A Scandalous Proposition

by Wendy Soliman

  Adam and Christine exchanged a glance. “And why did he feel inclined to tell you all this?” Adam asked.

  “Well, because I asked him about his acquaintanceship with the duchess, I suppose. He was quite foxed, you see, and wished to make an impression upon me.”

  “He couldn’t help blowing his own trumpet, more like,” Christine said.

  “Quite. He told me that Philippa had been in the very room he took me to and that he, Lord King that is, had had the privilege of, well…you know.”

  If Adam hadn’t been so disturbed by this ready admission he would have found her missish reaction charming. As it was, his mind was alive with the implications of Florentina’s discovery. To have suspected Philippa of loose behaviour was one thing, but to have those suppositions so readily substantiated was entirely another.

  “Lord King also said that he wasn’t the only one to enjoy the duchess’s company. And so you see, Adam, I’ve been able to repay in part the debt that I owe you.”

  “I don’t see how.”

  “I beg your pardon.”

  “I don’t see how this admission can do anything other than complicate the situation.”

  “Well, of all of the ungrateful—”

  He cut off her protests with a wave of his hand. “What I know, or think I know, doesn’t signify. What matters is that James should believe it. We suspect he’s long been impotent, which is why he’s so cock-a-hoop about having impregnated Philippa. He probably knows in his heart of hearts that he wasn’t capable of doing so, but is determined to believe that he achieved it. And that makes the task of convincing him otherwise even harder. Philippa won’t admit it and King certainly won’t, so—”

  “So I’ve achieved nothing.”

  The desolation in her voice made Adam ache to reach for her but he ruthlessly suppressed that desire. In his anxiety to ensure that she didn’t do anything else to put herself in danger, he forced himself to tell her the entire truth.

  “Not only that but you’ve probably made matters worse.”

  “How so?” Christine demanded to know.

  “Because I sprang to Florentina’s rescue.”

  “And King will tell Philippa that.”

  “I’m afraid so. She wishes to engage my affections and deliberately set King to pursue you, Florentina, knowing where it was likely to end. She’ll not take kindly to the fact that I scuppered her plans.”

  “Oh, no!” Florentina sank into a chair and buried her head in her hands. “I should have thought about that.”

  “And even if we could somehow convince James, what could he do about it?” Adam was itching to caress Florentina and wipe away the tears he could see hovering in her remarkable eyes. “He married Philippa and acknowledged the child she carries as his own. Unless Philippa confesses, which I know she’ll never do because she enjoys being the Duchess of Southsea too much, I see no way out of this mess. All we can do is pray that the child is a girl.”

  “I’m so sorry, Adam.” Florentina fixed him with a desolate expression. “I so wanted to help but all I’ve done is make everything worse.”

  It was beyond Adam’s ability to continue resisting her. She’d deliberately put herself in danger, behaving impulsively and without a thought for her own situation, all for his sake. He reached for her hand, pulled her to her feet and into his arms. He barely noticed Christine’s satisfied smile, having forgotten she was even in the room before she slipped out of it. His entire attention was focused on the woman in his arms. The woman he never intended to let out of his sight ever again.

  “No one’s ever endangered themselves for my sake before,” he said, stroking a stray strand of hair away from her face.

  “Not even your soldiers?”

  “They don’t count because they have to do as I tell them. But you…well, I can’t imagine you doing anything anyone tells you to unless it suits your purpose.” She giggled but he silenced her by placing a finger against her lips. “And yet you did this for me. I’m overwhelmed.”

  “Then why were you so cross with me?”

  “Because I still don’t believe you fully appreciate what would have happened to you if I’d not intervened.”

  “But…but, I don’t see why that should make you so angry.”

  “Do you not?”

  She shook her head against his chest. Adam sighed and gave up attempting to explain. Instead he dropped his head to claim her lips with a possessive hunger more eloquent than a thousand words.

  “Do you understand a little better now?” Adam broke the kiss and gazed down into eyes cloudy with passion. “When Christine told me you’d gone to King’s estate, I knew what he’d force you to do and I was ready to commit murder. Him first for daring to touch you, and then you for being such a fool.”

  “I hadn’t realised quite how debauched it would be. Thank you,” she said meekly. “I’ve caused you endless trouble for no good purpose.”

  “Allow me to be the judge of that.”

  He kissed her again and this time his hands roamed over breasts primly covered by the fabric of her serviceable gown. His physical reaction to her emotional turmoil was entirely predictable and he made no effort to conceal it from her. She was his now. No other man would ever touch her, of that he was fiercely determined.

  The deep passionate nature of the feelings he entertained toward this creature was like nothing he’d ever known before. How could he ever have mistaken the tender affection he’d once felt for Philippa as love? Adam was deeply and desperately in love with Florentina. As soon as he resolved the problem with Dawson, he’d find a way to tell her so and make her understand that he’d been waiting for her his entire life.

  But would she have him? She was concerned about the state of affairs in her own country. Worried about her elder brother and determined to discover if he was still alive. Would she wish to return to her duties as a scout for the British army once she’d seen her younger brother and sister settled into positions here? Much as he admired and could identify with her patriotic sense of duty, the possibility was unthinkable.

  She moaned as his fingers gently caressed the soft mound of her breast.

  “Adam, we can’t. Not here.”

  He laughed aloud. “Darling, we’re in a brothel. We can do anything our hearts desire and no one will think anything of it.”

  “But someone might come in. Christine, she—”

  With an impatient sigh Adam released her, turned the key in the lock and pulled her back into his arms.

  “Are you saying that you don’t want me?” He affected a hurt expression.

  “No, indeed not. After all, I’m indebted to you for rescuing me.”

  “And you always pay your debts.”

  Her luminous smile, the sound of her soft, sultry laughter, melted his already vulnerable heart. “Always. But I thought you wouldn’t wish people to know that we—”

  “Be quiet.”

  He kissed her harshly, possessively, reaching for the ties to her bodice as he did so. His fingers closed over one breast, now only covered by the thin material of her chemise. Her breathing became more ragged as he deepened the kiss, and she leaned heavily against him, as though her legs were too weak suddenly to support her weight. Adam, still kissing her with barely controlled passion, scooped her into his arms and carried her to a settee. He broke the kiss and tumbled her onto her back in a flurry of petticoats and strangled protests.

  “Now then, Mrs. Smith, about your punishment.”

  She was a charming, rumpled mess, everything about her in disarray. She looked up at him, rueful mischief in her eyes, a gurgle of musical laughter clashing with her affronted expression.

  “Have you not already punished me enough, my lord?”

  “I’ve not even made a start.” He raised his hand and pretended to bring it down on her rear. She squealed and tried to wriggle out of range.

  “Oh no, you don’t!” He caught her ’round the waist and pulled her onto his lap. “Now, how am I going t
o impress upon you the importance of doing as you’re told?”

  “Nothing could be easier. Simply ensure that you don’t ask me to do anything I’d rather not, that’s all.”

  Her smiling lips were more tempting than they had any right to be. With a growl of frustration, he pushed her gown away from her shoulders, making short work of the chemise beneath it. Florentina made not the slightest objection to this arrangement and wrapped her arms ’round his neck like an impatient child eager to see what treats were in store for her. Adam enjoyed the feel of her voluptuous body pressed so close against his own and had no intention of moving her aside in order to shed his clothes. Instead he lifted her momentarily free of his lap. It was the work of a moment to unfasten his breeches and lift her skirts.

  She looked innocent yet wanton. Abandoned, curious and disconcertingly eager to follow his lead. It was a lethal combination that all but unbalanced him. He lowered her onto him, watching her face carefully for signs of distress. But the only emotion he could detect was one of happy anticipation as she sank down and took him inside her. He was still completely dressed and found the episode painfully erotic. So erotic, so profoundly sensual that he thrust up with more brutality than he’d intended. Far from being overset, she responded by meeting him halfway, mumbling a constant stream of incomprehensible Spanish.

  “Is this to be my punishment then?” She closed her eyes for an expressive moment as she clutched him deep inside her velvety warmth. “If so, I might feel inclined to be disobedient more frequently.”

  “Florentina.” He ground his teeth as she thrashed wildly about on his lap. “If you do anything as rash as you did today ever again, I’ll not be responsible for my actions. Do we understand one another?”

  “Yes, my lord.” She spoke so meekly that he couldn’t help laughing aloud.

  “My God, you’re a baggage!”

  Adam watched the extravagant sweep of her thick lashes falling across her cheek as she rode him with a sensual innocence that belied their current activity. He took control of matters and within seconds she was screaming his name, her head thrown back, her hair a tangled mass covering her breasts.

  He didn’t think he’d ever forget the tortured expression in her eyes as she opened them wide and looked directly into his. She tensed and then shattered about him, her head thrashing wildly from side to side. Her entire body trembled, her face was flushed, her brow glistening with perspiration. Fire lanced through him as he followed her over the edge, his heart full to bursting. He pulsated deep inside her, riding the crest of a tidal wave that reverberated like thunder throughout his body with a sublimity beyond his understanding.

  Afterwards, still conjoined, he cradled her on his lap and resisted the urge to tell her that he loved her. When he made that admission, it wouldn’t be done in a brothel.

  “Adam, may I ask you a question?”

  He kissed the top of her head. “You may ask me anything you wish.”

  “But will you give me an honest response?”

  “I wouldn’t ever lie to you.”

  “Well then, will you tell me what you decided with Lord Madison? About Dawson, I mean.”

  Adam was disappointed that such a subject would still be at the forefront of her mind at such a moment. Disappointed, but not surprised.

  “We agreed that when he receives word that Dawson is to make landfall, we’ll take a small party of his best men and intercept him. We shall endeavour to release his captives and have him taken in charge.”

  “You make it all sound so easy.”

  “Well, we’ll at least have the element of surprise on our side.”

  “Not necessarily. Don’t forget that we’ve already made trouble for him. He’ll be on the alert.”

  “Yes, but up until now you’ve only saved the captives once they were confined to buildings ashore. He’ll not be expecting us to confront him when they’re in the process of being landed.”

  “But will that not be dangerous?” She sat up, almost causing them to separate. “His men will be heavily armed.”

  Adam grimaced. “So will we.”

  “But you might be hurt. I don’t think I could bear the responsibility if anything were to happen to you.”

  Adam was moved by her concern. “Nothing’s going to happen to me, sweetheart. I’m indestructible.”

  “That’s just the sort of arrogant assumption that will get you killed.” She wagged a finger at him, which he promptly sucked into his mouth. “But it doesn’t signify since I shall be there to ensure that you don’t do anything rash.”

  “Out of the question!” This time it was him who moved and separated them. “Florentina, have you not listened to one word of warning I’ve issued this evening?”

  She giggled and then covered her mouth with her hand. “Forgive me, I must have been distracted.”

  “Then I’ll remind you.” He glowered at her. “You will not, absolutely not, do anything to put yourself in danger. Are we absolutely clear about that?”

  “No, sir, we are not!” She jumped from his lap and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, not appearing to care that she was still half-naked. “You don’t seem to realise that without me there you’ll have no chance of rescuing the poor girls. In fact, you’ll probably put them at greater risk.”

  “I don’t see how.”

  “No, of course you don’t. You’re so full of bravado that you’ve not stopped to consider my warnings. The girls won’t trust a strange Englishman! Not even one who speaks Spanish.” She tossed hair away from her face, clearly angry with him for refusing to accept her view. “However, there’s every possibility that I’ll be able to convince them without anyone getting injured.” Annoyingly, Adam could see the logic in her argument but would rather risk the lives of the captives than knowingly put Florentina in further peril. She must have sensed his vacillation because she lost no time in pressing home her advantage. “I’ll not be a burden. I promise I’ll keep well away from the action and only speak to the girls when it’s safe to do so.”

  “It will never be safe.”

  “Adam!” Florentina rolled her eyes. “I was a spy, working in occupied territories for weeks at a time. Don’t try and protect me. I can look after myself.”

  “Perhaps, but what if Dawson were to see you? You said yourself that he suspects you of being the cause of his problems. And he must know it for a certainty now that Reynolds has seen you.”

  “I’ll wear men’s clothing. I’ve done it often enough.”

  Adam lifted a brow and a long lock of her hair simultaneously.

  “I could cut it off,” she said with an impish smile.

  “So you could.” He sighed as he pulled her back onto his knee, knowing he was beaten. “But I think I’d prefer to risk capture rather than commit such a travesty.”

  “Does this mean you agree to let me come?”

  “Oh, you’ll come all right.” But they were no longer talking about the same thing. “Tell me what you thought about the masquerade and what you saw there?”

  “Honestly?”

  “Honestly.”

  “Well, once I got over the initial shock I found it rather exciting. No,” she amended, “that’s not exactly true. I was too worried about Lord King to find it exciting at the time. But looking back on it, well—”

  “You were aroused by what you saw?”

  “Yes, and confused by it, too.”

  “What confused you?”

  “Well, for example, why would people choose to eat strawberries and cream at such a time?”

  Adam roared with laughter. This was too good an opportunity to pass up. Setting her off his knee he stood up and rang the bell. He met the maid who answered it at the door and issued an order. She returned very quickly and placed a bowl of dewy fresh strawberries and whipped cream on the table, leaving several thick towels across the back of a chair.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Florenti
na’s pulse quickened as she observed the bowl of strawberries, their burnished husks glistening with moisture. The epitome of sinful temptation. Temptation to do what exactly? She felt sympathy for Eve’s plight when she plucked that apple with such devastating consequences for mankind. Florentina had seen a woman dressed as a nymph at the masquerade, her torso covered in cream, a man with devil’s horns assiduously licking it off. Was that what Adam had in mind? She looked at him but he had his back towards her as he shed his clothes, and she was unable to gain any clues.

  He turned to face her, completely naked and very aroused, and spread several of the towels over the rug in front of the fire.

  “Lie down,” he said.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Further your education. Some aspects of it have been woefully neglected.”

  “Not to the extent that I’m unaware how to eat fruit.”

  “We aren’t going to eat it, darling. Well, not in the conventional way.”

  “Then how?”

  “Have you ever eaten berries from a man’s naked body?” He ignored her startled gasp. “Has a man ever licked cream from your most intimate places?”

  “Now, let me see.” She sucked her forefinger into her mouth, regarding him from beneath her thick lashes as she pretended to consider the question. “I don’t think I recall any such occasion.”

  “But you’re not entirely certain?”

  “No, I’m perfectly sure that I’ve never experienced anything of that nature. I’m bound to remember if I had.”

  “Then it will be my pleasure to ensure that you definitely remember this occasion.”

  “Won’t it be terribly messy?”

  He leaned over her and kissed the end of her nose. “You must learn to be less practical and let your passions guide your actions.”

  “Easy for you to say. It will be me who has to account to Christine, which will be too embarrassing for words.”

  “There you go again. Thinking about consequences.”