Dominic's Nemesis (36 page)

“I said, get out.”

Eden felt the thing
’
s intentions and wanted to cry. It
wasn
’
t done with Nell
yet. It wanted her gone from the room. The entity flipped back the
ruined covers, flinging a spray of loose food across the other side
of the counterpane. Rising on wobbly feet, she felt herself stalk
towards the frightened maid. Eden saw images of her own fist
pounding into the young maid’s back and a hand snatching painfully
at her hair. She knew Nell. The meek girl would make no struggle,
raise not a finger to her betters.

“
No, please, don
’
t do this.”
Eden begged.
“Let her alone! If you truly want her to go, allow me to talk to
her. I’ll convince her.”

“
My way works best.”

“
Let us leave the room then. You can say
that you
’
ve gone to seek another
’
s company. She
won
’
t
follow.”

Undeterred, the entity was nearly upon her
when a soft knock came at the chamber door. Without waiting for an
answer the door opened to admit Dominic.

Dom!”
Eden wanted to run to him, throw
her arms around him and stay cocooned in his gentle warmth forever.
The evil thing though, staggered like a toddler just learning to
walk. Though at least it did not sneer at him as it had Nell. It
seemed to Eden to be eager to see him. Even trying for a smile.

“Dominic, is it really you?” The awe and
familiarity the entity put into her voice puzzled Eden. Did it know
Dom outside of its knowledge of him through her memories? Up until
now, she assumed the thing plaguing her was a pointless evil that
chose to victimize her because she was feeble-minded. Could it be
possible the evil had a premeditated agenda…that somehow involved
Dominic?

“Eden. What are you doing out of bed?” His
eyes widen.

Eden couldn
’
t tell if he was more surprised or worried. He was
upon her in an instant, and would have lifted her into his
arms…when the thing within her cringed away. Preferring to fall
backward on her bottom than be touched by Dominic.

“Eden?”

“Keep away from me you odd-eyed fiend.” Just
as quickly as the outburst sprang forth, she cut herself off. Her
next words were spoken in soft dulcet tones. Eden felt a swell of
hate overtake her thoughts belying the sweetness she proffered.

“
Forgive
me, Dom. I don
’
t
know what has come over me lately.”

Blast! The evil thing had just undone weeks
of careful prodding, gentle words and trust-building. Now, he had
that shell-shocked expression again. Frantic to sooth the hurt and
explain that the words had not come from her, but the evil thing
possessing her, Eden struck out at the thing in the only manner
left to her.

“
Hurt him again and I’ll make sure you
regret it.”
Just to prove the threat wasn
’
t empty, she garnered all her mental
efforts to bombard the evil with images from her own memories. Much
like the entity had done to her. She chose the most painful and
debilitating points in her life, the deaths of her parents, the
time in youth when she
’
d
broken her ankle. Images and feelings flooded the foreign
consciousness squatting in her mind. Eden smiled with satisfaction
when the entity writhed under the onslaught.

“Cara, are you hurt? You
’
ve a queer sort of smile.” Dom was at her
side, lifting her into his arms. “I am happy to see that
you
’
re improving, but
for my sake please take it slow. Where the devil is Nell?”

He could see her smile? Was she free of the
entity
’
s thrall then?
She tested the boundaries, probing her consciousness. No. The dark
cloud in her mind still hovered, encroaching once again on her
freewill. She must warn him before it overshadowed her
completely.

“Don
’
t trust anything I say.” She clutched at his collar
pleading with her eyes.

He frowned. “Eden?”

By the time he had walked them to the edge of
the bed, the evil had recovered.

“What happened here?” He looked from the
ruined tray to the bedding abandoned on the floor and spotted the
maid hovering in the corner. “
Nell?
”

“Oh, it
’
s nothing.” Evil Eden explained, waving a
dismissive hand. “Nell accidentally upset the tray in my lap and
then retreated in fear of being scolded. I was trying to reassure
her that it was no harm done when you came. Run along dear and
fetch someone to change the bedding.”

* * *

All frightened eyes and stammering voice,
Nell rushed forward to clear away the tray and its fallen
contents.

“Have a fresh tray sent up as well.” Dominic
called after her.

“
Yes,
Master Ambrosi.
” She dropped a curtsey and fled.

Nell returned a short time later with a new
tray and a younger even more skittish protégé burdened with a stack
of bedding that threatened to topple with her every step. The maid
deposited the new tray on the night table and the two of them made
quick work of the bed.

“Will that be all, then.”

“Yes, you may go about your normal business.”
Dom excused the two and gazed down at the bundle still in his arms.
Wondering how best to begin.

How did one propose a handfast? He
hadn
’
t any idea how one
even proposed a marriage. He tried to recall the advice that the
others had given him. Kathleen had said not to treat the proposal
as an obligation. Therefore, he must affect spontaneity and
romance.

Then he thought of Cael. His brother had
reminded him that the need for a wedding was imminent. Yes, indeed,
now more than ever. His expression softened at the memory of the
life force he
’
d
witnessed mingled with hers. His child, their child, at this moment
grew inside the slight woman he now held within his arms. He felt
her stiffen.

“Dominic, you may put me down.”

He complied, setting next to her at the
bed
’
s edge. “Eden,
I
’
ve been thinking…about
what I said earlier.”

“You said many things earlier.”

“I refer specifically to my mention of a
hand-fasting.” He eyed her askance, wanting to gauge her reaction.
“We have not discussed marriage, I know, but the incident earlier
has made me see just how precarious our current…
eh…arrangement is. I
…that is, I mean to say
that, I
’
ve come to
realize that I wish you to be a…permanent figure on the estate. Not
only that, but in my life as well. So, I wanted to ask, would you
perhaps consider making our pretend hand-fast a real one?”

“Why hand-fast? Why not a formal betrothal
and marriage?”

“For the same reasons I relayed to Greyson.”
His shoulders drooped. She was not eager to enter into it as he had
hoped. He loathed telling her of her condition. It seemed an
underhanded means of persuasion. Of course she would say yes faced
with the social ridicule that came with unwed pregnancy. He wanted
her to say yes because she wanted him as her husband, not because
she had no other option.

“Recall, there is the possibility of a child
to be considered.” He broached the topic feigning an indifference
he did not
feel.
“What I
propose is a two-month hand-fast. During which time, we can search
for a solution to this entity business. Afterward we will be
married in a traditional ceremony before God and church. Cara, will
you look at me at least?”

He caught her under the chin with his thumb
and second finger. Lower lip trembling, her eyes watered with
tears. “Is this arrangement so abhorrent to you?”

“Yes.”

Thoughtless cad! He scolded himself for being
such an unfeeling fool. Even if she had not been privileged to the
full measure of deference her title and status afforded her by the
peerage, she was raised a lady of some import in Boston. A woman
like Eden would not leap into a pagan marriage ritual not even
recognized by the Church of England. If he were truthful with
himself, he too preferred a traditional sort of betrothal and
marriage. Particularly when the mother of his unborn child was
concerned. So what was holding him back? Why not offer her what she
deserved, what they both wanted…

Lucca. The horror of repeating the past. But
really, what did that matter anymore? Cael had pronounced that she
was sane. Stephan and even Kathleen seemed more than ready to
believe her problems steamed from some external threat. So why
shouldn
’
t he be free to
marry the woman he loved?

Love. A new experience for him, and like
making love…it held a multitude of promise and yet an equal measure
of uncertainty. Love could ignite a towering inferno of both
passion and pain. Perhaps that was the natural order of things.
Nothing good came without a counterbalance of evil. There could be
no heaven, without a hell.

Though conflicted about taking their
relationship to the next level, there was one solid fact etched in
his mind and his heart: he would never love another the way he
adored the woman sitting before him now.

“Marry me, then.” He said the words in a
rush, afraid if he did not get them all out at once, he
’
d lose his nerve. He fell to one
knee, grasping her pale delicate hands in his. “With all the
trappings. Before God and all who care to attend, marry me,
cara.”

He knew a moment of panic. Her eyes did not
touch his face…she seemed to be avoiding looking at him. Her hands
were limp in his. She didn’t leap into his arms, burst into tears
of joy, or gasp with delight. In fact, he could sense no outward
reaction at all. She just sat there…then she turned her face
slowly, serene. Her mouth curved upward.

“Yes, Dominic. I
’
ll marry you.”

He sighed. The thrill and satisfaction of
knowing that she would soon be his warmed his heart, swelled his
pride,
and
fired his loins.

* * *

Eden could only watch the scene play out
before her, no more than an on-looker at a spectacle.
She
’
d longed for this
moment. Imagined a dozen different ways he would finally ask her to
be his, only to miss out now. She writhed in frustration and
displeasure at having to share Dominic
’
s proposal. At least the crazy bitch had the sense
enough to say ‘yes’. She had worried for a moment, being bombarded
by the thing
’
s blaring
hostility. A ‘yes
’
had
not seemed likely and certainly wasn
’
t sincere, not with the swirl of antagonistic
images the sight of Dominic provoked.

At present, his eyes sparkled with
excitement. A boyish giddiness that melted her heart…and enraged
the entity. His hands dropped from her face to the hem of her
gown…toying with the ticklish bottoms of her feet. The entity did
not recoil from his touch, but let Eden enjoy the wonderful
sensations. She felt the giggle bubbling forth. Not a peep of
protest as his warm palms slid at a leisurely and seductive pace up
her calves, taking the nightshift along with them.

“Oh…” Having a sensation all her own was
intoxicating, overwhelmed her thoughts. “Dom, make love to me.”

The thoughts, the feelings were hers and hers
alone. The evil had retreated to the outskirts of her mind,
disgusted with the pleasure she found in his kisses…running up the
hallow of her throat and nibbling at her tender flesh. She must not
lose her head. She needed to keep her wits about her, seize control
now that the entity seemed less dominant. Not to mention, the idea
of sharing their intimate moments with an interloper was abhorrent
to her.

His hand pushed gently at the insides of her
knees, coaxing her legs astride. “Dominic, no, we must talk.”

The heat rose in a haze of lust. She felt
over warm and fidgety. Her skin begged to be caressed, all over.
Desire for him flared to undeniable intensity. It swamped her
senses and scattered her thoughts, thwarting her very will. She had
to have him, now, inside her, stroking her, kissing her, pleasuring
the hungry mouth between her legs. She spread her thighs, ripping
the garment in her haste. Drawers damp with arousal, her hips
writhed upward, seeking, begging for gratification.

The entity must be manipulating her again.
Using her arousal against her. Distorting it, exaggerating it to
frantic propositions. Her breasts were unbearably heavy and
sensitive to even the cotton of her gown. She couldn
’
t stand the texture of it against
her skin and began tearing her under-things and the remains of the
gown off her body. The action made her appear wanton and perhaps
crazed, but she could not
seem
to stop herself.

“Dominic!” She heard her panicked voice as
her body gyrated wildly, her hands clawing at his clothes once
she
’
d relieved herself
of her own. “Now. I need you…”

“Patience. There is no rush.” He joined her
on the bed, poised on one knee bracing himself over her.

She succeeded in ripping the shirt from his
body. Buttons shot like bullets around them. Blood roared in her
ears. The only sound she heard was the beating of her own
heart.

“Eden—”

She pressed her mouth into his, plunging her
tongue inside, groaning. Her hands found the waist of his trousers,
gripping his man
’
s
appendage. Massaging it, for some reason she found pleasure in the
act and longed to feel it
’
s slick heat pulsating in her palm as she tightened
her fingers around it
’
s
girth and squeezed, stroked, teased…and not just with her palm,
with her mouth as well. The thought of the wicked deed provoked a
white-hot image of her doing just that. She couldn
’
t stop herself unbuckling the
trousers to loose the object of her desires.