Before she was ready, the dance was over, but he did not release her. He stopped dancing and she felt his hand move over her back.
“Daniel?”
She could barely hear her own voice over the country reel that had started inside. She knew that soon they would be missed, that someone, probably her mother, would come looking for her at some point. But she could not seem to get herself to tell him they needed to return.
“You called me something else the other night.” His voice was deep, resonate. It sent a shiver of heat lancing through her veins.
“What?”
“In the carriage. You called me Danny.”
She closed her eyes as the images from that night came rushing back to the forefront of her mind. In her weakest moment, she had called him that. It was the name that she had always called him in her mind. Danny, her friend, her playmate. She opened her eyes and realized that this was not her playmate, the man she’d grown to love. This was someone else, darker, more dangerous.
She swallowed. “I know, but that was a mistake.”
His golden brown gaze searched hers. “Do you really believe that?”
She wanted to say yes. It was the smart thing to say, to believe. The other path would lead her to ruin. But she knew in her heart that it was not what she wanted, needed.
“No.”
Something passed over his expression, something dark and forbidden. He tugged her out of the shadows, but instead of going back to the ballroom, he pulled her down the steps and into the garden. The air was extremely cool, but she wasn’t cold at all. Instead, her entire body shivered with excitement.
He led her to the far end of the garden to a folly. He opened the door, stuck his head inside and then pulled her behind him as he strode into it.
Before she could ask him what was going on, he pulled her into his arms and started kissing her. He did not give her time to think, to even form an opinion of what was happening. He just took her mouth and plunged her into the heated pleasure of his kiss.
Daniel knew what he was doing, knew it was wrong, but he could not help it. All he had wanted was to keep her safe and happy. He had known that she loved to dance, especially the waltz. Knowing that she was hiding out and missing one of her true pleasures, he could not stand by and allow her to miss out.
He took her face into his hands and deepened the kiss, slipped his tongue into her mouth. God, the taste of her was beyond anything he had ever known. That there would never be another woman who tasted like this enticed him without even knowing it.
She moaned against his tongue, the vibrations shivering through his entire body. He walked her backwards to a couch against the back wall. Breaking the kiss, he sat and then pulled Anna down onto it next to him.
“Danny—”
He did not give her time to respond. Instead, he took her again, leaning over her, using his extra weight to press his point. She hesitated for a moment. But in the next second, she dove into the kiss with him, thrusting her tongue against his. Excitement flowered, expanded. He knew what he was doing was wrong, was against everything he knew he should be doing. But at the moment, he could not get his mind to work. All he could think of was Anna.
He made quick work of her dress. One tug and her breasts were exposed to his view. Anna gasped. The breathless sound was one of the most erotic things he had heard in his life. But he could not pause to tell her or even contemplate that.
The moonlight in the folly gave him a better view than he had the night in the carriage. Alabaster ivory, tipped with rosebuds. He skimmed the back of his fingers over each breast, delighted when she shivered.
He looked up at her and smiled at the blush now darkening her cheeks. She was a pleasure to behold. Without breaking eye contact, he bent his head over her breast and drew one sweet nipple into his mouth. Another gasp, but he ignored it and closed his eyes. Soon, the tender bud had tightened and her hands were now clenched in his hair.
Everything in him ached to take her, to make her his, but he knew that it would not be possible. But he could give her relief. He eased her on her back, then slid his hand down her body. As he continued to taste, tease and drive them both out of their minds, he eased her skirts up and stole beneath. He skimmed her hands up her thighs to the soft curls that lay at the top shielding her sweet honey pot. He eased his way up, placing a hand on each of her thighs, and touched his mouth to her very core.
“Danny!”
She tried to sit up and shove her skirts down. He ignored her. He slipped his tongue inside, sighing with pleasure as the taste of her exploded through his senses. Her protests turned to moans as he delved into her honey pot again and again. Her legs shifted restlessly beside his head, her hands molding to the back of his head.
He pulled back and could not help but smile when she protested. He replaced his mouth with his hand, slipping his finger inside. Her muscles clamped down on his digit as he pressed his thumb against the tight bud, pushing her up and over the edge. Her mouth opened on a silent cry. Her orgasm shimmered through her body as she bowed. His heart constricted at the sight. God, she was beautiful.
Every part of his being told him to take her, to slip inside her snug core and ride her into another orgasm. He wanted to claim her, make her his. But before he could get his mind to function, he heard a twig snap just outside the door. It was enough to pull him out of his thoughts and into action. He sat and pulled Anna up off the couch. The smile curving her lips told him all he needed to know. Daniel could not resist the quick kiss.
“I think there is someone here, love.”
“Daniel?”
He ignored her, only saying, “Fix your dress.”
She gasped as she looked down and pulled up her dress. The door creaked open, causing Daniel to pull them into a darkened area behind a statue.
“I know you are in here, Daniel. Come out now.”
Chapter Twelve
Anna’s heart came to a stuttering stop the moment she recognized Lady Joanna’s voice. Oh, this was horrible. She did not want to ever be caught in such a situation but definitely not by the woman who was Daniel’s previous paramour.
“Jo, you have a really bad timing.”
“I hate to bother you, but we have a problem.” Lady Joanna’s voice lashed out at Anna. Her embarrassment grew. She would not be amazed if her whole body was blushing.
He stepped in front of Anna to shield her from Lady Joanna’s line of vision. “Go back to the house, I will meet you there.”
Anna blinked at Daniel’s tone. This was not the lover she had been with just moments before. There was a ring of authority she had never heard before in it.
“You don’t seem to realize the problem. Lady Anna’s absence has been noted. As has yours.”
Daniel muttered something beneath his breath then turned to her. “We need to get you back to the house as inconspicuously as possible.”
She glanced over his shoulder at Lady Joanna. “Did anyone see you in the area?”
Lady Joanna shook her head. “No. It was Jack who told me what was going on.”
Anna smiled as she turned her attention back to Daniel. “This will be easy. Lady Joanna and I will return to the party. We will come up with something to say we were talking about.” An idea formed. “I can say I was trying to get money for the orphanage.”
Daniel frowned and opened his mouth but Lady Joanna jumped in. “That is a wonderful idea. You can return later, say you were somewhere else, smoking or something.”
She had drawn even with Daniel and reached out to Anna with her hand, pulling her along. “Come, let’s return. I do think your mother was seriously worried.”
Anna sighed. “Mother has become such a worrier of late.”
“Anna,” Daniel said. She paused and he gave Lady Joanna a look that would scare most men. The other woman humphed.
“I will be waiting outside.”
Once she left them alone, Daniel hesitated, then took her hand. All the sudden, the folly seeme
d smaller, almost as if the walls were closing in on her. Even as her body warmed under his study, a chill slipped down her spine.
He played with her fingers. “I did not plan for something like this to happen. I will speak to your mother in the morning.”
Mortification slashed at her. She knew without a doubt that Daniel did not love her. He had been carried away in the moment, just as she had. Yes, she loved him. She had compared every man she had ever been mildly interested in to Daniel. Sadly, they had all fallen short. She would probably always love him. There was one thing she would not do, and that was marry a man who did not love her. It was different for a woman. Men did not need to be in love to give themselves to a person.
She would not be married because he felt guilty.
“Nothing has happened.”
Even in the darkness of the folly she could see his eyebrow rise. “Indeed? What would you say this was about?”
“We lost our heads.”
“And you do this on a regular basis.” He fairly growled the words.
“No. But, Daniel, can you tell me that you marry every woman you take liberties with?”
His frown turned blacker. She could tell he wanted to argue, but Lady Joanna saved her from any volley he would launch. The door squeaked open.
“Do hurry up. We do not have much time.”
She smiled and turned to leave, but Daniel still held her hand. She looked back at him and shivered as he pulled her to him.
“I am not done with you.”
In the next instant, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick, thoroughly mind-numbing kiss. She tasted the passion from before, his need, hers, and her body responded. She could not help it, would never be able to keep this reaction under control. Not now that he had touched her.
Before she was ready for it to end, it did. She swayed back to him, but Lady Joanna took matters into her own hands. She clamped a surprisingly strong hand down on her arm and jerked her away from Daniel.
By the time she pulled her out into the cool night air, some of Anna’s sanity had returned. Unfortunately, so did some of her discomfiture.
“Please, do not harbor any thoughts that I have ever been interested in Daniel,” Lady Joanna said.
She glanced at the older woman but said nothing. Anna could not make out her expression to see if she were trying to fool her. By the tone of her voice, Anna was sure she was deadly serious.
“There are things you do not know, things that I know he will not tell you. Not unless he is forced to.”
Anna did not like it one bit. Here was a woman who claimed not to be his paramour, someone who should not know more than any distant aunt. But she knew intimate things about him. Things that one shared only with a lover or a spouse.
The lights of the house grew brighter the closer they got and Anna sighed with relief. She truly did not want to have any more awkward conversations. But even as she approached the lower terrace, Lady Joanna stayed her by touching her arm.
“Anna.”
She forced herself to look at the woman and immediately wished she had not. The light was dim, but there was no hiding the amazing beauty of Lady Joanna. She stood several inches taller than Anna, curvy, and with the most amazing golden brown eyes. They drew everyone’s attention.
“Daniel is obligated to do things, for the family. But know this, whatever he does is honorable.”
“Of course.”
“I have never been, and never will be, interested in Daniel that way. He is my nephew, more like a brother. He is not for me.”
Anna studied the woman. Her expression was earnest, her tone serious.
“He is not for me either, Lady Joanna.”
“Oh, Anna, he is for you. Both of you are just too dense to realize it.” She sighed. “Let’s get back. Your mother was extremely upset from what I understand.”
“How did you know where to find me?”
Joanna smiled. Anna blinked. The older woman’s face brightened, her eyes glowing, her pleasure easy for anyone to see. Her sharp features had softened. “I attended a few parties here myself before my husband died. I know the folly well.”
Even as she smiled, sadness tinged her voice. This was not a woman looking for another lover, not yet at least. So many people thought Lady Joanna married her husband for money and status. No matter what the reasons, Anna could tell she missed her husband.
“Lady Joanna—”
“Considering the situation, please call me Jo.”
Anna smiled. “Jo. I am in your debt for tonight.”
They had reached the terrace and Anna heard a murmur as the guests started to spill out onto the terrace.
“No. I am in your debt. For the work we are in, Daniel takes himself a little too seriously. He needs someone to redirect his attention on…to lighten his load.” She smiled as Anna opened her mouth to ask her just what she meant. “Brace yourself. Your mother is on her way.”
Daniel slipped through French doors that, if he remembered correctly, led to the library…and a good amount of brandy.
He sighed with relief when he found it empty and located the brandy easy enough. He was pouring himself a glass when the door opened, light spilling into the room. Instantly, he was on guard, unable to see who the person was.
“Daniel?” Horace asked.
Daniel sighed and picked up the brandy. “Shut the door, Horace. I don’t want to share this with anyone,” he said, lifting the brandy glass.
Horace chuckled and did as Daniel asked. “I will only help you if you pour me a glass. I cannot take another glass of warm lemonade.”
Daniel poured another glass. “Were you in search of brandy?”
Horace took a drink and sighed. “No. I was sent to look for you.”
Daniel frowned as he settled into a chair. “Who was looking for me?”
“Your mother. She was a bit upset when she could not find you.”
“Ah, well, she has no reason to worry. Maybe I should go tell her I am okay.”
Before he could rise, Horace waved him back in the chair. “I told her not to worry and she seemed to calm down after talking to Lady Joanna. Odd though, I have never seen her get so upset when you go missing.”
“Joanna?” Daniel asked. “Why would she be upset?”
“No, your mother. She seemed beside herself when she could not find you. Odd reaction.”
Of course she had. His mother had been on pins and needles since the Viper had returned. Understandable after the knifing incident. But he knew he would have to come up with something to explain his mother’s reaction. Daniel knew that for all the years that his family had been friends with Horace, no one had told him of their work. Close friends were never to be told, not because they did not trust them. He had never told Sebastian, but he would trust his best friend with his life. But if they told friends, those friends could become targets for kidnapping. It was seen as something dishonorable to leave your friend open up to that.
“I think my mother wanted to find me off with a woman…as in to be found in an embarrassing situation.”
Horace shook his head. “I don’t follow.”
“Mother wants me to marry. She was hoping if I got caught, I would do the honorable thing.”
“Ah, and you would. You are so like your father in that respect.”
“Well, I guess it would not be a bad thing. I think I have come to a decision in that realm.”
And just like that, he realized he had. When he had led Anna to the folly, he had known he would take her as a wife. One did not dally with a virgin, especially when she was your best friend’s little sister. It was not a decision after the fact. He did not care if they had been caught because he had already made his decision before he touched her.
“Oh? And who would be the lucky girl? That Mortenson chit, the one with the merchant father?”
Daniel tried to remember what the woman looked like. He had a vague idea of a lot of teeth and a lot of brown hair, but that was all. Gra
nted, he had danced a reel with her, but he could not conjure up her features. Of course, he could not. The only woman he had seen that night was Anna.
“No. If you can keep things quiet and promise not to tell my mother, I have decided on Lady Anna.”
Horace frowned. “Really? I would think she was more of a bother than anything else.”
Daniel blinked at Horace’s harsh tone.
“I did not know you were well acquainted with Lady Anna.”
Horace shook his head. “I am not, but I have seen her frequent areas she should not be. Women like that are a problem.”
Daniel paused in taking another sip. “What do you mean?”
“Do-gooders are the worst of the lot. They never give you a moment’s rest. Marry a chit like that and you will constantly be going to this fundraiser and that fundraiser. Before you know it, you haven’t been to your club in six months or more.”
Daniel laughed. “And you would know this being a bachelor?”
“I’ve seen my friends suffer through it.”
“Hmm.” As he turned the idea over in his mind, he realized that accompanying her would not be such a chore. While he wasn’t happy about her traipsing back and forth by herself, Daniel did feel a certain sense of pride. Shallow women would have experienced what she did and not thought twice about it. Instead, Anna saw what she saw as faults to her character and changed them. In his opinion, the only thing she did was make herself more desirable.
“Mark my words, you marry that woman and you will lose all semblance of order in your life. They can’t help but take over.”
“She loves that orphanage, and I find it admirable that she took it on.”
“And what of the area?”
“What of it? I know that Sebastian has people guard her constantly.” He did not mention that he also had someone watching the orphanage. “What I want to know is why you would be in that part of town?”
“Uh…Well…a man has his needs.”
Daniel laughed and waved away Horace’s embarrassment. “I truly do not want to know anything about that.”
“I should hope not,” Horace grumbled into his glass before taking another long sip. Daniel looked out the French doors, his mind going back to the folly and Anna. He had told her that he would marry her. She had rebuffed him, but for once, he wanted it. He wanted to marry her. For the first time in all his years as an adult, thoughts of marriage, of loving the same woman every night, of watching her grow heavy with his child, did not send him into cold sweats. Instead, bone-deep need unfurled in him. This was not sexual need—although there was plenty of that entwined with a deeper feeling. Hope that he had not felt in years had heat rushing to his heart.
The Spy Who Loved Her: Once Upon an Accident, Book 3 Page 12