Temptation & Twilight (17 page)

Smiling, she picked up the pace, gliding as if she were clasped in a pair of strong arms, being whisked around a ballroom. She twirled, giving it a go, then sensed, too late, that she had misjudged her whereabouts in the room, and her proximity to the hearth.

The loud crash of the scuttle and poker smashing against the marble hearth reverberated around the room with such a clatter that she knew everyone in the house would hear it. Stopping, she tried to reach for the rest of the tumbling objects, but promptly tripped over the hem of her gown, sending herself careening forward into what she prayed was not the marble pillar of the hearth.

After landing with a thud, her hands skidded along the smooth floor, her body following, only to be stopped by the impact of her forehead against the immovable pillar.

If she could see, she knew her vision would be swimming. Stars would be bursting behind her eyes. They were there, she knew; she just couldn’t see them. But she could sense the immediate vertigo, the nausea rise up and the pain of her head—not to mention her damaged pride.

Stupid, stupid fool,
she thought as tears stung her eyes.

What nonsense was she trying to prove—and to whom?

“Beth!”

She groaned when the door was flung open against BOUND GALLEY EDITION March 23, 2012

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the wall, making her already pounding head throb more painfully.

“Good Christ,” said a voice she did not want to hear.

“What the devil happened?”

“Go away,” she moaned as she brushed her hand across her skull and immediately felt a sticky warmth on her fingers. “Just leave me be.”

“Like hell,” Alynwick grunted, and she felt him lean over her, the scent of his body burning her nose, the heat from his chest comforting. Immediately she struggled against it as she felt her skirts being brushed aside.

“Christ,” he whispered, his voice unsteady, “your gown was only inches from the fire.” He shuddered. “You could have gone up in flames.”

She pictured it, her prone body igniting, the satin of her evening gown lighting up as fire snaked along her body. And all because she’d wanted to see if she could waltz. Vain, silly creature. So very greatly in need of his protection. Even though she would not thank him for it.

“Hold still,” he snapped, and she heard him reach into his jacket pocket for a handkerchief, then delicately brush loose strands of hair away from her brow. “You’re bleeding,” he murmured. “Let me have a look.”

“Get. Out!” she enunciated in a clipped tone.

“Are you dizzy?” he demanded. “Can you sit up?”

“I can manage myself, thank you,” she muttered as she struggled to sit upright. Moving her shoulders caused her to wince and hiss in discomfort. His hand, so warm and large, landed between her shoulder blades, supporting her.

“Let me look,” he repeated.

“Can’t you understand you are not wanted here?”

“Settle your feathers,” he whispered against her ear.

“There is no need to act all pricklish. You’re injured.” BOUND GALLEY EDITION March 23, 2012

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“I’m mortified! Can you not allow me to wallow in my own stupidity in peace?” she said, her bravado deflated.

“I’ll not leave you alone.”

“Wonderful. So I am to endure further mortification in your presence, is that it? You
are
a devil, Alynwick,” she snapped.

Her head hurt and her body ached. Her pride, well, it was damn near decimated. Bad enough she had fallen, but to be rescued by Iain, to know he saw her in such an unglamorous position, sprawled out on the floor, was more than degrading. It was appalling, not to mention utterly unacceptable.

“What the devil were you doing, and so close to the hearth?”

“Just help me up.”

He did as she commanded, but he did not release her.

Instead he held her, steadied her, not by the arms, but by wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close.

“Lady Elizabeth?”

She groaned again. Maggie. And she would discover her wrapped in Alynwick’s lascivious arms.

“Your mistress has fallen. Summon the doctor.”

“Right away, my lord.”

Elizabeth could envision Maggie bobbing a curtsey and rushing to do his bidding. “No!” she cried, trying to shake off his hold. “I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding, miss,” Maggie said worriedly.

“It’s only superficial. I just need a wet cloth.” Silence. She could imagine that there were shared looks between her companion and Alynwick, and she hated that she couldn’t see them, could not tell what transpired.

“Very well,” Iain muttered. “If you would be so good, BOUND GALLEY EDITION March 23, 2012

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Maggie, as to get me some supplies, I shall tend to the lady in lieu of the physician.” Elizabeth gasped in outrage at his suggestion, but found herself moved effortlessly to a settee, and lowered gently onto its cushions.

“I shall accept the doctor.” She sniffed, trying to find her shield and pride so she could brandish both before him. But it was a useless endeavour, for they were both still lying on the marble floor where she had fallen.

“Too late,” he said as he took the cushion beside her.

She was sitting upright, and felt a little bilious. She’d give anything to lie down, but would not give the maddening Iain a chance to be smug—and correct. “Your companion has already left the room, and now there is no one else here but me. Lucifer.”

She almost smiled at that quip. Almost.

“Why are you here at this time of night? Shouldn’t you be out doing something wanton and depraved?”

“How do you know that I haven’t come here for that express purpose?” he teased.

Sucking in her breath, Elizabeth tried to ignore him.

“Sussex is not in.”

“You don’t think I’ve come here tonight to be wanton and depraved with Sussex, do you? My, how much of a degenerate you think me.”

He was teasing. She heard the laughter in his words, in the silky voice that seemed to slide along her flesh.

“I think you a
proliferate
degenerate.”

“Yes. I know.” There was no further teasing in his voice. The light banter had been replaced with something that sounded rather akin to pain. But for one to feel pain, one must have a heart, a conscience, and Iain possessed neither.

“I can’t tell you where my brother has gone. You sug-BOUND GALLEY EDITION March 23, 2012

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gested that I be kept out of Brethren affairs, and Sussex has lost his mind, believing you correct. But I was told that he made a hasty escape after learning that Lucy had not been home since this morning. I do hope nothing has happened to her, especially after the events of today.”

“I am sure she is well. Sussex will find her.”

“He’s been gone for hours. Took Black and Isabella with him. I suspect he’s gone to the House of Orpheus, but again, he would not tell me. He only said he would return soon.”

“It’s a good thing, then, that I came when I did. You should not be alone. Now, come closer and let me see you,” he demanded.

“You’re not touching me,” she announced. “Besides, I’m perfectly fine. And it’s unseemly for you to be visit-ing in the evening when my brother is out.”

“And why is that?” he murmured.

“You know perfectly well why. It’s the evening, Alynwick. You know what people will think if it gets out that you have been over in the evening while my brother is not at home.”

“That we are having sex, is that it? You fool yourself, Beth, or perhaps you forget the fact that one can fuck quite adequately in the daylight during a polite morning call.”

She blushed at his crass language, and he laughed.

“Morning or evening. Either way, people will wonder what it is I am doing here. It’s the way of the ton.”

“Oh, your language,” she muttered, but winced as the pain in her head worsened. “You try my patience to no end.”
And desolate my heart.

To hear what occurred between them debased to something done in a brothel made her want to retch.

With an annoyed-sounding sigh, he reached for her, BOUND GALLEY EDITION March 23, 2012

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pulled her closer while ignoring her gasp and struggles, and tilted her head, to what she perceived was the light from an oil lamp, for she felt the flickering heat on her cheek, smelled the scent of the burning oil.

“You were waltzing.”

The words, spoken so softly, stopped her cold. “You were spying on me!” she accused in outrage, but with typical Alynwick indifference he did not seem at all cha-grined to be caught intruding upon her privacy.

“For whose arms were you risking life and limb?”

“None of your concern.”

She felt him brush up against her, then dab at her brow with his handkerchief, which was covered in his scent, and did nothing but stir her unease.

“You’re already starting to bruise. I wish I could have arrived sooner, caught you before you fell.”

“I wish you had not been spying in the first place!” Straightening her spine, she winced in pain before she could check the emotion. Alynwick was already leaning back, his deft fingers trailing across the skin that was revealed by the neck of her gown.

“You’re bleeding here, too—and bruised. Let me see.”

“I think you have seen enough for one day, my lord. I thank you for picking me up off the ground. Now if you would be so kind as to take your leave, Maggie can see to my war wounds.”

“I have no other appointments for the evening. I am happy to linger and assist you.”

“Well, I do have appointments,” she growled. “Now take yourself off.”

“Ah,” he said, and there was a wealth of knowledge in that one word. “Shelly must be coming by. An evening call? How sordid, Elizabeth.”

“Lord Sheldon,” she corrected. “And yes, he is. And I BOUND GALLEY EDITION March 23, 2012

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will die ten thousand deaths if he arrives and I am looking like this.”

“Looking like what?” he murmured silkily as he tugged a few strands of hair that were already falling from her coiffure. “Like you have been well and truly tumbled?”

“Like I have tripped and fallen like a blind fool,” she snapped, pulling away from him.

“Never a fool, Beth,” he said, and she hated—and adored—the way he said her name. “Shall I take you in my arms and waltz with you?”

“Certainly not.”

“Shall I just take you in my arms, then?”

“I am not a child, my lord.”

“I know. One look at your body and no man could think you a child. But still, I have the mad urge to kiss away your pain and make you feel better. I could, you know.” His voice was a deep rumble as his finger traced her collarbone. “I could take away the pain, replace the ache with another sort of ache, a thrumming heaviness, one of yearning deep in your core.” His hand slowly glided down, to where her breasts were pushed high beneath her bodice. Sinking one finger into the cleft, he slowly moved it up and down, intimating the carnal act she remembered all too easily.

“I could bend you back and pleasure you, and you wouldn’t even feel the scrapes between your shoulders as you lay against the settee, because you would be too far gone with the feel of my mouth and lips tasting you…

parting you.” With his thick finger he did just that, parted her breasts, creating a space for his tongue to flick and lave and circle, intimating another act he had performed on her once so long ago. He had a beautiful mouth, a skilled tongue that shocked yet excited her. She had been BOUND GALLEY EDITION March 23, 2012

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mortified by what he had done, but not enough to make him stop. No, she had only opened wider to him, and lowered her hand to his hair, so she could feel the movement of his head against her.

Oh, God, she was breathing too fast, her breasts responding to his touch, her body liquefying with the silky, tempting voice of the devil. “I know how it will be—how I will find you beneath the heavy layers of your skirts.

So wet, Beth, thick and drenched and ready for me to slide inside and make you moan with the pain and pleasure of a climax that I will hold just out of your reach, until,” he murmured, “you call my name and ask me to make you come.”

She was already wet, her breasts heaving at the provocative words. In truth, she was nearly there, and he knew it, felt his knowing smile against the crest of her breast. She frowned, wished she could glare at the man.

“You are positively indecent and insufferably arrogant.”

“I know, and secretly you love it, I think.”

“There is nothing secret I feel for you.” He was about to respond when providence saved her.

Maggie had arrived, making a great fuss as she carried her ointments and potions into the room. Elizabeth heard the thump of linen hit the table. Miraculously, she was able to grab hold of her riotous emotions and hide them behind a steady voice.

“Goodness, we’re not performing surgery, Maggie. It is nothing but a simple cut.”

“It’s begun to drip down your forehead.” Immediately she raised her hand to her head, and only managed to smear it more. “It’s drying.” What a sight she must look. And in front of Iain Sinclair, who no doubt was dressed impeccably and looking far too handsome, while smiling smugly as he thought BOUND GALLEY EDITION March 23, 2012

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how easily her body capitulated to his words of seduction. It was enough to make a very composed woman want to scream and pull at her hair.