Chasing Eliza

by King, Rebecca

  His answering groan was all she heard as he eased her onto her back.

  Edward lay over her, waiting for the thundering of his heart to ease and his senses return. In all of his sexual encounters, he had never experienced such intense satisfaction before. Such toe curling, mind numbing sensual release that made him forget everything. Including withdrawing in time to prevent a child, he thought with a frown as he slipped out of her and moved to lie beside her, struggling to believe he had been so reckless.

  Eliza could feel the distance immediately begin to grow between them as soon as he left the warm haven of her body, and wondered what she had done to cause it. The soft glow of pleasure what had engulfed her rapidly began to wane as he moved to lie on his back, one arm draped over his eyes. He made no move to hold her, or even speak to her. Closing her out as effectively as if he had picked up his breeches and left the room.

  Immediately she was filled with bitter regret. She hadn’t expected any declaration of devotion, but she hadn’t expected to feel so used and discarded either. After all, it wasn’t as though she had forced him. Sitting upwards she winced at the soreness between her thighs and tugged the sheet up to cover herself, swinging her legs over the side of the bed to sit with her back towards him.

  “Where are you going?” Edward murmured softly, lifting an arm and eyeing the delicate curve of her back as she sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Nowhere.” Eliza replied, fighting tears as she clutched the sheet tighter around her. There was nowhere to go. “I think you should go back to your own room now.” She whispered, feeling the bed move as he sat up in bed.

  He had made her no promises, nor had she asked for any. Although he had said he wouldn’t make love to her, clearly what he had done had aroused him enough to want her regardless. She had wanted him regardless. Now it was obvious he regretted what they had done. She couldn’t stand to hear his awkward apologies or him actually give voice to his regret.

  Straightening her shoulders, she shook her head and rapidly blinked her tears away, offering him a quick, insincere smile over her shoulder. “I’m tired, that’s all. I think it would be better if you slept in your own bed.”

  Edward studied the rigid length of her back, not convinced at all that she could dismiss what had happened between them so readily.

  “Eliza.” He began to reach a hand out to touch her back, only to pause half way and slowly lower his hand to the bed. He was busy studying her, waiting for her to turn around and wasn’t aware that Eliza could see his actions through the mirror on the wall at the foot of the bed. Her heart broke at the look of bitter regret on his face as he studied her. She ached to cry out loud with the unfairness of it all and needed some time alone to get her battered emotions under control.

  “You aren’t going to dismiss me Eliza. Or ignore what we have just done.” Edward argued, peeved at her casual dismissal of him. She had enjoyed what he had done, he had been inside her when she had found release.

  “I’m just tired.” Eliza argued, feeling inexplicably angry with him.

  “Then lie down and get to sleep.” Edward ordered as he lay back down. He watched and waited for several moments until Eliza sighed and settled on the very edge of the bed. As far away from him as she could get without actually lying on the floor.

  Edward was nonplussed at her need for distance. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  He said, breaking the stilted silence that had settled over them when he couldn’t stand it any longer. It would have been better if she had shouted at him, or thrown something. The wounded silence grated on his nerves like nails on wood and made him grit his teeth, digging deep for his waning patience.

  After several moments of her cold shoulder, he swore fluidly and sat up, dragging dragged her across the bed and into his arms, yanking the sheet out from between them and throwing it across the room in disgust. He ignored her startled protests and dropped a heavy leg across her hips the same time as he slid an arm over her shoulders, dragging her stiff body into his arms.

  She lay rigid against him to begin with, clearly unwilling to relax in his embrace but his persistence won and eventually she began to soften until she was lying flush against him with each dip and hollow of her luscious body pressed against his masculine hardness.

  “Now sleep.” He ordered softly, pressing a gentle kiss against her forehead and staring into the fire blankly while he waited for her to relax.

  For him, sleep would be a long time coming. He couldn’t quite believe that after all of his determination, he had succumbed to the fiercely tempting woman in his arms. Oh, she was beautiful, by far the most stunningly attractive woman he had ever met. She was strong and determined without being domineering. She was calm and unflappable without being masculine or disinterested. She was by far the most appealing woman he could consider being married to. But still, she was a bundle of trouble. There were men after her, whether to kidnap or kill her nobody was certain, and she had an errant sister who was now facing the gallows.

  He thought about his conversation with Sebastian at his wedding ruefully. The tangled web had been so easily woven around him. A web that if he was completely honest, he wasn’t certain he wanted to be free of now.

  Chapter Ten

  Edward was in a fierce temper. He had woken up just after dawn to find Eliza already up and about – and clearly avoiding him. Throughout breakfast she had entered into a continual flow of conversation that made even the curtest ‘good morning’ barely possible.

  Although she had willingly taken part in last night, she had been untried and clearly unused to such intimacies with a man. Was she embarrassed about the morning after? Or did she have regrets and want to pretend it hadn’t happened? He thought about her withdrawal last night and decided it was the latter.

  He wished he could ask her and find out for certain. As a man of action, it annoyed the hell out of him that he was left to patiently wait for the opportunity to raise one of the most important issues of his life with her.

  Briefly he contemplated embarrassing her and asking her outright there and then, but immediately dismissed the notion. As soon as his brothers found out they would insist upon marriage, whether Eliza wanted it or not and that scenario was something he had to avoid. What had happened last night had to remain strictly between them for now.

  At least until he had the chance to decide what to do about asking for her hand in marriage. In reality he had now compromised her, so should marry her at the earliest opportunity, even though the timing was lousy. He could hardly push her into a marriage she was clearly reluctant to consider, while her sister – her only surviving relative – faced death by hanging.

  He wanted her. If he was honest he had deep affection for her. But was it enough to spend the rest of his life with her? She certainly had the ability to raise his temper quicker than anyone else, he mused as he watched her chatting amiably with Peter as they rode along. The passion between them had been a revelation to him. He had slept with numerous women before but nobody had ever made him forget himself to such an extent that he had simply forgotten to withdraw in time to prevent a child.

  But they had not spent any time together in ‘normal’ circumstances and given Jemima’s dire situation, it would be several weeks more before they were able to spend any time together in a family setting without any threats or worries. That was assuming that Jemima was given a pardon sparing both Eliza and Peter untold grief.

  His thoughts turned towards his brothers and the happiness they had achieved in their marriages. Dominic had spent several days with Isobel before going to Norfolk, and then spent several weeks alone with her when she reappeared in Leicestershire. Although she had been ill at the time, they had been given the opportunity for their relationship to develop. Sebastian had spent several days alone with Amelia prior to kidnapping her and taking her to Tingdale. Several days during which he had opportunity to get to know Amelia without interruption. They had also spent several days at Tingdale together, albeit w
ith the remainder of the family there, but they had been in Sebastian’s home and free to spend time together as they chose.

  The only time Edward had spent alone with Eliza, they were being chased by smugglers, and had been fleeing for their lives. In reality he had only known Eliza for a few days, and then hadn’t gotten the opportunity to really learn much about her as a woman. He knew about her family history, her current circumstance but didn’t know what her favourite foods were; whether she preferred winter or summer; whether she liked to sew, read or play the piano forte. Could he really enter into marriage to someone whom he knew so little about?

  Making love with her hadn’t really brought them any closer together. They had been physically intimate, but not emotionally and that bothered him. He wanted her to be married to him because she cared about him. He wanted to marry her because he knew she was the right choice, not because of any child they had created.

  They rode until it was too dark to see, contemplating riding through the night only briefly before Sebastian argued that it was too easy for Scraggan’s men to stage an ambush during the darkest hours. At least during daytime they were easy to spot, although nobody could fathom why Scraggan wasn’t making any attempt to capture Eliza. It felt as though they were almost being herded towards some unseen destination and that kept everyone tense and watchful.

  By the time they rode into the stable yard of the coaching inn, they were all in a bad temper. As they entered the tap room, everyone became silent and watched them warily for several moments, before conversation resumed albeit in an altogether quieter tone.

  Edward glared at the innkeeper as he requested five rooms, the private parlour and demanded that most of the rooms should overlook the stable yard.

  The innkeeper swallowed nervously. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he shuffled from one foot to the other as he tried to decide which of the four men he should break the news to. Eliza sighed and pushed her way forwards to stand between Edward and Peter.

  “Please excuse my associates.” Eliza offered the innkeeper a brief smile. “If you have the rooms available we would be much obliged.” She knew from the look of the man that he hadn’t and was giving him the opportunity to decline their request without the men behind her lynching him.

  “I-I’m afraid we don’t have that many rooms my lady.” The man stammered, clearly worried what would happen to him by refusing their request. “We only have three rooms, and one of those is on the main street. I-I’m so sorry.”

  “Will any of the other inns in the town have the rooms we require?” Eliza queried, considering the run down tavern they had passed a few miles back with a shudder. It reminded her too much of her old workplace.

  “I’m afraid they don’t take guests my lady.” Meaning they were bawdy houses like the one she used to work in. Eliza thought with a shake of her head. “Then we will take the three rooms you do have. Do you have a private parlour?”

  “Yes ma’am, I can get it ready for you right now.” The Innkeeper declared with no small measure of relief on his face and with a bow, scurried off to undertake his task, completely forgetting to show them to their rooms.

  “Great, I suppose we help ourselves, do we?” Edward muttered in disgust, watching the Innkeeper bustle off.

  Eliza scowled at him. “We are lucky to have a room for the night, so mind your manners.” She snapped, in no way prepared to accept his rudeness. “All we have to do is wait for him to return.” She moved to one of the vacant tables and sat down on a stool almost regally before arching a snooty brow at him. “Unless you have anything more pressing to do my Lord, then I suggest you exert a bit of patience – and wait.”

  She ignored the men was they stared at her for several moments before slowly moving to crouch over the small stools gathered around the table.

  Within moments the breathless Innkeeper returned with a garbled apology.

  “P-please do forgive me. The maids are preparing the parlour for dinner for you, when you are ready. I’ll show you to your rooms now.” He spun on his heel and took off for the stairs, leaving the weary group to lurch to their feet.

  Edward growled as he watched the wiry man pelt up the stairs as though the hounds of hell were at his heels. He was about to make some dark remark when Eliza glared at him again.

  “What?” He asked, his palms held up beseechingly. “I didn’t do anything.”

  Eliza rolled her eyes. “You’ve terrified the man.” She declared, shooting him a filthy look as she stalked past him. “It would serve you right if he made you sleep in the barn.”

  “He wouldn’t dare.” Edward declared threateningly, eyeing the now empty staircase in disgust.

  Eliza considered he was probably right. Given Peter, Dominic and Sebastian all wore identical bad-tempered scowls, Eliza was certain the entire tap room were glad they were leaving. She climbed the stairs wondering what they were going to do about sleeping arrangements. She didn’t want the men thinking she was just going to be paired with Edward, but she didn’t want to anger Edward by making an issue of sharing a room with him.

  She was frowning herself by the time she got to the long hallway lined with doors.

  She soon found herself standing in the last room overlooking the main street watching Edward close the door behind him with a thump. She frowned, uncertain whether she should protest or not. Turning towards the bed, she eyed the vast expanse of sheets and blankets with a frown.

  “If you think about getting into that bed covered in dust, then think again.” Edward muttered, tugging off his cloak and dropping into the chair beside the bed with a grunt.

  “I can’t sleep with you again.” The words were out before Eliza could call them back. Inwardly she winced at her bold declaration and valiantly ignored the tell-tale burning in her cheeks.

  Edward quirked a brow at her, still disgruntled at the ease in which she had closed him out throughout the day.

  “I can’t believe I asked you to.” He muttered shooting her a baleful glare. “Right now I don’t have the energy to tug my boots off, let alone start anything with you; as delectable as you may be.”

  She wasn’t certain how to take that remark and decided not to make an issue of their sleeping arrangements for now. After all, it wouldn’t be the first night they had spent together fully clothed when nothing happened. At least they would have a nice, soft bed to lie on rather than a smelly earth-packed floor.

  Several hours later Eliza found herself sitting in the private parlour with a full stomach, listening to desultory conversation of the now malleable men. Despite his initial nervousness, the Innkeeper had done a fine job in attending to his guests’ requirements. The food they had just consumed had been fresh, delicious and plentiful but now she had eaten, and the warmth of the roaring fire had chased away her seemingly constant chill, Eliza felt a wave of exhaustion settle over her and knew she was about to embarrass herself by falling asleep at the table.

  The men were finishing their brandies when she stood, waving them back down into their seats when they instinctively made to rise.

  “No, stay and finish your brandy. I’m off to bed. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” She said around a huge yawn before bidding everyone a sleepy goodnight.

  She was fast asleep by the time Edward joined her only a few minutes later. Still fully clothed, she had summoned enough energy to tug her boots off before falling on top of the covers. She hadn’t even climbed between the sheets.

  Edward stood beside the bed staring down at her. She had unpinned her hair, which now fell in glorious abandon across the pillow but had done little else to see to her own comfort.

  Tentatively he slid a hand across its silken length scattered across the white pillow. He knew from running his hands through it last night that the curly tresses were really was as soft as they looked. He closed off the mental image of it tumbling down around her shoulders as she rode him. Shaking his head, he stifled a yawn and tugged his own boots off before contemplating the feminine bundle p
inning the sheets down.

  He could just leave her as she was and wait until the room cooled enough to wake her up, but wasn’t that heartless. Lifting her shoulders slightly, he tugged the sheet down and out from under her before contemplating her clothing for several minutes. There wasn’t anything there he hadn’t already seen, but would she be angry with him if he undressed her? She had categorically stated she didn’t want to make love with him again. Had he hurt her? Or was it that she knew the timing was wrong and didn’t want to run the risk of getting with child?

  Running a hand wearily down his face as he contemplated the complexities of the female mind, Edward drew the sheets over her before climbing in beside her. With one last lingering look at her lying so temptingly beside him, he rolled over to face the door.

  At least she couldn’t claim he was making advances while she was asleep. He mused as he yawned widely and found a more comfortable spot on the pillow. Within moments he was sound asleep.

  Sometime during the night, he instinctively gave in to the need to hold the woman laying claim to his heart and curled protectively around her, relieved when instead of protesting against his familiarity she wriggled against him until she found her usual spot against his shoulder.

  Eliza awoke the following morning with her nose buried in his chest. Her leg was lying in wanton abandon across his hips, held there by the persistent pressure of his relaxed hand. Her arm was draped across his waist, her fingers held captive by the coarse hair on his chest.

  She knew she should move. Any minute now, she should leave the comforting warmth of his embrace and get up and pretend she hadn’t really spent the night with him. Again. Despite her exhaustion the previous night, she knew she had been alone when she climbed onto the bed. Sometime during the night she had found her way beneath the covers and had been joined by Edward, who had clearly decided he needed to prevent her from leaving the bed.