Forever Mine

by Monica Burns

  Turning away from the fireplace, she remembered her bath and hurried back to shut off the spigot. She dipped her hand into the water and sighed with pleasure. Perfect. Eager to wash off the dried grime of her earlier ordeal, Victoria reached behind her to undo her dress. It was a struggle to undo the small buttons, and she’d managed to undo the dress almost to the waist when she heard the bedroom door crash open. Startled by the noise, she whirled around to see the earl standing in the bathroom doorway.

  “What hell do you think you’re doing?” he snarled. His anger was almost as furious as it had been at the cottage, but this time she wasn’t afraid of him.

  “Getting ready to take a bath?” she said sarcastically.

  “This game of yours has gone far enough, madam. I demand to know why you aren’t in your usual bedchamber.”

  “It’s a mausoleum, and I asked Mrs. Beechum for a different room.

  “And you selected this room out of all the other bedrooms in the house.” The icy pond she’d plunged into earlier could not have felt colder on her skin as the earl’s green eyes pinned his harsh gaze on her. Victoria shook her head in confusion.

  “I liked the room. It’s warm and cozy. I feel safe here.”

  “You expect me to believe you had no other reason for selecting this particular room?” Despite his outrage, she saw puzzlement darken his gaze.

  “What other reason would I have?”

  At her reply, he limped forward and caught her by the arm then half dragged her out of the bathroom. With a vicious jerk, he opened the door she’d not opened and pointed to the opposite end of the short corridor.

  “This hallway, madam, leads to my bedchamber.”

  His words were ice chips scattering through the air. She shrugged, and one of the sleeves of her gown slipped off her shoulder. Frustrated, she tugged it back into place.

  “You’re upset because I picked a room that happens to be next to yours?”

  Arms folded across his chest, the earl remained silent, his expression indicating he expected some sort of explanation from her. Completely at a loss as to what he wanted her to say, Victoria shrugged again. This time she was forced to pull both sleeves back up to her shoulders. She returned his glare, irritated they were arguing about what room she should be sleeping in when she could be soaking in a hot tub.

  “What?” she snapped. Dark eyebrows arched in a disdainful sneer, Nicholas pointedly slashed his gaze toward her bed then returned his derisive look to her face.

  “I have no intention of sleeping in your bed after all the lies between us, madam.” His cold declaration made Victoria’s mouth fall open before she narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Of all the arrogant, egotistical…I didn’t have any idea this room was next to yours. Not that I care, because I have no intention of sleeping with you either,” she snapped as her own anger flared. The man was crazy if he thought she was interested in sleeping with him. In the back of her mind she heard a cackling laugh. She ignored it.

  “Now this is the Vickie I’m accustomed to seeing.”

  Smug satisfaction crossed his face as he mocked her. Infuriated by his condescending tone, Victoria fought back the urge to respond with a scathing retort. If she got angry, she might say something that would get her locked up in that asylum. She whirled around to stalk back to the bathroom, stumbling over the hem of her gown as she did so.

  “Damn it,” she muttered as she regained her balance. She’d almost reached the bathroom when strong hands caught her arms, and she was tugged backward into a hard chest. Heat swept across her skin like wildfire then sank through her pores into her blood until it spread through every inch of her. Swallowing the knot about to close her throat, she tried to shake off his grip.

  “Let me go,” she said, her words clipped as she tugged against his grasp.

  “Why, Vickie?” he murmured. The warmth of his breath singed her earlobe. “Perhaps I should take advantage of our close proximity to each other. After all, you are my wife.”

  The caustic remark made her go still. Did he really expect her…with a violent twist of her body, she freed herself from his grasp, tugging the straps of her sleeves back up to her shoulders. Her gaze met his, and heat skimmed over her skin once more as she stared up at him. God help her, the only smoldering looks she’d ever seen were in the movies, but this one outdid all of those. It took her thoughts in a dangerous direction. She gulped then drew in a deep breath.

  “You can wish all you want, but it’s not happening, because I’m not your wife,” she said as a huff of frustration blew past her lips. “And stop calling me Vickie.”

  “What exactly do you propose I call you?” he asked with more than a hint of sarcasm. She ignored his mockery.

  “Victoria. It’s my name.”

  “You hate being called Victoria. You think it makes you sound like a dowager countess,” he said coolly, but with a distinct note of confusion in his voice.

  “What your wife prefers, and what I prefer are two different things. I’ve never liked being called Vickie.”

  She lifted her chin in defiance, determined to make him use her real name. She’d hated being called Vickie all her life. It had always made her feel as if she’d done something wrong. Speculation darkened the eyes pinned on her before he nodded abruptly.

  “Very well. Victoria.”

  “Thank you,” she said. Surprise crossed his face, and she released a soft sniff of disbelief. “Let me guess, your wife never says thank you.”

  “I don’t believe it’s in your vocabulary…Victoria,” he said with a small smile that hinted he was baffled by her behavior.

  The moment he spoke her name, her skin tingled as if she’d just been shocked. There was a seductive quality to the deep timbre of his voice that made her heart race and released butterflies in her stomach. Even his green-eyed gaze made her heart jump in her chest. God help her if he decided to unleash the full force of his good looks and charm on her.

  “If thank you isn’t in your wife’s vocabulary, and I refuse to let you call me Vickie, how much of a leap is it to accept that I’m Victoria Ashton, not your countess?”

  “An impossible one.” The impassive, unyielding mask had returned to his face. “I admit your performance is quite remarkable, but I doubt I’ll ever be convinced you’re anyone other than my wife.”

  “What would it take to convince you?”

  The quiet sincerity and frustration in her voice seemed to touch a nerve in him. A strange look crossed his face, and he closed the distance between them. Victoria struggled to keep her pulse under control as his quizzical gaze warmed her skin. With a swift movement, he captured her chin in his strong fingers, his thumb tracing the fullness of her bottom lip. The unexpected caress made her quiver as her heart pounded a fierce rhythm inside her.

  “I wonder,” he murmured, almost as though speaking his thoughts aloud. Mesmerized by his hooded gaze, anticipation sent a delicious warmth racing through her body. She licked her lips and drew in a quick breath as the earl’s head descended toward her mouth.

  The instant his lips met hers, a wave of desire swept her out into the depths of a sea she’d never swum in before. Fire blazed its way through her limbs, and she trembled with an unexpected need.

  Base instinct took control as she returned his kiss, her tongue teasing his lips apart until it danced with his. The growl reverberating in his chest sent a frisson tingling through her as she pressed her body into his. God, her knees were actually rubbery from his kiss. None of the other men she’d dated had ever made her feel wobbly like this.

  Warm hands pushed the sleeves of her gown downward until she heard a soft ripping sound. The sleeves fell away from her arms, and the gown’s bodice fell to her waist. A low moan rose in her throat as his hand caressed the top of one shoulder before he wrapped his arms around her to pull her tight against him. Their kiss deepened as his tongue mated with hers in a furious dance of desire.

  Victoria murmured a protest as his lips slid
away from hers to glide down the side of her neck to her shoulder. Lost in the fire of his touch, she didn’t realize he’d undone the laces of her corset until his mouth caught the tip of her breast in his mouth. She shuddered as he sucked on her nipple then gently bit down on it before swirling his hot tongue around the hard peak.

  An ache latched itself to her insides, and she realized she was wet between her thighs. The heat melting through her tugged another moan from her, and her hands slid through the black thickness of his hair. Oh God, she wanted him. She wanted him now. On the floor, on the bed, she didn’t care, as long as he eased the intense longing clutching the lower half of her body.

  He’d not changed out of his riding clothes, and her hand slid downward across his chest to his erection. It was hard and thick beneath his breeches. A dark rumble sounded in his throat as she stroked him through the fawn-colored material. Trembling with a frightening need for him, Victoria uttered a soft cry as a shudder rippled through her, and she recognized it for the small climax it was.

  If the man could make her have an orgasm with only a kiss, heaven help her when he actually entered her. Lost in the heated pleasure of the moment she vaguely heard the knock at the door. The knock sounded again, and with a sharp movement, Nicholas released her. Quickly stepping away from her, he tugged her corset and dress up before he issued an authoritative command to enter. As a young woman entered the room, Nicholas was already heading toward the connecting door between their room.

  “Molly, see to it that the countess is downstairs in the salon within the hour,” he ordered brusquely over his shoulder then disappeared from the room.

  Denied what her body craved, Victoria experienced a strong wave of disappointment. She immediately drew in a swift breath as she realized what had almost happened. Simply because everyone thought they were married didn’t make it right. The real countess could return at any moment. Sharp and abrupt, a dark certainty swept through her. The Countess of Guildford wasn’t coming back because the woman was dead. Victoria didn’t know how she knew it, but her body reacted to the knowledge with a violent wave of nausea.

  Ice coated her skin, and she fell forward into a dark pit. The hard ground rose up to meet her as she stared up into a dark abyss. Tiny pinpricks of light pierced the darkness, and she realized they were stars. Dark forms suddenly blocked out the star-filled sky. The insidious sound of a shovel slicing into dirt with a sharp scraping sound echoed loudly in her ears before dirt landed on top of her.

  Fear slithered through her veins as her body remained stiff and unmoving no matter how hard she tried to take control of her limbs. More dirt splattered across her face. Desperately, she struggled to breathe as the earth clogged her nose and mouth. Fire filled her lungs, while the rest of her body was cold as ice.

  She wanted to sob from the pain, but couldn’t. Suddenly, the pain disappeared as a white mist surrounded her. A peaceful quiet filled the fog and soothed her. Voices echoed from a distance, and a whisper she’d heard once before filled her ears.

  “Fight, Victoria. Come back to me. Come back to me now.”

  She knew she should recognize the man’s voice, but she couldn’t remember how or why. She took a step toward the roughly spoken sound, when the mist blew away as swiftly as it had come. Victoria took a breath and shuddered as fresh air filled her lungs. Strong arms held her steady, and she blinked several times until her gaze focused on the Nicholas’ worried expression. She was at Brentwood Park.

  “Nicholas?” she murmured.

  “It’s all right,” he said in a gentle voice. “You fainted and managed to give Molly quite a scare.”

  “Fainted?”

  Victoria shook her head slightly in an effort to throw off the dizziness still making her feel off balance. His fingers lightly brushed her forehead and a sensation pierced her disoriented state. The rock hard strength of Nicholas’ arms around her. It was a strong and protective embrace, and she’d never felt so safe.

  “My lord, shall I call for the physician?”

  The young woman who’d entered the room earlier stepped into view, and the fearful apprehension on the maid’s face made Victoria shake her head quickly.

  “No. No, doctors.”

  “You’re clearly unwell, Victoria.” A dark frown creased his forehead giving him the appearance of a dark angel, but she wasn’t frightened. It was the look of a man intent on protecting her.

  “I fainted. I’m sure it’s from hunger. I don’t remember the last time I ate.” Victoria stared up at him with a silent plea not to call a physician. He studied her for a long moment before he nodded.

  “No doctors,” he said. “But if this happens again, I will call Dr. Bertram.”

  “Thank you.” Her response caused his eyebrows to arch.

  “Three times in one day,” he said quietly. His puzzlement said he was struggling with his conviction as to her identity. “Molly, help the countess with her bath and arrange for a meal to be brought up. As for you madam wife, you’re to spend the rest of the evening in bed.”

  “But—”

  “No arguments, Victoria.”

  The inflexible set to his features made her frown, but she remained silent. When she was capable of standing on her own, he released her from his embrace. The moment her body was deprived of his heat, she wanted to throw herself back into his arms again. She swallowed hard, as he retreated for a second time to the corridor connecting their rooms. Once again his departure left her feeling bereft, but this time she didn’t want to try and determine the depth of the sensation.

  Chapter 6

  Present Day

  The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beep of a heart monitor as Nick stared at the woman in the bed. Nothing made sense to him anymore. One minute he’d been arguing with Nora about a portrait he’d been unable to part with since he was a teenager, and in the next he’d seen that portrait come to life in the gallery. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of the door opening. He’d expected the nurse and was surprised to see his sister walk into the room. With a quick glance at his watch, he realized it was eight in the morning.

  “Hi,” Nora said softly. “How is she?”

  “The same.”

  “I brought you a change of clothes since you were so damn determined to spend the night.” Nora held up an overnight bag and he nodded.

  “Thanks,” he said quietly.

  “You look like crap. When was the last time you had something to eat?”

  “I’m not hungry,” Nick muttered as he shoved his hand through his hair.

  “Did you get any sleep?”

  “Enough.” He didn’t bother to point out it had been impossible to sleep.

  “Damn it, Nick, you can’t stay glued to this woman’s side day and night. It’s crazy.” Nora glared at him with sisterly concern.

  “I’m not leaving her.”

  “Well for God’s sakes, take the time to visit the cafeteria. If you insist on staying here, you at least need to eat.”

  “When I get hungry, I’ll go down and get a sandwich. Will that satisfy you?”

  “For now, but I’m more concerned as to why you feel the need to stay with her twenty-four seven.”

  Nick heard the troubled note in his sister’s voice, but ignored it. He shifted his gaze to the hospital bed and the woman attached to an IV and two different monitors. He’d never been a believer in fate, but the last twenty-four hours were making him wonder about a lot of things. The one thing he knew without any doubt or reservation was that it was impossible to leave Victoria’s side. She’s everything to me. My life. My world. Without her, life has no meaning.

  The sound of Nora’s gasp made him jerk his gaze back to his sister, and the look on her face made him realize he’d spoken his thoughts out loud. He stood up with an abrupt motion, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to think of a way to explain his strange behavior to Nora. Even for all his sister’s belief in the occult, he wasn’t sure he could explain everyth
ing he was feeling. He walked to the side of Victoria’s bed and lightly caressed her wrist just above the gauze that protected the burn on her hand.

  “I think it’s time we had a heart to heart,” his sister said firmly.

  “I don’t need you trying to get into my head, Nora.” He shot a warning look over his shoulder at her. “Nothing’s going to change the way I feel.”

  “And what about Victoria?” Nora bobbed her head in the direction of Victoria’s still form. “What are you going to do if she wakes up and doesn’t feel the same way.”

  “She will,” he uttered the words with a fierce conviction he didn’t understand but believed with a certainty that stunned him.

  He looked down at Victoria and her pale features. Gently, he brushed a strand of auburn hair off her cheek. She looked as though she were sleeping and would wake up at any moment. It was precisely why he wasn’t going to leave her. He wanted to be here when she woke up, and no matter what Dr. Bertram or any of the other doctors said, Victoria was going to wake up.

  “What makes you so sure she’s going to feel the same way you do?”

  “If I knew that don’t you think I’d tell you?” He closed his eyes for a moment then faced his sister. “Nora, with the exception of that portrait in my office, you know I’m the most practical, logical man you’d ever hope to meet.”

  “Are you telling me that’s changed?”

  “I don’t know.” Nick shoved his hands into his pants pockets and shrugged. “The only thing I’m sure of is that I’ve spent most of the night trying to figure out what the hell is happening to me.”

  “Could you be feeling guilty?” Nora asked softly.