Stolen Moments

Aurelia shot Max a mischievous look and he smiled slightly.

"I think I left my parasol behind, Max, would you come to help me look?" she asked innocently.

Ben narrowed his eyes at his sister but kept his mouth shut. "I would love to, Miss Brooks," Max grinned.

Still holding her hand Max led Aurelia away from the carriage and back to where they were sitting earlier. The sky lit up as a streak of lightning pierced across overhead and thunder boomed like a cannon going off.

The rain had yet to let up and Max held onto her tightly to keep her from slipping in the growing amount of mud surrounding them.

"Did you really leave your parasol behind?" Max asked curiously with a heated look on his face.

Aurelia's cheeks flushed and she nodded, "I had to have some excuse to be alone with you again."

Max's eyes widened and his face turned into a hungry look, he pulled her behind a tree and checked to see if Ben had followed them. Apparently, the coast was clear because Max leaned down inches from her face.

"May I kiss you, Aurie?" He asked sweetly. He really didn't need to ask, she wanted many more kisses from him in the future.

She smiled and nodded. He leaned down further and Aurelia stood on her toes to reach his lips. Warmth spread through her entire body, her nerves felt like they were on fire. They may have been standing in the pouring rain but Aurelia felt nothing but Max's heat.

He had such a ferocity to his kisses that Aurelia opened her mouth in surprise, he took this opportunity to slip his tongue in her mouth. Thunder boomed shaking the ground beneath them but did not break apart.

It sent delicious shivers down her spine as she became even more entangled in Max. Their tongues danced together and her hands tangled in his dark chestnut hair.

"Have you found your parasol yet?" Ben called out loudly.

Max held her tightly for a moment more before letting Aurelia go. He leaned down for one more kiss and she hummed with happiness.

"Not yet," I yell back. "The rain must have washed it further away."

"Hurry up!"

Aurelia rolled her eyes at her brother even though he couldn't see, Max chuckled lightly.

"We better be making our way back," Max sighed. "Even though I'd much rather continue where we left off." He would gladly spend the rest of the afternoon with his lips locked on Aurelia's

Aurelia's cheeks burned even more at his brazen words.

"I guess I'll just have to see you again," Aurelia panted still breathless from Max's torrent of kisses. He was undoing her resolve slowly but surely, she never got more than a peck from Jacob when he would kiss her. Max's kisses felt dangerous and passionate, and she was starting to crave them.

The rain turned into a light sprinkle and she saw her parasol laying in the mud completely soiled. As Aurelia reached down to get it, she slipped in the thick mud and onto her behind. She sat there for a moment in shock as the mud started to seep into her dress. Aurelia looked up at Max who looked equally shocked.

He scrambled to help her up and as he was lifting her out of the freezing mud, he slipped sending them both crashing back into the squishy muck. It flew everywhere getting into her hair and on her face.

Max stared at Aurelia covered in mud and couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of her appearance, he was equally covered in muck and she joined in with his infectious laughter.

He leaned over in the mud and gave Aurelia a quick peck on the lips. She looked surprised bur giggled at the fact that Max would still kiss her covered in mud.

Ben appeared between two trees and took in the sight before him, Max and Aurelia sitting in the muck, covered head to toe in mud laughing hysterically. He had the most incredulous look on his face and soon started to laugh along with them.

She had help up from her brother and Max stood on his own holding Aurelia's soiled parasol in hand.

Ben looked at her with concern, "we need to get you home so you can warm up, I don't want you catching sick."

"Well, we better get moving then," Max agreed.

Aurelia looked at the two men beside her dubiously, they were almost at each other's throats not too long ago and now they are in agreeance with each other. She shook her head and her brother helped her into the carriage but settled on the opposite side.

Max looked surprised at Ben's sudden attitude change but didn't question it as he settled next to Aurelia. His warmth was inviting against the drizzle that remained. She snuggled into him as much as she could without upsetting her brother who was watching the road pass by and glancing in their direction every few minutes.

When they got back to their estate, however, her teeth were chattering quite loudly and she couldn't stop shivering. Max looked even more concerned than her brother at Aurelia's current state. He helped her out of the carriage and once Aurelia was standing the world began to sway back and forth. Black dots scattered across her vision as her head was growing heavy, soon everything was enveloped in darkness. Max caught her as the world went completely dark.

Max looked at the unconscious woman in his arms and alarm bells began to ring. Concern splayed over his handsome face as Ben directed him inside the manor.

Max followed Ben into the parlor room and set Aurelia gently on one of the longer couches. He knelt by her side and raised her hand to kiss it quickly. He had never felt this worried about a girl before.

Willa came flouncing into the parlor and looked horrified at her sister's unconscious form laying on the couch. She questioned the men before her for answers

Aurelia started to blink slowly as she came to, she was on a couch in the parlor with three figures stood over her. Max and her siblings were murmuring to each other quietly.

"Aurie is awake," Willa exclaimed excitedly.

Max was by her side in a flash, worry shined in his blue eyes.

"I'm okay, I swear," Aurelia reassured them all. "The cold just caught up to me."

"You need a hot bath and a bed warmer immediately," Ben said distressed.

Max nodded, "You need to get warm, I'll send you some tea from my garden when I get home." She felt such tenderness coming from him, she smiled weakly at the gesture.

"I would love that, Max."

"I'll take my leave then so that you may rest," Max said softly. He gently grabbed her hand and gave it a small kiss. Aurelia's cheeks warmed and she smiled at him.

"Be ready to dance next weekend because I'll surely be better by the Glaston ball," Aurelia exclaimed.

Max chuckled and bowed as he made his exit.

After he left her siblings turned to her with worried faces, they helped me upstairs into her room where a steaming hot bath Winona had prepared while she was unconscious waited for her.