and Jasper chuckles.
"And you just happen to apply colour to your lips when you need space?" He teases and Hunter's ears tinge red. He promptly wipes away the colour that must have transferred during the kiss. "In all seriousness, I need to discuss something with you of great importance." Hunter sighs. The thought of being able to burn off steam seems unlikely now. "It is about Alice." Hunter groans and nods.
"I will hear you out but you must not tell Orion that you saw me here tonight. I do not need him getting the idea that he can control my life." Jasper shrugs and nods.
So first kiss of the book... I did promise you wouldn't have to wait as long as you did for Wolfe and Sparrow's ;) What are we thinking now? ......