by Wilde, Tanya
“Fine, meet me in the library in ten minutes for heaven’s sake. No need to haul me about like some errant child in front of every gossip in attendance.”
Damien’s eyes narrowed on her. “If this is some ploy to avoid me again, I suggest you think of what I will do when you’re not in the library on the minute.”
Josephine glared at him. “I’ll be there.”
They stared at each other for several heartbeats before he let her go, the promise of retaliation in his eyes if she did not appear in the library on time. Insufferable man. She should put insufferable into her mantra since it appeared to be a dominating trait.
Five minutes later Josephine waited in breathless anticipation for Damien to arrive.
“Damien is notorious, irresistible, sinful, tempting and entirely off limits. Because he is arrogant, bossy, deceitful, manipulative, domineering and insufferable.” She repeated her mantra over and over until it felt like her head may explode. It appeared not to affect her in any other way.
The moment he touched her or gazed into her eyes, all thoughts and reasons fled, until only they two remained with the sizzling atmosphere between them. So much for her mantra. She had been so certain it would work, but he broke through every barrier she tried to erect.
How could she pay attention for any danger if all she managed to dwell on was Damien and what he looked like naked? A blush stole across her cheeks. The more time she spent in his presence the more she observed a side to him he rarely showed to anyone.
A whisper of a movement caught her attention and she turned in time to catch sight of Damien slipping into the room. Josephine still did not know what she would say, but as his body stalked toward her in slow seductive movements, she hoped he would not expect her to say anything but perhaps demand that she rid herself of her clothes and...Jo shook her head. Now was not the time for fantasies.
His voice sounded hoarse with desire when he said, “You look ravishing.”
Oh botheration. Her mouth watered for a taste of his lips. Afraid she would stutter when she spoke, she remained silent and watched him from beneath her lashes. Did he intend to seduce her here? Her knees weakened with the idea and she took a step back. Her retreat only caused a wicked grin to cross his features. A predator stalking its prey.
“Why have you avoided me?”
In an attempt to gain control over her body, Josephine squared her shoulders. “You are under the mistaken impression that we are to embark on some grand affair.”
His brow lifted to his hairline. “Am I to assume we are not?”
“Yes.”
“So I’m also to assume you did not enjoy the other evening?”
Josephine swallowed. “It was one night. We cannot continue this madness.”
“And why is it madness?”
She glanced away. “How does an affair between us end?”
“Perhaps, Josephine, you are overthinking it. Why can we not let be what will be?”
Yes.
Jo hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud until a heartbeat later when she found herself caught up in his arms. His lips came down on hers in passionate kiss. Ah yes, she wanted this. She linked her arms around his neck and shoved her fingers into his hair. She wanted this as much as he did, needed him perhaps more than he needed her.
He backed her against the wall, one arm lifting her until she pressed up against the hard surface by his body. His hand guided her leg to rap around him and she surrendered to the onslaught on her senses. Her head fell back as she exposed her neck to his lips. Cold air burned her skin and after a few tugs her breasts spilled out of her dress.
Josephine made a soft noise when his expert tongue found her bountiful mounds. His growl of satisfaction reverberated inside her. The pressure of his hard form against her increased as he lifted her skirts and unbuttoned his breeches.
Her leg tightened around him to keep her balance and one moment he fumbled with her dress and the next he plunged inside her warm flesh. They both gasped at the wicked sensation of flesh meeting flesh. There was nothing gentle about their love making now, their urgency to be with each other was too great after three days of separation.
Josephine held onto him as he pounded into her. Pressure built inside her until she thought she would burst from an unattainable need. As if sensing it, he quickened his pace, his fingers finding her bud. When she shattered he caught her scream in his mouth causing him to find his own release and spill his seed deep inside her.
Her head fell to his shoulder as Josephine waited for her heartbeat to slow.
The heavy rasp of his breath caressed her neck. She did not want the moment to pass, but it was only a matter of time before someone would come upon them. With a breath of reluctance he pulled away from her, setting her back on her feet.
“Will you avoid me again?”
Jo heard the plea in his voice, though he would never admit to it. They were both in a bind. Neither of them wanted to quit, but neither did they wish to commit. “I don’t believe I could even if I wanted to.”
He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Good. As for embarking on a grand affair, I believe spectacular affair has a better ring to it, do you not think?”
Jo sent a small smile his way. “Spectacular affair it is then.”
As if sensing her inner battle he took her face in his hands, his eyes soft with emotion. “Josephine, I do not know what will happen tomorrow, or the next day, but I do know that what we have, we have right now. We can either embrace it or let it slip through our fingers. I want to embrace it, but only if that is what you also want.”
It had been the right thing to say. “Living in the moment is something I am certainly good at.”
“I am aware of what your living in the moment entails,” he said with a dark scowl. “I want you to remain out of sight until we’ve dealt with Cartwright.”
Jo narrowed her eyes, suspicion crowding her mind. “I’ve already been given my orders about staying out of trouble.”
The fact that he did not seem surprised caused that little bud of suspicion to grow. It would seem the tables have turned. Well, Josephine would have none of that. The men appeared to be up to something which they did not mean to share. Have they formed an alliance?
“We should leave before my brother realizes I’ve disappeared,” she murmured.
“I will follow in five minutes or so.”
Josephine nodded and moved past him, but he halted her retreat with a slight touch on her shoulder.
“I will see you tomorrow?”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“Then I shall dream of all the things I will do to you next.”
Her breath hitched. “What about all the things I wish to do to you?”
“What do you wish to do to me?”
His husky breath tickled her ear and she gave him her most seductive look. “I couldn’t possibly tell you, I shall have to show you.”
“Damn Jo, if you don’t leave this very instant I will take you again right now.”
Was this his plan? To distract her with seduction? Well, she is not without weapons at her disposal. She shot him a heated look over her shoulder before she slipped thought the door.
His ploy may have worked if she hadn’t caught on, but she had no plans to stop him. Her smile had broadened by the time she arrived back at the ball, happy she’d decided to attend tonight. Her mantra be damned.
Chapter 17
“Do you not reckon it strange how the men are acting?” Jo asked Poppy, who hovered next to her in an elegant crimson gown for the first time since her accident. They stood in the Duke of Richmond’s exquisite ballroom, attending his engagement ball to the esteemed Lady Honoria Hammington.
“What do you find strange?” Poppy asked.
Jo nodded in the direction of the men. “I’m not sure, but look at them, loitering about.” Her gaze flitted over James, Derek, Westfield, Craven and lastly (with lusty appreciation) Damien.
<
br /> “I’m sorry Jo, perhaps my mind is still a bit addled but I do not see what you see.”
“Note how they are dawdling about, yet completely aware of each other. They move in harmony. When one of us shifts, they all shift. Like a beautiful song that chants to the rhythm of our movements.”
Poppy giggled, though her giggle sounded much too raspy for it to be considered a giggle. “If you say it like that it sounds odd, but I do see your point. Perhaps they are only being protective. They are gentlemen, after all.”
Oh, how ingenuous the young generation was, Jo mused. “This is different. They have become allies. This means something has happened, something they do not wish for us to be aware of.”
“They are not friends, then?”
Jo shook her head, distracted by the men’s antics.
“You are right. Something must have happened,” Poppy murmured. “They must be of the opinion we are in real danger.”
“Cartwright,” Jo confirmed.
Poppy seemed confused. “They did not mention anything to you?”
“No, they wouldn’t,” Jo replied in a flat voice. She understood their sentiments, but to leave her in the dark? Unacceptable.
“Insufferable goats,” Jo muttered beneath her breath.
“They could go about it in a more discreet manner. Does it not make you want to dash into the crowd and run? How entertaining would it be to see how they scurried about like squirrels?”
Jo doubted any of the men would ever scurry, but it would be amusing to behold and would also serve them right.
“Would they fall for such theatrics?”
“They are men are they not? Why would a wee woman ever pretend danger when there was none?”
Perhaps Poppy Middleton was not as green as Jo first had claimed. And she had to admit, it would be worth a try. “It must seem real though. If we stare into the crowd and let our expressions turn to that of horror before we turn tail and run, it may work.”
Poppy’s incredulous gaze flew to Jo’s. “I meant it only as a jest.”
Jo shrugged. “And now I’m not jesting. But like you said, it would serve to be entertaining.”
“Very well, what do we do?”
Jo considered the plan for a moment. “We pretend to detect something in the crowd, and then we pretend to be shocked and horrified. On the count of four, we dash into the crowd. But we must bend low, so that they assume we’ve disappeared.”
Poppy, who had been nodding in enthusiasm, paused, “Where will we go?”
“We head in the direction of the library. It should be easy enough to climb out of a window.”
“Climb out of the window?”
Jo nodded. “For theatrical affect.”
Poppy giggled. “I do like the way your mind works. I sometimes wonder if we will ever act like proper ladies ought to.”
“Saints no, what fun would that be?”
“No fun,” Poppy agreed in a teasing manner.
“I like to imagine we are eccentric instead of the usual bore. There’s nothing wrong with being different.”
“My father would disagree with you,” Poppy murmured.
“Most men would,” Jo said with a downward turn of her mouth. “But that does not mean we should follow in the footsteps of their expectations. We should shape our own path and leave our own footprints.”
“As you have.”
Admiration ran in Poppy’s voice, but Jo took no pleasure in it. While it may be considered to some as admirable, she had to fight for every mile she gained. But given the choice, she would do nothing different.
“Are you ready?” Jo asked. When Poppy nodded, Jo stiffened, her gaze alert, staring off into the crowd. Poppy grabbed her arm in a death grip and they both took a step back, horror now entering their expressions. In the corner of her eye, she noted Damien’s go on guard and Jo had to resist the urge to smile.
Both Poppy and Jo retreated step by step in unison, never once diverting their gazes from the spot their eyes were fixed on.
From the side of Jo’s mouth, she whispered, “When I say now, turn and duck into the crowd. Try to stay as low as possible so no one can spot you as you head for the library.”
Poppy’s horrified gaze never shifted as she spoke without moving her lips, “Everyone will think we are crazy.”
“We are.” Jo looked around, as if she searched for one of the men. Her eyes locked with James’s alert gaze before they slowly flicked back to the spot.
“Now,” she whispered and ducked into the crowd. Side by side, they half sprinted and half ran through a throng of people who gave then curious stares, some even disapproving. Neither of them looked backed to see if the men followed as they made their way toward the library, running full speed when they were out of sight.
They burst into the library with no finesse, gasping for breath before they started to giggle.
“Did you see their alarm before we dashed into the crowd?” Poppy exclaimed between panting breaths.
Jo nodded. “I cannot believe they fell for it.”
“I wish Holly and Willow were here to see it!”
“Come, we must hurry,” Jo urged as she made her way to the window and tried to pry it open. “It’s stuck.”
Poppy came up beside her and helped push at the window with no avail.
“Bloody good for nothing piece of window,” Jo muttered as she tried once more, with all her strength, to open the window, but with no success. Just as well, because at that moment the library doors burst open with such a force it made both girls jump. The window slipped open.
Three anxious men filled the doorway, ready to do some harm. Their eyes scanned the room, and after registering no danger, settled on the two women, who still had their hands on the window.
“What the hell is going on here?” Damien bellowed, garnering him disapproving looks from Derek and James. He ignored them as he stepped further into the room.
“Well?”
Jo, whose mouth had been agape up till then, attempted a charming smile. “We tested a theory.”
James groaned while Derek only shook his head in exasperation. It appeared the Shaw brothers understood while Damien on the other hand wasn’t so quick on the catching on.
“What do you mean you tested a theory?” he snapped.
“Oh, you know,” Poppy volunteered. “Danger, intrigue and secrets. The kind men hide from little girls like us even when it remains in our best interest to be aware of them.”
“All this just to draw us out?” Damien asked with widened eyes that reflected his disbelief.
Jo shrugged. “Yes.”
“Un-bloody-believable,” he said, staring at them as if he had never seen them before. “You took ten years off my life!”
“It was never our intention to scare you,” she paused, “that much. In any case, it was not my idea.” She nodded at Poppy, who gave the men a broad smile.
James shifted on his feet, his eyes on Poppy. “It seems almost losing your life did not returned your senses.”
Poppy tilted her head, but her smile never wavered. “Why Mr. Shaw, I did not see you there.” When his eyes narrowed she continued, “I never thanked you for saving my life. So thank you. I will never forget what you did for me.”
Her apology seemed to ruffle James for he glanced away and grumbled unintelligent words before turning on his heel and leaving them with Damien and Derek.
Derek, on the other hand, displayed a sudden interest in Poppy, even introducing himself. He bowed over her hand. “I do not believe we’ve had the pleasure of an introduction madam, Derek Shaw at your service.”
“Poppy Middleton and pleasure is not the word I would use.”
Jo stifled a laugh at the suspicion in Poppy’s tone. Her amusement, however, did not last long when Damien came to stand before her, his body shifting so it made contact with hers. Jo shivered at his touch.
“So what are you not telling us?” Her voice sounded strained even to her own ears.
/> Derek did not mince words. “Cartwright knows.”
“What?” Both Jo and Poppy gasped even though they’d expected the answer.
Damien’s hand brushed against Jo’s thigh. “We aren’t certain what he knows, but the evidence he gained would lead him straight to you and your sisters.”
“How?” Poppy asked with a frown.
“For one, of all the barrels in your cart only one held gunpowder—the one that conveniently ignited.” Poppy had lost all color, but Derek spared them nothing. “You left the cart, an oversight I presume. Your father is also brilliant at crafting gun powder, a fact widely known.”
Jo felt her heart sink to her slippers.
“In your defense,” Derek added, “had it been anyone else, it might have been overlooked, but Cartwright is a thorough man and leaves nothing to chance.”
“What happens now?” Jo asked, because if Cartwright decided to come after them, nothing short of death would stop him.
She recalled how calm he’d seemed at the theatre, as if nothing rattled him. Jo felt her own a sense of calm cloak around her. She would not be rattled by this news.
At least now they had something to work toward, something to fight. Doubt, worry and speculation could not be fought.
“Do you have a plan?” she asked, looking at Derek rather at Damien. He would speak frankly.
“Yes.”
Well how nice for them. “I take it you are not sharing this plan of yours with us.”
“Not this time, Josephine,” Derek murmured and Jo fumed.
“I take it this plan is too dangerous?” Both men scowled at the sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“It is best for the men to proceed. If anything goes wrong with our plan, we’re done.”
Jo scowled at Derek. “No plan is that flawless.”
“Our plan is not flawless, you would probably shoot holes in it, but that is why we need you to stay out of harm’s way.”
Jo snatched her hand back. She wasn’t in the mood for Damien’s ministrations at the moment. “When is this supposed plan of yours taking place?”
“A few days’ time.”