Belong To Me (book 4) (The Fielding Brothers Saga) (20 page)

His large strides brought him toward her, preying on her like a tiger on the kill, but she dodged his every move. She slipped behind the large desk and kept it between them. A flicker of apprehension coursed through her. She needed to stay calm and in control or lest she betray herself and Ian.

“You have the tongue of a viper, Charlotte. How can you believe your husband is innocent?” A dark, congested expression settled on his sinister features.

“You don’t have enough evidence against him to prove otherwise.” It pleased her how nonchalant she sounded when her heart was beating a mad tune of panic.

“But Charlotte, my dear,” he said, quickly stepping around the table. She circled the other way. “I heard a little rumor that you don’t know you husband well at all. Isn’t it fair to assume his accusers are the more adept judges of his character?”

“It’s not fair to assume anything of that nature.”

Sidestepping him, she once again slipped away, but the impossible man didn’t give up. He lunged across the side of the desk and seized her roughly by the arm.

“Unhand me this very second!” Fear gave way to anger and she lifted her chin, meeting his icy stare straight on.

He cackled a victorious laugh when he stood beside her.
“Or what, my dear?
Are you going to scream?” He laughed wickedly, his tone low and sinister. “If you’re thinking Ewan Stout will come to your rescue, think again. I sent him away.”

“You are certainly no gentleman.”

“Of course not.”
He snickered again. “However, the ladies seem to like that particular trait in me.”

His beady eyes narrowed on her face and slithered down her body, making her feel repulsed. “What ladies? I don’t believe you’ve ever in your life been close to a real lady.” She struggled against his tight grip, but he was much too strong. Her fear escalated by the second. What kind of sick game was he playing with her?

He sneered. “Come here, my little hell-cat. I’m going to teach you to respect authority, the same lesson Fielding needs to learn. Through you, I’ll hurt him as much as he’s hurt me.”

Surprise and horror siphoned the blood from her face. She choked back a frightened cry of outrage. With a viselike grip, he pulled her hard against his body, bending his head as his disgusting mouth hovered above hers. She turned her face to avoid the sickening contact. Her struggles didn’t faze the man. Her small frame couldn’t compare to his strength.

He pressed his open mouth to hers, and his slobbery lips sent a wave of nausea to her stomach. She tried moving away, but his mouth stayed over hers no matter which way she turned. Up against the wall he pushed her until he was fully pressed next to her.

Anger surged through her, and she pulled a hand free and clawed at his face, but quick as lightning, he captured her wrists and imprisoned them behind her back. Using his other hand, he groped at her person, hurting and disgusting her completely. A frightful sob tore from her, but nothing would stop this madman.

Painfully, he yanked her to Ian’s desk and pushed her down, his fingers searching frantically for buttons on the bodice of her blouse. As each button came loose, her bosom slowly came into view. She took the chance to scream, but he placed his mouth over hers again to silence the noise. Tears streamed down her face into her hair as his hands ripped at her clothes. He shredded her bodice, buttons breaking away from the material. There wasn’t one thing she could do to stop him. The muscles in her arms screamed in protest as she continued to struggle to free
herself
, but his weight kept her in place.

“If you violate me, I’ll personally seek you out and kill you!” she cried.

His mocking laugh was scornful. “I don’t think so, my dear Charlotte,” he hissed. “If you even harm one hair on my head, I’ll see you hanged along with your husband, and you know I’ll do it.”

She let out another cry of anguish. Miraculously, his weight suddenly lifted off her and he was thrown against the wall. A strong voice thundered through the room. “And, if you touch Mrs. Fielding again, I shall surely kill you, and love doing it too…painfully and very, very slowly.” Adam’s voice came out low and dangerous like a growl.

She swung her head to the large presence limping toward the commissioner who now jumped to his feet and feasted his eyes on Lord Thatcher.

Charlotte whimpered with relief. His anger was evident in his fierce expression. At this moment, his tight jaw, pursed lips, and dark scowl made him look like the beast everyone thought he was. She quickly pulled her bodice together to cover herself.

Adam grabbed the other man’s lapels and yanked him closer. The commissioner stared wide-eyed at the vicious brute before him. The man of the law swallowed hard. She knew Adam could kill him with his bare hands if he chose.

Jeffrey Franklin pulled himself upright and lifted his chin. “If you kill me, you will hang, too. Ewan Stout knows I’m here.”

Adam let out an evil laugh. “Then I suppose I’ll have to kill Mr. Stout, as well.”

Color left the commissioner’s face. “If you kill me...it’ll look bad for Ian Fielding because we’re in his office,” he stammered.

Charlotte’s heart dropped. At this moment, she wanted Adam to kill the commissioner, but not if it meant getting Ian in trouble, or Adam hanged for murder. Lines of worry etched across Adam’s face. Would he give in—or kill?

“You’re better off dead, but you’re not worth my efforts.” Adam’s tone was edged with steel. “Besides, I don’t want my friend or his wife hurt anymore by the likes of you. I will, however, warn you, commissioner. If you ever so much as look at Mrs. Fielding again with lust in your eyes, I shall tear you limb from limb, slowly and very painfully. You will beg for a quick death. Do you understand?”

Commissioner Franklin nodded, and then groaned and looked down at his pants as wetness darkened the material at his groin. “I—I—I’ll not speak to her again.”

“You shall not even look at her,” Adam warned again in a louder voice.

“I won’t,” he answered obediently, hanging his head.

Adam gave him a vicious shake before dropping him to the floor in a heap. The insipid commissioner stumbled quickly to his feet and left the building.

When Adam turned back to Charlotte, tremors of relief swept through her body. Her clumsy, shaky hands tried ineffectively to cover her torn bodice. In two large awkward steps, Adam was in front of her, gathering her in his strong arms.

Her sobs gushed forward and she cried into her protector’s chest. “I thought
he
...he...that he would...”

“
Shhh
, Charlotte. Please don’t fret. He’ll never touch you again, I promise.” He stroked her hair softly.

“How...did...you...know I was here?” She tilted up her head to look at him.

“One of Ian’s loyal servants was worried about you and told me of your plans.” Adam’s gentle smile turned into a scowl. “Of course, I didn’t think the man whom I’d be protecting you from would be a man of the law.”

She sniffed. “Neither did
I
.”

Adam reached into his over jacket and pulled out a handkerchief and gently dabbed her eyes then pressed it in her hand. He shook off his own overcoat before draping it around her shoulders. He gathered her in his arms where she clung to him until her body regained control and the shakes disappeared. His hold comforted and relaxed her.

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I did what any man would have done for a woman who needed to hide her bosom.”

“No, Adam, I didn’t mean that.” She struggled with her emotions, which were on the brink of crumbling. “I just don’t know what would have happened if you had not come.” Tears spilled from her eyes. “Yes, I do know what would have happened.”

“
Shhh
.”
His hands cupped her face as his thumbs wiped the wetness from her cheeks. “It’s over now. Please, don’t cry.”

She circled her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his chest. His nearness was incredibly reassuring, and cozy. She didn’t want to move. It was improper to show him this kind of affection, but she refused to let this wondrous feeling end. The comforting soon turned into something entirely different. Precedence dictated she
withdraw
, but she waited for him to do it first.

The moment never happened. Quickly, the heat of his body merged with hers and her heart hammered out a different rhythm. His hot hands drew small circles on her back, his steamy breath against her neck. She couldn’t believe her body would respond so urgently to his mere touch.

“Charlotte?” he whispered huskily as his lips moved closer to her ear. “We should really get you back to the castle now.”

“Yes.”

Still he didn’t pull away, but this incredible moment had to be broken. She pulled back, but only slightly. Raising her gaze, she looked into his shadowed eyes, dark with desire. The knowledge stirred a roaring fire deep within her that she couldn’t extinguish.

She studied every inch of his scarred face, coming to rest on his mouth and the black mustache above his lip, and heaven help
her,
she had the urge to kiss him. Fierce rhythms from her heart thundered loudly throughout her body, warning her she was a married woman and this wasn’t proper, but the tingles in her body urged her to do it anyway.

Feeling the need to reward him for rescuing her, she followed her body’s influence and slowly lifted her head to press her mouth to his inviting lips. Lightning bolts erupted inside her, making her want to touch him, but when she touched the side of his face where the scar was located, he jumped back and broke the kiss, and the exquisite feeling that accompanied it.

Charlotte stared into his wide eyes as their deep breaths mingled. She swallowed her guilty feelings when he lowered his gaze and rose.

He cleared his throat. “Please forgive me, but I couldn’t seem to refrain myself.” Huskiness laced his speech. “I suppose I’m no better than the commissioner.”

Shame washed over her. “No, Adam. You’re one hundred times better than that man. The kiss we shared was done in kindness, not forced as was his.”

Adam avoided her gaze. “But it wasn’t right. You are a married woman, and it shouldn’t have happened.” He shook his head. “Let’s get you out of here before Ian’s secretary returns. I fear I might severely hurt him for allowing the commissioner into the room alone with you, knowing full well what that man intended.”

Charlotte quickly moved off the desk, still keeping the jacket securely around her. It was hard to believe what had just happened between them, but she couldn’t deny the curious sensations her body had experienced.

Today’s astonishing thrill left her confused. She needed to do some serious thinking about her own husband and these new feelings she had for Lord Thatcher.

Perhaps she and Ian were not meant to be husband and wife after all.

Chapter Eleven

Charlotte sank into the tub and moaned softly, letting the hot water relax her tense muscles. Like dancing fingers across her skin, the steam healed her. When she let herself think about what the commissioner had done, she could still feel his slobbering mouth upon her flesh. Her skin crawled with disgust.

Instead, she tried to focus on the way Adam had comforted her, something she shouldn’t let control her mind. Somehow, she had become attracted to him, an attraction that went far beyond appearance. Her feelings for him had nothing to do with reason. Although his body was more muscular and alluring than she’d first thought, it was actually his sweet and caring nature that lured her. She was able to look past his scar and see deep inside to the man he truly was. And she liked what she saw.

She held the sponge up and allowed the water to drip across her arm. Charlotte closed her eyes and thought about the two men in her life. First, there was Ian. Strong, devilishly handsome, and determined, but plagued by problems in both his business and his private life.
And Adam, also strong and muscular, not ugly, but gentle and caring.
If it weren’t for Ian, would she fall for Adam?

She climbed out of the tub and toweled herself dry, and then dressed in her shift. The sheer ice blue matching wrapper with billowy sleeves was comfortable enough for her to just lounge around her room. The weather had turned warmer this afternoon, and she welcomed it.

With her brush, she stroked her locks, the bristles on her scalp relaxing her. As she peered out the window down at the yard, her mind returned to Adam once again. He’d apologized for kissing her, which was incredibly sweet, but then not a word had been spoken between them on the way back to the castle. By Adam’s furrowed brow, she wondered if guilt ate away at his conscience.

Why didn’t she feel any remorse for kissing him? She should. After all, Ian was her husband. They were gradually putting their marriage in order. Yet, her relationship with Adam had been growing stronger lately.

A sound from the corner of the room pulled her away from her thoughts, and she swung her head in that direction. She stared in dismay, for someone was in the room! A lean frame emerged from the shadows, and she gasped with surprise.

“Your loveliness is such a vision for these lonely eyes of mine,” Ian told her as he walked to her, his stare boldly moving over her attire. From his heated expression, she suddenly realized that standing in front of the window, she’d been in total silhouette. The blood rushed to her face.