“Natalia, I already said—” He snatched the bowl and it hit his chest. The milky substance clung to his shirt. A bad word left his lips as he straightened. The look he gave her was savage. “Natalia—”
She didn’t think, but in the next second, her arms were around him. Her heart raced, but her body’s warmth was quickly cooled by what she’d done. The cold liquid only took seconds to seep into her dress and past her chemise. Now they were both dirty.
William was rigid as a pole underneath her, but eventually, he relaxed, and his arms went around her.
Natalia closed her eyes.
He whispered in her ear, “Your dress is ruined, as is this suit. You’re lucky it was your brother’s anyway.”
She thought she heard a smile in his voice and looked up to make sure that was what it had been.
He wasn’t smiling, but neither did he glare.
It was good enough.
“Tell me why it seems I can never tell you no?” Levander Cross’ brown eyes often made Leah feel so warm that the sensation of brushing against heated fur fluttered over her skin. There was no doubt that while the man was called the ‘Ice Man’ for his enterprise in delivering frozen blocks of the substance across the world, Leah knew him to be anything but cold. Instead, there was only an abundance of warmth.
And sometimes that warmth turned to heat, just as it did at that very moment.
Leah paced before his desk. “You never tell me no, because we are friends.” She smiled in his direction because she could do nothing else. “And because you find me quite entertaining.”
He laughed, a rich throaty sound. Leaning back in the chair beyond his desk, his posture was so relaxed he looked like a king sitting on a throne. And perhaps in his corner of the world, that was exactly who he was.
Since it was winter and the cold easy to come by for those who wished to store food, he was able to relax and let his men oversee the delivery of the ice from Norway and Canada.
That had left him in London and available to her for the time being, and she’d learned long ago that he truly did find her entertaining.
“You do make my life more enjoyable.” He leaned forward over the desk, placing his elbows on the table. His dark waves moved with his every motion, making him seem more alive than many a man she knew. “Thank you for returning my carriage in one piece.”
Her smile grew. “You’re welcome.” And it was just her luck that his ship had come in that very morning, because she needed something else from him. “Now, I need you to lie and say that we were together when I went to Oxford.”
Levander snapped back in his seat and lifted a brow.
She lifted a hand. “I don’t mean that in the way you’re thinking. I only mean that you were sick, and I visited you in Oxford.”
He frowned. “So, you wish to make our friendship known to the Spinsters and the Brotherhood?” Levander knew a few of them himself, which didn’t surprise her at all. It seemed all the most dazzling people in London had some connection.
She nodded. “I have no choice. If they ask me who I went to visit in Oxford, I need to say the name of someone I trust.” She’d not wanted to drag Levander into this mess, but he was the only one she’d trust and the only one who knew parts of her story. The parts that wouldn’t get him killed.
He leaned back and tapped his fingers on the desk. “You know what they’ll assume about the two of us if it was me you visited in Oxford.” Then he smiled. “Which I could hardly mind. After all, I simply can’t help myself around women with red hair.”
Leah touched her wig absentmindedly and recalled Levander’s earlier attempt at courting Lady Genevieve, who was now married to Lorena’s brother Francis. Genie’s red was a much deeper hue than Leah’s. “They can’t know my hair is red or my real name.”
“I know,” he sighed. “Though I do hate that you cover your hair underneath those wigs. Why I helped you procure them, I’m unsure.” He’d helped in many ways. He’d been the one to see Zed to England. “Why was I in Oxford?” he asked to get them back on the topic of the lie they needed to craft.
She shrugged and started to pace again. “Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps you were delivering ice and fell ill. You’re my friend, and I went to see to your wellbeing. If you were sick, then there is no need for them to assume we did anything else.” She couldn’t afford for anyone to think them carrying on a tryst. Such things were usually looked down on except where Society was concerned. A married lady and a lord could carry on in anyway they saw fit, so long as they were discreet.
Levander narrowed his eyes, and she knew that look. He was about to cut her lie to pieces with the same precision an ice sculptor would use. His next words startled her. “You should tell them the truth.”
“Out of the question.” What was wrong with him and her brother? “They’ll kill me.”
“I’ll not let anything happen to you,” he promised.
She smiled at him before settling into a chair. She felt the buttons on her back come undone and inwardly groaned. The dress was old and no matter how much Leah tried to keep the parts together, they simply would not stay. Thankfully, the winter hid this crisis. “You don’t know what they’re capable of.” The truth about her past was all she’d left out. Levander only knew that she was Julius’ cousin and wished to help him out of a situation. Nothing more. “I need to set this to rights and then I’ll return to France.”
There would be nothing left for her here. Though the thought of William’s green eyes as they’d leaned over her prostrated body still unsettled her in a way that she liked. How odd that was. She knew he’d kill her without blinking. There was simply something barbaric about her sundrenched vagabond that said the wall between gentleman and savage was very thin.
“The Brothers are not men you wish to cross, Mr. Cross,” she whispered.
His smile was as soft as his eyes. “Natalia, I once lived in the worst parts of this city, and now I own a pleasant portion and have access to the most powerful homes in the country. Do you honestly believe I became the Ice Man by playing nice?”
She stared at him and heard his words, but it was hard to piece together the peaceful man who sat behind the desk and the one he spoke of. Not sure if she wished to make the two men one, she let the comment go. “In less than a fortnight's time, I have to attend a day party just outside of London and while I’ve managed to avoid questions for the last three days, I won’t be able to avoid the men for long.”
“I’ll lie for you,” he told her plainly. “Though I hate doing so. I respect those men. They care for their wives in a way that not many others do.”
“It’s for their own good.” No more blood.
“Which is why I’m helping you. I’ll make sure my records for the previous days are changed so no one can discover the truth.” He smiled. “I read about what happened on the street with the dairy farmer, Mr. James. You’re a brave woman, but be careful of this game you play.”
William came to mind once more. They were playing a game, and she knew the rules. So far, the only safe place in the House was in her own bedchamber. He also didn’t disturb her while she was teaching, and she nearly always made her way everywhere with other women at her side, so he couldn’t get her alone.
How she’d managed to slip away today without him or Julius being aware of it, she wasn’t sure, yet she was entirely grateful for it.
She stood. “Don’t think of it as too much of a lie. We are friends, after all.”
“I could protect you better if we wed.”
She bit back a smile as she started for the door. “You could never handle a woman like me, Vander.”
“Oh, but I’d enjoy trying,” he said at her back as she closed the door. The words had the effect of making the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention.
She touched her neck as she walked down the hall. She could imagine her life would be quite easy if she simply gave in to the man, but she’d decided years ago to not marry him. He was such a g
ood man and deserved someone with fewer secrets than she carried.
A sound made her stop and turn. There were other offices in the building, all owned by Levander, but she didn’t see anyone moving between them. The noise from other meetings drifted past the doors. She turned back toward the hallway and took the stairs as quickly as possible before stepping outside.
Even prepared for it, the cold that greeted her was almost paralyzingly bitter. The day had felt warmer earlier, but now snow fell.
A team of horses went past her but slowed. A carriage door opened at her side.
“Mrs. Wells.”
She jumped and met William’s expressionless gaze. Against the cold, his eyes made him one with winter, a blue so frosty she shivered. His black hair blew across his forehead.
She tried to slow down her heart as she spoke. “Are you following me?”
“Yes,” he admitted without shame. “Come inside.”
“N-no thank you. I enjoy w-walking.” She started moving again so her feet wouldn’t freeze.
The horses started again but kept with her pace.
“Mrs. Wells, your coat is highly inadequate for the weather. Get into the carriage.”
“I’m fine, sir.” She’d planned to buy another coat this winter, but the expense had been too high.
“I’ve a warm brick that you could place under your skirts.”
Her knees locked at the seductive allure of his baritone. She wasn’t a fool. He wanted to place more than bricks underneath her skirts. He’d likely use his hands to warm her. Her stomach rolled. Never in a million years had she thought this was what they’d become. They’d never been friendly. Even when she’d been eight, she’d been able to drag him into games, but the two always ended up fighting before they could even start.
There was distrust between them and now a strong attraction. Never an in-between. Nothing was ever simple with William, it seemed.
A hard wind blew through the alley between buildings and stung her cheeks. Still, she held her chin high.
“Come now, my queen. There’s no need for us to be this way.”
She spun around to stare at him with wide eyes. “What did you call me?” She nearly forgot to speak like a Parisian.
He lifted a brow. “My queen. Does that offend you?”
It frightened her was what it did. He’d called her that on more than one occasion. That he would use it now with Leah Wells… Natalia felt a sense of betrayal that she knew to be silly. Did he call all women that now?
“I apologize if I—”
“No.” She caught his gaze again and spoke the truth. “I don’t want to ride with you, because I don’t wish to engage in another interrogation. I’m sure you’re aware that I’ve been avoiding you.”
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CHAPTER TEN
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William was very aware. He was aware of the way Leah had made it so they could never be alone and had also become aware of the way she walked, smiled, and the very scent of her body. He was so aware of her that he hardly paid attention to anything else. Julius had also tried to corner her to, but no avail.
It had been chance that she’d finally left the house. Julius had remained at the House so William could follow. He’d been surprised when she’d entered Levander Cross’ building. Sadly, the way the building’s interior had been designed didn’t allow for someone to stay in the hallway unseen and listen to conversations beyond the door, so he’d had to wait for her to leave.
And then he’d decided to give her a ride home, knowing the carriage would finally give them the opportunity to be alone.
He couldn’t return to the house emptyhanded. “What if I swear to only ask three questions?”
She stared at him and even as her skin paled, he could see her determination not to bend to his will. But whether it was the cold or his promise that finally forced her to make a choice, he was glad when she finally climbed into the carriage and settled in on the other side.
The driver got the team underway quickly, and William bent down to get her a brick. She lifted her skirts just enough for him to gain a glimpse of her stockinged ankles and then settled her skirts back down before sighing. “What is your first question?”
He looked up at her as he straightened. “Where is your husband?”
“I haven’t the faintest clue.” She undid her frock then and William was surprised when she turned and gave him the view of her back. Unblemished skin stopped just above where her corset began. No well-bred English woman would have dared do this.
But an experienced French woman… Perhaps.
Blood filled his manhood, and he fisted his hands on his knees as the need to undo the rest of her gown and lay her out in the carriage rose. The end result would likely not get him the answers to any questions he had, but getting her to cry his name as he buried his pounding flesh inside her body over and over again seemed like a fair exchange.
She glanced at him and asked, “Would you be so kind as to close my dress for me? It seems to always come apart.” Her golden gaze was demure, and her lips remained slightly parted. It took William a moment to realize what she was doing. This was her attempt to distract him.
He had two questions left. What would they be? It became hard for William to think, but since he’d never backed away from a battle in his life, he had no plans to do so now.
He smiled and moved forward. “My pleasure.” He purposely crowded her space and heard her swift intake of air. He’d have to show her who was master of this game. “I don’t think you fully answered my first question. Surely, you must have some idea as to your husband’s whereabouts. Otherwise, how would you know if you are safe at the Spinster’s House?” He did up the first button and let his fingers drift over her skin. Compared to his calloused hand, her flesh was smooth and very warm. He noticed the way her lashes fluttered and her skin pinked. She was easily affected by his touch.
Her lips parted moments before she spoke. “That is the second question.”
“No, my questions require expanded answers.” He pressed his hand flat against her back and trailed it under her chemise and up her shoulder, unable to resist exploring her sweet skin. Or was it sweet? He leaned forward and kissed her neck.
She jumped and pulled away, gathering her frock around her as if it would protect her. “How dare you! I didn’t give you leave to touch me that way.”
He smirked. “Well, I’d have asked first, but since I’ve only three questions…” He saw no need to say the rest. She’d tried to distract him with her body, and he’d shown her how dangerous such an act could be. His kiss had been chaste compared to what he truly wanted to do to her. He envisioned shredding the thin and frail fabric from her body and lavishing that soft skin with a million kisses in a million places, leaving no inch of her untouched.
When he finally met her gaze again, he found hers to be startled. Were his intentions for her so very clear?
“You mentioned a blackmailer,” she said, her fingers pale as they clenched the dark frock. “If you believe me to be this woman then it reasons that you would hurt me.”
“If you’re guilty, there is no length I’ll not go to to see you punished.” There was no reason to lie. There was no place she could run that he’d not find her anyway. He had her scent on his tongue and, like a bloodhound, he’d track her until she yielded. If William discovered her to be less than who she said she was, then he planned to deal with her justly. Though he could imagine implementing a special form of punishment himself. His hand lifting and falling with a sweet smack on her bottom. The thought of it made him even harder.
“And yet you want me,” she said in amazement. “You’d hurt me, but if given the opportunity—”
“I would spread you on this very floor and kiss you in places and in ways you’ll never forget.” His want for her was painful; was
that not punishment in itself? “Do the two have to be so separate?”
She’d turned red at his words, but a smile spread across her luscious mouth in the next second. “Yes, I believe they do, and that was the answer to your second question. What is your third?”
William froze and realized he’d been played once again. Leah’s expression of glee struck him in the gut and the feeling wasn’t entirely unpleasant. He enjoyed having a worthy opponent.
A good soldier knew when to retreat and regroup, so that was what he did. Leaning back on his side of the carriage, he tried to think of the best question to ask, one that would benefit their situation the most.
“You didn’t faint at my comment about what I wanted to do to you.” Not a question, but he prayed for an answer nonetheless.
She shrugged and settled back in her corner of the carriage. “The senses of a French woman are not as fragile as those of an English bride.”
He lifted a brow but didn’t voice his question.
She held his eyes and answered his unspoken words anyway. “I’ve had lovers before.”
He wondered why she would be willing to give him such private information. Did she think it would scare him away or make him lose interest? If he’d been a gentleman, it might have, though usually if a man took a lover, he expected her to be experienced.
But William was only half a gentleman. His other half didn’t mind the wildness of the creature before him. In fact, he enjoyed it.
She glanced out the window when they turned down a street that took them away from the Spinster’s House. Then she swung back toward him and glared. “Where are you taking me?” A second later, she blinked and something else entered her eyes. Fear. It was so heavy in her golden eyes that William could almost feel it seeping into their small confinement.
He didn’t like it and didn’t question why that was. “No harm will come to you this day.”
“But tomorrow?” she asked.
Natalia’s Secret Spinster’s Society (The Spinster’s Society) (A Regency Romance Book) Page 7