Is that why she agreed to the position, to be near the ocean? To relive her past? No, certainly there was more to this woman. There was always more.
She shivered. Before he thought better, he shrugged the jacket from his shoulders. Disgusted with himself, he tossed the garment toward her, watching it land in her lap haphazardly. Apparently, he hadn’t lost all of his English propriety.
“Oh, thank you.”
He jumped from the rocks, landing with a soft thud to the sand.
“Do you…do you like the ocean?” She scampered after him.
“Not particularly,” he replied.
She stilled and blinked her eyes wide.
He stopped walking, his curiosity overtaking his common sense. “What?”
She shook her head. “I just…” She averted her gaze, and her face flushed a soft pink, like the inside of a shell. “I apologize. Honestly, I hadn’t expected an answer.”
“Why?”
Her flush deepened to a magenta, a magenta that matched the horizon hovering over the sea. “I don’t know,” she whispered.
He tried not to think about how vulnerable she looked in his oversized jacket, tried not to think about pressing his mouth to her rose-colored lips, tried not to think about burying his face in her hair and breathing in her clean fragrance—anything that would make him forget the scent of spices and herbs, the scent of damp earth and jungle. Instead, he focused on the fact that she wouldn’t survive a day in India. Nor would she survive a fortnight with him.
“Did you think me mute? Or mad? A common mistake.” He started down the beach, wondering if she’d follow.
“Perhaps ’tis your demeanor around visitors.”
He released a wry laugh; he couldn’t help himself. “And how is that?”
“Well.” She peeked up at him through her thick lashes.
He stopped again and crossed his arms over his chest, his legs braced apart. “Continue.”
She frowned. “Well, that’s not to say…what I mean is that sometimes you seem a bit…unrefined or uncultured.” She went every shade of red, obviously realizing how impertinent her words sounded. “Well, I didn’t mean that exactly….”
“An animal.” He’d heard the words so many times before he didn’t even flinch.
She flinched, and paled. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
She plucked at the yellowed lace on the cuff of her sleeve. Was she embarrassed, or did his presence unnerve her as it did so many others? Why the hell did he care? Why was she any different? She wasn’t.
Leo swallowed hard and closed his eyes for the briefest of moments. “I do not see the purpose of being polite to people who are here to judge and ridicule.”
“I’m not here to judge or ridicule you.”
Her wide blue eyes bespoke of a sincerity he wished he could believe. Certainly, she was as shallow as the rest of them, and if he hadn’t decided he could use a governess to further his plan, he’d frighten her into leaving. If they believed he was willing to learn, they’d never suspect his true intentions.
He started down the beach, focusing on the roar of the waves, the rising sun spreading a palette of pastels across the sky. But at the forefront of his mind, she resided, taunting, tempting. He knew she followed, could hear her harsh breathing as she hurried to catch him.
“You seem very passionate about painting.”
He didn’t answer. How could he? He painted to forget a past no other could possibly comprehend.
She didn’t seem to notice or care about his lack of response. “I know very little about art. Although, I did like to draw as a child. What type of medium do you prefer?”
He slid her a less than encouraging glance and sighed. “Oils.”
“Ah, oils, of course. And do you paint people? Landscapes?”
“Both.” In the few moments with this woman, he’d spoken more than he had in months.
Seeing a shell gleaming pink in the sand, he scooped it up and pushed it into her palm before he thought better. As if he’d just given her a bloody diamond, she smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. Heat spread through his body, flaring his annoyance. He tore his gaze away and quickened his pace. He’d known the moment he’d seen her watching him from her bedchamber that there was something different about this woman.
“Thank you.” She rushed after him, doubling her strides. “It’s the first shell I’ve received since I had to leave home.”
The sympathetic child that hid deep within his soul nagged at him to ask why she’d had to leave, but he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t care. Her hand suddenly latched onto his upper arm. He stiffened; his instinct was to shrug her away. Taking in a deep breath, he forced his thumping heart to slow. Just a touch, a mere touch.
“Look.” She pointed toward the waves.
A sleek, gray lump skimmed above the surface of the waves. Nothing else loomed on the horizon. Confused, he waited for an explanation.
“A seal,” she said.
The animal hauled itself onto a flat, rocky outcrop, looked at them, and barked.
Ella laughed a brilliant, merry sound that reminded him of the leaves tinkling when it rained in the jungle.
The seal shook its head and then slipped back into the water, with nary a splash.
Grinning, Ella looked up at Leo. The light hit her, highlighting her high cheekbones and showing a face that would inspire Botticelli. His heart stilled, heat spreading through his body like the rays of a rising sun.
Her smile fell, as if she sensed his growing attraction and the sudden danger of being alone with a man more animal than human. “It’s getting late. We should…they’ll be expecting us for breakfast.”
He jerked away from her and started down the shore, angry with himself for falling under her spell. He was here for one reason, and one reason only. That reason didn’t involve a dalliance with a governess.
“Leo, are you coming?”
He didn’t answer, but continued, needing to get away, away from the unsettling emotions she stirred inside him.
“Leo,” she called out.
He gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to turn toward her. Cazzarola, what did she want from him?
“Go back,” he snapped, and climbed up between two boulders.
“I’ll see you after lunch then, for lessons?”
He didn’t respond but disappeared into the safety of the trees.
The scent of earth and decay hovered heavy in the air, pressing down on his chest and making breathing difficult. Yet the pressure, the familiarity of being this close to the ground, the soft dirt cradling his body, brought comfort to his troubled mind. Hidden from view beneath the large, overlapping leaves of some subtropical plant that certainly didn’t belong in England, Leo felt almost safe. The leaves provided a hazy green canopy where he could disappear from sight, from duty, from life.
He could almost forget everything lying here. The fear, his hopes for revenge, the sight of his mother and father dead on the jungle floor. He could almost forget it all, when he thought of Ella. And that scared the hell out of him. He needed to stay focused on his goal and not on a pair of luscious lips that begged to be tasted.
A soft hum reached his ears, and every muscle in his body stiffened, immediately aware of her presence. A song he’d heard in childhood, but he couldn’t recall the words. A sweet voice that seeped through his blanket of greenery and made him want to part those leaves to listen more closely.
He smelled her first, the clean scent of dew, combined with an exotic rose. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Overhead, leaves rustled.
Ella cleared her throat.
He didn’t move.
She tried again.
He sighed.
“Leo?”
He peeked through his lashes to find her looming overhead, her hands on her hips. “You were supposed to meet me for lessons in the study this afternoon.”
He didn’t respond. There was something incredi
bly enthralling about getting her riled up, as if he were a child who wanted to poke at a snake.
She stepped closer to him, parting the leaves and sending dew drops scattering like diamond chips. “Leo.”
A low growl erupted from behind her. Ella’s eyes widened, and slowly, she turned. He heard her suck in her breath and almost smiled, eager to see this woman disconcerted. Just beyond his feet, the large black cat peeked through the vegetation, his ears flattened to his head and his white teeth gleaming.
Leo pushed himself to his elbows. “You’re interrupting his nap.”
“L…Leo,” she whispered. “W…what is that?”
“A cat.”
“That is no cat.”
“Careful, you may offend him.”
“Leo, that’s not amusing.”
The cat mewed like a kitten and plopped down on the ground, rolling to his side and gazing up at Ella with adoring eyes.
Leo frowned. Charlie had never adjusted so quickly to a stranger. Ella stepped back and stumbled over Leo’s feet. Losing her balance, she fell onto him with a gasp. Every soft curve of her body pressed against his, her luscious bottom cuddled against his groin. Heat roared through his veins. He gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to touch her, to bring her closer. The animal inside him wanted to take her right there. Rip her clothes off and watch the bliss cross her face as he tasted her. The small part of humanity that rested deep within prevented him from acting out his sexual fantasy.
“So sorry,” she muttered, rolling off him. “I’ve never seen anything like him. Will—will he attack?”
“Only if provoked,” Leo replied dryly, regretting his decision. What had he been thinking to keep her here? But he hadn’t expected to be attracted to the woman. “If you must know, he’s a big babe.”
Ella laughed and just as quickly as her fear had appeared, it seemed to disappear. “Why do I not believe you?”
Most women would be screaming by now. Leo narrowed his eyes. “Charlie’s missing a leg.”
Ella gasped and turned her attention to the animal. “What? Where?”
“I found him when he was only a year old, his leg caught in a trap.”
“Poor thing,” she whispered.
Was that pity in her eyes? Leo frowned. She looked as if she wanted to scoop the huge cat into her arms and cuddle him to her bosom.
“Which leg?” she asked, standing.
“The back,” he mumbled. The daft woman actually started toward Charlie. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “He doesn’t like strangers.”
“Oh.” She sank onto the ground next to him.
She didn’t seem to notice that her body pressed against his, but he did. Yes, he was very aware. He felt her touch like a burn. He resisted the urge to shift, to jump away from her. Slowly, his fingers dug into the damp earth as his heart raced in his chest. She was close…too close.
There amongst the plants, she looked like a fairy ready to bless the wildlife. And her lips, by the gods, her lips could make a man give up his fortune for just a taste, a nibble, a lick. So why didn’t he? If he wanted her, he could have her. He knew without a doubt she was attracted to him. He could smell it on her, feel it even now radiating from the warmth of her being. Her inexperience would make it easy to seduce her, so why did he hesitate?
Because he needed no further complications.
“However do you control him?” she asked, completely unaware of the less than gentlemanly feelings ebbing within him.
“I don’t. One cannot control something circumstances have forced to be feral.”
“I see.” Her gaze fell to her lap. “Leo.” She smoothed her finger and thumb over a leaf. “Your grandfather wants you to learn the ways of English society. You are obviously intelligent enough to do so, which leads me to believe you have no desire to learn.”
He tensed, resisting the sudden urge to flee, to rip the wretched, confining clothes from his body and return to the Continent where it was warm and no one judged him.
“Leo,” she said softly, her voice pulling him under. “Do you want to learn?”
“No,” he snapped and stood.
“But what about your grandfather? What about the castle?” She scampered to her feet. Her lips were parted, her eyes shining with a hurt he was surprised to witness. Even more shocking was the way his body reacted. Why did he have the mad desire to reassure her? He didn’t know this woman, and she didn’t know him. She sure as hell did not have the right to tell him what to do. He stepped around her and started toward Charlie.
“Well, well. Look who we have here.” The male voice rippled across the garden and scattered whatever patience Leo had left. Just the sound of his cousin’s voice made him want to hit someone.
Not bothering to respond, Leo picked up Charlie’s rope. He steeled his resolve and turned to face the man who had come to represent all he hated about England. Brown hair that even the breeze refused to touch combed into place. Pale face. Suit impeccably tailored. Amber eyes that sparkled with amusement at Leo’s expense. To make it worse, his cousin had come with two simpering females and another pompous male. The more the merrier.
Ella shifted her attention from Leo to the small group. She looked unsure and wary of his cousin. Good girl, be very wary of him.
“And who do we have here?” Henry asked, stopping in front of Ella and studying her body in a way that made Leo want to let Charlie loose.
“I’m a friend of Leo’s,” she said softly.
Leo almost rolled his eyes. Friends? They barely knew each other.
“Friend?” His cousin’s grin turned into a smirk. “I wasn’t aware Leo had any friends. Well, bravo for you, making a chum and a female at that. Of course any friend of Leo’s is a friend of mine.” He raised his brows, and the two nondescript women clinging to his side giggled.
“Such a pretty little companion too.” He took Ella’s hand and pressed his lips to her fingers. “Call me Henry, my de—”
Charlie released a low growl, and Henry snapped upright, eyes wide and unblinking. “That thing should be locked away.”
Charlie lunged at Henry, swiping his massive paw through the air. Henry jumped back, and Leo had to look away to hide his amusement.
“By God, control that thing. Better yet, let me retrieve my hunting rifle and take care of the situation before he kills someone.”
Leo knew better than to react, although Ella couldn’t seem to contain her shock and gasped.
Apparently, Charlie felt he’d done his duty, for the animal collapsed onto the grass and began to lick his front paw.
“It just wanders about?” one of the women asked.
Henry’s frown deepened. “Yes, preposterous, but the old man has a soft heart for my dear cousin. Truth be told, Grandfather is just as worried about Leo going insane as I am about that cat attacking.”
His cousin’s male friend gave a nervous laugh. “Henry, dear boy, can’t he hear you?”
“Leo? I doubt he understands.”
“That’s not true!” Ella cried out, stepping forward and making Leo want to sigh in exasperation. She’d been here a day and already she was causing trouble. “He’s not ignorant and your grandfather does not want to lock him up. He never would have hired me…” She trailed off, blushing.
Henry quirked a brow, his eyes twinkling. “Ah, so you were hired? And for what, pray tell?”
“Hired her?” the other man laughed and stepped closer to Ella. Her eyes widened like a frightened hare, and Leo’s ire grew, his hands fisting at his sides as he denied the desire to put an end to the torment once and for all.
“Not what you are thinking, Kevin, dear chap. Hired as a governess, is my bet,” Henry said and bounced his index finger on the end of Ella’s nose. She batted it away.
“So, my sweetling, what is your name?”
“Ella,” she whispered.
“And what does my grandfather want you to teach dear Leo?”
Ella shot him a glance.
He looked away, resisting the urge to come to her rescue, resisting the urge to slam his fist into the man’s face, resisting the urge to leave them all here where they could rot together.
“He doesn’t need much, just some refinement here and there,” she mumbled weakly, apparently losing her nerve.
Henry threw his head back and laughed. “Oh really, Ella, you are too kind. Doesn’t need much. The man can barely string two words together.”
Leo locked eyes on Ella and gave a slight shake of his head. Her brows furrowed, but she kept her lips pressed together.
“Cannot even make conversation and you believe he doesn’t need much?”
“With those looks, he doesn’t need to speak,” one of the women murmured.
Henry glared her into silence.
“What then, Ella?” Henry stepped closer, and Charlie let out another low growl. His cousin shuffled back. “What do you plan to teach my brilliant cousin?”
The crunching of feet on gravel alerted them to another’s presence. “Ah, Henry, my boy, what brings you here?”
His grandfather came down the path with a smile upon his weathered face, obviously happy to have his family close at hand. Cazzarola, if that didn’t send a rush of guilt through him.
“Passing through and thought to visit my grandfather, of course.” Henry turned toward the man.
“Wonderful. And is your lovely wife here?”
Henry had the good sense to shift uncomfortably. “Unfortunately, she was detained.”
His grandfather nodded. “And you and your…friends will be staying for dinner?”
“Why not? I’ve heard that Leo here has a new governess and would love to see the improvements she’s made.”
Ella paled, much like his grandfather. Leo had the sudden urge to laugh at their unease.
“Well, umm, you see, Ella was hired only the other day.”
“Of course.” Leo didn’t miss the mockery in his cousin’s voice.
“Shall we convene inside? I’m sure after your travels you must be famished.” His grandfather stood aside and allowed the small group to pass.
“Leo? Ella?” His grandfather looked at them, his smile wavering.
Wild Heart Page 4