by Cara Elliott
“And to think I missed all the excitement,” groused Caro after lifting her glass of champagne in toast. “That dratted cup of chocolate put me to sleep for hours.”
“You would not have liked it,” said Anna. A childhood mishap in the caves near one of her father’s work sites had left her sister deathly afraid of dark, cramped spaces. “The tunnel was black as Hades, and I was forced to crawl for much of the way out.”
Caro’s face paled, and she took a quick swallow of wine.
“Besides, you played a key role in the adventure. You found McClellan—”
“Actually, he found me.” Caro grimaced. “And I’m sure he’ll never let me hear the end of it. No doubt he thinks me a ninnyhammer.”
“I doubt that,” began Anna, but before she could say more, the baron approached, carrying a freshly uncorked bottle of bubbly.
“Another salute to the intrepid heroine,” he murmured.
Caro allowed him to refill her glass, but Anna shook her head. Suddenly the glittering candles, the crowded room, the loud voices felt too overwhelming. And despite his earlier declaration of love, Devlin was nowhere to be seen.
Love. She wished she could slide her palm inside his shirt and feel the beat of his heart against her skin.
“Thank you but no. If you’ll excuse me, I think I shall retire from the party,” she murmured. “I’m feeling rather fatigued.”
McClellan nodded in understanding. “In that case, I shall drink for both of us.” His eyes were a trifle overbright, and given how often sparks had flown between him and her sister…
Tonight, Anna decided, Caro would have to control the fire by herself.
“I shall see you in the morning.” Slipping out to the corridor through the side salon, she hurried up the stairs, anxious to gain the solitude of her quarters. The door was almost within reach when all at once the flitting shadows came to life as one dark silhouette stepping away from the wainscoting.
“It’s about time you tired of the festivities.” Devlin pulled her into the side corridor. “I have a more private celebration in mind to acknowledge the victory of Good over Evil.”
“We shouldn’t,” said Anna, seeing where his steps were headed.
“Oh, surely you are intrepid enough for one more adventure before the night is over.” His candle’s flame caught the roguish curl of his grin.
“You are a bad influence on me. Before I met you, I was a paragon of propriety. I only wrote about outrageous exploits, I didn’t dream of actually doing them.”
“Very bad,” agreed Devlin. “Wicked, in fact.” Opening the door to the Automata Gallery, he led her into the moon-dappled alcove. “I shall reform—perhaps—but first, we have an unfinished matter to resolve.”
“I thought we had resolved things rather nicely last time we were here,” said Anna, as he lay her down on the black velvet draperies and stretched out beside her. Snuggling into the crook of his arm, she set her chin on his chest. The faint sweetness of malt whisky and tobacco scented his skin, along with an earthy male essence that tickled her nostrils.
The Devil’s own scent. And suddenly her whole body was pulsing with a hellfire heat.
“Quite nicely,” he agreed. “However, something was missing.”
Flesh on flesh. Fire sparking fire. Two hearts beating as one. A shiver of longing coursed through her. “It was?”
“Allow me to demonstrate.” Gently, ever so gently, he eased off her gown. Her chemise was next, the whisper of fabric against her skin nearly as soft as the kisses he trailed over her injured arm.
She sucked in a breath, watching him strip off his shirt. In the pale pearlescent light, his chiseled torso glowed like burnished bronze.
Swiftly, silently, the rest of their clothes fell away. Moving in unspoken harmony, their bodies came together.
Anna held him close, reveling in the wondrous textures of hard muscle, coarse curls, and sculpted shoulders. With her tongue she traced the curve of his collarbone, tasting salt and a smoky spice too ethereal for words.
No fancy words, no well-turned phrases, she told herself. All rational thought surrendered to the magic of the moment.
Devlin let out a raspy sigh as he slowly eased himself inside her. She arched up to meet his thrust, match his rhythm. Her hands skimmed over the contours of his back, feeling his skin turn slick with heat.
Faster, faster. Devlin’s hips rose and fell—she could sense the tension taking hold of him. Need was cresting inside her, seeking release.
A cry, the ragged sound taking form as his name, as she came undone in his arms.
An instant later his body shuddered in climax.
Waves of pleasure washed through her, the first rush slowly ebbing to a soft ripple. He pressed a kiss to her brow, her cheek, the corner of her mouth. And they lay very still.
She must have drifted into sleep, for the next time she opened her eyes, the candle had burned down to a guttering stub.
“So, have I convinced you?” asked Devlin.
“That something is missing?” responded Anna. “I can’t imagine what could make it any more perfect for us.”
He reached to brush his fingers through her hair. “Marry me, Anna.” he was smiling, but a hint of uncertainty flickered in his eyes. “A storybook hero would likely spout an eloquent speech, but all I can say is I love you. I may not be worthy of you, but I am trying to be a better man than I am.”
Love. Her heart gave a lurch. That was more than enough.
“And I can’t bear the idea of not having you in my life. Please say yes.”
“Yes—on one condition,” replied Anna. “Promise me that I can use the idea of the winged eagle automaton in my next book.”
He rolled his eyes. “You drive a hard bargain, but very well. I look forward to writing a number of adventures with you.”
“Oh, I’m so happy.”
He chuckled. “About the plot device or me?”
“Both,” said Anna, and then allowed a mischievous smile to curl on her lips. “But it’s you, my dear scamp of Satan, who truly makes my heart soar.”
“Well, it’s taken you a devil of a long time to say so.”
“Then I’ll make up for it…” Her lips touched his and lingered there for a long, long moment, “by saying it again.”
Acknowledgments
Creating a story is, at heart, a solitary endeavor. But creating a book is a real group effort, and I am incredibly lucky to have a fabulous team to work with.
Special thanks go to my wonderful agent, Gail Fortune, who is not only a great brainstorming partner but also a great friend.
And hugs to my amazing editor Lauren Plude, whose passion and perfect feel for romance has helped make me a better writer. We have such fun together working on my books!
Kudos also go to the terrific production and publicity people at Grand Central! Jessica Bromberg, Kallie Shimek, Sylvia Cannizzaro, and Diane Luger and the Art Department—you guys are the best!
About the Author
Cara Elliott started writing Western novels at the age of five. However, she traded in her cowboy boots for Regency high-top Hessians after reading Pride and Prejudice in junior high school and hasn’t looked back. She graduated from Yale University, and she now lives and works in New York City.
You can learn more at:
CaraElliott.com
Twitter, @CaraElliott
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/cara.elliott.71
The Hellions of High Street series continues with Passionately Yours
Please see the next page for a preview
Chapter One
A slip sent stones skittering down the slope of the narrow country road.
“Watch your step,” cautioned Carolina Sloane, as the rough-edged echo faded into the shadows. “The way turns steeper here, and the ground is very uneven.”
She paused to glance up at the ominous gray clouds and then looked back at her companion, who was struggling to keep pace with her. “We can re
st for a few minutes if you like, but we ought not linger longer than that.”
Thunder rumbled off in the distance.
“The light seems to be dying awfully fast,” she added.
“No, no, I—I shall manage,” answered Isobel Urquehart in between gasps for breath. “I’m so sorry to be lagging—”
“Oh, please, don’t apologize,” said Caro quickly. “It’s my fault—I should have paid more attention to the time.” She squinted into the gloom up ahead, hoping to see some flicker of light from the outskirts of town. But if anything the shadows seemed to deepen and darken as the road wended its way into a copse of trees.
A gust of wind, its bite already sharp with the chill of evening, suddenly rustled through the overhanging branches, stirring a prickling of unease at the back of her neck.
“We haven’t much farther to go.” Repressing an oath, Caro forced herself to sound more cheerful than she felt. “It can’t be more than a mile or so until we reach town.”
“Yes, yes, it must be close, given how long we’ve been walking.” Isobel hitched her shawl a little tighter around her shoulders. Her cheeks looked unnaturally pale in the fading flickers of sunlight but she managed a smile. “And if night falls before we get there, we shall just pretend we are having a marvelous adventure.”
Caro was relieved that her companion had such pluck and a sense of humor, for she hadn’t realized that Isobel’s health was so fragile.
That was because the two young ladies had only just met the previous afternoon. On discovering a shared interest in antiquities—as well as literature—they had made spur-of-the-moment plans for a walk out to see one of the Roman ruins that dotted the countryside around the spa town of Bath.
The day had dawned warm and sunny, so they had set out after nuncheon, thinking to be gone no more than several hours. But the setting had proved wildly romantic, and the two of them had lost track of the time as they chatted about books and history over a picnic of pastries among the weathered limestone columns.
But now, with dusk cloaking them in a swirl of shadows and stormclouds threatening rain, the decision did not seem so wise.
Impetuous. Caro gave an inward wince, knowing she did have a tendency to go off half-cocked—
“Why, just listen to the wind keening through the trees,” went on Isobel, interrupting Caro’s brooding. “If you use your imagination, you can almost picture yourself in the wild mountains of Sicily, evading a band of cutthroat brigands on your way to a midnight rendezvous with a swashbuckling count at the ancient ruins of. Taormina”
Caro picked her way over a patch of loose stones. “Yes, I can see what you mean.” A pause, and then she laughed. “So, you’ve read Escape from the Barbary Pirates as well as The Prince’s Evil Intentions?”
“I confess, I’ve read all of Sir Sharpe Quill’s novels.” Isobel gave a shy grin. “Although I daresay I shouldn’t admit it, I find them scathingly funny. Not to speak of intriguingly interesting when, um, Count Alessandro starts removing Emmalina’s clothing.”
“Oh, your secret is safe with me,” replied Caro.
“You’ve read them, too?” asked Isobel.
“Every word,” she assured her new friend.
And in truth, the statement was no exaggeration. That was because the reclusive author, considered by the ton to be the most intriguing gentleman in all of London, was not actually a he, but a she—more specifically Caro’s older sister Anna.
But that was a secret she was not at liberty to share.
And at the moment, there were far more pressing concerns than clever noms de plume or dangerous pen-and-paper plots. Perhaps it was merely the rising whoosh and crackle of the leaves overhead, but it seemed that Isobel’s breathing was becoming more labored.
Damn, damn, damn.
Caro bit her lip, wishing she dared quicken the pace. The prickling sensation at the back of her neck had turned sharper, like daggerpoints digging into her flesh. It was foolish, she knew, to let talk of ruthless villains and exotic dangers spook her. This dark stretch of road was a quiet country lane in England, the black silhouettes were placid oak and beech trees, not gnarled claws of doom stretching out to grab…
“And then, of course, the scene where Emmalina slithers down a cliff…” Behind her, Isobel had begun to recount the plot of the latest Sir Sharpe Quill novel. “…and pounces on the pirate leader who is about to skewer Count Alessandro is very exciting.”
“Indeed,” murmured Caro, trying not to be distracted by the jumpy black shadows flitting in and out of the surrounding trees.
“Of course, it’s not very realistic to expect that a young lady would know how to fight tooth and nail against a muscled villain…”
Ha! thought Caro wryly. Her late father, a noted explorer specializing in exotic tribal cultures, had taken his three young daughters on several expeditions to primitive places. Being a very practical man as well as a serious scholar, he had made sure that they knew how to defend themselves with some very unladylike tricks.
“But of course, fiction allows—”
A loud snap startled Isobel into silence.
Caro whirled around, trying to spot any movement within the glade, but the softly swaying tendrils of mist seemed to mock her fears.
“W-what was that?” whispered Isobel.
“It’s probably just a fox setting off on a hunt,” answered Caro quickly, her gaze still probing among the muddled trees.
Her friend let out a nervous laugh. “Then it is a good thing we are not mice.”
Or helpless little pigeons—the perfect prey for any hungry predator stalking through the shadows.
Shaking off such disturbing thoughts, she freed the ribbons of her bonnet from the folds of her shawl. “We had best keep moving.”
Isobel sucked in a lungful of air. “Yes, of course.”
They walked on in silence, which seemed to amplify the night sounds. The screech of an owl, the crack of a twig, the rustle of—
Another snap, this one even louder.
The echo reverberated through the woods like a gunshot.
Hurry, hurry.
As the road narrowed and turned sharply past a thicket of brambles, Caro slapped aside a twist of thorns, and in her haste to put the grove behind them, nearly slid into a puddle of brackish water. Before she could call out a warning, Isobel stumbled on the wet ground too, and lost her footing.
“Oooh!”
Caro caught her just as she was about to take a nasty tumble. “Steady now,” she murmured, keeping hold of her friend’s trembling hand.
“Sorry to be such a ninnyhammer.”
“Nonsense. You are a far more intrepid adventurer than any storybook heroine.”
“J-just as long as I don’t step on any c-cobras.” Though she appeared on the verge of tears, Isobel managed an exhausted smile.
“Oh, there aren’t any snakes in this part of Somerset.” That might be stretching the truth a bit, but as reptiles did not come out in the chill of night, it didn’t matter.
“Let’s rest for a moment.”
They slowed to a halt. And yet, Isobel’s breathing only seemed to grow more ragged.
If only a cart would come by, thought Caro. But given the hour, that hope was unrealistic. There was no option save to forge ahead on their own.
Tightening her grip, she started forward again, hoping that the next bend would bring them free of the trees. There was something oppressive about the heaviness of the air and the canopy of leafy branches that nearly blocked out the twilight sky.
Rain—only a soaking shower could make matters worse.
She angled a look up at the scudding clouds, just as a sudden movement in bushes caught her eye.
A scream caught in her throat as branches snapped and a man dressed all in black burst out from between two ancient oaks.
Seizing Isobel from behind, he tried to drag her back into the tangle of leaves.
But Caro reacted in the same instant and held on to her frie
nd’s hand for dear life. “Let go of her, you fiend!” she cried, then raised her voice to an even higher pitch. “Help! Help!”
Isobel struggled to fend him off. She was putting up a game fight, though in size and weight she was no match for her assailant.
He gave another wrenching yank, then swore a vicious oath as Isobel’s flailing elbow caught him flush on the windpipe.
“Help, help—let me go!” She, too, had started screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Bloody Hell, shut your gobs,” he snarled, clapping a beefy hand over Isobel’s mouth. “And you, you hellbitch…”
The epithet was directed at Caro.
“Back off or I’ll break every last bone in your body.” The brute—for brute he was, with muscled arms and legs thick as tree trunks—punctuated the threat with a lashing kick aimed at Caro’s knees.
She caught his boot and jerked upward with all her might.
Yanked off balance, the man fell heavily to the ground, his skull hitting the hard-packed earth with a thud.
The force of his fall took Isobel down, too. But she managed to roll free and scramble to her feet.
“Run!” urged Caro. “Run!”
However slight the chances were of outracing him, flight was their only option. Trying to outfight him was madness. Still, she snatched up a rock as she turned to follow her friend.
All too quickly, the man was up and after them, cursing with rage. His heavy footfalls were coming closer and closer…
Caro whirled and flung her missile at his forehead. Thank God for the games of hunting skill she had played with the tribal children in Crete. Hours of practice had honed her aim to a lethal accuracy.
Whomp.
The rock smashed into his right eye, drawing a pained howl. Half-stunned, half-blinded, he staggered on, fists flailing wildly.