She turned when he moved out of the shadows to her right.
“This is a pleasant surprise,” he said, his smile smug as he moved far too close for her comfort.
She took a step back and his smile faltered.
“I’m here only because I need to speak to you.”
His easy smile returned, and she found herself wanting to wipe it from his face. She licked her lips as she tried to think about how best to approach the subject without coming out and accusing him of being a fortune hunter.
“I need to speak to you about Emily. She is still very young and impressionable.”
“She’s not any younger than you and I were when we first kissed.”
She winced at the reminder. “And look at how well that ended.”
He didn’t try to hide his amusement. “I understand your disappointment. And I must say, I find your display of jealousy heartening.”
“I’m not jealous,” she said immediately. It was the truth—her only concern was for Emily—but she could tell he didn’t believe her. She shrugged off her annoyance. After all, it didn’t really matter what he believed. All that mattered was that he not take advantage of James’s sister. “Just promise me that you won’t encourage Emily. I don’t want to see her hurt.”
His mouth turned down at that, his eyes narrowing. “That’s hardly fair, Sarah. You know very well I couldn’t marry you when I learned your family was on the brink of financial ruin. But you’ve done very well for yourself. I don’t understand why you’d deny me the same opportunity.”
“This isn’t about me or what happened between us in the past. My only motivation in speaking to you now is to ensure that you don’t hurt Emily.”
He continued on as though she hadn’t spoken. “I regret that we couldn’t wed. I hate the idea of that brute you married laying his hands on you. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy ourselves.”
Her anger at the disparaging remark Robert made about her husband was quickly replaced by shock when she realized what he was saying. He didn’t know her as well as she’d thought if he expected her to forgive him and agree to having an affair.
“I’m not here to talk about us. Not that there is anything between us anymore.”
His smile could only be described as a smirk. “There could be. Don’t pretend to be surprised. I always thought we were meant to be together. It’s a pity your family’s circumstances kept us apart, but you should know that my feelings for you remain unchanged.”
Annoyance threatened to rob her of speech. “You made your feelings perfectly clear when you spurned me.”
He made a soft tsking sound. “Still so bitter? I imagine your disappointment must have been great, especially when your parents forced you to wed that beast.” His lips twisted in derision before he continued. “Oh yes, I know you very well, Sarah. How could I not? We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. I could tell you wanted nothing more on your wedding day than to escape.”
“Is that why you attended the breakfast? To make sure I was miserable without you?”
He shrugged. “You can hardly blame me for being curious about your new husband. But we both know you’ll never care for him the same way you do for me.”
Her stomach turned at Robert’s overweening conceit. How had she never noticed his selfishness before now? And more importantly, how could she have imagined herself in love with him? She couldn’t fathom that he expected her to believe he cared for her, not when it was evident that the only person he really cared about was himself.
She realized that he’d done her a great favor when he’d ended their courtship. She also recognized that this conversation was pointless. Robert Vaughan lived in his own world, one where he believed every member of the fairer sex would count themselves fortunate to receive even the smallest crumb of attention from him.
And, as always, he would do whatever he wanted. She’d just have to be vigilant about ensuring that Emily wasn’t ensnared by him.
He moved so quickly she didn’t realize his intentions until he’d pulled her into his arms. When his lips touched hers, anger galvanized her into action and she pushed him away.
“Don’t say anything right now,” he said, his hand against her mouth. She wanted to bite his fingers, but he pulled his hand away as soon as the thought entered her mind. “We’ll speak again later.”
Stunned into silence at his presumption, she could only stare after him as he sauntered from the room.
James finally managed to extricate himself from the card room where his father-in-law had demonstrated that he lacked any skill at all in playing cards. He also lacked the control to keep from playing and losing money everyone knew he didn’t have. He’d have to do something about that, but later. Right now he was intent on finding Sarah and inviting her to dance with him.
He stood just inside the ballroom doors, his eyes scanning the guests, but couldn’t find her. She wasn’t with his mother and sister, nor was she dancing.
He headed back into the hallway, wondering if the Vaughans had opened another room for their guests’ entertainment. He had just moved past a closed door when it swung open.
He turned in time to see Robert Vaughan exit the room, a satisfied air about him. Something about his expression and the fact that his wife was nowhere to be found set his senses on high alert. He couldn’t stop replaying Mrs. Vaughan’s voice over in his mind when she’d mentioned their past.
He took a step backward into the shadow of another doorway, waiting until Vaughan returned to the ballroom before making his way to the room the man had exited. With each step, he tried to convince himself that he was seeing betrayal where none existed.
The door was still open and he saw her before she noticed him. She was sitting in an armchair, looking down at her hands and breathing deeply. Trying to steady her breathing, he realized.
He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Sarah’s gaze flew to his as she stood.
“What is the matter? You seem upset. Has something happened?”
Anger surged as he realized she was trying to play him for a fool. “I’d say discovering that my wife is having a secret assignation with a former lover qualifies me to be angry.”
She stiffened at his words. “Robert and I were not lovers—you know that for a fact.”
Hearing her use the other man’s Christian name was like adding tinder to a flame. “Tell me, Sarah. Would that still be the case after tonight? Or perhaps you were merely making arrangements for a future encounter?”
Her chin tilted upward in defiance. “If you’re worried about your heir, you needn’t be. I know my duty, and I’ll make sure I am with child before I look elsewhere.”
Her cheeks were red, her fists clenched at her side. He couldn’t tell if she was upset he’d caught her out or angry at his accusation. His heart ached to believe it was the latter, but she’d never given him any reason to think she cared for him outside the pleasure he could give her in the bedroom. It wasn’t inconceivable that she’d seek out that same intimacy with the man she’d once loved. Perhaps still loved.
He turned and locked the door to ensure they wouldn’t be interrupted. Sarah might still love Vaughan, but it was he who brought her to the heights of pleasure. She was his, and he wouldn’t share her with anyone.
The sound of the lock clicking into place sounded unnaturally loud in the stillness that had descended after her declaration. He stalked toward his wife, satisfaction filling him when he saw the heat enter her eyes.
Well, at least she was no longer afraid of him.
Chapter 9
What was the matter with her? Why on earth had she suggested that she would look outside her marriage for the intimacies she shared with him? Even if she still had feelings for Robert—and their recent conversation had shown her that those feelings were gone—she would never betray her wedding vows. She might not love James, but she respected him enough to remain faithful.
He’d been more shocked
than anything when he’d accused her of arranging a romantic rendezvous with Robert, but now he was angry. The way his body had stiffened when she’d made her ridiculous statement, and the careful, measured steps he took as he stalked toward her, told her that her words had hit their mark. Despite the dim lighting in the room, she could see him clearly.
A part of her recognized that she should be afraid right now. Her stubborn pride had led her to provoke him with the one thing a man would never accept from his wife. But for some reason, she wasn’t scared of her husband. Her head might tell her that she was playing with fire and was in grave danger of being burned, but her heart wanted him to deliver the sensual punishment she could see burning brightly in his eyes.
He stopped only inches from her. Her mind was telling her to proceed with caution, but her body was responding to his nearness. As he stared down at her, she found herself struggling to breathe, her nostrils filled with the scent that was uniquely his. Her heart was racing, but it wasn’t from fear.
“I don’t share, so you can put all thoughts of Vaughan or anyone else from your mind.”
His breathing was almost as ragged as hers, the words spoken in a low, but deadly tone. And God help her, she almost swooned.
She couldn’t say who moved first… She reached out to grasp his upper arms just as they came around her. His head descended, and when his lips met hers, she made a breathless sound of excitement. Gone was the tentative exploration he normally employed when he kissed her. The movement of his mouth against hers, the way his tongue thrust into her mouth, was dark, urgent. A corresponding desperation swelled within her as she raised her hands to wrap them around his neck and tried to draw him into her very skin. Seeking to tell him with her body what she could never tell him with words—that only he would ever touch her this way.
James turned with her in his arms and moved her backward. She assumed he was going to seat her on the small desk in the corner of the room, remembering how he had once made love to her on her dressing room table. She was surprised, therefore, when her back met a wall. No, not a wall. The door he’d locked.
He raised his head and stared down at her, his eyes almost black. “You’re mine.” His voice was low, dark. She should have been shocked when he started to lift her skirts, but instead she felt shivery and hot at the same time.
She urged his head back down to hers, and he came willingly. His hands didn’t stop their movement, however. He hiked her skirts up to her hips and pressed his arousal against her mound. He was hard and huge, and her hands clutched at his shoulders. She tried to press herself more firmly against him but couldn’t get close enough.
She knew he could bring her to fulfillment like this, by rubbing himself against her. It wasn’t what she wanted, but she didn’t imagine he’d take it further than that.
She was very wrong.
His hands left her hips briefly and she made a small sound of disappointment until she realized he’d shifted away from her to unbutton the fall of his trousers. Her heart was pounding, her body already eager to accept him. She wondered briefly if she was going mad. Surely it wasn’t normal to be so desperate for another person that she didn’t care that she was in a house filled with other people. The door was locked, and all that mattered to Sarah was getting closer to James. She wanted him inside her… needed him inside her. If he didn’t ease the ache building within her, she would surely die.
She brought her mouth to the side of his neck and licked him there, just below his ear where his pulse beat an erratic rhythm. She was rewarded when he shuddered against her.
Her arms moved to wrap around his neck when he lifted her, and she made a soft sound of confusion when he kept her pressed against the door. She’d expected him to carry her to the desk.
His muscles bunched as he hooked one arm under her bottom and used the other to bring his hardness against her. He was poised at her entrance, the thick head brushing against her wetness, and she almost cried out in frustration when he raised his head to stare down at her.
“Who do you belong to, Sarah?”
He didn’t have to ask her twice. She knew he sought her surrender, and she gave it willingly. Eagerly.
“You. Only to you.”
He continued to stare down at her for several moments, some nameless emotion shifting behind his eyes. Captivating her. And then he pushed inside her, and she had to bury her head against his shoulder to keep from crying out at the delicious fullness.
He wasn’t gentle, but gentleness was the last thing she needed. She needed the reminder that this was what their relationship was all about. She couldn’t love her husband—she would never again allow another man to have that much power over her—but she could give him passion.
He thrust into her again and again, and some small part of her mind that wasn’t swept away by James’s lovemaking was grateful that the door was sturdy, making no sound as he drove into her.
Heat rose quickly, threatening to steal her breath as she raced toward release. When it came, she would have cried out if he hadn’t taken her mouth in a kiss that lacked his normal finesse. He was continuing to thrust into her, his movements jerky, and as she rose to another peak, she was surprised that her desire had not been completely fulfilled.
She tore her mouth from his and leaned her forehead against his as he continued the onslaught. “What are you doing to me?” she murmured, her voice unsteady, their breath mingling.
He didn’t reply, and her question was forgotten when she felt herself clenching against him again. This time she closed her eyes and pressed her teeth against her bottom lip to keep from crying out. Her breath hitched when he thrust into her one last time and released his seed deep within her.
They stayed like that for some time as their heartbeats slowed and their breathing returned to normal. When he pulled out of her and started putting his clothes back to rights, she almost moaned in disappointment. He handed her a handkerchief without a word. She took it, heat rising in her cheeks as she cleaned herself with quick, economical movements.
When she looked at him again, he was watching her, his arms folded across his massive chest. His expression was impossible to read. Their gazes held for several seconds before he spoke. “Will you be ready to return to the festivities soon?”
It took her a few seconds to realize what he’d just said, so great was her confusion. Surely he didn’t expect her to return to the Christmas party after the heated encounter they’d just shared? A quick look down at herself told her that her dress was wrinkled, and she didn’t even want to imagine the state of her hair. Everyone would know what had happened between them with just one look. James, however, looked as impeccable as ever.
“I don’t think I can face everyone out there.”
He scowled. “Everyone or Vaughan?”
This time she didn’t allow her temper to goad her into saying something she didn’t mean. “Everyone. I smell like you… They’ll guess what we’ve been doing.”
The corners of his mouth lifted in unmistakable satisfaction. “We’re married, love. I think most people already know what goes on between a husband and a wife.”
Normally his flippant attitude would have annoyed her, but his endearment unsettled her.
“Please, James.”
He stared at her intently for several seconds before relenting. “I’ll arrange to have the carriage brought around and then tell Mother and Emily that we’re leaving. The carriage can return for them if they wish to stay a little longer.”
She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently before releasing it again. The small gesture didn’t change the way she’d jabbed at him, or the fact that they’d just been intimate in someone else’s home—the Vaughans’, no less—but she didn’t miss the way his eyes softened.
“I fear I look a frightful mess. I need to visit the ladies’ retiring room, after which I’ll wait for you in the entryway.”
He brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek, and an unsettling warmth sprea
d through her as he said, “You could never be anything but beautiful.”
Chapter 10
Christmas 1812
As James reached up to loosen his cravat, he realized he was nervous. Which was absurd, really, but it felt like he had more at stake that morning. He knew he could take his wife to the heights of pleasure physically. He had yet to discover whether he could please her in other ways.
He glanced around the breakfast table, taking in his family. Sarah sat opposite him, his mother and sister on each side. Later that morning, Sarah’s parents and her brother would join them. The only person missing was his brother Edward. James had received a letter the week before that the British army had retreated to Portugal for the winter. When he’d received the missive, he’d hoped that it contained news his brother was returning home. He should have known better. Edward was committed to doing his part to defeat Napoleon, and aside from becoming injured, only victory would lead him to retire his commission.
Emily nudged his arm, bringing him back to the present. “If you’re insisting we wait until after breakfast to open presents, the least you can do is actually eat.” She glared at his untouched plate.
Sarah laughed, a sound that never failed to touch him. It warmed his heart to see how well she got along with his family.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with Emily,” she said, smiling at him before glancing at Emily with affection.
“Never say I wouldn’t do everything possible to please the women in my family,” he said, taking a large forkful of eggs.
Sarah’s eyes met his, and he almost choked at the heat he saw reflected there. His thoughts immediately went to the previous night, and he knew she was remembering it as well. She had just finished her monthly courses, and after being away from her for several days, he’d been insatiable.
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