Authors: Gloria Harchar
"
I
'
m not promising anything.
"
"
I know.
"
However, Ramsey
'
s grin told of his confidence.
He didn
'
t begin to understand the sacrifice
Malcolm
was making by even agreeing to look into the situation.
But
Nicola
did. She stared at him with shocked wonder.
His new vul
nerability hit him, and coals of fury stirred to life in
Malcolm
. Fear enveloped him at the thought that his wife had so much power over him—enough to make him break his vows, lose all sight of his goals,
and
change his whole way of life. He stared at Ramsey.
"
Stay at Wind
mere. And you had better start writing
your
bloody
letters to each of the members of Parliament about your concerns and ask them if they will take a stance.
"
Ramsey made a face.
"
All right,
"
he agreed with reluctance.
Taking a menacing step forward,
Malcolm
pinned him with a glare.
"
And if I catch you near a loom with an axe, I
'
ll cleave you with it like an apple.
"
In a sign of surrender, Ramsey raised both hands.
"
No need to get violent.
"
"
You
'
re lecturing me? You who are known to brawl in the streets?
"
Incredulous, he stared at Ramsey, who shrugged sheepishly.
"
I
'
ve got to get away before I do someone bodily harm,
"
Malcolm
muttered. The compassion in
Nicola
'
s green
eyes
was enough to make him a raving idiot.
Leave.
That was the only thought that whipped through his mind as he strode out of the drawing room. He just hoped she had the sense to keep away from him. All he knew was that he had to leave—to get away from her and all the confusing thoughts she produced in him. He marched to the
foyer
, then out the door, his destination the coach.
She ran after him.
"
Malcolm
, wait.
"
"
You can visit with your family. I
'
ll send the carriage for you later.
"
He stared at her, hoping she wouldn
'
t see how beetle-headed she made him—hoping she couldn
'
t detect his unbalance.
"
This is about your brother, isn
'
t it?
"
Reckless anger swept through him, the feeling debilitating.
"
Go away.
"
He got into the carriage, not trusting himself.
His foolish wife bolted after him.
The glare he shot her should have crystallized that pretty mouth of hers, like Lot
'
s wife, but those luscious lips moved.
"
You need to talk about it.
"
Darkness swamped him, controlling his fingers, spreading through his arms.
"
You think you know me too well, my dear. But you don
'
t know me at all.
"
He leaned forward.
"
I could choke you to death.
"
As if another being had taken control of his movements, he watched his hand reach for her throat.
She stared at him, her
eyes
soft and dewy.
"
You could not hurt me, just as you could never hurt your brother.
"
He was aware of the pulse under his fingers—her life
'
s blood flowing in that delicious body of hers.
"
Don
'
t even pretend to know my limits,
"
he growled,
and then
he kissed her.
Keeping his grip firm around her throat, the blackness moved his other hand down to the fastenings of her bodice. The buttons popped free, one by one. Her corset was low, so it was easy to unlace two
eyelets
to allow him access to her nipples. With the darkness guiding him, he bit at those sumptuous fruits, then laved with his tongue, first one,
and then
the other. By then her breaths came in gasps. He needed to feel her, to experience her.
After loosening the fastenings to his own trousers, he hiked up her skirts.
"
Open for me,
"
he said in a rough voice he didn
'
t recognize.
She did, and at the same time she threw her arms around him drawing his face to hers. As the length of her legs wrapped around him, he plunged into her.
Darkness still enveloped him, but somehow it wasn
'
t quite as black. A prism of colors filled the periphery of his mind
'
s e
ye
. It was her warm brightness, he realized as he thrust deeper. She hugged him, wrapping her legs around him in encouragement. It was as if she couldn
'
t get enough of him. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, because he certainly couldn
'
t get enough of her. But the evil, the uncontrollable side of him had taken over and she would be smothered, blighted by the night.
"
The only way you could kill is to give a
petite mo
rt,
"
she murmured, thrusting her hips upward.
"
And the only one you
'
ll experience it
is
with
me.
"
S
he
would
be his death, he realized. A shudder ripped through him. Pushing deep inside, the devil in him squeezed her tight. He soared upward, releasing his essence inside her as he took his fill of her and defied his vows of abstinence from joy.
The slowing of the horses
'
hooves brought him to his senses. He sprawled across
Nicola
, buried within her, his hand still wrapped around her neck. Fear held him immobile. She lay so still. Had he hurt her? Had his black side taken over and hurt her as it had hurt his brother?
Through his panic, he felt her pulse.
"
Did
I …
"
Her slim brows knitted together.
"
What
'
s wrong?
"
He stared at her, dumbstruck. Why couldn
'
t she see the devil within him?
"
What
'
s wrong
? Aside from the fact that I ravished you on a short carriage ride where anyone happening by on the street could see, I was too rough.
"
The woman had the nerve to laugh.
"
You were not,
"
she said in a sweet tone, buttoning her bodice.
"
I
'
m perfectly fine.
"
"
Nicola
, I
'
m a dangerous man.
"
"
You are not. Why, you
'
re all bark and no bite. You are nothing but a fraud—a generous, warm, loving fraud who doesn
'
t know his own worth.
"
The carriage slowed more,
and then
pulled to a stop in the courtyard to Windmere.
"
Bloody hell, you wouldn
'
t know a viper if it struck you. But then, I shouldn
'
t be surprised, since you believe in
pixie
s.
"
The hurt that tightened her lips was enough to make him want to take her again—to make love to her all night long. In desperation, he fled, heading for his mount and some dank, dark hole of a tavern.
The contempt in
Malcolm
'
s expression had been enough to make
Nicola
want to shrivel like an autumn leaf and blow away. She watched him take ground-eating strides toward the stables as if he couldn
'
t wait to leave her com
pany.
The warmth of his seed was still between her legs. His loving had been so fierce. Their intimacy had been elemental, exciting—at least to her. But he had pushed her away
ye
t again. What had she expected?
But through the haze of desire that clouded her senses, she recalled the pure panic that had darkened his e
ye
s.
He had spouted something off about being a viper and her in danger. Could he really believe himself capable of harming her?