She’d sensed before that Lord Leopold could be dangerous; now she knew it for a fact. Which was why she had decided to keep their appointed rendezvous in spite of her qualms. She couldn’t afford to let matters progress any further between them. She’d learned through great pain and suffering what it was to be at the mercy of a man. She’d vowed never to let herself be put in such a circumstance again. If that meant resorting to desperate measures, then desperate measures it would have to be.
Lord Leopold wanted her and she needed to find a way to change his mind. So far cold champagne and even colder refusals had done nothing to lessen his interest. Hopefully what she had planned this afternoon would put an end to his pursuit of her once and for all, as well as teach him a much-deserved lesson about the need to respect a lady’s wishes.
As for their rendezvous spot, a helpful groundskeeper had told her about the pond and the great oak where she and Lord Leopold were to meet. The gray-haired servant described the area in enthusiastic detail, expounding on the beauty of the foliage and the secluded nature of the freshwater pond.
She’d thought it sounded like the perfect location. And it was, she realized as she rode the last few yards toward the spot. The giant tree stood fifty feet tall, exactly as described, its branches now bared for the autumn. The pond lay close by, glimpses of its blue waters visible through a thick surround of smaller trees and evergreen shrubs.
Nearby, a horse stood tethered to a low-hanging branch.
Lord Leopold was waiting.
He walked forward as she drew her mare to a halt; sere leaves of gold and red crunched quietly under his boots. He smiled and reached up to lift her down from her horse. She didn’t resist this time, but let him wrap his strong hands around her waist to ease her from the saddle.
Just as he’d done the day previous, he took his time, letting her body slide against his own for long, long moments before finally allowing her feet to touch the ground.
Quivers gathered low in her belly, her breathing not entirely steady in her lungs. She ignored both reactions and stepped away before he had a chance to lower his head and kiss her.
“Come back,” he said in a silky voice as he reached out to bring her near again. “I haven’t said good day to you properly yet.”
“You haven’t said good day to me at all,” she admonished gently. “But here is not the place for pleasantries, at least not of the sort you have in mind. Let us move closer to the pond where we will be unseen. We can talk there.”
He nodded, then reached for the reins of her horse to lead the animal forward.
While he secured her mare not far from his own steed, Thalia made her way toward the pond. The surrounding foliage did indeed create an atmosphere of privacy, the greenery a lush barrier that protected those enjoying the pond from the prying eyes of casual passersby.
Just as it had been yesterday, the weather was unseasonably warm, more suited to a summer day than one in the autumn. She hadn’t even needed to wear a cloak, the lightweight, short-sleeved tan pelisse she’d chosen earlier more than adequate for the task. It went well with her forest green day dress. She supposed she ought to have changed into her riding habit again, but there hadn’t been time; the loose-fitting gown suited her purposes better anyway.
She was studying the water, her mind full to the brim with thoughts, when a pair of long male arms caught her around the waist. Lord Leopold spun her around before she could gather her senses, his mouth taking hers without so much as a word. His touch was every bit as delicious as she remembered, passionate and inviting in ways that surprised her still. She gave in to the pleasure for a short while, then forced herself to pull away.
Because however tempting his kisses might be, she couldn’t forget her purpose. Not now. And certainly not for a fleeting taste of passion with some arrogant rakehell who would forget her two minutes after he got her into his bed.
For as charming and persuasive as Leopold Byron might be, she had no illusions about the fact that he considered her a prize to be won. Not much different really from the fox they had chased the day before. She had no intention of being anyone’s prey—not ever again.
He thought he knew her, but all he knew was the rumors, not the real woman inside. He didn’t want the true Thalia Lennox, who strove to maintain her pride and integrity as a lady in spite of her public shame. Instead he wanted the fantasy—the lascivious seductress and unprincipled divorcée who supposedly devoured men like sweetmeats. What he longed for was a woman who did not exist. But shortly he was going to find out that he wasn’t going to get either Thalia—the real one or the fake.
Wearing a false smile, she laid a hand on his shoulder. “Now, now, let’s not rush things. We only just arrived.”
“Yes, but our time is limited before we have to return.” He leaned down to steal another kiss. “Let’s not squander it.”
She turned her head away so that his kiss landed on her jaw instead of her mouth. “We won’t be squandering anything. I chose this location for a reason, you know. I thought we could have a little fun first.”
“I believe that’s what we’re already doing.” His arms tightened around her again.
Slowly, she shook her head. “I mean a different sort of fun.” Lifting up on her toes, she kissed him just below his ear. “The naked sort,” she whispered.
She felt his body tense with obvious desire.
“Exactly the kind I like best.” His eyes gleamed. “What did you have in mind?”
She stroked her fingertips along his smoothly shaven cheek and watched his eyelids turn heavy. “Hmm, with the weather so clement, I thought a dip in the pond would be nice.”
“A dip in the pond would be very nice.” He smiled, his hands moving toward the fastenings on her dress.
Quickly, she stepped out of his hold and danced back so that she was out of his reach. She waggled a finger. “Not yet, Lord Leopold. You first.”
“Me?” He arched a fine golden brow.
“It’s all part of the excitement. I don’t care for surprises, so I want to see exactly what I’m getting. Undress yourself.”
His eyes widened briefly; then he grinned. “As you like.” His fingers went to the buttons on his waistcoat.
As a healthy male in his prime, he exuded supreme confidence. It rolled off him like a tide, natural and without restriction. He didn’t look away, but instead held her gaze as he began to strip—boots first, then the rest. He preened, corded muscles flexing without the slightest inhibition as he removed one piece of clothing after the other. They landed in a pile in the grass until he stood bare from head to toe.
Another part of him stood proudly unashamed as well, his erect shaft jutting out from his body with a length and girth that would have been impressive by anyone’s standards. She had always considered her former husband an attractive man—on the outside at least—but he’d never looked like this.
Lord Leopold was quite simply mouthwatering.
Her pulse beat up into her throat; she was tempted in spite of herself. But indulging her unexpected case of prurient interest wasn’t part of the plan. Steadying her resolve, she gave herself a firm mental shake.
“Turn around,” she said, twirling a pair of her fingers in the air for encouragement.
His grin widened. “But of course, my lady.”
He held his arms out from his body and turned. The view from that angle was even better, his taut buttocks and long muscled legs practically begging to be caressed.
He turned to face her again. “Well, do I meet with your approval?”
“Most assuredly,” she murmured with complete truth.
“Your turn,” he said, setting his fists on his hips. “I can’t wait to see what’s under those skirts of yours. Do you require assistance disrobing? I’ve been told I perform admirably as a lady’s maid.”
She had no doubt that he knew his way around the intricacies of feminine attire, considering all the women he must have bedded.
“I am sure y
ou do,” she said, “but I would rather do it myself. Why don’t you go ahead into the water. I’ll join you there in a minute.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “But I’d rather watch.”
“You can watch next time. I am a lady, after all. I don’t want to reveal all my charms at once.”
For a moment, he didn’t look convinced. Then he shrugged. “Very well. But don’t take too long.”
“Oh, I shan’t.”
She waited, watching as he waded into the pond. “Go out farther,” she told him when he stood submerged to the hip. “I want to know how deep it is.”
He nodded and used his strong arms to propel himself forward. He stopped at the center and spun around, treading water. “You’re not undressing,” he called.
“I will in just a moment. Can you touch the bottom?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you dive down and see how deep it is? I want to make sure we don’t have to worry should we forget ourselves while we’re . . . playing.”
Even from a distance, his eyes gleamed with desire. Then, slick as a fish, he disappeared beneath the surface.
She sprang into action the moment he vanished from sight. Racing as fast as she could, she bent and gathered up his clothes, rolling them all into a tight bundle, which she tucked beneath her arm. Without sparing another glance in his direction, she ran for the trees.
She had just untethered both horses when she heard Lord Leopold call her name in the distance. Working as fast as she could, she tied the bundle of clothes to the back of her saddle, then thrust her foot into the stirrup. She wasn’t used to mounting a horse without assistance and faltered as she struggled to lift herself up. If he caught her, there would be hell to pay.
The realization gave her the strength she needed in order to climb onto her horse. Her heart rabbited in her chest, her breathing labored.
Suddenly, he jogged out from behind the tree line, his wet hair plastered to his head, his naked body glistening from his swim. “Thalia, what are you doing?” His confusion was plain.
She wheeled her mount around to face him. “I am leaving.”
“What? Why?” He looked shocked.
“If you had been paying attention, you would know why. You ought to have listened to me when I told you I wasn’t interested in being your bed partner.”
A heavy frown settled on his brow. “You aren’t? Then what for Hades’ sake has all this been about?” He waved an arm toward the pond behind him.
“A lesson, Lord Leopold. Since you refuse to take no for an answer, I thought a more overt demonstration of my wishes was in order. I’ve tried to be polite, but you persist in your unwanted pursuit of me.”
“It is not unwanted.” His eyes flashed.
“See? You are doing it again. Listen to me closely. I-do-not-want-you,” she enunciated, “so stop chasing after me.”
“Really? That’s not what your body and your kisses say.”
She brushed off any truth to his words and continued on. “You’ve shamed me, first at Lord Elmore’s party and again here at Holland House by insinuating to everyone that I am your mistress. Rumors are as good as the truth and I am tired of being lied about and manipulated. You embarrassed me, so I have decided to return the favor by embarrassing you. Enjoy the humiliation, my lord.”
His scowl turned black with sudden suspicion. “What humiliation? Get down from that horse. We will talk.”
“No, I am done talking. Enjoy the walk. It’s only a couple of miles back to Holland House.”
Before he could get close enough to reach up and grab the bridle, she wheeled her horse around. Raising her riding crop, she brought it down hard on the buttocks of Lord Leopold’s horse, sending the startled animal into a frenzied gallop. She had no doubt the stallion would run all the way back to the stables. She gave her own horse a sharp kick and sent the mare charging forward.
“Thalia, come back here!” Lord Leo bellowed.
But she rode on, forcing herself to ignore his furious shouts of outrage.
Chapter 10
Of all the endings to his afternoon, Leo had never expected to find himself walking stark naked through the open countryside back to Holland House. How he was going to present himself once he got there, he had no idea. He could only imagine the wide-eyed stares and titters over his arrival.
If he was lucky, maybe one of the servants could be persuaded to fetch him some garments while he concealed himself behind a convenient bush. Or even better, perhaps the assembled company would still be in their rooms dressing for dinner and he could sneak upstairs unobserved.
Somehow he doubted he would be that fortunate—exactly as Lady Thalia had intended.
Hell and damnation, he still couldn’t believe what she’d done—most particularly taking his clothes! He remembered the way his temples had throbbed with fury and disbelief when he’d gone back to the pond and realized they were gone.
At least she left my boots, he thought as he tramped along the path, leaves and stones crunching under his heels. I must look a complete fool.
Also exactly as she’d planned.
Just wait until he got back. She might think she’d delivered the last salvo, but he wasn’t the only one who would learn a lesson today. Precisely what he planned to do once he confronted her, he didn’t know. But this wasn’t over between them.
Doesn’t want me, does she?
Liar.
He’d tasted the passion on her lips, knew he hadn’t imagined her pleasure or her longing for more.
And she was going to get more—a lot more. But first he had a score to settle with the deviously clever Lady Thalia.
He walked on, grateful that he hadn’t encountered anyone so far. If the trees hadn’t been barren of leaves, he might have tried snapping off a weak limb to use as concealment. But she’d plotted her revenge well, leaving him no choice but to make the journey back in nothing but his altogether.
For his own part, he didn’t care a jot about being naked, having never suffered from an overabundance of modesty. But other people might not feel the same. There was also the uncomfortable fact that he was growing chilled, gooseflesh beginning to pop out over his skin now that the sun was sinking lower in the sky.
He’d been walking for another five minutes when a cottage came into view. A brown-haired woman stood in the rear yard, tossing handfuls of grain to a small flock of chickens, while a toddler played with a wooden toy on a nearby patch of grass. Not far away, freshly washed laundry hung on a line, the clothes waving slowly to and fro in the modest breeze.
Among the items was a man’s shirt and trousers, the answer to his current dilemma. Even if the shirt was the only thing that fit, at least he wouldn’t be completely bare-arsed naked any longer—shockingly attired, yes, but not naked.
But how to acquire them?
He considered the straightforward approach of just walking up to the woman, explaining his situation and asking to borrow the clothes—with the promise that she and her family would be more than generously compensated once he was back in his proper element and in his own clothes again. But there were far too many things that could go awry with that plan, he decided. Once she got an eyeful of him, she might not stay long enough to hear him out as she ran for the cottage and barricaded herself and her child inside.
His only other options were equally unappealing. The first being that he would continue on to Holland House exactly as he was, or the second, that he would wait until the woman wasn’t looking and take the clothes.
He balked at the idea. A gentleman no matter his difficulties did not stoop to thievery. It was wrong, plain and simple. Yet if he took the clothes, just long enough to make his way back to Holland House, then promptly returned them, was he actually stealing? It was more a case of borrowing really when you thought about it.
He cringed, knowing his rationalization was exactly that. But thanks to Thalia—blast her outrageousness—he was in a real fix and had to consider all his options
, honorable or otherwise.
Yet what real harm was there in using the clothes for a couple of hours? If all went well, the woman wouldn’t even notice they were missing. And he would send the garments back, freshly washed, with a note of thanks and money attached for their use. Seen in that light, she and her husband might regard the entire incident as a kind of unexpected boon.
He weighed his choices, watching her from behind the tree.
She finished feeding the chickens, then walked over and scooped the little boy and his toy up off the ground. Tucking the child against her hip, she went into the house, the door swinging shut with a bang.
Now was his chance. If he wanted the clothes, he had better make a dash for them while the opportunity was ripe. He weighed his options one more time, cast another quick look around and ran.
He reached the clothesline and yanked the trousers out of their pins. He’d just taken hold of the shirt as well when the back door to the cottage slammed open on its hinges again. Only it wasn’t the woman who came out into the yard this time.
It was a man—a huge, massive bull of a man with a barrel chest and arms that looked as if they could bend steel. His hands were the size of hams and curled inside one of them was a rifle. He raised the weapon to his shoulder and took aim.
“What in the hell do ye think ye’re doin’?” he bellowed. “Ye believe ye can come up to my home, naked as the day God made ye, and help yerself to my clothes?”
Leo held out a hand. “No, no, it is nothing like that.”
Technically, it was exactly like that, but there were mitigating circumstances. If only the bull-sized man would put down his weapon and let him explain.
“I’ve had an unusual mishap, you see, and lost my clothing while swimming in one of the nearby ponds,” Leo began. “I’m borrowing these only until—”
“Borrowin’, my left eye. Ye’re a thief an’ I don’t hold with thieves. Ye’re indecent to boot.”
Leo held up the trousers in his hand. “I wouldn’t be if you’d permit me to put these on. I am a guest of Lord Holland’s and will recompense you for their use.”
The Bedding Proposal Page 9