Seduce Me By Christmas

by Deborah Raleigh

Far from ruffled by her blunt accusation, Raoul merely shrugged. “And do you think I was not aware of your innocence before following you to Chester?”

  “I have not the least notion.”

  “I knew, Sarah.” His voice gentled, his gaze holding hers with an unnerving intensity. “And I would never have pursued you if I had not already made the decision that I desired you as my wife.”

  “You…” Flustered, Sarah gave a shake of her head. “You barely even know me.”

  “I know that you are intelligent and capable and always willing to put others before yourself. I also know that you will be a loving, devoted mother.” Moving slowly enough that Sarah could easily avoid the arms that wrapped about her, Raoul pulled her against the welcome heat of his body. “What more could any man want?”

  “Mr. Charlebois.” She pressed her hands to his chest. “What are you doing?”

  He moaned as he lowered his head to brush his lips down her cheek, halting at the edge of her mouth.

  “Did I forget to mention that you also make me ache with my need for you?”

  A violent shudder shook her body. His lightest touch was enough to scramble her brains and set her on fire.

  There was something he said…something important…but each time she attempted to grasp onto the thought, it was like trying to catch a wisp of fog.

  His tongue lightly traced her lips, his hands skimming up and down her back with a growing insistency.

  Her breath tangled in her throat, a hum of pleasure vibrating through her.

  “Sir, it is broad daylight.”

  His fingers tugged at the buttons that held her gown together, tugging down the bodice to reveal her corset.

  “The better to admire your numerous charms,” he growled.

  “But anyone could…” Her words were cut short as her dress slithered down her body to pool at her feet.

  “The door is locked, so unless you have someone hidden beneath the sofa, there is no one to know you are even home,” he muttered, his voice unsteady as he yanked at the ties of her corset.

  Sarah clung to the lapels of his jacket as her knees threatened to give way. A part of her felt decadent, perhaps even wicked to be indulging in this pastime at such an hour. Another part shivered with an acute longing.

  She had spent the past two nights twisting and turning with a restless need that refused to leave her in peace.

  And as much as she hated to acknowledge the truth, it was not just desire that had kept her awake. If it were no more than passion, she might very well be capable of resisting temptation. She had learned after her mother’s death how to find happiness in accepting what was possible, not longing for the impossible.

  But the night with Raoul had revealed the sweet contentment to be discovered in having a pair of strong arms hold her close as she slept. And the delight of awakening with the knowledge she was not alone.

  Those things…

  They made her arch against the hardness of his body when she should be pushing him away, and to moan softly as he swiftly removed the remainder of her clothing and carried her toward the sofa.

  “This is madness,” she muttered, tangling her hands in his golden curls.

  He kissed her with a stark longing, his ragged breath echoing through the silence of the cottage.

  “Then we shall go mad together,” he murmured against her lips, wrestling to remove his clothing. At last he managed to bare his chest, reaching to press her hands against his chest. “Touch me, ma belle. Sacrebleu, just touch me.”

  With a gasping moan, Raoul rolled to the side and tucked Sarah against his chest. The sofa was far too small, and the worn fabric scraped against his skin, but he would happily have remained in this precise position for the rest of the day.

  Perhaps for the rest of eternity.

  He had thought nothing could be so earth-shattering as his first night with Sarah. To at last have her in his bed, her nails digging into his back as he had slid into her welcoming heat had been nothing less than paradise.

  But he had to admit that the pleasure that had just exploded through his body left him feeling stunned, and a bit humbled.

  This beautiful, magnificent woman had given her body, and just as importantly, her trust to him.

  He intended to ensure that she never regretted that decision.

  Even if she were too stubborn to acknowledge that fate had bound them together.

  Stirring in his arms, Sarah sucked in a shaky breath, clearly as rattled as himself by the shocking force of the passion.

  “Good heavens.”

  “Not good,” Raoul corrected softly, his lips stroking the tender skin of her temple. “Extraordinary. You are extraordinary.”

  Unexpectedly, she wriggled from his grasp, sliding off the sofa and hastily pulling on her clothes.

  “Hardly extraordinary.”

  With a sigh at the realization that the intimate interlude was at an end, Raoul rose from the couch, hiding a smile at Sarah’s covert glance over his naked body.

  He enjoyed her bashfulness, so long as he was never left in doubt of her desire for him.

  Gathering his own attire, Raoul pulled on his stockings and breeches as he sent his soon-to-be wife a stern frown.

  “You can argue with me on any other matter but this, ma belle,” he warned. “You brighten the lives of everyone fortunate enough to cross your path.”

  With her corset tightened, Sarah pulled on her stockings before yanking the gown over her head.

  “Nonsense,” she muttered.

  Stubborn. With a sigh, Raoul firmly turned Sarah around to button her gown, still attired in nothing more than his breeches.

  “Listen to me, Sarah Jefferson, there is no one in this neighborhood who has not been touched by your generosity, whether it is with your healing herbs or a basket of food for those who are in need.” Finished with his task, Raoul bent his head to brush a kiss over the silky skin of her nape. “And who else would have taken in two young boys abandoned by their mother?”

  “You would have,” she husked.

  With a grimace, he turned her to face him. As much as he desired Sarah’s good opinion, he would not pretend to possess her generous heart.

  “I wish I could claim to be so selfless,” he ruefully admitted.

  “You admit you assist with orphanages, and you have plans to open a school,” she insisted. “Do you know how many children depend upon such charity?”

  “It is one thing to offer money, and quite another to open your heart and your home.”

  She shrugged. “I told you, they give me joy.”

  He hesitated, momentarily uncertain. It had all seemed so perfectly reasonable when he had been in Chester. Now he had to wonder if he had made the right decision.

  At last he moved to pick up the expensive jacket he had tossed on the floor. Reaching into the inner pocket, he pulled out the folded sheets of parchment before returning to Sarah’s side and pressing them into her hand.

  “Then I hope you will be pleased with my Christmas present.”

  She frowned in confusion, glancing down at the papers. “Mr. Charlebois, I cannot accept a gift.”

  “My name is Raoul, and this is not precisely a gift.” He cleared his throat. “Indeed, some would claim it a mixed blessing.”

  Slowly, almost warily, she unfolded the papers to regard the flourishing script.

  “What is this?”

  “Legal papers that give you guardianship of Willie and Jimmy.”

  There was a sharp, disbelieving silence as she shuffled through the papers, her brow furrowed.

  “But…” Her eyes were dazed as she lifted her head. “It is signed by Polly.”

  “Yes.”

  “I do not understand. Where did you get this?”

  “I had the papers written by a solicitor in Chester, and then traveled to Wallingford to meet with Mrs. Andrews.”

  “How did you find her?”

  Raoul considered his words. Sarah was shocked enough with
out allowing her to know that the boy’s mother was yet another victim of the gin bottle who was forced to sell her body to make ends meet.

  “She was working in the local pub,” he carefully skirted the truth.

  Perhaps not quite so naïve as Raoul assumed her to be, Sarah snorted in disbelief.

  “And she simply agreed to give me guardianship of her children?”

  “She has little money and a new babe to care for. She was grateful to know that the boys had discovered a home where they are loved.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I am not a fool. Polly has given no more thought to those boys than she would to a couple of stray dogs. And she would never have willingly signed any papers unless she was offered a considerable reason to do so.”

  He smoothed a stray curl from her cheek. “You did claim my charm was irresistible.”

  Proving just how resistible his supposed charm truly was, Sarah waved the papers beneath his nose.

  “If Polly thought a man of your means was taking an interest in the boys, she would demand more than charm. For all her silliness, she can be ruthless if she believes there is a quid to be had.”

  He sighed. Did she have to be so damnably clever?

  “Does it truly matter, ma belle?”

  “I need to know.”

  He would not deliberately lie. Never to this woman.

  “Very well. Mrs. Andrews considered her signature worthy of a few pounds and I did not intend to quibble with her,” he conceded.

  “How many pounds?”

  He framed her face in his hands, his uncertainty fading beneath a surge of determination.

  He had done what was right. Not just for Sarah, but for those two boys. Whatever pity he might feel for Polly Andrews could not overcome the absolute knowledge she was no longer capable or even interested in being a mother to Willie and Jimmy.

  There was no one on this earth who would love those boys more than Sarah. And certainly no one would give them better care.

  “This is what you desire, is it not?” he prompted.

  “Yes, but…”

  “But what?”

  She bit her bottom lip. “I do not like the thought that I have purchased the boys as if they are meaningless pieces of property.”

  He frowned at her ridiculous words. “You have done nothing but rescue two desperate children from the orphanage, or worse. You have given them a home and a future they could never have dreamed possible,” he said sternly. “Any negotiations were conducted between myself and Mrs. Andrews.”

  Her lips thinned. “And that should absolve me of any guilt?”

  “Why should there be any guilt?” he asked. “Polly Andrews has no desire to be a mother to those children.”

  “Still…”

  “Sarah.” He pressed a thumb to her lips, halting her argument. “Willie and Jimmy need you. This is the only means to ensure they cannot be taken from the only security they have ever known.”

  She was silent a long moment, her gaze searching his face as if seeking an answer to a perplexing puzzle.

  “Why would you do this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know you have become fond of the boys, but why would you go to such an effort to put them in my care?”

  He smiled, his fingers lightly tracing the lush line of her lips.

  “You are right, I am very fond of Willie and Jimmy, but while I would do everything in my power to keep them safe, my first thought was of you. I saw the fear in your eyes when you spoke of the boys’ future. This paper will give you the comfort of knowing they are under your protection.”

  She trembled, her eyes darkening with an indefinable emotion. “You did this for me.”

  “I thought it would bring you happiness,” he said, simply. “If I was wrong, then you need only say so, and I…”

  “No, it brings me happiness,” she interrupted.

  “Then why do you look so troubled?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I am accustomed to being in charge of my life. Now I feel as if I have been caught in a whirlwind, never knowing what is to come next.”

  “You are not alone in that whirlwind.” Unable to resist temptation, he bent his head to brush his mouth over her lips. “I never expected to discover such a woman when I came to Cheshire. You, ma belle, are a complication that consumes my every thought. And I do not doubt you will be consuming my thoughts for many years to come.”

  “A complication?” she charged, her shaky breath revealing a satisfying reaction to his caress.

  “A most delightful complication,” he murmured, scooping her off her feet to carry her back toward the sofa. The day was early and his need for this woman seemed to have no end. “Shall I prove just how delightful?”

  It was a grudging Raoul who was finally shooed from the cottage to climb beside his groom in the waiting carriage.

  Sacrebleu, he was too old to be conducting a secret affair, he wryly acknowledged. There might have been a time when a brief rendezvous was thrilling. It offered a few hours of pleasure he could walk away from without guilt.

  Now, he wanted nothing more than to stay with Sarah. To curl up in front of the fire with her, and wait for the children to return.

  Unfortunately, Sarah remained as wary as an untrained colt, and until he could convince her that his desire to wed her was genuine, he had little choice but to keep the reins light.

  His aggravation, however, was swiftly forgotten as he climbed next to Pickens, and the groom revealed the latest village gossip as they barreled down the frozen lane.

  “You are certain Lord Merriot left for London?” Raoul growled, his thoughts churning.

  Pickens kept his gaze on the road, his big hands remarkably deft with the ribbons.

  “That’s what he told the servants.”

  Raoul frowned. What the devil was his father up to?

  “Does he suspect that my nurse has been discovered, or is this simply coincidence?”

  “Impossible to say, sir.”

  “Either way, Nico must be warned,” Raoul muttered, his gaze skimming restlessly over the snowy countryside. Just because Merriot had claimed to be on his way to London did not mean he was not hidden nearby with a desire to lodge a bullet in his bastard’s back. And even if he were gone, that did not mean he had not left behind someone to deal with such a gruesome task. What better opportunity to have Raoul killed than when he was far away? “We cannot risk having my father spiriting Francine away before we can get the information we need.”

  “Aye, I thought you would want Nico to know,” Pickens agreed, his voice as slow and methodical as his movements. “I hired the blacksmith’s son to carry a message to London as soon as I heard the rumors. With luck, he should reach Nico before Merriot’s carriage ever reaches town. I hope I did right.”

  “You did exactly right.” Raoul gave a sharp shake of his head. While he had been chasing after Sarah like a hound on the scent, his father had slipped away beneath his very nose. “Thank God I have servants who have not taken leave of their senses. I only wish I could the same for their employer.”

  Chapter 17

  December 24

  The Cottage

  Sarah finished hemming the second of her father’s old shirts and laid the voluminous linen garments on the floor to regard them with a critical frown.

  The boys would be performing their charades for the orphanage on the morrow. The three short plays were based on famous Christmas stories, and it would be the task of the children in the orphanage to guess which tale the boys were performing.

  It was a favorite occasion for all involved that also included sweet treats provided by the women in the village, as well as small Christmas presents.

  Well, perhaps not so small this year, she wryly acknowledged. The Vicar had revealed yesterday that a generous donation from Mr. Charlebois ensured that they would be able to purchase new coats and boots for each of the needy children.

  As always, the mere thought of Raoul was enough t
o make her shiver with delight.

  Over the past few days, he had been a constant fixture in the cottage. Oh, he had been careful to arrive only when Maggie and the boys were in attendance, to assure that there could be no reason for gossip. And his occasional touches had been so casual that she would have no reason to complain.

  It was growingly obvious he was attempting to court her in a proper manner, and while Sarah could not deny that every day he was stealing another piece of her heart, her body was increasingly frustrated.

  She wanted—no needed—his kisses, the feel of his wicked hands stroking over her skin…

  Even worse, she could no longer deny the deep yearning to accept his offer of marriage.

  What other man would treat her as if she were some precious treasure? Or be willing to go to such effort to put Willie and Jimmy under her protection?

  He was everything she could ever desire in a man.

  But while her heart urged her to grasp the happiness she never thought possible, her sanity warned caution.

  She knew that Raoul desired her. His searing glances and frustrated expression were proof enough. And she was certain that he held affection for her. Why else would he go to such lengths to please her?

  Affection and desire, however, were not the same as love.

  And of all the men in the world, Raoul Charlebois deserved a marriage that he could enter into with his entire heart. Only then would the wounds of the past truly be healed.

  At the sound of rushing footsteps, Sarah swallowed her wistful sigh and smoothed her expression.

  Thus far, the boys had taken Raoul’s frequent visits with the innocent acceptance that only children could possess. But she was constantly aware that any hint she was troubled, or unhappy, would unsettle the boys. Their sense of peace was still a fragile thing, and she would do nothing to jeopardize that.

  Entering the parlor with their faces recently scrubbed of breakfast by Maggie, and their hair combed, they regarded the various piles of clothing scattered about the room.

  That warm glow of contentment that had nestled in her heart since Raoul had brought her the papers making her the guardian of the boys flared through her body.