A Dangerous Temptation

by L. R. Olson

  He’d be angry. He would force me to return, I had no doubt. And then he would vow to punish me for eternity. He was no forgiving man.

  I’d been so thrilled when Penny had visited last week. I was sad to see her go. She’d doted on Millie and I’d adored hearing about our parents and London. But Penny hadn’t left without bringing up James once more. Mother had mentioned in a letter five months after I’d left that James had visited every week, demanding, begging, for answers. She’d told me that according to James he wasn’t married to Claudine. But how could I trust him? How could I trust my own feelings when they’d led me astray so often in the past year? I’d explained to Mother I would refuse to read her letters if she mentioned his name again. And so she didn’t.

  I knew it was silly to think I could run away. To believe that I could live here in peace forever. I could for a while, couldn’t I?

  But could I be happy here?

  Humming softly to Millie, I moved toward the windows and gazed out onto the front garden. Smoke swirled up from the chimney of the cottage next door. I wondered briefly what sort of man the new neighbor would be, but didn’t care enough to dwell long on the subject.

  The flowers had died months ago and a soft blanket of snow covered the ground. The sea beyond the cliffs was tumultuous. It was a harsh and cold winter, uncommon in this area, according to the locals. Apparently one of the worst winters in decades. I didn’t mind being trapped in our town, for it would keep travelers away. I could be safe for a few more months. Maybe more.

  No passion. No passion for the rest of my life. No more feeling a man’s arms around me. The heat of his body pressed intimately to mine. It wasn’t just the idea of intimacy that I would miss. No, it was the thought of having no one to be close to in that way, to share a life, to share hopes, dreams. I smiled down at Millie. But I wouldn’t be alone. Cecilia would be here and soon enough Millie would be crawling, walking, chattering.

  “Unless, the constable is to your liking?”

  I sighed. “No. Nothing of the sort.”

  The constable had been visiting for a few months now. He hadn’t even seemed to mind when I had been swollen with child. He was a kind man, a handsome man. But he wasn’t for me. Never was and never would be. I hated that he wasted his time, but found I could not dissuade him from visiting. I certainly couldn’t admit the truth…that I wasn’t a widow, although at times I wanted to tell him.

  I pushed aside thoughts of men and focused on the one relationship I could count on…Cecilia. After Penny had left I’d had little time to be depressed, for I’d been preparing the guest room for Cecilia who would be here any day. How I looked forward to her arrival. It wasn’t exactly the sort of life either of us had imagined growing up, yet there could certainly be worse things than living with your best of friends.

  “Mrs. Willow, before you go, would you mind watching Millie while I put the water on for tea?”

  She opened her arms, her smile warm and comforting. “I’d be happy to.”

  Reluctantly, I handed over the baby and made my way into the kitchen. Mrs. Willow was a kindly older woman whose own children had married and moved away long ago. She was glad for the work and company, and I was thankful for the help.

  I liked my tiny home. Mother worried, but I appreciated the privacy, the fact that I could make my own decisions. I set the sugar and cream upon a tray and carried it down the hall while the water boiled on the stove.

  “Mrs. Willow,” I called out entering the parlor with the tray in hand. “Can I talk you into staying for a cup…”

  A dark shadow of a man stood near the hearth, his back to me. In one fell swoop I took in his broad shoulders, dark hair, tall form. Elegant, yet imposing, he reeked of class and sophistication. My entire body froze. I couldn’t seem to breathe. The world tilted off balance. Everything faded. I no longer felt part of my body.

  Slowly, he turned, Millie held awkwardly in his arms. “Hello, Jules.”

  It felt as if someone had punched me in the gut. A gasp escaped my lips. The familiar voice sent a chill down my spine…fear and desire mixed together. A variety of emotions that left me confused and terrified.

  No. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. Vaguely, I heard the clatter of the sugar and cream bowls upon the tray as my hands trembled.

  James.

  I’d known this day would come. I’d hoped it would arrive later, rather than sooner. Yet, here it was, and I was so bloody unprepared. I wouldn’t have been more surprised if he had walked up to me, tipped his hat in greeting, then slapped me across the face. It was as if I stood there about to witness my own hanging.

  “Mrs. Willow…” I could barely get the words out. My lips and tongue would not work properly. “She…”

  “She left,” he interrupted, his gaze boring into me. “When I explained we were well acquainted, related even, she thought it would be quite proper enough to leave the babe in my care.”

  I had no doubt James had talked her into leaving. He’d probably demanded she go. Millie. Dear God, he was holding Millie.

  “A maid’s,” I somehow managed to get out. “The baby is a maid’s.”

  He was silent for a moment. Had he believed me? It had been so bloody long since I’d seen him. Yet, as he stood there, his gaze drilling into mine, it felt as if no time had passed at all. He looked the same. Perhaps a little more scruff covered his cheeks, and there were dark shadows under his eyes…but he was still that tall and imposing Earl of Whitfield.

  “A maid’s baby? I see.” His voice was steady, giving no indication of emotion. He seemed so large in the small cottage, and Millie was so small in his arms. So small. So innocent. So delicate. Had he ever even held a child? The desire to lunge forward and grab her overwhelmed me.

  Slowly, I lowered the tray to the table. I could not rush to his side, I could not demand he hand her over…it would look suspicious. “Here,” I tried to say casually, but I didn’t miss the strain to my tone. “Give the child here.”

  He quirked a brow. I’d expected to see his gaze hard and accusing. It was…unreadable. Still, I blushed under his attention.

  “I’m sure you have no wish to hold a baby.”

  “I don’t know.” He looked down on her. Was it my imagination, or did his gaze soften? “There’s something about her innocence, her purity that tugs at me.”

  Unable to hold back any longer, I scurried forward the few steps and closed in the distance that separated us. So close his musky cologne swirled around me. Tempting. Taunting. I had to resist the urge to close my eyes and breathe deeply. My body instantly reacted, recognizing his nearness even though it had been almost a year since we’d touched.

  It was over. All over. My perfectly constructed, happy, peaceful life done.

  With trembling hands I reached for the baby. Our fingers brushed. Startled, I almost jumped. Up until that moment I realized I’d looked at him like a ghost, a figment of my imagination. But touching him meant he was real, and he was here. Desperate, I cradled Millie close, the baby between us. If he thought my attachment to the child odd, he didn’t say so. Even though she was back in my arms, I didn’t feel safe. Would I ever? Perhaps that was another reason why I’d left him…I was so tired of the uncertainty.

  “Why are you here?” I demanded, angry that he was destroying my carefully constructed life.

  He didn’t move away, but continued to stand so very close. “You’re my wife, Jules. Did you honestly think I’d let you go?”

  A shiver raced down my spine. I couldn’t seem to draw breath. His voice was mild. Almost pleasant. I didn’t believe his ease in the least. Yes, I’d known this moment would arrive. I’d even imagined it over and over. But nothing, nothing, could have prepared me. It was as if I’d lived in a painting of the perfect town, and James had ripped it apart, shredding the canvas and forcing me into reality once more.

  I stepped back, thanking God for my stoic English breeding. I could not react now, of all times. “Am I your wife?”
/>   “You are.”

  Dare I believe him? How had he found me? I turned my back to him, and cradling Millie close, I moved toward the windows. Hell, I couldn’t deny that having him here made my body ache. Ache for his touch, his kiss, his mere presence. Not that I would ever admit as much. “I won’t return, I won’t.”

  I braced myself for his response.

  “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do, Julianna. You are free to make your own decisions and I will abide by your wishes.”

  Suspicious, I turned to face him. It certainly hadn’t been what I’d expected. He was playing a game like a cat with a mouse. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you’ll let me go.”

  He smiled, but it was a hard, determined sort of smile that made me nervous. I’d seen that same smile the day we’d married. “I didn’t say I would let you go. You can stay here. But as long as you stay, I will stay as well. I’ve even taken the cottage next door.”

  Dear God, he was my new neighbor. I shook my head, confused. “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m going to court you, Jules. You’re welcome to live here, and I’ll live next door. But I will win you back.”

  Stupefied, I stood there staring at him. He couldn’t mean it. Jamie, give up his estate, his pride? Who was the man standing before me? Even those months ago when he’d started to act like he cared, there had still been a wall between us. I knew then that his title and his family name would always come before me. But this man…this man I didn’t know.

  He bowed low. “Good night, Jules, I will see you soon.”

  With that said, he strolled into the foyer, whistling a jaunty tune, and left the cottage.

  Chapter 3

  James

  As much as I was loathe to admit it…I did have a fault.

  I was an impatient man.

  Perhaps it was born of privilege and having certain expectations early on, but I’d rarely had to wait for anything in my life.

  I wanted Jules, and I wanted her now.

  I could have thrown her over my shoulder and forced her into a carriage. Demanded she return to my estate as was my right as her husband. But I knew forcing her would ruin any chance we might have of fixing our troubled marriage. So I would attempt to wait patiently for her to fall for me all over again. And I knew with certainty she would.

  But I could nudge her along. I would do anything to win Julianna back, short of murder, and even that might depend upon the person being killed. Unfortunately I’d never courted a woman and found myself, for the first time in my life, completely unsure. My father might have been an arse, but he was brilliant at investing, a skill handed down to me. I was an earl with pleasing looks, plenty of money, a rarity in this world. I’d never had to fight for female attention.

  Flowers. Chocolates. Jewelry. I didn’t know what women liked and I hadn’t had much time to court Jules before Claudine had arrived. But I knew my wife was not like other women. She’d seemed to like the paints I’d given her those months ago, but I highly doubted they had art supplies in this small village. I’d have to order them from London and that could take days.

  And so I was left wondering how to capture her attention. How to prove that I cared. And I cared. So damn much. The moment I’d stepped into her cottage, held Millie in my arms, everything had felt right. My shattered world became whole again. Life mattered once more.

  A bitter wind tugged at my coat, forcing me from my thoughts. I realized with some surprise that it had started to snow as I moved up the lane toward her cottage. Her little home looked like a painting of country perfection. Everything in this new world seemed brighter. Even the simple food I ate here tasted better. There was an eagerness when I awoke. I was actually ready to face the day, instead of hiding away in the darkness as I’d been doing in London.

  When I saw the smoke drifting from the cottage chimney my relief was immediate. Hell, I’d half expected Jules to pack up and leave in the middle of the night, escaping me once more. Eagerly, I headed up the small path toward the front door. I was like a lad with his first woman.

  Part of me was annoyed by my lack of control when she was near. But most of me was bemused. As I reached the stoop I noticed two figures silhouetted behind the curtains in the parlor. Jules wasn’t alone. I knocked. I knew the housekeeper would be there as I’d uncovered the woman’s schedule in town. It took only a few questions; people were so eager to talk. But the other shadow appeared to be male.

  The door opened. The housekeeper’s surprised look quickly gave way to glee. “Why, Mr. Corbin.”

  At least someone was happy to see me. She’d already learned my name. Another perk of a small town. I smiled and bowed my head. “Mrs. Willow.”

  “Come in, come in! I’m sure Mrs. Jules will be happy to have more visitors.”

  More? I tried not to let my irritation show. I stepped inside and she took my coat. The small cottage made of stone was warm and welcoming. But then Julianna could have lived in a cave and made it feel like a home. Her very scent peppered the air, and I had to resist the urge to breathe deeply. I understood why she wished to hide here in this village. Away from the worries of societal expectations, away from the gossip of the ton. Away from me.

  “Please, do sit,” Mrs. Willow said. “Mrs. Jules is getting tea.”

  I stepped into the parlor and my good mood fell. A young man sat upon the settee, my child in his arms. Jealousy flared through my body in a heated wave that left me burning. A feeling I’d never experienced before, a feeling that had me curling my fingers and seeing red.

  A man in my wife’s parlor. A man holding my child as if she belonged to him.

  He glanced up and gave me a tight smile in greeting. I supposed with his tousled blond hair, a woman might have found him attractive. But he was so serious looking, so bloody calm and perfect that the Jules I knew should have grown bored in a day.

  “Constable Thomas, this is Mr. Corbin.”

  A bloody constable?

  “Nice to make your acquaintance.” The constable stood, watching me warily. He was here for Jules, that much was obvious. A man didn’t come calling on a mother because he liked children. Hell and damnation. I wanted to pick him up by his collar and toss him from the cottage.

  “Constable,” I muttered.

  “Mr. Corbin, was it?” Millie looked quite content in his arms, her eyes closed as she slept peacefully, as if she’d napped many times before while he held her. He’d been here to comfort my child, to comfort my wife, while I’d been scouring England, searching for them. Constable or not, I wanted to kill the man.

  “I’ll just get Mrs. Jules,” Mrs. Willow said, disappearing down the hall but I was barely aware when she left. I only had interest in the man who was trying to take my place and my family.

  The room fell silent. Even the baby didn’t make a sound.

  “You live down the lane?”

  There was nothing casual about his question. “I do.”

  Let him stew upon that realization. Yes, my friend, I was only a few steps away. I could see Julianna’s silhouette when she changed upstairs. In fact, it had kept me up and aching for the last two nights.

  “And you know Julianna how?”

  “We’re related,” I said quite pleasantly.

  More silence.

  “I think you need to understand something,” the constable stated. “Julianna and I…we…are friendly. More than friendly. I plan to court her.”

  He said this all as if he had every right. As if he’d already laid claim to her. Arrogant bastard. “Set the baby in the cradle.”

  His brows drew together. “Pardon?”

  I flexed my hands, then curled them. “Place the baby in the cradle.”

  He stiffened. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t want to hurt her when I slam my fist into your face.”

  He flushed red. “You do understand that I’m a constable?”

  I took a threatening step toward him. “You do understand that I don�
��t bloody care?”

  “Here we are,” Mrs. Willow said. I didn’t look at her, but continued to glare at the constable. “Mrs. Julianna is…” She hesitated, as if sensing the tension and unsure how to continue. “Delighted you’re here to visit, Mr. Corbin.”

  The older woman didn’t lie well. Julianna was most likely cursing my very existence. After all, I was interrupting her little liaison with her constable.

  “Mr. Thomas, wasn’t I just showing you out?” Mrs. Willow took Millie from his arms. “I know you’re a busy man. I believe you said you needed to run by Mrs. Miller’s home.”

  “I think I’ll stay, if you don’t mind,” the constable muttered, giving me a dark look.

  His threatening glare would have been amusing if I hadn’t been so annoyed. Mrs. Willow shoved Millie into my arms and latched onto the constable. “Oh, no need. No need at all.” Before the constable could argue, the housekeeper had led him toward the door. I wasn’t sure if she was on my side, or trying to prevent a war. Either way I was grateful.

  I grinned as the man was tugged passed me. Yes, I was gloating. It wasn’t my finest moment. Millie gurgled, drawing my attention to her. She was such a delicate little thing that I was terrified I’d drop her. I was barely aware of their murmured voices in the hall as the constable argued with the housekeeper, attempting to extend his visit. How strange that I’d wanted a boy. I couldn’t imagine a male. I could only imagine the beautiful little girl in my arms.

  Dark hair and blue eyes, she had a tiny button nose and a little bow mouth, a face of beauty and innocence. Eyes full of curiosity that reminded me of Julianna. She was perfect. Utterly perfect. Her lashes lifted and she stared up at me as if she knew exactly why I was here, who I was. My throat felt suddenly tight, my heart squeezed. I barely knew the lass, but in that moment I would have done anything to protect her.