Jennie's phraseology exactly, telling Sophie where the young girl had learnt such language!
But Jennie, quite frankly, was the last thing on her mind at this moment, every nerve-ending attuned to the sensuality of this man. Her breath came in short ragged gasps, hazel-coloured eyes a deep green as she gazed up at him.
‘I need this!' Maximilian suddenly groaned, his head swooping down as his lips claimed hers, a sensual onslaught that almost swept Sophie off her feet.
His mouth tasted, teased, delighted in the moist promise of her lips, his arms tightening about her as his tongue probed silkily across her lips and then into the hot moisture of her mouth. Even her teeth seemed sensitised to the caress as pleasure coursed down her spine.
Muscles rippled beneath her fingertips as she clung to him. Maximilian's arms tightened about her, and Sophie felt him shudder against her at the caress of her fingertips down the column of his spine, heated passion engulfing her, engulfing them both as Maximilian's mouth returned to hers again and again, until Sophie wasn't even sure she was breathing any more, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but respond to his demand.
But she needed to breathe, and she surfaced for air, drawing deep ragged breaths into her starved lungs, her face feeling hot and flushed, her eyes feverish, every part of her straining even closer to Maximilian.
'You taste wonderful,' he murmured raggedly against the silky length of her throat, lips and tongue probing there, sending shivers of delight through her whole body. 'Milk and honey; pure nectar!'
All her senses were attuned to him too; taste, feel, look, smell, hearing. They were the only two people in the world at this moment, wanting and wanted, driven by a need now that was threatening to explode out of the control of either of them.
'God!' Maximilian's forehead was slightly damp as he rested it against hers, his breathing laboured, his arms tight about Sophie's waist, making her fully aware of his throbbing desire. 'I want you, Sophie,' he told her unnecessarily. 'I want you very badly!'
They had met for the first time only yesterday, event-filled as the time since might have been, and although Sophie ached for Maximilian in return she knew it was too soon for her to really know what she was doing. There had been no other men for her since the failure of her marriage to Malcolm, and he had been her first ever lover; by now Sophie knew herself well enough to realise she couldn't just jump into bed with a man because she desired him; she had probably desired Malcolm once, and look what a disaster that had turned out to be! She needed time to make sure she wouldn't be making just such another mistake now, with Maximilian.
And as she was leaving in a few minutes, there would never be that time...
Maximilian was looking down at her now with darkened eyes. ‘I didn't expect anything like this to happen between us either, Sophie,' he grated as he saw the refusal in her expression, his jaw tightly clenched. 'I only came in here to ask you to stay on—'
'Again?' Sophie stepped back with a gasp, staring up at him incredulously. 'I don't believe you.' She shook her head dazedly. 'What happened to change your mind this time?' she scorned. 'Something Jennie said? Or was it what happened between us just now—'
‘I told you, I came in here to ask you to stay on—and that was before I kissed you!' Maximilian bit out tautly, his eyes glittering dangerously.
Her mouth tightened. 'Then it was Jennie again,' she said disgustedly. 'What did she do this time, come into your study, stamp her foot a little, and demand—?'
'If you think back to our earlier conversation, Sophie, I told you then that I wasn't asking you to leave,' he reminded coldly.
And then he had kissed her... 'But you didn't actually try to stop me going,' she accused.
'Because I hadn't realised that, being you, you would come straight to your room then and there, pack your things and just go!' he returned icily.
Minutes ago they had been on the precipice of becoming lovers, now they faced each other almost as adversaries, both breathing deeply in their agitation, their bodies tense still, but with anger now, Maximilian's hands tightly clenched at his sides. It was an utterly ridiculous situation, Sophie suddenly realised.
She forced herself to take deep, calming breaths, some of the tension starting to leave her. 'What else did you think I could do?' she sighed heavily. 'You and that report had laid my life bare—'
‘I realise that,' Maximilian groaned. 'Which was why I intended leaving you for a while before I explained that the report didn't actually change any opinion I had already formed of you,' he told her enigmatically—because he obviously had no intention, at this moment, of enlarging on that statement! 'God, considering the circumstances of your marriage, and your husband's— death, it was perfectly understandable that you chose to go back to your maiden name. Although,' his eyes narrowed again, 'you weren't completely honest about that, either, were you?'
She swallowed hard, moistening dry lips; as she had already said, that report had laid her whole life bare. 'I—'
The door suddenly burst open without warning and Jennie bounced into the room; thank God it hadn't been a few minutes earlier was Sophie's immediate thought.
'Well?' Jennie looked at her father eagerly. 'Is she staying?'
He glared at her at the intrusion. 'Jennifer—'
'Lady Sophie Gordon!' Jennie ignored her father, looking at Sophie admiringly. 'How absolutely marvellous!' She beamed her excitement at the revelation. 'Why didn't you tell me your father and mother are an earl and countess?' she added poutingly. 'Really, Sophie—or should I call you Lady Sophie now...?' She frowned thoughtfully. ‘I suppose really I—'
'I'm sure that if Sophie could get a word in edgeways she might be able to answer at least one of your impertinent questions,' her father cut in with icy derision.
Jennie looked as if she was about to argue the validity of this accusation, but, seeing the danger signs clearly evident in her father's expression, she seemed to think better of it, clamping her lips together, although her expression remained mutinous.
Sophie was glad of the few seconds' respite, felt as if she had been bombarded with thousands of tiny missiles-all of them hitting the target!
Lady Sophie Gordon. Yes, that was her. But the title, without the wealth to support it, was meaningless. During that final argument with Malcolm, he had cruelly told her her title was one of the main reasons he had married her, that 'my wife, Lady Sophie' had given him entrance to places he hadn't previously been able to get into, and 'my mother and father-in-law, the earl and countess' had given him a credibility that had fooled even more people. Obviously none of those people had been aware of the fact that the earl and countess barely managed to exist at all on the meagre payment her father could earn from the books he had written on archaeology, that there had never been any money there for luxuries.
The two sisters, Millie and Mary, had both 'gone into service' while still in their teens, both of them working then for the previous earl and countess, Sophie's grandparents. Even then there had been very little money, and the earl and countess had been absolutely horrified when their only son had fallen in love with the maid and announced his intention of marrying her! But, other than the actual title, Humphrey hadn't had a lot to offer one of the women of his so-called class. And anyway, he had made up his mind; he intended marrying Mary with or without his parents' approval.
Actually Mary's family, including her sister Millie, hadn't been any more keen for the marriage to take place; after all, Mary was the maid. A case of reverse snobbery!
But they had married, and against all odds the marriage was a happy one, although Sophie, born two years after they married, had remained their only child. But, if the marriage was a happy one, her grandparents' other prediction, about their ending up living in virtual poverty, had proved correct. Sophie's childhood very spartan, certainly no money for servants now, or a private education for Sophie.
But Malcolm hadn't cared about any of that, had married h
er for the title alone, loving the prestige he thought it gave him to have married into a titled family.
It was ironic that he should have felt that way, really, because with maturity Sophie had come to realise that half the attraction to Malcolm at that stage in her life had been the fact that he seemed to have all the advantages of money that had been so lacking all her life. She had been young, and stupid, and learnt her lesson the hard way.
In fact, such had been her lesson that she was attracted to Maximilian now in spite of his money!
Maximilian's gaze narrowed on her probingly now, as if he was trying to fathom her thoughts, finally shrugging defeat as she looked back at him calmly, turning to his daughter with sharp disapproval now. 'This is Sophie's bedroom for the duration of her stay,' he bit out reprovingly. 'You could at least have knocked before bursting in here.'
'But I did,' Jennie protested with an indignant pout.
Colour instantly heated Sophie's cheeks as she realised exactly why she and Maximilian hadn't heard that knock!
'Then maybe it would have been more polite to have waited outside until you were asked to come in.' She spoke more sharply than she had intended, instantly feeling guilty for it as Jennie looked hurt at the rebuke. 'It would have been the polite thing to do, Jennie,' she added in a gentler tone.
'Sorry,' the disgruntled teenager muttered.
Maximilian's eyes widened at this acquiescence, grudgingly given as it was, turning to Sophie with speculative eyes before turning back to Jennie. 'Maybe we'll have more luck if you ask Sophie to stay on?' he suggested drily.
Sophie glared at him protestingly for his astuteness; he wasn't playing fair. He had guessed that she felt a sort of reverse affinity with Jennie, the young girl the result of a wealthy and privileged background, Sophie the product of an impoverished titled one—both disadvantages in their own way.
'Sophie knows I want her to stay,' Jennie muttered awkwardly, her expression rebellious now.
Asking for anything didn't come easy to this young girl, Sophie was already aware of that. But that wasn't the problem now. If it were only Jennie she had to consider... But the truth of the matter was, after this most recent time in Maximilian's arms, she was no longer sure staying here would be a good idea. It would give her that valuable time to get to know him...!
'Please,' Jennie added abruptly when she saw Sophie was about to refuse.
Neither member of this family played fair, Sophie realised with an inward groan. How could she possibly refuse this young girl, when she knew how much it had cost her to almost plead in that way?
But she was almost tempted to do just that when she looked up and caught the blaze of triumph in Maximilian's eyes as he sensed her capitulation to Jennie's plea! Although she knew she couldn't disappoint Jennie just because of Maximilian and the way she responded to him. Or the way he responded to her! But she wasn't about to give in as easily as he thought she was...
A glint of mischief sparkled in her eyes. 'There's something else I ought to tell your father before I accept—'
'You accept!' Jennie pounced gleefully, the sulky expression gone instantly. 'That's—'
'Hold on, Jennie—once I've made this final admission, your father may not want me to,' Sophie kept her expression deliberately deadpan, although she was sure there was merriment dancing in her eyes; if Maximilian didn't want to play fair, neither would she!
Maximilian watched her warily, obviously sensing some sort of trap. 'Yes?' he slowly prompted with suspicion.
Sophie moved to the bed, her mocking gaze never leaving his face as she bent to pick up the damp ‘I-shirt, triumphantly producing the two pink shirts from inside it. 'Yours, I believe!' She held them up aloft so that the vividness of the pink shade should be seen in all its glory.
He frowned his puzzlement, shaking his head. ‘I don't have any pink shirts.'
Jennie moved to look more closely at the two shirts, lightly touching the red of the ‘I-shirt too. 'You do now!' she realised. 'How priceless!' she chuckled. 'Sophie obviously washed your shirts in with her ‘I-shirt, and the colour ran!'
For a brief moment Maximilian continued to look bemused, and then his mouth twitched, before he began to chuckle in earnest, his eyes crinkling up at the corners, his laughter a deep husky sound in his chest. 'Jennie's right.' He shook his head in rueful amusement. 'You are priceless!'
Anyone looking at the three of them, Sophie grinning, Jennie and Maximilian openly laughing, and over the fact that Maximilian now possessed two perfectly dyed pink shirts he was never going to wear, could be forgiven for thinking they were all a little mad. But it was the release of tension, as much as anything else, that was causing their amusement—as Sophie had hoped that it might—and so they could possibly be forgiven for overreacting to the triviality. Although Sophie hadn't thought it was trivial when she first discovered what had happened!
Maximilian's mouth twisted ruefully. 'Well, as I have no intention of starting to wear pink shirts, they may as well be disposed of!'
'Certainly not!' Sophie gasped, scandalised at his casual dismissal of such obviously expensive items. ‘I could wear them as nightshirts—' She broke off awkwardly, her cheeks burning with colour, at the sudden hunger in Maximilian's eyes. 'Er—or perhaps Mr Wiseman would wear them?' she hastily suggested, totally flustered by Maximilian's reaction to the thought of her going to bed in his shirts.
'Paul?' Maximilian looked more amused than ever. 'Does he look like a man who would wear pink shirts either?' he derided.
'Now that you mention it, no!' Sophie grimaced. 'I really am very sor—'
'Paul...' Jennie repeated in a puzzled voice. 'Sophie keeps mentioning his name, but—who on earth is he, Daddy?' she frowned. 'Some good-looking young businessman you've brought down with you for the weekend?' she prompted eagerly.
Blond brows rose over rueful blue eyes. 'You are growing up, aren't you?' her father said. 'You used to refer to them as stuffy old businessmen who took up far too much of my time! Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you,' he shrugged. 'But Paul works for me. As for his being good-looking... Perhaps Sophie could answer that better than me?' His gaze was narrowed on her speculatively.
But Jennie, obviously still puzzled even by this explanation for the other man's presence here, saved Sophie the embarrassment of having to answer that question. 'He works for you...?' Jennie repeated sharply. 'But what's happened to Uncle Sean? He's been with us— you, for years, and—'
'Calm down, love,' her father cut in soothingly. 'Sean still works for me; he should be driving down on Monday to join us, he's just—dealing with a few last-minute details in London that couldn't be left for the week. Paul is—helping out. For a few weeks,' he dismissed with a shrug.
'But—'
'Jennie, would you like to help me unpack—yet again?' Sophie drawled—although in actual fact she was only trying to help divert Jennie's attention away from questioning her father in the way that she was;
Maximilian was obviously tiring of it, his patience starting to wear a little thin as his answers became more and more terse. In actual fact, Sophie doubted he was used to having his decisions questioned by anyone. 'And then we can go down to the tennis-court I saw over behind the stables earlier,' she suggested lightly, although by the feel of it, the muscles she had used for the unaccustomed ride she had taken this afternoon were already starting to stiffen up, and would no doubt protest painfully at a game of tennis. But she was here to keep Jennie entertained and busy, and the young girl looked as if she was already anticipating the game. 'I should warn you,' Sophie hastened to add as her body felt like protesting already, 'it's years since I played!'
Jennie frowned. 'But surely as Lady Sophie—'
'Don't keep prying into Sophie's private life, Jennifer,' her father rasped. 'I'm sure if she wants to tell you about it, she will.'
Sophie looked at him gratefully, aware that he already knew all about her private life, albeit from that damned report. And
she would tell Jennie some of it, at least the part about being 'Lady' Sophie; the young girl was going to find it was far from romantic!
Maximilian moved across the room. 'Another thing-' He paused in the doorway. 'Paul isn't the only—new employee you'll see about the place... Maybe you will find one of them is good-looking,' he added drily. 'But if you leave the house for any reason, to go to the stables, or to the tennis-courts, I want you to let someone know about it—'
'What on earth for?' Jennie complained. 'Really, Daddy, aren't you taking all this a little too—?'
'All what?' her father rasped tautly, his body tense, eyes narrowed to icy blue slits.
'I was only thinking about the good-looking business associate!' Jennie's face flushed with anger. 'You don't have to make sure I'm chaperoned at all times,' she snapped. ‘I don't intend eloping with the first presentable man I see!' she added disgustedly.
Maximilian's mouth set tightly. 'Just make sure that you don't leave the house without telling someone where you're going!' he repeated coldly before leaving the room, the door closing forcefully behind him.
Sophie stared after him in dismay. For a short time— a very short time, it transpired!—there had been a rapport between father and daughter, a rapport that had been utterly destroyed by the way he had suddenly turned into the autocratic father seconds ago, determined to keep his daughter protected—even if she didn't want to be!
There had to be a reason for his being like this, but without knowing more of the background, possibly more about Jennie's mother, Sophie couldn't hope to fathom it out. What she did know was that it wasn't wise to try to cage up a headstrong girl like Jennie. It was sure to lead to trouble...
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