Samantha Kane (5 page)

“See?” Very said nonsensicaly. “Just the thought of such a

daring adventure has you speechless.” She leaned closer after

casting a furtive glance around the room. “I can tel you that there

is nothing better than ilicit passion. Truly. And I want you to

have that.” She took Vanessa’s arm and continued across the

room. “It’s settled then. When you give me the signal I shal

divert everyone’s attention while you three slip out.” She leaned

toward her again, while stil walking, and spoke quietly out of the

corner of her mouth, as if imparting a great secret. “There’s a

corner of her mouth, as if imparting a great secret. “There’s a

smal, unused linen closet on the third floor, second door to the

left, that makes an ideal trysting spot. Here we are!” she triled

gaily as they came to a stop at the card table. Mr. Tarrant and

Lord Kensington, Very’s husband and lover, stood at their

arrival. They’d clearly been waiting for them, cards at the ready.

“I’ve found her.” Very plopped herself down in one of the empty

chairs. “I shal partner Wolf and Kensington wil partner you,

Vanessa.”

Lord Kensington held her chair as Vanessa obediently sat down.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady Vanessa,” Lord

Kensington said, his smile genuine. Vanessa wondered if he

knew of Mr. Gabriel’s and Mr. Wilkes’ plan and blushed. Lord

Kensington looked puzzled by her reaction and sat down with a

slight hesitation. “I do hope you wish to play cards, Lady

Vanessa,” he said politely. “I know Mrs. Tarrant can be rather

domineering.”

“I’m right here, you know,” Very said from across the table. “I

can hear what you’re saying.”

“That’s why I’m saying it,” Lord Kensington responded, picking

up his cards as Mr. Tarrant dealt. “What good would it do if you

couldn’t hear it?”

“Be careful, or I’l domineer you,” Very said with a mock fierce

“Be careful, or I’l domineer you,” Very said with a mock fierce

look.

Mr. Tarrant made a clicking noise, as if settling down a hissing

cat. “He would rol over and submit, as usual, my dear. Play

cards.”

Very laughed loudly. Lord Kensington did not dispute Mr.

Tarrant, however, and Vanessa thought she might have actualy

seen him wink at the other man.

They drew a crowd as they played, mainly because Very was

laughing contagiously the whole time as she bantered with Lord

Kensington while Mr. Tarrant tried to mediate their conversation.

Vanessa felt her loneliness grow as she listened, a fierce longing

for an intimacy of affection such as the three obviously shared.

“I was sorry that your parents couldn’t join us this evening, Lady

Vanessa,” Very’s aunt, Lady Randal, said at one point from

where she watched their game.

“They’re not in town,” Vanessa said, distracted by her cards.

“They are attending a house party in Kent. I feared I was coming

down with a fever last week and didn’t accompany them.”

“Oh,” Very said, ful of concern. “Are you al right now?”

Vanessa was startled by her concern. “Yes, thank you. It passed

within a day.” She gestured across the room to where Aunt

within a day.” She gestured across the room to where Aunt

Grace sat, deep in conversation with the dowager countess,

Lord Randal’s mother. “My aunt came to take care of me, and

has graciously agreed to celebrate the holiday season with me.”

“I’m glad you are not alone this holiday,” Very said, grasping her

hand. “You and your aunt must come to our house tomorrow

night for dinner.” She looked around the table. “You al must

come! We shal have a wonderful evening.” She looked back at

Vanessa. “You can see the baby. Say you’l come.”

Vanessa laughed at her earnestness. “I’l come.” Very clapped in

delight, quite pleased with herself.

Mr. Tarrant barely glanced up from his cards as he commented,

“It’s a good thing the household is used to your impromptu

dinners, my dear.”

“You al love them, you know you do,” Very said looking at

both Mr. Tarrant and Lord Kensington. Lord Kensington

murmured his agreement while he glowered at his cards,

seemingly unaware he’d just admitted to being part of the

Tarrant household. Vanessa took her cue from the rest of the

company and ignored his comment.

Vanessa had to amend her acceptance. “I’l come if I can. I’m

pledged to the orphanage tomorrow, to hand out charitable

gifts.”

“Oh, do you need help?” Very asked, biting her lip worriedly.

She often helped at the orphanage with Vanessa. It was how

they’d become acquainted.

“We shal help, won’t we Nick?” Mr. Gabriel said with a smile

at Vanessa. “If you would like?”

“Oh, good,” Very said in a tone that implied the discussion was

over. “I had planned to do some holiday preparations tomorrow.

Wolf’s parents are coming for Twelfth Night.”

“It’s settled then,” Mr. Gabriel agreed with satisfaction. Vanessa

raised her brows at his high-handedness but said nothing. She

saw Mr. Wilkes smile.

It wasn’t long before Vanessa grew agitated with Lord

Kensington’s play. “My lord,” she said calmly after they’d lost

another hand due to his poor play, “I must insist that you stop

cheating. For the other side.”

Her comment drew guffaws from around the room as Lord

Kensington stammered out a denial. Very threw down her cards.

“Oh drat. She’s figured us out.” Her comment caused even more

laughter.

“Wel, you don’t have to live with her when she loses,” Lord

Kensington defended himself. “She’s impossible.”

Mr. Gabriel plucked a protesting Lord Kensington out of his

chair and sat down. “I’l take over.” He waved at Very. “Go

on.”

Very raised an eyebrow. “Think you can beat us, do you? Wel,

we shal see, Mr. Gabriel.”

He wasn’t looking at Very. He was looking at Vanessa with a

question written on his face. “We don’t have to cheat,” she told

Very. Mr. Gabriel’s answering smile was victorious.

“Oh, that is a chalenge if I ever heard one,” Very said, smartly

dealing the cards. “Did you hear that, Tarrant? She thinks to

humiliate us.”

The play was even for a bit while Vanessa and Mr. Gabriel

learned each other’s style of play. Mr. Wilkes had been idly

wandering around the table while they played, perusing

everyone’s hands. On the sixth hand he stopped opposite

Vanessa just as she was about to play a card. He shook his head

very slightly. Vanessa wasn’t even sure at first she’d seen it. She

tapped the card again, and again he barely moved his head from

side to side. Hmm, Very must have another heart, then, and a

high one at that. Which meant Vanessa would have to play her

ace to win the trick. She touched the ace and Mr. Wilkes smiled.

Before playing it she glanced across the table to Mr. Gabriel. His

eyes met hers for a moment and a half smile crooked his lip

before he looked back down at his own cards.

before he looked back down at his own cards.

Vanessa played her ace and won the trick before she realized

they were cheating for her. And it had seemed so natural to

folow their lead. She ought to feel remorse for resorting to the

same sort of trickery she’d caled Kensington out for, but instead

she was elated. It was the first time she’d ever felt this sort of

communion with a member of the opposite sex. They shared a

secret, the three of them. It was a heady thought and she was

drunk on her own audaciousness. She had to take a drink of

champagne to keep the smile off her face.

And so it went for the next half hour, until Very threw her cards

down in disgust and frowned ferociously at Vanessa. “We shal

defeat you tomorrow night. You are fairly warned.”

Vanessa laughed and held her hand out across the table. “Peace,

friend. I look forward to another game tomorrow.”

Very shook her hand. “We meet at dusk.”

The crowd laughed and clapped good-naturedly as Mr. Tarrant

and Mr. Gabriel also shook hands. As Vanessa stood up, Mr.

Wilkes appeared behind her to pul out her chair. “An excelent

game, Lady Vanessa. Wel played.”

She smirked at him conspiratorialy. “Thank you.”

The crowd was breaking up around them and Vanessa waited a

The crowd was breaking up around them and Vanessa waited a

few moments before she smoothed a hand down her skirt and

looked pointedly at Mr. Wilkes and then back at Very. “I think I

shal go and refresh myself.” It took a moment for Very to catch

on. Then she insisted quite loudly that she must, this very minute,

have some music or her Christmastide was ruined. Half the party

moved off into the adjoining music room.

Vanessa waited until they had a smal space of privacy. Then she

said softly, “Very told me there’s a smal…retiring room on the

third floor.” Her voice was so quiet both men had to lean over to

hear her. Mr. Wilkes’ wide eyes flew up to meet hers, and Mr.

Gabriel winked. He was outrageous. But then, so was she,

wasn’t she?

Vanessa slowly made her way out of the room, sharing a word

here and there with acquaintances and smiling at her aunt, who

immediately went back to her conversation. Just before she went

out the door she nonchalantly turned back to survey the room,

sniffing her bouquet of rosemary. Mr. Gabriel stood at Mr.

Wilkes’ side, and both men were watching her retreat. At her

look Mr. Gabriel smiled and looked up at the ceiling.

Her heart pounding, Vanessa went in search of ilicit passion.

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Nick tapped lightly on the door. It had been left ajar, so both he

and Oliver assumed this was it. If not, they would have to do

some quick explaining.

The door was yanked open and a disembodied hand came out

of the interior darkness and grabbed Oliver’s arm, yanking him

inside. Oliver laughed and in turn grabbed Nick and dragged him

right behind. Once they were in there he only got a quick

impression of Vanessa before she slammed the door and they

were al lost in the dark.

“Are you mad?” she hissed. “Knocking on the door? What if

someone heard?”

“Wel, just in case they didn’t, it’s a good thing you slammed the

door behind us so they’d be sure to hear that,” Oliver drawled

with a thread of laughter beneath his words.

Vanessa moaned as if in pain. “I’m not very good at this

Vanessa moaned as if in pain. “I’m not very good at this

sneaking about business,” she confessed in a miserable tone.

“Perhaps this was a bad idea.”

“It was a briliant idea,” Oliver said soothingly. “Now where are

you?”

Nick felt a hand on his hip and he caught his breath at the thril

that shot through him. Here in the dark he could enjoy Oliver’s

touch without anyone noticing or caring. He stepped closer, but

Oliver patted his buttock and puled away.

“That’s the wrong person,” Oliver quipped lightly. “Ah, there

you are, my dear,” he purred, obviously having found Vanessa.

There was some rustling in the dark and then a soft, fragrant

shape was pressed against Nick.

“Oh,” Vanessa said softly. She squirmed, and Nick forgot his

disappointment over Oliver moving away. He bent his knees and

pressed his hips into Vanessa’s soft bottom. He gave a little rub

and a slight moan escaped him.

“Oh,” she said again, and the wonder and uncertainty combined

in her voice hit Nick hard. His heart was suddenly pounding in

excitement, his cock hard. The transition had been so quick he

ached from it. He hadn’t been this aroused from a simple touch

in a very long time. Was it the thought of Vanessa’s innocence?

Her trust in them? More likely simple anticipation. He’d seen the

fire in her. Now he wanted to taste it—to possess it and be

fire in her. Now he wanted to taste it—to possess it and be

consumed by it.

Vanessa made a little distressed sound and started to move

away. Her steps were clumsy and Nick could tel Oliver was

blocking her retreat.

“Don’t,” Nick rasped. He reached out and put his hands on her

hips, holding her against him. “Please don’t.”

“Open the door,” Oliver demanded. “It’s too dark. I want to see

you two.”

“No,” Vanessa gasped. “They’l see.”

“Who? There’s no one up here but we three.”

Oliver’s argument was sound, but Nick wanted it dark for

reasons of his own. “No,” he said. He wrapped one arm around

Vanessa’s waist and with the other found Oliver’s arm. “No.

Leave it be. I like the dark.”

For a moment they al stood stil, their harsh breathing cutting the

air. There was heat arcing between them, and Nick felt like the

conduit. He was burning up inside. Giving in to temptation, he

leaned down and breathed in Vanessa’s scent. His nose found

her hair and he folowed the curve of her cheek down to her

neck. When he put his mouth on her sweet-smeling skin, she

whimpered.

whimpered.

“Kiss me, Vanessa,” Oliver whispered. “Please.”

Her neck arched under Nick’s lips as she tilted her head up, and