The Passion n-2

by Nicole Jordan

  And to be honest, if he had to be shackled to anyone, Aurora was a much more agreeable candidate than most. The physical attraction between them was a stronger basis for a relationship than many wedded couples had. And merely because he was wed didn't mean he had to give up his previous life or cherished freedom entirely.

  No, he was resigned to the marriage. He'd had four long months to accustom himself to the idea, while she'd had merely a few hours. Given enough time and persuasion, Aurora would come around to his point of view.

  Careful not to wake the sleeping beauty, Nicholas stripped down to his breeches, then joined Aurora on the bed, stretching out beside her.

  He wasn't certain if the intimate bonds they'd forged that night were a desperate prisoner's fantasy or something deeper. But it didn't matter. It didn't matter, either, that he would have difficulty convincing Aurora to accept him as her husband.

  He had come to England to claim his wife, and he wasn't leaving until he accomplished his goal.

  Chapter Nine

  His hands on my flesh were magical, caressing and claiming, arousing a fierce desire deep within me.

  If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake. The sensual pleasure was so very real… Nicholas at her back, her buttocks nestled in the cradle of his thighs… his heat and hardness searing her through the thin cambric of her nightdress. His hand had delved inside her bodice to fondle her naked breasts, and she could feel her pouting flesh tightening, swelling, thrusting out to seek his touch.

  Aurora moaned, yet he relentlessly continued caressing her, kneading softly, his palm rubbing over the sensitive peaks. When she arched instinctively, pressing with wanton eagerness against his stroking palm, his fingers deliberately closed over one nipple, plucking the taut bud. Her throbbing breasts tightened in an aching rush, while a flaming spark of pleasure flared between her thighs.

  The shivery desire inside her built higher as he tormented the swollen crest, and she moved restlessly against him, yearning for release from the mounting tension.

  As if knowing what she needed, he withdrew his hand from her bodice and swept it lower, over her rib cage, stroking her belly, his breath hot and moist against her cheek as he whispered soft encouragements in her ear. Drawing up the hem of her nightdress then, he slid his hard, warm palm along her thigh, tantalizing on her bare skin.

  When his fingers slid into the tangled curls between her legs, Aurora gasped, incredibly aroused by his erotic caresses. His fingertips moved over her with shocking intimacy, parting the feminine folds. Her body grew moist as his expert touch rasped over her most sensitive flesh, finding the exquisite pressure points, stroking her slick bud of pleasure with tantalizing skill. The fever inside her intensified, and the ragged sound she made was one of savage excitement.

  Desperately wanting him to assuage the throbbing ache, she thrust her hips back helplessly against his muscular loins, grinding into him.

  She heard his rough whisper in her ear, coaxing her to release. "Yes, siren… surrender to the pleasure."

  On the verge of ecstasy, she began to writhe, straining toward a mounting, burning frenzy. When his fingers slowly thrust inside her, her deep inner muscles clutched around them. He only increased the rhythm. Frantic with need, she surged against his hand, shuddering and crying out with the powerful, pulsating climax.

  Her own sobs woke her. Awash in trembling sensation, Aurora lay dazed and unmoving, her breathing harsh and shallow. For a bewildering moment she was unable to gain her bearings. This was her bedchamber, she could tell in the gray morning light coming through the open curtains. The heat at her back was also very real… and very male, as were the warm lips nuzzling her nape…

  Nicholas. She went rigid. His hard, muscular forearm was draped across her body, his hand nestled erotically between her thighs, his rigid arousal still throbbing against her buttocks.

  Dear heaven, she hadn't dreamed him. He was in her bed, as if he had every right to be there. He had stolen into her room while she slept, brazenly aroused her to ecstasy…

  Her cheeks flamed with mortification as she tried to gather her scattered senses. Almost leaping from the bed, Aurora spun around to face him, totally flustered.

  Nicholas was lying on top of the sheet, wearing breeches but nothing else. His cloak and shirt and saber were piled on a chair, she realized, his boots on the floor. His ebony hair was tousled from sleep, while the shadow of stubble on his strong jaw made him look very much a disreputable pirate. More discomfiting, his dark gaze was fixed on the swell of her breasts, partially exposed by the open bodice of her nightdress.

  With a muttered oath, Aurora straightened her disheveled bodice and began fastening the buttons, appalled not only by the forbidden liberties Nicholas had taken with her, but by her own unwitting, sensual response.

  "How did you get in here?" she demanded, not knowing whether she was angrier at him for his devious seduction or at herself for succumbing to it. She had planned to remain coolly indifferent when they next met, maintaining a strict control over her responses. Yet once again he had thrown her equilibrium totally off balance, casting her emotions into chaos.

  Casually Nicholas propped himself up on one elbow and nodded toward the open window. "I apprenticed on my father's ships from the time I was ten and learned to negotiate a rigging. I can certainly climb a tree."

  Aurora glanced briefly at the window, then shook her head, unnerved. "Well, you can just leave the same way you came."

  When he made no move to go, she snatched up the robe lying on the foot of her bed and put it on, buttoning up the high collar.

  "I cannot believe your temerity, coming here and…" She faltered, unwilling to contemplate how he'd kindled her to passion in her sleep, entirely against her will. It was deceitful, taking advantage of her vulnerability when she was helpless to defend herself. She hated being so vulnerable…

  Lifting her chin, Aurora made a supreme effort to regain her composure. "You are making," she said, "quite an annoying habit of startling me to death, appearing suddenly and uninvited."

  In response, Nicholas sat up and propped the pillows against the headboard, relaxing back among them. "You left your mask in the carriage when you ran away, so I thought I would return it to you. Like Cinderella's slipper."

  Aurora couldn't help but stare at him, unwillingly admiring his bronzed skin and naked, muscled shoulders. She clenched her teeth, vexed at the way his physical attributes made her breathless. His knowing gaze irked her even more. He understood quite well the effect his near nudity had on her.

  It was all she could do to keep her tone cool. "That hardly excuses your gall in sneaking into my room like a thief. You seem determined to cause a scandal – "

  "I'm only determined to talk to you, love. We never finished our discussion about our future relationship."

  "Well, my bedchamber is not the place to do it!"

  "I'm not sure I agree with that," he murmured in a velvet undervoice laced with humor. "I can think of few places more enjoyable."

  "Nicholas, you have to leave. Now, at once! Before I have you thrown out."

  His expression turned thoughtful. "I must confess, I expected a more cordial reception than this from my wife. On our wedding night you were much warmer."

  "On our wedding night, I thought you were about to die. We both thought so."

  "You can't deny the fire we both felt that night."

  "I can!" Aurora drew a measured breath, striving for control. "If we felt anything at all between us then, it was only an illusion… brought on by the despair of the moment."

  "No," Nicholas said slowly. "It was very real, sweetheart. I didn't imagine it. And you are the same sensual, responsive woman I remember from that night. I know that now for a certainty."

  Heat flushed her cheeks as she recalled just how wantonly she had responded to his erotic caresses moments ago.

  She might have argued with him further but for the soft rap on the door. Aurora froze, watching in horror as her
bedchamber door started to open.

  In three strides she was across the room, pushing the door shut again.

  "My lady," a female voice called through the oak paneling. "I've brought your morning chocolate."

  "One moment," Aurora replied, almost frantic as she tried to think what to do. If the maid were to find Nicholas here, she would have no shred of reputation left.

  Spinning, Aurora moved quickly over to the bed and yanked the bed curtains closed, concealing Nicholas behind the ivory brocade. She heard his soft chuckle as she returned to open the door, and had to grit her teeth at his misplaced humor. How could he put her in such a vulnerable position and laugh about it?

  Stepping back, she allowed the maid to enter the room. Her heart hammering, Aurora tried not to glance at the bed curtains as the girl set the breakfast tray down on the bedside table.

  "Thank you, Molly. You may go now."

  "Yes, my lady."

  With a curtsey, the maid left the room, and Aurora firmly bolted the door behind her.

  "Is it safe yet?" Nicholas asked, his tone husky with laughter.

  "Keep your voice down," she demanded in a fierce whisper. "The servants will hear you." She pulled open the curtains to find him lounging negligently on the bed, his dark eyes dancing. His audacity riled her to no end.

  "There is no need for panic, Aurora."

  "That is easy for you to say. It isn't your reputation that will be in shreds if a strange man is found in your bed."

  "If a man were found in my bed, I expect my reputation would suffer no small amount. But there is little chance of that happening, since I am inordinately fond of women."

  "Nicholas, this is not in the least amusing!"

  "Oh, I think it is. I find it fascinating to see you in a passion. It requires work to make you lose that cool, regal air of yours."

  Aurora raised her eyes to the ceiling, struggling for patience. "Will you put your clothes on and go away?"

  "Where do you expect me to go?"

  She controlled her vexation long enough to give him a quizzical look. "Don't you have somewhere to stay?"

  "And if I said no? Would you take pity on me and invite me to live here with you?"

  "I would have my butler help you to find lodgings," Aurora said repressively.

  "You needn't trouble yourself, love."

  "Seriously, where are you staying?"

  "Aboard ship at the moment. But the docks are too far away for convenience, so I mean to take rooms at a hotel. I thought of staying with Wycliff – Brand claims a slight acquaintance with him – but Lucian is out of town, and the coincidence would only invite suspicion."

  "I should think so," Aurora said in a tart undervoice. "You are mad even to be in this country. You are going to get yourself killed."

  Ignoring her prediction, Nicholas glanced around the room. "This is a handsome bedchamber – I imagine the entire house is. You said you purchased it with your marriage settlement?"

  "Yes." She gave him a questioning look. "You don't mean to go back on your word and nullify the settlement, do you?"

  "Not at all. You earned it with your services to my sister."

  "Yet you seem intent on destroying all my efforts on her behalf – and on giving me heart failure in the process."

  "No, sweeting. I only want to talk. There is still the minor matter of our marriage to be resolved." He patted the mattress beside him. "Sit here beside me."

  Aurora eyed him warily. "Surely you don't expect me to trust you after what you just did?"

  "I thought you didn't wish the servants to hear. They will, you know, if I have to shout at you across the room."

  His amused look suggested a reckless disregard for the consequences of discovery, but she didn't care to put his rashness to the test. With extreme reluctance, Aurora perched on the edge of the bed and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Very well, you may talk."

  He contemplated her for a moment. "You seem eager to forget that you still have a husband."

  "I am eager. I never expected this complication in our relationship, you must realize that."

  "I do."

  "I fulfilled my side of our bargain, Nicholas. You know quite well that lifetime commitment was no part of it. Our agreement was for one night only."

  "So it was."

  "Ours was to be a marriage of convenience, merely that."

  "And it is no longer convenient for you."

  "Or for you, either, I'm sure. You never wanted me for your wife."

  "I think I could be persuaded to change my mind."

  She gave him a startled look.

  "We never had the chance to know each other," Nicholas said slowly. "To see if we would suit."

  "The answer to that is quite obvious. You know very well we would never suit. You would never be happy with me – nor I with you. I could never fit into your world, among pirates and adventurers, on board a fighting ship. I would never feel comfortable with that kind of existence."

  "I was considering settling down after the war ends."

  "In America?"

  "Yes. My home is in Virginia. My mother and sisters live there."

  "What are you saying? That you want me to give up my life and return there as your wife?"

  "I expect you would have to, since I obviously cannot remain in England."

  Her gaze turned troubled. "This is my home, Nicholas. I have no desire to leave the only life I've known, to live in America among strangers. The war between our countries could last for years, and who knows when I could ever return here, or even see my family and friends."

  "I didn't think you were overly fond of your family."

  "I am not. But that is not really the issue. What frightens me most is the violent life you lead, the dangerous risks you take. I couldn't bear waiting for you to come home from some far off land, not knowing if I would ever see you again, or if you had been killed. Look at the peril you are in now. You are a condemned man. You could be arrested and executed at any moment." She shook her head. "I have already mourned you once. I won't go through that again."

  He remained silent, his dark eyes searching hers.

  "There must be another solution," Aurora said finally. "One that doesn't entail us living together as man and wife."

  "The only way I know of to dissolve our union is through divorce."

  Aurora felt the color fade from her face. Divorce, even if one could be secured – which would be extremely difficult – would ruin her. "A divorce would be disastrous for me. It would brand me a pariah in society. I could never show my face in polite company again."

  "Perhaps," he said musingly, "I could try to have an American court declare the marriage invalid. I might have a case, since I was compelled to wed under duress."

  "Couldn't we simply go on as if you had never returned?" she asked earnestly. "What would be the harm in leading separate lives?"

  He studied her for a moment. "You realize that as long as we're wed, neither of us can ever marry again?"

  "I have no desire ever to marry. Once was enough." She saw his eyebrow lift and bit her lip. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. It's only that I suffered a great despair when I thought you dead, and I don't wish ever to endure that again. I vowed I would forget my loss and make a new life for myself. And I have thus far."

  "I have a question," Nicholas said slowly. "Suppose we do remain legally bound. What happens if either of us should fall in love with someone else? You would certainly want to be free of the marriage then."

  "There is little chance of my falling in love again. I loved Geoffrey for most of my life, and I don't believe I could ever love any man but him. But even if I could, I am determined I will never give my heart again. It is too painful to lose someone I care for."

  Nicholas clenched his jaw for an instant, but then his mouth relaxed in a faint smile. "Have you considered my perspective? What if I come to love someone else?"

  That possibility gave her an unaccountable jolt, but sh
e dismissed it with a skeptical look. A rake like Nicholas Sabine was not likely to fall in love. "I doubt that will happen, but I will make you a promise. If you ever do find someone else to love, I will free you from our marriage. I'll agree to an annulment or a divorce – whatever it takes to end our union."

  "So for now we do nothing?"

  "Yes," she said, relieved that he intended to be reasonable. "In public we can pretend the other doesn't exist – "

  "I am supposed to be your cousin by marriage. It would look odd if we failed to at least speak when we meet in public."

  "Well, perhaps we could acknowledge the acquaintance in public."

  "What about in private?"

  "There is no reason for us to have any private contact." She gave him a stern look. "Or any contact at all. Indeed, I don't know why you are even considering remaining in England. You would do better to leave at once. If you remain, you will only get yourself killed. I couldn't bear that, Nicholas."

  "Thank you for your concern, sweetheart, but I don't intend to die any time soon."

  "You didn't intend to be imprisoned or sentenced to hang four months ago, either."

  Nicholas cocked his head as he regarded her. "There is one other aspect we haven't considered. Carnal relations. If you and I are still wed, we cannot take other lovers without committing adultery."

  Aurora felt her cheeks color. He wanted other lovers? Why that should bother her, she couldn't fathom. It would be unnatural for a man of Nicholas's lusty nature to give up carnal pleasures. And she would have no right to demand fidelity from him in any case, not if she asked to be free of their vows.

  She forced a smile, attempting to sound worldly. "I understand many married men have affairs. I would have no objection to you seeking out other women or keeping a mistress if you wish."

  "And what of you?" His intent gaze held hers.

  "You needn't concern yourself with me on that score. I don't intend to take any lovers."

  "A lifetime is a long time to remain celibate, especially for a woman as passionate as I know you to be."