Tempted by You

by Tiffany Clare

  When he stood up and moved away from her side, her hand slid along the length of his arm and over his hand, their fingers twining briefly. She followed him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, again, clasping him tight to her chest. He returned the embrace, careful not to squeeze her too hard as he held her close and placed his chin atop her head.

  She said nothing, just held him. So he did the same, smoothing his hands down the length of her spine through the robe. As much as he wanted to stay here and hold her like this and give her all the comfort she needed, he needed to take stock of the rest of her injuries. “Let me run your bath. It’s the least I can do. Do you want me to call in your maid to help you undress and bathe?”

  Rosa’s head shook. “Please stay with me.”

  “Rosa, are you sure?”

  “Yes. I don’t want to be alone, and I don’t want to see anyone else.” She lowered her arms. “If you don’t mind.”

  “I’ll stay.” He walked over to the basin he’d filled with cold water, picked up another cloth, dipped and wrung it out, and put it in Rosa’s hands. At the questioning tilt of her head, he said, “To stop the swelling. Press it to your face and hopefully it’ll bring down the bump forming on your lip.”

  “Thank you.” She sat down, holding the cold cloth to her face.

  Putting the stopper in the tub, he ran the water to a warm enough temperature that it wouldn’t chill too quickly.

  “I never imagined you to be a pugilist.”

  “I’m not, but growing up with Nathan ... He made sure I could fight.”

  “Is that an endearing trait in an older brother?”

  “Adolescent boys can be a rowdy lot. If you stand up for yourself, you usually aren’t picked on.”

  “The logic of men. I fear I may never truly understand certain aspects of your inclination toward violence.”

  His head jerked up. “I’m not a violent man, Rosa. That I can promise wholeheartedly.”

  “I didn’t mean it that way.” Her eyes closed and she inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry.”

  “No apology needed, love.”

  Lowering the cloth she held to her face and putting it on the bench beside her, she shrugged out of her robe and struggled with the strings on the back of her corset. Her wrists must have hurt too much to work out the knots.

  He walked over to her, letting the bath fill. “Here, let me.”

  Kneeling, he slid his hands from her waist to the double-looped strings. Pulling them free, he loosened the binding enough that he could unhook the busk at the front, since he wasn’t sure she could.

  She took in a deep breath as the last hook released and the contraption slid off her body. Folding the corset in half, he placed it on the bench beside her. With a glance over his shoulder he checked the level of the bath. It wasn’t even half filled. Turning back to her, he asked, “Might I see your thigh, where he bit you? I just want to make sure the skin isn’t broken. It’ll hurt to bathe if it is.”

  Standing up, she lifted the torn chemise over her head and tossed it to the floor, then released the ties holding her pantalets so she could step out of them.

  “I won’t hurt you. Trust me.”

  “I do. I’m nervous for some odd reason.”

  She sat down, bringing his eyes level to her breasts. There were red splotches and speckles of blood marring the perfect whiteness of her skin. She must hurt everywhere, for she had put up a good fight. The sight made him want to break Johnson’s nose again. Maybe break something more meaningful: his arms, legs, something that would take a hell of a lot longer to heal than his nose.

  His nostrils flared, helping him take a deep, somewhat silent breath as he tempered the anger rising in him. Rosa reached out and cupped his jaw with her hand. “You can’t change anything. There’s no sense in being angry. You saved me from any real harm.”

  “You make it seem as though nothing happened.”

  “I’ll not forget his actions anytime soon. I believe I will remember them long past the fading of any bruising he left behind.”

  He settled his hands on her bare knees.

  “I don’t fear you, Teddy.” She opened her legs, revealing a circular bite mark on her inner thigh.

  He hissed in a breath. “How much does it hurt?” At least the skin wasn’t broken, but it wasn’t going to be comfortable for her to move around for the next little while.

  “My face and lip hurt more.” She stood, leaving his eyes level with the vee of her body. He came quickly to his feet.

  “Into the bath with you,” he said.

  She nodded and gave him her hand.

  He took it without hesitation and helped her into the bathtub. “Let me guide your foot in, I don’t want you tripping, it’s a pretty deep plunge.” He did just that, then she climbed in on her own and settled into the water. He let it run for another minute before turning the taps off. “Can I leave you a moment to retrieve some clothes for you? I’ll lock the door on my way out. Johnson has been banished from the house and will be long gone by now.”

  “Yes.” She closed her eyes as she leaned her head against the porcelain lip behind her.

  THE DOOR TO THE BATHING room clicked shut. Raising her hands to her face, she took stock of the damage to her body. Her face hurt the most; the lip had to be swollen to twice its size and throbbed as much as her aching head. The lip had split on the bottom, toward the middle. Her cheek was tender, but would heal more quickly. Her wrists were starting to hurt.

  Never had a man treated her so vilely. She knew some had strange proclivities, but she had always had sound judgment when it came to someone’s character when she’d chosen her patrons. While she’d always had an unpleasant feeling when around Johnson—which she thought stemmed from guilt, as he’d lost a dear friend when Michael died—she had never expected this. Now she knew what her intuition had tried to warn her of. It seemed that Johnson’s hatred toward her had twisted him into a man she didn’t recognize.

  Thank God Teddy had arrived in time.

  The worst damage done had been to her nerves. Would she have a breakdown later—once the healing started, once the shock wore off? She couldn’t seem to stop the shake of her hands as she reached around the tub in search of soap. A small hand towel toppled over into the water, as did the soap set atop it. She fished out the lavender soap and wrung out the cloth to hang it over the edge again.

  A soft knock came at the door.

  “Teddy?”

  “Yes. Do you want my help with anything?”

  “I’m sure the damage looks worse than it really is.”

  A chill raced across her shoulders as he opened the door and shut it quickly behind him.

  “Sorry about the draft.” His voice was a ways off; he didn’t come closer. She bet he stood with his back to the door waiting for an invitation to sit, or to help her. She didn’t need help, but his uneasiness being in her company somehow made her feel out of sorts.

  “Will you help me with my hair? The braid came loose, and I’m afraid my fingers don’t seem to work so well at the moment.”

  He was at her side in seconds, his fingers combing the hair back from her forehead. “I cannot braid, but I will pull it out of the water and pin it up for you.”

  She nodded her consent. He dipped his hand behind her back and pulled her hair from the water, squeezing it out before letting it fall over the lip of the tub. After he gathered it in his hands, she felt the familiar slide of bristles through her hair. Finished brushing out the knots, he pulled up thick strands of her hair and pinned them carefully in place in a low chignon. His motions were relaxing, soothing.

  Her eyes grew heavy with fatigue. The throbbing over her face and wrists ebbed the longer the warmth of the water infused her body.

  “My brother sent for a doctor.”

  She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins. “I don’t think I need one. I’m glad I can’t say the same for Johnson.”

  “He’ll have to find
one in London. He does not have a residence in Maidstone, and he is not welcome to stay at any of the local inns. He’ll never be welcome in mine or Nathan’s company again.” She did not miss the threatening undertone in his voice. Nor did she blame him for such a passionate reaction. And admittedly her heart beat a little faster every time he rose to her defense.

  “I brought up some concoction from the kitchen. It will help heal the bruising. It smells rather unpleasant, but it will soothe any stiffness. I also retrieved some clothes for you.”

  “Thank you.” With the water cooling, she knew she couldn’t stay in the bath all night, so she stood. “Is there a towel or a bathing robe?”

  “Here.” The soft linen towel was draped over her back and wrapped around the front of her. “I have a fresh robe for when you’re dry.”

  She nodded, her teeth chattering at bit. She fumbled with the cloth, her hands still shaking, and her wrists aching.

  After Teddy pulled the stopper to let the tub drain, he reached for the towel and dried her with impersonal strokes, rubbing the material over her shivering form to collect the last of the water. When she was mostly dry, he helped her into a robe, then he swept her legs out from under her and lifted her in his arms. “I’m taking you into the bedroom. I built up a fire for you.”

  She wanted to kiss him, but her lip hurt too much, so she settled for resting her forehead against the side of his jaw. “Will you take me back to London tomorrow? I can’t stay here. Not after tonight.”

  “I’d take you to the ends of the world if you asked.” He settled her down on a plush velvet sofa. “Where do you want to go once in London?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She wanted to stay with Teddy, but found she couldn’t ask, for she wasn’t sure if that invitation was still open. It seemed too intrusive to ask. If he did offer, she knew she wouldn’t refuse him. She felt safe in his company. What woman wouldn’t want such devotion, such compassion from a man?

  “Will you reconsider my offer, Rosa? Will you stay on with me in London, let us see how our relationship forms?”

  Her breath caught in her throat. And she nodded quickly. “Yes. At least for a short while. Until I don’t mind being alone.”

  He gave a noisy sigh. “There won’t be a day, Rosa, when I don’t ask you to reconsider staying on with me. At least until we’ve better explored what lies between us. I know things change from here on out, in light of this evening’s events. Just know that you have my eternal patience as you take time to heal, both inside and out.”

  “Thank you, Teddy.”

  His hands clasped around her face gently, his thumbs massaging into the temples as he kissed her forehead. “We will leave at first light tomorrow. It’s one in the morning now, so we need to get this stinky sludge on you and get you to bed. Would you like to put it on or shall I?”

  “I don’t want to make any more of a mess than necessary. Or miss any spots. Please put it on for me.”

  He stood, she presumed to retrieve the salve. “If you’re uncomfortable for even a moment, I need you to tell me.”

  “I will.”

  “Now put your leg to the side so I can see the marking on your inner thigh.”

  She bent her knee, and pressed it to the sofa, opening her legs to his scrutiny. His breathing grew harsher, and she knew it wasn’t any form of arousal on seeing her exposed. It was anger.

  When he took the stopper out of the remedy, she scrunched up her nose at the burning scent. “It does have a terrible smell.”

  She flinched and hissed in a breath when the cold cream was slathered over her leg.

  “Sorry, I should have warmed it in my hand first.”

  “It’s all right. Just a bit of a shock. I think there is a healthy dose of camphor in there. Actually, it smells like the stuff you put on horses when they’ve strained a muscle.”

  “I believe it is.” Next, he massaged the salve into her wrists; it was warm this time. “Unrelated to the topic at hand, but I wonder, would you object to going to the music hall for a rehearsal tomorrow? It will be a good distraction for you. And I have some work I need to do there.”

  “Yes ... I mean no, I wouldn’t object. I’d like to go very much.” Really, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be alone. Hissing in another breath, she reassessed her injuries. They hurt very much; at least her thigh did where Teddy had massaged the bite mark.

  “My hands are covered in this grease. If you reach your hand straight out, you’ll feel the handkerchief in my vest pocket.” She did and pressed it into his hands.

  “It smells dreadful, but it’ll heal you up nice and quick. My mother used to put it on my brother and me after we got into a fight.”

  “I thought you said you weren’t a fighter?”

  “I’m not, but brothers will be brothers.”

  She gave a half smile for his attempt at humor and promptly frowned when her lip pulled and a little stream of warmth trickled down her chin. Teddy was on his feet the next instant, retrieving something from somewhere. A cold cloth was in her hand and placed gently on her face.

  “I’ll try not to make you smile.” He cleared his throat. “I had the housekeeper wake your maid to have your bags packed. I didn’t know you’d accept my offer, but I figured you’d want to leave here at first light.”

  “You’ve done so much for me tonight, Teddy. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You needn’t thank me. I’ve done no more than any man in my position would have done.”

  She shook her head. How wrong he was. “You’ve done quite a deal more than that.”

  “No more than you deserved, Rosa.”

  But she didn’t deserve him.

  “Teddy?”

  “What is it?” He took her hands in his.

  “Will you stay with me for the night?”

  “I believe that is why you are in my suite.”

  “No, I mean, will you just ...” She might as well just spit out the words. “Will you hold me in your arms tonight?”

  “You needn’t ask.” He kissed her between her brows, then to the top of her head. He lingered, inhaling her scent. “Your clothes are just behind you, draped over the edge of the sofa. I’ll help you dress for bed if you can’t do the ties yourself.”

  Reaching behind her, she found the pantalets and chemise. No corset in the stack of soft linens. She could dress herself, but was reluctant to do so.

  She wore his warm dressing robe; it smelled faintly of Teddy. The comforting scents of lavender, bayberry, and Teddy were already wrapped around her.

  “Are they not to your liking?” he asked when he turned back to her and she hadn’t moved. “I can retrieve something else.”

  “No, it’s not that, the bedclothes are fine.” She stood and placed them on the sofa. He said nothing, so she couldn’t walk in his direction. She did not know her way about his room, and it proved more than an inconvenience right now.

  She wanted to be in his arms, she wanted to have another memory of tonight to replace the last horrid one. Nerves had her hands twisting into the robe’s plush sleeves, which hung well below her fingertips.

  “Teddy, say something so I can follow your voice.”

  “You’ve a most peculiar expression on your face.”

  Her stomach was full of butterflies as she walked toward his voice. “What kind of expression?”

  “As though you’ve got something planned, something perhaps you shouldn’t do.”

  “What is it you think I shouldn’t do?” She took another step, knowing she was getting closer to him.

  “It’s the same expression, or rather, determination you cloaked yourself with when you joined me for dinner the first night you stayed with me in London.” He audibly swallowed. “Rosa, what are you doing?”

  Untying the sash of the robe, she let it fall open. “Are you anxious to be rid of me now?”

  She heard the hitch in his breath.

  “Give me another memory. Give me something beautiful ton
ight, Teddy.” She shrugged the robe off her shoulders. The silk lining allowed it to slide from her body like a lover’s caress. The cool air made the tips of her breasts peak before the material even had a chance to pool at her feet.

  When he said nothing, she wondered if she had been too bold. Lifting her chin, she took in steady breaths and waited for him to say or do something.

  “You should reconsider your offer,” he finally said, closer than he had been previously.

  She reached out her hands to find the buttons of his shirt. Her fingers trembled but she found that if she took her time, she could push the buttons through the holes. There was no objection as the first one popped free. Or the second. Or the third.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Rosa.”

  “You won’t. I trust you.” The last button came free beneath her fingers.

  “I can deny you nothing, even when I think it’s a bad idea.”

  Hands pressing against the heated flesh of his chest, she explored the contours of his body. “How is it you stay in such fine shape when you lock yourself in the music room most days?”

  “I ride.”

  She raised a brow.

  “Horses, I ride horses. And I find occasion to fence with Nathan.”

  Reaching higher, she pushed the shirt from his shoulders, her breasts feathering over his torso. She followed the material down his arms until the cambric fell to the floor.

  He made no move to touch her, or to take off his trousers. She didn’t mind doing this slowly.

  “Won’t you at least touch me?”

  “I’m afraid to.”

  “I need your touch. I’m cold, Teddy. Warm me.”

  “Let me carry you to the bed.”

  Next thing she knew she was off her feet again and in his arms as he picked her up and laid her on the bed. She sat up to push the counterpane out of the way. A few moments later, the bed dipped as he sat on the edge. She crawled over to him, pressed her breasts to his back, and laid the unmarred side of her face against his shoulder. He felt so much warmer than she. Wrapping her arms around him, she placed both her hands over his heart. Once his shoes fell to the floor, his hands encircled hers.