by Never A Lady
Now, shrouded in the shadows, his gaze again scanned the garden. Everything was perfectly peaceful. Quiet, except for the rustling leaves from the slight breeze, which also swayed the low covering of misty fog.
He raked his hands through his hair, then closed his eyes and massaged his temples. Damn it, he should go home. Drink brandy until sleep came. So he could dream of her until he saw her again. When he’d make her an offer he prayed she wouldn’t refuse.
“Hello, Colin.”
Bloody hell! At the sound of those whispered words, his eyes popped open, and he jumped a foot. Heart pounding, his hand reflexively flashed down, and he braced himself, clutching the hilt of his boot knife. Then he froze. And stared.
At Alexandra, who stood less than two feet away. Wearing a plain white robe over what appeared to be an equally plain white nightrail, the pair of which covered her from her chin to her toes. Her dark hair, in the form of a single thick braid, cut a line down her pale attire, ending at her hip with a satin bow.
“Are you going to say hello, or do you intend to stab me?” she asked, her soft voice laced with amusement.
Not yet trusting his voice, he released his knife, then straightened—slowly to give his racing heartbeat a chance to return to normal. Bloody hell, he wasn’t certain if he was more annoyed or impressed that she’d managed to sneak up on him and catch him so completely unawares. If the murderer had been in the vicinity, he’d no doubt be dead. Clearly his skills had seriously deteriorated since his retirement.
Even in the shadows he could see her lips twitch. “I’m relieved you opted not to stab me.”
He cleared his throat to locate his voice. “What are you doing out here?”
“You told me at the Newtrebble soiree that if bumping into you was to be a habit, you preferred the seclusion of the garden. I am merely taking you at your word.”
His brain processes stalled in a quagmire of heated lust at the sight of her standing before him wearing nightclothes which, although virginal in the extreme, nonetheless hinted at the luscious curves beneath. Desire walloped him, and for several seconds he merely stared, trying to recall how to breathe.
“I saw you from my bedchamber window,” she continued. “Given that I did and the fact that I so clearly surprised you, I think perhaps your spying skills were…less than formidable.”
The hint of amusement in her voice jolted him from his stupor, and annoyance rippled through him. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. “I assure you that isn’t the case.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. Now, why are you here?”
“As I said, I saw you from my window. And I wanted to know…” Her voice trailed off, and she looked at the ground.
“Know what?”
She drew an audible breath, then raised her chin to look him in the eyes. “If you’d come here for me.”
Something in her expression simultaneously heated and stilled him. “I did,” he said carefully, watching her closely. “I was patrolling the grounds. To make certain you were safe.”
“I see.”
Neither her expression nor her voice gave him any indication of her thoughts. Damn it, why did she have to be so frustratingly unreadable? “Does that upset you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. It…disappoints me.”
“Why?”
She drew another deep breath. “Because I’d hoped you’d come to see me.”
Her words raced fire through him, evaporating the remnants of his fright and annoyance. Indeed, evaporating everything save her. Reaching out, he lightly grasped her upper arms and felt a tremor run through her. “And if I said I had come here to see you?”
“I would welcome those words,” she whispered.
One instant Alex was speaking, and the next she was in his arms, crushed against his solid length, his mouth on hers in a wild, fierce, demanding, breath-stealing, bone-melting kiss that left no doubt that he’d welcomed her words.
Relief and elation collided with anticipation, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, straining closer, parting her lips wider to better relish the erotic friction of his tongue mating with hers. His hands roamed down her back, heating her through the thin material of her nightrail and robe. A delighted shiver rippled down her spine, one which increased when he cupped her buttocks and urged her tighter against him. The hard ridge of his arousal pressed into her belly, fluttering the most delicious and wicked sensations through her.
And then, as quickly as he’d yanked her against him and kissed her breathless, he grasped her arms and set her away from him. Thankfully, he retained his hold on her else she would have slithered to the ground in a steaming heap at his feet.
She forced her eyelids open. His eyes glittered, and his breathing was as erratic as hers. Several seconds past, then he said in a rough voice, “You know I want you.”
She licked her lips. “To which I can only say ‘thank goodness.’”
“I intend to have you.”
“To which I again can only say ‘thank goodness.’”
His fierce expression relaxed a bit, and he gently pulled her closer, anchoring her against him with one strong arm around her waist. Then he brushed fingers that she noted weren’t quite steady over her cheek.
“Yes,” he murmured. “Thank goodness.”
“I have a request,” she said, setting her hands on his chest and absorbing the slap of his rapid heartbeat against her palms.
“You’ve only to ask.”
She stilled, his words echoing through her mind. You’ve only to ask. No one had ever said such a thing to her.
“Don’t you want to know what it is I want before you promise to give it to me?”
“No.”
“What if I asked for something extravagant?”
“Such as?”
“Diamonds. And pearls.”
“Is that what you want from me, Alexandra—diamonds and pearls?” he asked quietly, his gaze so intense on hers she knew he wasn’t jesting.
Two images instantly collided in her mind. Of her, wearing an elegant, low-cut gown, a strand of creamy pearls around her neck and diamond earbobs twinkling from her lobes. Then of the price such jewels would fetch—money that would no doubt finance her and her cause for years. And just for the price of what her intuition told her Colin was offering her right now.
His trust.
Emotion clogged her throat. His expression left no doubt that if she asked for jewels, he’d give them to her. This beautiful man who, with the gift of his trust, would find himself just another of her victims. And when he realized it, whatever attraction and admiration he now felt for her would disappear.
Even though their time together here in London would be only brief, that still was not a price she was willing to pay.
“No, Colin. I don’t want diamonds and pearls.”
For several long seconds, he said nothing; just slowly traced his fingertips over her features, as if trying to memorize them, while his gaze followed the same path as his hand. She dearly wished she knew what he was thinking. Finally, he said, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being the only woman I know who would utter that sentence. You are…extraordinary.”
“On the contrary, I am extremely common.” So much more than you know.
“No. You are extraordinary. In every way. In ways you don’t even realize.” He brushed the pad of his thumb over her lower lip. “As diamonds and pearls are not what you desire, tell me what you do want.”
“It is in regard to our…arrangement. I need your assurance that it be known only to us. Madame Larchmont is accepted as a married woman, and I cannot risk her reputation being sullied by an affair.”
“You have my word I’ll protect you. In every way.”
“Thank you. I also would not wish to…” She hesitated, knowing that a pregnancy would be disastrous for her, but still for one insane instant, unable to banish the image of herself carryi
ng Colin’s child.
“Become pregnant?” he said softly.
“Yes.”
“I will take precautions to prevent it.”
“And our liaison, it will end when you’ve chosen a wife,” she said firmly. “I could not carry on such a relationship with another woman’s intended husband.”
“Nor would I shame my wife with an adulterous affair.” He brushed a stray curl from her cheek. “But until then, you’re mine.”
A feminine thrill ran through her at the quiet possessiveness in his tone. “Yes,” she agreed. “And you’re mine.”
“And I’m yours.”
Her heart stuttered at his consent, at the mere notion of this man being hers in any way, for any length of time. It was an opportunity she’d dreamed of, but had never dared hope for. And she intended to cherish every minute they spent together.
“Are those your only requests, Alexandra?”
Dear God, the way he said her name sent shivers of delight through her. “Just one more,” she whispered. “I want you to put out this fire you’ve started inside me.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “I want that same thing. But this is neither the time nor the place. And if I kiss you again…” He lifted his head and his gaze drifted down to her mouth.
Her lips involuntarily parted. “If you kiss me again…?”
“As you have a detrimental effect on my control, I fear this interlude will end with me taking you against the wall.”
Oh, my. “You make it sound as if that’s bad.”
“Not bad. But inconvenient when one is without a bed with a lady who deserves one. At least the first time she’s made love to.” He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers. “Allow me to try to make the first time perfect for you.”
“It feels quite perfect right now. Except for my pulse, which is gravely misbehaving.”
He flashed a quick, grim smile. “Good. I’d hate to think that it’s only mine which is doing so.” He released her, then clasped her hand. “Come with me.” He led her around to the side of the town house to the servants’ entrance. He extracted a thin piece of metal from his pocket, then leaned over the lock. In less than a minute, the door swung noiselessly open.
“You are amazingly good at that,” she whispered, the former thief in her experiencing both admiration and an undeniable twinge of envy.
“I believe I once told you, I’m good at many things. This town house is nearly identical to mine. Just follow this corridor until you reach the stairs. Go to the next floor, then turn right and continue down the corridor and you’ll reach your room.”
Disappointment flooded her. “Alone?”
“Yes.”
“But what about…us?”
“My sweet Alexandra, as I said, this is neither the time nor place. ‘Us’ will happen very soon. I promise. Now tell me, how did you exit the house?”
“Through the French windows by the terrace.”
“I’ll see to it that they are relocked.” He leaned down, and she raised her face, but instead of giving her the kiss she craved, he merely dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. “Be off with you. After I close the door, lock it from the inside. And I’ll see you again very soon.”
Bemused, confused, irritated, and frustrated as well, she stomped across the threshold.
“A bit of quiet would serve us both well,” came his amused voice from the darkness. She turned, intending to incinerate him with her best glare, and discovered he’d already closed the door.
She stared at the wood panel, completely nonplussed. She hadn’t thought she’d ever offer herself to a man, and now that she had, what happens? She’s sent to her room alone. Perhaps he hadn’t wanted to take her against the wall, but blast it, that’s the way it was done all the time in the rookery. Maybe he didn’t want her quite as much as he claimed.
“Aggravating man,” she muttered through clenched teeth. She carefully made her way through the dark, silent house, following his directions toward her bedchamber, her frustration growing with each step. Her body felt hot and impatient, the feminine folds between her thighs swollen and heavy. And now nothing save long sleepless hours faced her until she saw him again. Damnation, she’d go mad before then.
When she reached the stairs, she climbed, then turned right and continued down the corridor. So engrossed was she in her irritation, it wasn’t until she reached the end of the passageway that she realized she must have passed her room. Frowning, she turned and as her gaze swept the dim area, she realized that this corridor didn’t look in the least familiar. That half-moon table with the bouquet of flowers hadn’t been there, nor had the ornate oval mirror hanging on the opposite wall.
Botheration. Not only was the man a plague on one’s peace of mind, he possessed no sense of direction whatsoever.
Clenching her jaw, she carefully retraced her steps. Once she reached the stairs, she made her way toward the foyer so as to reorient herself. Once she arrived in the marble-tiled entryway, and reassured of her direction, she made her way to her bedchamber. By the time she arrived, she was well and thoroughly vexed. She opened the door, closing it quietly behind her, barely resisting the urge to slam it. She’d steamed halfway across the room when she halted as if she’d walked into a glass wall. And stared.
At Colin. Who’d removed his jacket and waistcoat and stood next to her bed, his shoulders nonchalantly propped against the thickly carved bedpost, arms crossed casually over his chest, his eyes glittering with an unmistakable heat that ignited every cell in her body.
“Now this,” he said softly, “is what I’d call a much better time and place.”
Fifteen
Colin allowed himself a bit of smug satisfaction at her flabbergasted expression and wished she were normally so easy to read.
“How did you get in here?” she asked, eyeing him as if she weren’t quite convinced he was real.
“Through the French windows by the terrace you’d left unlocked.” He pushed off the bedpost and slowly made his way toward her, halting when only two feet separated them. The urge to drag her into his arms and simply devour her nearly overpowered him. This clawing hunger she inspired truly baffled him. He’d known lust before, but this…this wild, reckless, primitive need to press her against the nearest wall or bend her over the closest chair and simply take his pleasure was completely unfamiliar. She somehow stripped him of the gentlemanly mien that had always defined every aspect of his life. She made him feel uncharacteristically out of control. In a way no other woman ever had. And without her doing anything. Bloody hell, he hadn’t even touched her yet. And could wait no longer to do so.
Forcing a calmness he was far from feeling, he reached out and loosely entwined his fingers with hers, not in the least surprised when heat pumped through him at the casual contact.
“Leaving windows unlocked is most unwise,” he murmured, lightly circling his thumbs over her palms. “Very bad men lurk about in the dark.”
She appeared to recover herself. “Yourself included?”
“I may be bad, but only in a very good way.”
He lifted her hands and brushed a kiss across the backs of her callused fingers. “Actually, I’m glad the windows were unlocked as that helped shave a minute or two off my entry time—which I appreciated, as I wanted to arrive before you.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes. “Which is also why you gave me incorrect directions to my room.”
“Guilty as charged. I wanted to arrange a small surprise, and as I’ve told you, I’m accustomed to getting what I want.” He stepped closer, until a mere breath separated their bodies, and very much liked the way her eyes darkened.
“That does challenge one to deny you,” she said softly.
“Perhaps, but it shouldn’t—not when we want the same thing.”
He lowered his head and lightly grazed her earlobe with his teeth.
“I believe you’re trying to weaken my knees,” she said, her words coming out in a
pleasure-soaked sigh.
“Is it working?”
“Remarkably well.”
“Excellent.” He nuzzled the soft skin behind her ear. When his head filled with the delicate, delicious sweet scent of oranges, he groaned and couldn’t help but wonder who was weakening whose knees.
“You mentioned something about arranging a small surprise?” she asked. “What is it?”
“Impatient, are you?”
She leaned back and gazed up at him. “Yes,” she said in a voice he could only describe as smoky. “Right now I’m very impatient, and normally I’m not. Quite frankly this uncharacteristic state is all your fault, and I want to know what you’re going to do about it. Right now.”
Releasing her hands, he reached between them to untie the sash on her robe. After parting the thin cotton, he slid the garment down her arms. The material pooled at her feet with a gentle swoosh.
“I intend,” he said, keeping his gaze on hers while he slowly began to undo the long row of buttons fastening the front of her gown, “to make you even more impatient.”
“I’m not certain that is possible.”
“Oh, it’s possible.” He slid the last tiny button through its hole, leaving her still covered but unfastened to the waist. Slipping a single fingertip inside the opening he’d created, he lightly touched the shallow hollow of her throat.
“I want you impatient,” he whispered, leisurely dragging his fingertip downward, over her incredibly soft skin, between her breasts, then lower, to lightly circle her navel. “And hot.”
Her eyes drooped halfway closed, and she swayed slightly on her feet. “But I’m already both those things. I feel as if I’m going to burst into flames.”
“Good. But it’s not enough. I want more. More impatient. Hotter.”
Unable to deny himself from seeing her for another second, he slipped his hands inside her gown and slowly spread the material, revealing her inch by inch to his avid gaze as he lowered the garment down her arms. Seconds later it joined her robe at her feet.