MIDNIGHT PLEASURES

by Amanda Ashley, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Maggie Shayne, Ronda Thompson

  Elise could be shocking as well when the mood suited her. The mood suited her at the moment. She closed the distance between their lips.

  The slight pressure of her mouth against his ignited a fire that Sterling had never felt burn so intensely. Her scent wafted up to him, sweet, like the soap she washed with each evening. Her lips were soft—her innocence inflamed his very soul. He loved the taste and smell of her, the feel of her when he pulled her against him. He could never have her, cursed the way he was.

  He should frighten her away… send her back to where she belonged. Danger lay in wait for a tempting young morsel such as Elise. Better he prove that to her now, while she had the chance to return to her uncle. With her best interests in mind, Sterling forced her mouth open beneath his. He was not gentle about his probing. He expected her to struggle, but she did not. Instead, her arms went around his neck and he felt the shy touch of her tongue against his. The jolt traveled all the way to his toes.

  "Kiss a man like that and you're begging for trouble," he said against her mouth.

  "You said that I don't know how to beg," she reminded. "And you will not frighten me away… not until I am ready to leave."

  "You do not fear me, and you should."

  She stared into his eyes thoughtfully. "I believe that you intend for people to be afraid of you. That way, they keep their distance. Why don't you want anyone close to you? What are you afraid of?"

  This was not going at all as he had planned. Her bravery and her insight had begun to annoy him. "We can get closer if you desire." Sterling tumbled her backward onto the cot. "Is this close enough?"

  Elise's large eyes blinked up at him. "T-This is indecent," she sputtered. "Let me up at once!"

  "I am not a gentleman. I fear that you may try to stow away with another man, and feel obligated to show you the probable outcome. Never trust any man. On the inside, we're all beasts."

  He expected her to struggle beneath him, to recoil from him at the very least; instead, she reached up and touched his face. "What has happened to you that you should view the world as such a dark place? Has there never been any sunshine in your life?"

  She might as well have struck him. There had been sunshine… once, before he knew the truth. She was sunshine, and it sickened him that he would treat her no better than a whore who'd come sniffing for trouble. He rose from the cot and straightened his collar.

  "Forgive me," he said, and realized he'd never asked anyone to forgive him for anything. "You are right. I spend too much time in the company of beasts." He turned toward the door, wanting to put distance between them, but only because he felt the distance shrinking. "If you need a disguise, ask Sarah Dobbs. She will help you."

  CHAPTER 7

  Elise wore the disguise of a Gypsy girl. Sarah Dobbs was a master at transforming Englishwomen into Gypsies. Sarah wore the same disguise in preparation to tell fortunes. The woman had explained to Elise that no one took an English fortune-teller seriously and that was why she darkened her skin with grease, her eyes with kohl, and wore a bright scarf tied around her head. The cockney accent was gone, and Elise stared in wide-eyed wonder at the crystal ball Sarah had placed on a small table inside of her wagon.

  "Would you like your fortune told?" Sarah asked, her voice thick with another accent, a foreign-sounding one.

  "Sterling said that you can't really see into the future," Elise responded. "Besides, I believe a person decides his or her own destiny."

  Sarah lifted a brow and glanced down into the ball. "I see that you are running from someone. Someone who has not treated you kindly."

  Elise gasped. "How did you…" She promptly closed her mouth. The woman could have found out from Sterling, or Elise supposed it was easy enough to guess her situation. "You are wrong," she clipped. "Good eve, and I guess good-bye. I am leaving the caravan." She turned to exit the wagon and heard Sarah laugh softly.

  "You are not going anywhere. Sterling is your destiny."

  The fine hairs on Elise's arms stood on end. She jumped down from the wagon. What did the woman know? Nothing, Elise assured herself. Sarah's fortune-telling abilities were all an act. Making certain the scarf covering her hair was still in place, Elise wandered through the wagons. A crowd had already begun to gather. Several torches lit the area. Elise saw that a cage of sorts had been erected. Sterling would no doubt perform inside with his cats.

  "Gather round and witness sights to tantalize your senses." Philip, resplendent in one of his strange outfits, stepped into the circle of light. He began to juggle three balls, all of which caught the light from the torches and seemed to glow in the coming dark.

  "I bring to you an exotic flower from the desert. A woman who can charm even the deadliest of snakes. The king of snakes. I bring you… Mora."

  While Philip distracted the crowd with his juggling, Mora had stepped from the shadows and now stood in the circle of light, snakes draped from her neck and arms, a large basket at her feet. She lifted a strange instrument to her lips and began to play. The lid to the basket teetered. It fell away and the crowd all inhaled a breath at the same time. A large black snake rose from the basket. The snake's head suddenly expanded. His tongue slithered out and he hissed, but still Mora played.

  The tune changed and the snake began to descend into the basket. Once the crowd could no longer see the cobra, Mora walked over, placed the lid upon the basket, and gathered it up. She bowed to a burst of applause, and coins were suddenly being tossed upon the ground. Dawn scrambled forward and began gathering the coins.

  "Now to lighten your mood, the antics of Nathan and Iris!" Philip boomed.

  The couple tumbled into the circle of light. They were dressed in wild costumes that immediately brought a smile to Elise's lips. She laughed out loud at their silliness and marveled over their skill at tumbling. The crowd did indeed laugh and applaud their efforts, all oohing when Iris did a triple somersault in the air and landed upon her husband's shoulders to end their performance. A shower of coins followed. Again Dawn moved into the circle and collected the bounty.

  "Now, the bravest man in the world!" Philip stepped forward. "A man who can tame the savage beast, turn even the most ferocious animal into a loving house cat. I bring you the Beast Tamer!"

  Torches suddenly leaped to life around the cage that had been erected earlier. Inside, Raja and Leena paced. The crowd went wild. A tall man stepped from the shadows. The firelight danced upon his golden head. He wore tights that hugged his muscled contours to the point of indecency, and two leather straps crisscrossed over his broad naked chest. Heat rushed to Elise's head, among other places. She heard more than one woman among the crowd sigh appreciatively.

  Elise did not like it, the way the women ogled Sterling. He cracked a whip and made her jump; then he opened the door to the cage and stepped inside. The crowd grew deathly quiet. Sterling cracked his whip again, issued a command, and the cats took their seats upon two stools that were arranged inside of the cage. Raja growled and pawed at Sterling when he passed, causing Elise to suck in her breath.

  Sterling shouted something and the cats sat up on their haunches. The crowd roared. He turned his back on the cats and bowed, which Elise thought was a frightfully stupid thing to do. The crowd appreciated his bravery, however, and coins flew to the ground. Since Dawn did not scramble forward to collect them, Elise assumed the performance had not ended.

  Indeed, there was more to follow. Sterling commanded his cats to do all manner of tricks, from lying down on the ground and rolling over, to an impressive feat of jumping through a hoop that was on fire. Sterling also jumped through the hoop, which brought a spray of more coins. Elise felt like her heart was in her throat, but she couldn't deny the excitement that also coursed through her veins.

  What she hoped was his last act of bravery was to open Raja's mouth and stick his head inside. The man was insane! Sterling emerged with his head, and more coins showered the ground. Again he turned his back upon the cats and bowed to the crowd. Raja sudd
enly attacked from the rear. Elise screamed. The tiger knocked Sterling to the ground. Man and beast wrestled and all Elise could do was stare on in horrified fascination. A moment later they were both up and Sterling hopped on Raja's back, riding the tiger.

  The applause was deafening; the glitter of coins made the ground appear as if it were paved with gold. The torches around the cage were extinguished, and the crowd roared for more.

  Philip stepped into the circle of light. "The night has not ended!" he boomed. "Know your future, find your fortune, or maybe discover if your wife has been unfaithful. Lady Fortune awaits you in her wagon."

  The crowd grumbled, but many moved toward Sarah's wagon, which was now illuminated by bright torches. Elise stared at the darkened place where the cage had been erected, wondering what Sterling was doing. She noted that a few women also stared in the same direction. Would they seek out his wagon? No wonder he had thought she was there to find amusement with him that first night. He was handsome, devastatingly handsome. He would draw women like moths to the flame.

  She would not stay and witness the fawning. Elise thought it was a perfect time to slip to the inn and secure a room. Most of the patrons were still milling about. She needed her valise, however, so she moved toward Sterling's wagon. She had only stepped into the darkness when a hand grabbed her arm.

  "Hello, Gypsy girl," a voice slurred. "I saw you in the crowd and thought we might have a roll together."

  She couldn't see the man, but his breath reeked of liquor. "Unhand me this instant," she snapped. "I do not wish to share your company."

  The stranger yanked her up close to him. "Whether you're willing or not makes no difference to me. Who cares what happens to thieving scum like you?"

  "I care."

  The voice belonged to Sterling, and Elise was never so happy to hear it.

  "Go about your business, man, and leave me to mine," the stranger said.

  Elise tried to twist away from the drunken man's hold, but his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her arm.

  "Let her go."

  Sterling did not raise his voice, but his tone was deadly. A low growl sounded in the darkness and rose the hair on the back of her neck.

  "Say, who's there?" the man asked, a tremor audible along with the slur. "Be you a man or a beast?"

  No answer. Another low growl. The man released her and ran away. Elise might have relaxed, but the growl? What was it?

  "Sterling?' she whispered. "Are you here?"

  The silence stretched. Her heart began to beat at an alarming rate. She lifted a hand to her throat. A tall shadow suddenly stood next to her.

  "Are you all right, Elise?"

  "Sterling," she sighed. "Yes, I'm fine. The man…" Her voice trailed off. It was impossible, but when she glanced up she swore she saw the glow of an animal's eyes staring down at her. She shivered in the chilly evening air, blinked, and when she looked again, all she saw was Sterling's tall shadow against the night.

  "What about the man?"

  "He's run away," she answered. "I was trying to make my way to your wagon in order to fetch my valise."

  "So, you are leaving?"

  She had no choice in the matter. She'd paid for the privilege of sharing his wagon until nightfall, and night had fallen. "Yes. I am leaving."

  He took her arm and guided her toward his wagon. "Best you go now while most of the patrons are still gawking at the sights and having their fortunes told."

  "That's what I thought, too," she said. "Now I'm not so certain I want to make my way to the inn alone."

  "No, I will escort you," he assured her.

  "You are a noble man beneath the skin," she teased. "Even if you refuse to act the part."

  "You have no idea what I am beneath the skin. But I won't see you molested."

  They reached the wagon and Elise scrambled inside. She grabbed her valise; then they went off into the night, toward the muted glow of the inn.

  CHAPTER 8

  As they walked, she said, "Must you stick your head inside of Raja's mouth? You nearly took ten years off my life."

  Sterling chuckled. "You didn't find my performance thrilling?"

  "Well, yes," she admitted. "But really, Sterling, you should be more careful. The tiger attacked you tonight!" She felt his regard and asked, "What?"

  "It's been a long while since anyone has fussed over me, and Raja attacking me is part of the performance. He loves to wrestle."

  "Oh," she sighed. "You could have told me. I was frightened for you."

  "It's been a long while since anyone cared what might happen to me, too. It's… nice."

  A rush of pleasure washed over Elise. It had been a long time since she'd been allowed to fuss over or care about anyone. But Sterling was not the proper man to bestow her feelings upon. They were ill suited for each other… she supposed as were her mother and father. Of course Elise had closed a considerable amount of distance between their stations when she ran away from her uncle. She kept forgetting that she was now free to become anyone, or anything, she wished to become.

  They reached the inn. Saying good-bye was more difficult than Elise had imagined. She suddenly felt at a loss for words. "Thank you for all you've done on my behalf," she blurted. "I wish you a happy life."

  He reached out and brushed the stray curl that forever crept across her forehead. "And I hope you find what you're looking for."

  For a dreadful moment, tears burned her eyes, and she feared she would embarrass herself. "Good-bye then." Elise turned away, only to find herself wheeled about and in his arms the next instant.

  His lips found hers. She opened her mouth beneath his. Their tongues touched, danced together, spreading delicious heat through her chilled bones. She explored his mouth, the taste and depth of him, uncaring that her actions were bold. She would never see him again.

  He made a low sound in his throat; then she felt the rough wood of the inn cutting into her back. She hardly noticed the discomfort, for the tight press of their bodies wiped logical thought from her mind. She burned for him, ached to feel more than his mouth fused with hers. What would it be like to lie with him? Skin against skin?

  Her thoughts frightened her, along with the feelings he stirred. Primitive desires that she had never experienced. Her life had been a sheltered one. If her uncle hadn't been generous with his affections, he'd been overly protective of her virtue. He never allowed her in a man's company without a proper chaperone. Elise hadn't been so much as kissed before, and here she was, rubbing up against a man she hardly knew, like one of his great cats, begging to be stroked.

  His hand closed over her breast; then his fingers brushed her sensitive nipple through the fabric. She moaned against his lips, hungry for more. As if he knew her needs, he stroked the other breast in kind, the friction of his fingers against her nipples sweet torture. His hand strayed to the top fastenings of her gown. He suddenly broke from her.

  "Go inside," he commanded. "Go inside before I forget myself and drag you back to my wagon, toss you upon my cot, and make love to you as if there is no tomorrow."

  If it was a threat, she did not respond correctly. Instead of her being frightened, all manner of indecent images suddenly took shape within her mind: images of tangled limbs and glorious golden naked skin. The night air clashed with her heat-flushed body and made her shiver.

  "You should be afraid," he misinterpreted her response. "Now go inside while I still have the conscience to allow you to escape with your innocence."

  He turned and walked away from her, which didn't leave Elise with many options. Now that her head had cleared, she understood how foolish it would be to run after him. Not to mention degrading. She imagined he was well used to women dogging his heels. The memory of the women sighing over him earlier brought reason when her body wanted to make a fool of her.

  Shaken, Elise slipped inside of the inn. Thankfully, there were few patrons eating in the common room or partaking of spirits. Two men stood across the room, one with his
back to her and the other studying a ledger. She assumed the man with the ledger was the proprietor. Something about the other man struck her as familiar, even though he wore a long cloak and high-crowned beaver that hid him from her. As if the proprietor felt her regard, he glanced up. He immediately frowned.

  "You're not welcome in here!" he shouted across the room. "Take your thieving ways back to your camp!"

  She'd forgotten that her disguise would jeopardize her chances of securing a room for the night. Elise supposed coin might sway the proprietor. The man who stood with his back to her started to turn. She caught a view of his profile. Her heart jumped up her throat. The man was her uncle.

  Wheeling around, Elise scrambled back through the inn door. Had he seen her? She hoped that by the time his head had turned, all he'd seen was her backside rushing through the door. Her heart pounded wildly. Fear gripped her insides and twisted. Elise ran in the direction of the caravan wagons. The torches were still lit at Sarah's wagon, which greatly aided her sense of direction.

  Seeing her uncle had been a shock and a reminder of how badly she wanted to escape. She might feel a tug of conscience had she believed for one moment that he searched for her out of fear for her safety, but she knew what drove him: the bride's price from Stoneham.

  When she reached Sterling's wagon, Elise didn't pause to knock. She flung herself inside and pressed her back against the door, gasping for breath. Sterling stood poised over his washbasin, his face dripping. He grabbed a cloth and blotted the moisture away.

  "Forget something?"

  What could she say? If she told him the truth, he might try to sway her to return to London with her uncle. Or worse, he might inform her uncle of her whereabouts, thinking he did the right thing on her behalf. Elise had no choice in what she must do, and tonight, hadn't she been caught up with the performances? Hadn't a small part of her secretly longed to be a part of the troupe, to belong… somewhere?