Chapter 22

Pippa's POV

Adrian’s eyes darken and he pulls me tightly against him, but he doesn’t do what I want him to do. He doesn’t kiss me. Instead, he rests his lips against my neck. His warm breath against my skin is ragged and erratic. “You need to leave,” he says, his voice low and husky.

“Where am I supposed to go?”

“Yes, you’re right – I’ll leave.”

He vaults over the table to the other side and runs out of the back door, disappearing from view before I even know what happened.

The strange desires I’ve had ever since I returned from the paddock settle down and the urge to throw myself at Adrian passes. I’ve never acted like that in my life, and I wait for the familiar old feelings of guilt and shame, but this time it doesn’t happen.

Good. That's good. It's tiresome feeling guilty all the damn time.

Smiling to myself, I leave the kitchen and go in search of something to do. The little cottage is spotless, and all I can find to read are a few old religious magazines the previous occup