Jake's thoughts fled as soon as Amelia linked her arm with his. Not that he had prepared a speech when he followed her to the veranda. He hadn't even formed a solid plan when the sight of her in the full moonlight had stolen his breath. Inviting her to walk in the garden had been impulsive.

They meandered along the path. The whispers of a set of lovers rendezvousing in the shadowed garden carried on the breeze.

Jake glanced down at Amelia on his arm; her silky tresses glowed almost white in the moonlight. Her hair fell to the middle of her back, tempting him to test its softness with his fingers.

He led her to a bench and urged her to sit before sinking down beside her. A warm breeze brushed his cheeks and the scent of lilac and rich soil permeated the air.

She tipped her heart–shaped face toward him, her almond eyes glimmering. He had recognized her the moment he saw her in the ballroom, and would have even if he hadn't known her costume. Jake had memorized every gorgeous feature: her pert nose turned up at the tip, eyes the color of the Mediterranean, and her luxurious pink mouth. He loved how her bottom lip was fuller and the way the top formed two perfect arches like the beginning of a heart.

"You said you wished to speak with me, Mr. Hillary?"

He snapped to attention. "May we dispense with formality, Amelia?"

Her lips puckered, and he could picture the tiny crease that formed between her brows when she was puzzled.

Opening and closing his mouth, he was unsure where to begin. Should he open with an apology or move directly to the point? The blasted trouble was he always had time to prepare prior to appearing before the court. He was meticulous in his study of the issues at hand and organized arguments thusly. Not so in spontaneous declarations of love.

After a while, she sighed. "Is that the whole of it? You wish to dispense with formality between us?"

"Yes. No!" he blurted, causing her to jump. Damnation. He rubbed his temples. This was going poorly. What a bloody travesty that a tiny woman could reduce him to a bumbling fool.

She hugged her arms close to her chest. "No, you do not want to dispense with formality?"

Jake shook his head to free it of cobwebs. "I would like you to refer to me by my given name, but that isn't the reason I asked to speak with you. I want..."

She looked expectantly at him.

"I want you..."

Amelia licked her lips, wrecking his entire line of thinking. The desire to taste her was highly distracting. He longed to lay her in the bed of clover behind them and taste her all over, but that would never do.

"You want me?" Her voice sounded breathless.

"Yes," he said, enchanted with the rounding of her eyes. "I want you... t–to forgive me." Quite right, he should start with an apology. He jumped from the bench, warming to his topic and gearing up to present his case. "Yes, that's exactly what I am trying to articulate. I wish for your forgiveness."

"Oh!" Amelia blinked. "Forgiveness for what, exactly? Just so we are clear."

Did he really have to say it? He had been a deplorable cur last autumn, and practically accused her of being a trollop. Very well, part of clearing the air required one to confess to wrongdoing. He took a deep breath. It was an uncomfortable conversation, him behaving like a jealous fool that day. "I never should have stormed into your home making ridiculous accusations. I had no right to—to lend commentary on your marriage or association with Forest."

Amelia winced.

He was fouling up his apology, hindering his chances of addressing the second half of the conversation. He did want her.

"Amelia, what I mean is—"

She leapt up from the bench, too. "Please, stop," she hissed, her gaze shooting wildly around the garden. "I don't want to discuss him."

Quite right. What if someone overheard?

"I made a mistake, but you wrongly judged me." She tried to rush past Jake and his world tipped out of control.

He grasped her arm. "Amelia, no. I didn't mean anything I said that day. You are a wonderful lady. I never should have said... You are correct, let's not discuss him, or that day. I want to discuss us."

She stared at him, her lips parted. "Us?"

"I know there is no us. Look, I am sorry for barging in and accusing you of being disloyal to Audley. It was stupid and improper and uncalled for."

She wiggled her elbow from his grasp. "I understand. You were coming to my husband's defense." Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "But, Jake, I swear I never was unfaithful to him."

"I don't give a damn about Audley."

Amelia's gaze snapped up to his, her mouth falling open in shock.

"I should have thrashed him from the start and been done with it."

"Oh!" She did it again. Her mouth formed a perfect pink circle and his body jerked to life.

"Amelia, I behaved like a lunatic that day. The truth is I wanted you to be with me. I wanted you in my bed."

Amelia stalked toward him, and he braced himself to receive her palm across his face. She stopped a mere inch from his chest. No blow followed. Good Lord, she had the sweetest scent, like that flower. The one that bloomed in the spring. What was it called? It came in pink or blue and resembled a spear.

"What is that flower—?"

"Be quiet and kiss me." She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet her soft lips.

To hell with flowers.