Scandalous

by Jenna Petersen

  “You know why everyone is saying that.” Julia looked at her with pity. “They’re only trying to protect you. When word of this gets out, it’s going to be a scandal. Without controlling the gossip…” She trailed off as if the rest of her thoughts were self-explanatory.

  And if Katherine was honest with herself, they were. “The Walworths agree with your mother. They’ve made it perfectly clear they expect me to marry someone else right away. Eustacia is already making lists labeled ELIGIBLE GENTLEMEN WITH CLOUT.”

  Katherine covered her eyes with her hands as a dull throbbing began in her temple. The idea of marrying someone who fit that description was downright depressing. She’d spent three years searching for someone who fit her needs completely. She wanted a husband who had no need for her fortune. And she wanted him to be a friend, not someone she could ever fall in love with. No use tempting that part of her that could so easily be swept away by passion. That could be blinded by desire and an empty hope for love. She’d seen the damage those kinds of strong emotions could cause.

  Colden Mallory had fit the bill entirely. From the first moment she met him, he said and did all the right things. She hadn’t hesitated to accept his offer of marriage.

  That future was gone now. Replaced by uncertainty. Exactly the condition she tried so desperately to avoid.

  With a start, she realized Julia was speaking.

  “Marrying quickly isn’t a bad idea.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, Julia!”

  Julia raised a hand to cut off any remaining protest. “You don’t want to end up like me. Alone. If you don’t do something to mitigate the harm now, that’s exactly what you may be.”

  “I’ve always thought being unattached might be pleasant,” Katherine said, once again looking out over the snow. “To have no one to answer to, no one to disappoint—”

  “No one to hold you when you need to be touched.” Julia’s voice was flat and emotionless, but Katherine looked up in time to see pain flicker in her friend’s eyes.

  “Julia.” She stepped forward to say more, but before she could, the terrace doors opened and awareness ripped through her. It stole any thoughts and all emotions, leaving only the tingling of anticipation.

  Dominic Mallory.

  Dominic had a keen sense he was interrupting something important as he stepped from the warm house onto the packed snow that lined the stone terrace floor, but he came out regardless. What he was about to do was important, too. Probably one of the most important moments of his life.

  Nausea swept through him at the thought. Was a house worth all this?

  No. But the past was. The truth was.

  He plastered a false smile on his face as he strode toward the two women. In response to his appearance, Katherine dropped his sister’s hand and took two steps away. But there was something about the look in her eyes, just the smallest fraction of heat in the cool green that pushed his nervousness aside and replaced it with desire.

  He broke his gaze away from Katherine with difficulty to smile at his sister. Julia’s face lit up and the shadows that had been there fled as she stepped forward to hug him. Dominic squeezed her back. When he divorced himself from his family, the loss of his sister’s company was the one thing he regretted. Her letters had always been a source of comfort to him.

  “I’m so glad you’re here, Dominic,” she whispered as she let him go. “I know it’s…difficult for you.”

  Yes, Julia did know. She’d seen everything that had transpired in this house. A few times she’d even tried to shield him from some of it, to her own detriment. How he wished she had found her own happiness. For some reason, Julia never married, yet, despite her advancing years, she was still as beautiful as ever.

  He turned to face Katherine and found her staring at him with a look of wonder on her face. Almost as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Then she dropped her stare from him with a warm blush.

  “Julia, I need to speak with Katherine alone.”

  His sister met his eyes with a gasp of shock. Unspoken communication rushed between them and he realized she knew why he wanted to talk to his brother’s fiancée.

  “Y-Yes,” she muttered before she threw a fleeting look in Katherine’s direction. “Come speak to me later, if you have need.”

  Katherine edged closer with a genuine smile for Julia. “If I can’t have you as my sister, I’m pleased to keep you as my friend.”

  With an awkward nod, Julia gathered up her skirt and fled. When the door shut behind her, Dominic turned back to Katherine to find she’d paced away to the middle of the wide expanse of the terrace. Apparently he was going to have to chase her if he wanted to make her his.

  A thought that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

  Dominic stalked toward her. This was a business deal, nothing more. It was simply going to take some finesse.

  “I’m sorry I interrupted you,” he said as he approached her side. He maintained a distance, and was surprised he could smell her lavender scented skin. Even more surprising was the strength of his body’s reaction to just the sight of her. He tensed and hardened as much as he would to a familiar woman’s touch.

  She shrugged as she dared a sidelong look in his direction. “Julia wasn’t telling me anything my guardians didn’t repeat over and again to me all night long.”

  With a smile, Dominic sidled closer. She tensed at the subtle movement but didn’t turn away. In fact, her gaze lifted more fully to his face.

  “This must be difficult for you,” he said softly.

  A sudden desire to touch her had him lifting his hand from his side, but he forced it back. Now wasn’t the time. Touching her would gain him nothing except the pleasure of feeling her skin. He hadn’t yet, but knew instinctively it would be smooth as silk.

  Instead of responding to his statement, Katherine slowly turned to face him fully. “I—I wish you had told me who you were last night.”

  Her voice was soft and had just the tiniest husky timbre. Enough to heat his blood.

  “You too,” he murmured.

  For a long moment, only silence hung between them. Her green eyes were full of emotion, but he couldn’t sense which feelings boiled in them. He thought there was some pain in those depths and even a bit of anger, but there was also a touch of something else, too. That hint of heat, passion, he sensed whenever he came so near. It seeped through him until his vision began to blur from strange, sudden desire.

  He stepped back as the cold winter wind reminded him of reality.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “It seems you’re in a predicament.” Did his voice tremble? No, it seemed calm enough. He hoped she couldn’t sense his sudden lack of control. He wasn’t ready to share that weakness. Yet. “One I may be able to resolve.”

  The strange mix of emotions on her face was replaced by one very strong one. Anger.

  “I wonder why it is that everyone, including a total stranger, feels compelled to tell me how much trouble I am in?” She gifted him with a pointed scowl. “It isn’t my fault if Sarah Mallory is alive. It isn’t anyone’s fault. In fact, I’m pleased the poor woman is coming back. Her death was very difficult for Cole.”

  Dominic shook his head. If only she knew what he now suspected. That her “beloved” fiancé had lied to her. He could only imagine her reaction if she discovered Cole’s hopes for their engagement, to fatten his own meager purse despite knowing his wife might still live. Katherine wouldn’t be so certain all her wishes had nearly come true then. And Dominic doubted pity for Cole would be what darkened her eyes.

  Even now, he wasn’t sure pity was her overriding emotion. She could pretend all she liked, but she couldn’t truly be happy Sarah was returning, ruining all her plans. To take away the man she cared for enough to say she would marry him.

  That last thought put an unpleasant taste in his mouth. Pushing that reaction away, Dominic returned to his duties.

  “You’re right that none of this is your fault,” he said so
ftly. “But it has happened and the concerns of others are valid. This is about more than just you, Katherine. It will undoubtedly put a stain on my own family’s name if it isn’t resolved with as little difficulty as possible.”

  She tilted her head to catch his eye. “I was under the distinct impression you didn’t care much for your family.”

  Dominic froze. “Who told you that?” His eyes narrowed. “Cole?”

  This time she laughed, though it was as incredulous as the look on her face. “No. I’d be a fool if I didn’t see it myself.” She shook her head. “My goodness, Cole and I have been courting for a year, and engaged a quarter of that time. You were mentioned so few times, I could count them on one hand. I was hardly aware of your existence before I stumbled upon you lurking on this very terrace.”

  Dominic couldn’t help the smile that twitched to his lips. This one was sharp. Perhaps too sharp to fool, despite Cole’s pronouncements to the contrary. But then Dominic’s brother had never been one to recognize the strengths in others, only identify weaknesses to exploit.

  Dominic couldn’t deny how much he liked Katherine’s wit and her utter lack of fear or pretense. The fact that she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever encountered didn’t hurt either. Especially in the snow. Her dark hair and bright eyes stood out even clearer on the flushed pink of her cheeks. It was like she was a snow queen who had wandered from her own realm and found herself here. With him.

  “Skulking,” he said quietly.

  She drew back in surprise. “I beg your pardon?”

  He leaned in closer and breathed in that hint of lavender again. He was too close, but he didn’t give a damn. “I was skulking on the terrace last night and you are changing the subject.”

  And then he saw something in her eyes that he never would have expected. A subtle shift that took her from fear and anger to desire. Hot desire, as hot as his own, glittered in her eyes and heated her face. If he touched her, she would melt.

  But he couldn’t do it. Not yet. Despite just how much he wanted to. Or perhaps because of how much he wanted it. The first time he touched her, it was going to be to prove a point, to stake a claim. Not because he was out of control.

  “You know what I am going to propose.”

  Somehow he maintained his distance, holding her captive only with his stare, not his touch. A stare she didn’t seem to be able to turn away from, even when her eyes widened and she shook her head.

  “No.” Her voice wavered.

  “Yes, you do.”

  Desperation flashed in her eyes. “But we don’t know if this woman is who she claims to be.”

  Her whispered statement was a plea that tugged at Dominic’s long-hardened heart. His brother had used this woman in the worst way possible. He’d used her desire for a match she chose, he’d used her guardians’ greed. Dominic had to amend for that somehow. He didn’t know why, but he did.

  But all he could do was remove her false hope.

  “Cole believes he has irrefutable proof. Sarah’s coming here is a formality in his mind, not a test. We must prepare for the very high likelihood that Sarah is alive.”

  He dared to reach out, finally took the prize he’d been longing to claim. He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, then cupped her chin to tilt her face up. For a moment, she let him hold her so close that her hot breath brushed his face, then with a start she stumbled away.

  “N-no. You shouldn’t do that. I’m engaged to your brother.”

  Her lips formed the words of protest, but her eyes told a different story. She liked his touch, liked his closeness. Deep inside, in places she’d been taught to ignore, she wanted him. A surge of triumph and rekindled desire caught Dominic off guard.

  He smiled as he edged closer again, thoroughly enjoying the hunt in a way he hadn’t for a long time.

  “A married man can’t be engaged, Kat.”

  That made her turn and she steadied herself on the terrace wall when she realized how close he was. But she didn’t step away.

  “You shouldn’t call me that.” Her voice trembled like her hands.

  “Why? I like it. It fits you.” He edged even closer and touched her face a second time. This time she leaned into his palm with a small, almost imperceptible whimper. “But I promise I’ll only call you Kat when we’re alone. When we’re in bed.”

  Her lips parted with surprise. “We won’t ever share a bed,” she murmured, but the protest was weak, indeed.

  “No?” he whispered.

  With a slow dip of his head, Dominic captured her lips. Though she didn’t pull back, she seemed frozen with shock and didn’t respond immediately either. But that was just part of the challenge. Gently, Dominic nibbled her lower lip, tasting the sweet honey of her skin until she opened her mouth to him with a gasp. He took the access she granted and tasted her. He continued to be gentle, exploring rather than plundering. There would be time to ravage and pillage later.

  Finally, with a moan that came from deep within her, Katherine slid her hands up to clutch his arms and tentatively returned his kiss. The reaction sent such a rush of longing through him that it nearly unmanned him. The control he’d been so carefully practicing suddenly fled.

  Startled, he used every ounce of strength in him to pull back.

  “You will be my wife,” he whispered, his lips just inches from hers.

  She pulled back to stare up at him with jade eyes misty with desire and unshed tears. “No.”

  “You will.”

  “I can’t,” she said on a half-sob.

  He shook his head. “Why not?”

  “Because you’re…you’re not—” She broke off with a shiver.

  Realization shot through him and doused his desire as efficiently as an icy bucket of water. “Who?” He released her to rake a hand through his hair. “Cole?”

  She drew away at his harsh tone. But before she could respond to his accusation, the terrace door opened and the very man he would never be strode outside to interrupt them.

  Katherine stared at Colden with enormous guilt weighing her down. She’d been kissing her fiancé’s brother! And worse than that, she liked it. No, liked wasn’t a strong enough word. She was consumed by it, devoured by the tingling sensations his touch left coursing through her body. Even now, she ached to continue what had begun in that all too brief moment.

  Cole smiled, but it was a knowing smile, not the one full of kindness he normally bestowed upon her. Katherine stepped away. Dominic was right. Colden was no longer her fiancé. That was as clear as the ice that clung to the stones at their feet.

  And worse, it looked as though he was well aware of Dominic’s offer to be his replacement. Perhaps Cole was even behind it.

  Though she doubted he was behind his brother’s sinful kiss.

  Her eyes naturally moved to Dominic’s mouth. How could such an innocent-looking pair of lips leave her feeling so…wicked? Worse yet, how could they reside on a face that was far from innocent? With thick dark hair that was just a fraction too long to be decent, piercing gray eyes, and the hard lines of his face, Dominic Mallory was sin embodied.

  “So you have been talking?” Cole asked with a smile as he reached her side.

  “Yes. Talking.” Dominic shot her a look that she desperately tried to avoid.

  “You two cannot be serious about this!” she managed to say with what was an amazing level of clarity, considering her turbulent mind.

  Cole’s smile turned to a disapproving frown. “Katherine, I really think this arrangement could work out for the best for everyone involved.”

  Her doubts were wiped away, replaced by a strange sense of disappointment. Somehow she hoped Cole, her friend, a man she’d grown to trust, would understand her opposition to a quick, new marriage. Certainly not arrange for it himself. And behind her back.

  “So you did send your brother here. You want me to marry him instead?”

  “No.” Cole took a few steps toward her to catch her hand. Unlik
e all the other times, she felt no safety in his touch. “I wish none of this were happening, but since it is, I want you to be protected. And to do my duty for my family.”

  “And just how will this protect me?” she snapped, shaking away his hand. Her anger and frustration bubbled up again. “Our engagement was announced in The Times and we’ve had so many parties hosted for us in London and here that I’ve lost count. Regardless of what you do, everyone will still know your wife returned from the dead. They will know I was thrown off and foisted on to your brother!”

  Dominic gave her the half-smile that turned her knees to mush. “No one is foisting anyone. And my name is Dominic.”

  Hadn’t she called him by name yet? She’d learned it the night before, and thought of it, him, a dozen times or more, despite how inappropriate her thoughts were.

  He continued, “And trust me, my lady, the fact that I’m Colden’s brother is only one of many facets of my personality.”

  Despite everything else, Katherine’s face twitched as she fought a smile at his retort. This man wasn’t only handsome, but he was challenging. Of course, he had no decorum. This wasn’t the time to try to soften her with witty banter, but still…

  Cole glared at his brother as if he, too, shared her thoughts about Dominic’s inappropriateness. “We’ll make explanations. We can act as if you were to marry Dominic all along. We’ll say everything else was simply a misunderstanding.”

  Katherine stared at Cole for a moment in utter disbelief. How thick did he think she was? Very if he expected her to fall for that line of reasoning. Or anyone else for that matter.

  “Ha!” she barked out.

  With a disgusted sigh, Dominic shoved his brother aside. “Really, Cole, you’re terrible at this.” In two steps, he caught her shoulders and drew her closer. A fresh stab of heat burned through her. “Katherine, everyone will obviously know the truth, but if you marry me you’ll maintain the protection of the Mallory name. My protection. We’ll turn any tide with the support of my family, and of key people who”—he smiled—“owe me.”