The Devil Who Tamed Her (11 page)

S
HE’D BEEN CURLED UP, BREATHING
so hard against her knees to get a little warmth back to her face, that Ophelia hadn’t even known Raphael was there until he’d first spoken. He hadn’t gloated as she’d expected when he’d found her. He’d shown nothing but concern and anger, not at her, but for her.

She’d been beginning to fear that the coach driver wouldn’t return today. If he didn’t reach the town before nightfall, he might not. But all her fears had departed with Raphael’s presence. She didn’t doubt for a minute that he’d get her back to warmth and safety. She no longer cared that she’d failed to escape him.

“I’m merely going to kiss you, Phelia. I guarantee after a few moments you won’t notice the cold, and after a few minutes, you’ll start feeling quite warm.”

She started to feel warm just thinking about it. Not really warm, but the thought of kissing him was already taking her mind off the cold.

She’d been sitting there trying to keep her teeth from chattering while she talked to him. Every few seconds she had to fight down a chill. She wished he’d just kissed her as he did before, instead of mentioning it. Discussing it implied he was asking her permission first, and she’d rather not have to say that she wanted him to kiss her. In fact she did and had been quite disappointed that he hadn’t attempted to do so again, after that first kiss in the snow.

“You’re speaking from experience, no doubt?” she said.

“Of course. Passion generates its own warmth. Shall we give it a try?”

He
was
asking permission. How unrakish of him. When the deuce was the man going to live up to his reputation? But she supposed he only tried to bed women he liked, and they’d long ago established that she didn’t fit in that category.

“By all means,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll try anything to get warm again.”

“Anything?” He grinned.

“
Most
anything.”

But he was still grinning as he came closer, and then their lips were touching. His weren’t cold. Hers probably were, though not for long. But he wasn’t touching her in any other way, as if he was deliberately restraining himself. Or maybe he just didn’t really want to kiss her! She still felt an unexpected thrill to have her lips pressed to his, even though the kiss was rather tepid, as kisses went.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he warned, barely moving his mouth away from hers. “But when I suggested this, I didn’t have chaste kissing in mind. Exertion is the key, and that comes from passion.”

She drew back. “What do you mean?”

“This.”

This
was an entirely different sort of kiss indeed. He drew her flush against his chest, then wrapped his arms around her to keep her there. His mouth fastened hard on hers, forcing hers open with his tongue. That was a shock. She’d had more kisses stolen from her than she could count, but they usually ended abruptly with a slap from her. None had ever progressed to this amazing intimacy that stole her breath and started her heart pounding.

He leaned back against the side of the coach, lifting her into his lap so their mouths didn’t part. It felt as if she were lying on him now, which was quite an exciting feeling. One arm still held her fast, but his other hand slipped into her loose hair, his fingers threading through it against her scalp. Shivers shot down her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.

“Have you stopped feeling the cold?” he asked as he rained a few kisses over her cheeks and chin.

“Yes.”

“Do you want to feel my hands on you?”

“Not if they’re cold.”

“I do believe there’s nothing left on me that’s cold. I’ll show you.”

His mouth slanted across hers again while his hand cupped her cheek. It wasn’t just warm, it was rather hot as he moved it down along her neck then began unfastening the top of her coat. He didn’t open her coat far, just enough for his hand to slip inside and cup her breast. She made a sound deep in her throat. She wasn’t even sure if it was a protest or merely a sound of pleasure she couldn’t contain, because it felt wonderful, having his hand there, tingly, sensually stirring, making her want to curl even closer against him.

“Not thin everywhere,” he noted.

His tone was only half-teasing at the reference to his earlier comment about her being too skinny. The other half sounded quite pleased. The remark still caused her to blush, which just heated her all the more. But although he was managing to say things, he wasn’t giving her many chances to reply, because his kiss wasn’t actually ending, was merely pausing before his tongue thrust deeply again.

And then he drew her tongue into his mouth to gently suck on it. She moaned and she wrapped her arm around his neck without even thinking about it. Her knees curled upward on his chest. She did make a sound of protest when he stopped kneading her breast, but it was brief, because his hand wasn’t leaving her, was just moving in a new direction, down along her waist, then he was cupping her derriere with it to draw her even more tightly against him.

“Think of me as a pillow,” he whispered against her lips. “It’s all right to curl up and stretch against me.”

How did he know she wanted to? It was the most amazing urge she had, to crawl all over him! And she was learning quickly, this new sort of kissing. She even took over the lead in it, couldn’t seem to help herself, though he quickly took it back. They dueled with their tongues! They seemed to fight over dominance, or more accurately, they shared it. And heat was pouring off them both now.

He somehow got that roving hand of his under her skirt. She did feel a slight draft as he did so, but barely noticed it as his fingers felt their way along her thigh. And then she literally jumped in his lap when his finger touched her directly between her legs. He held her tighter. He wasn’t going to let her deny herself the immense pleasure he was capable of giving her, but she had no thought of stopping him, was too caught up in the novelty of the new sensations he was evoking.

She had grasped a handful of his hair, didn’t know she was pulling it. She was kissing him voraciously as the pleasure swiftly escalated, her entire body trembling with desire, not cold. But what suddenly burst upon her was beyond her comprehension. She would probably have screamed. As it was, he trapped a loud moan in their kiss as her orgasm pulsed against his finger.

Utterly drained, luxuriously replete, toasty warm in his arms, she could have stayed there all night. He was dropping soft kisses on her brow. His hand was merely gently caressing the outside of her thigh now. He made no attempt to move her, just held her in his lap. She could probably have slept. He would have let her, she didn’t doubt, and kept her warm, his body was giving off so much heat.

But he must have heard the movement outside. She did as well and lifted her head from his chest just before he set her back on the seat. So they weren’t touching when the door burst open. And poor Albert, ready to assure her that he’d succeeded at his task, didn’t get a chance to. Raphael’s fist caught him squarely in the face and sent him sliding through the snow to the bottom of the ditch.

“I
S’POSE
I’
M FIRED?
” A
LBERT
asked warily as he picked himself up off the ground.

“Damned right you are,” Raphael replied as he untied the wheel hanging from the horse Albert had just ridden back on. “After you fix the coach wheel and drive us back to Alder’s Nest.”

The stipulation turned Albert indignant. “And why would I be doing that if it ain’t my job anymore?”

“Possibly because the alternative is for you to walk away from here on foot?”

Albert snorted. “I’ll bleedin’ well walk, and I’ll be taking the money with me, that the lady promised.”

Raphael pinned Albert with a look, some of the rage he’d felt earlier reflected in his tone when he said, “You think I’m going to let you anywhere near her without killing you, when you left her out here to freeze? Don’t mention money again when you didn’t complete her task, which you should have refused in the first place!”

Albert didn’t know Raphael well enough to be wary or was too disappointed to care. “Fine then, I’m going,” Albert grumbled, but took no more than a few steps before he swung around and demanded, “You ain’t going to try to stop me?”

Raphael almost laughed at that point. Instead he raised a brow and said, “Why ever would I do that?”

“Because I’ll probably die out here on foot!”

“And your point is?”

Albert flushed with angry color and marched back to take the wheel from Raphael, conceding, “Here, I’ll do that, m’lord. I’ll have us back on the road in a few minutes.”

“I thought you’d see it my way. And you might want to put some snow on that swelling cheek,” Raphael added before he turned back to the coach.

He didn’t miss the mumble “Bleedin’
nabobs
,” he just chose to ignore it.

He didn’t doubt Ophelia had heard every word, and in fact the first thing she said when he helped her step out of the coach was “Don’t fire him.”

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.” He drew her against him to keep her warm while Albert replaced the broken wheel.

“Because I used my best smile on him.”

She didn’t really need to elaborate. He could only hope she never used that particular smile on him, because he could just imagine how dumbstruck and willing to do her bidding Albert had been.

In a teasing tone, Raphael said, “That vanity of yours must be a wearisome burden. Quite out of control, isn’t it?”

She snuggled closer to him to get warm again. “Don’t think I consider it a flaw, because I don’t. I actually don’t like the effect I have on men, but that effect is entirely predictable. Except where you’re concerned, of course.”

“Really? Why am I an exception?”

She glanced up at him. “Don’t pretend you don’t know. You don’t see this face when you look at me, you see the monster you think I am.”

He chuckled. That wasn’t the least bit true, but he’d rather not correct her other than to say, “I never called you a monster, m’dear.”

“Not in so many words. But you’ve implied it a number of times.”

She didn’t sound the least bit huffy or otherwise indignant over that reminder; in fact, she’d been agreeably mellow ever since she’d expended some of her passion. Not only that, having her hair loose and flowing about her seemed to make her softer, more accessible. It wasn’t his imagination. Or maybe that too was because of the passion she’d released. Actually…

“I believe I’ve figured out why you have so little control of your temper. You have a great deal of passion in you, which can be a wonderful thing, but you’ve had no outlet for it, except for your temper.”

She slipped her hand inside his coat to keep it warm on his chest. “D’you really think so?”

“Indeed. But then there’s one way to find out.” And then he groaned. “Just not here.”

A while later when they were back in the coach on their way to Alder’s Nest, she said, “Now that I’m nice and warm, I’ve noticed that I’m famished.”

“So am I.” He wasn’t referring to food. She’d woken a sleeping dragon tonight. There was simply no way he was going to be able to keep his hands off her now. In fact he’d been softly caressing her ever since she’d settled back against him again.

“We’ll be at the Nest soon,” he added. “And I probably should warn you that there will be no way to prevent my sister from finding out who my houseguest is now.”

“You didn’t tell her?”

“I avoided doing so.”

“Why? Were you intending to keep it a secret?”

“No, it’s just she isn’t likely to understand.”

“That you could want to help someone like me?”

“No, that I haven’t made you my mistress yet. She’ll think I’ve lost my finesse.”

Ophelia leaned back and gave him a curious look, then she actually chuckled. “That’s a bad habit you’ve gotten into, teasing me.”

“What makes you think I’m teasing?” He gave her a roguish look. “Did I mention I know a way to make you forget that you’re famished?”

She burst out laughing.

“T
HERE YOU ARE
,” E
SMERALDA SAID
perkily as Raphael and Ophelia stepped into the parlor together. “What an odd time of year to go off for a country drive. But at least you’re not too late getting back. We held up dinner for you. Shall we?”

Raphael smiled at his aunt as she stood up to lead the way into the dining room. It was a nice attempt to make Ophelia’s failed escape seem like an ordinary outing when it was anything but. It just wasn’t going to work with his sister, and in fact, Amanda, who had been sitting next to Esmeralda on the sofa, didn’t move an inch and was staring incredulously at Ophelia.

Ophelia was probably too accustomed to odd reactions from people to remark on Amanda’s open mouth. She merely said, “Hello, Amanda. How nice of you to leave the gaiety of London for a visit in the country.”

Amanda hadn’t yet sufficiently recovered to reply or even realize that she was sitting there with her mouth hanging open. Raphael sighed to himself.

“You two go ahead,” he said to his aunt. “I know Phelia is famished, so don’t wait any longer. Mandy and I will come along in a moment.”

Ophelia’s departure didn’t snap his sister out of it, she was just staring wide-eyed at the empty doorway now. Raphael rolled his eyes and said, “It’s a good thing there aren’t any flies in my house at this time of the year.”

“What?” Amanda said, then leapt to her feet in her usual exuberant way and exclaimed, “Good God, Rafe, I love you to pieces, but you really didn’t need to go to such lengths to help me out.”

Since that wasn’t exactly what he was expecting to hear, he said, “I’d go to any lengths to help you, m’dear, you know that—if you needed help. But since you don’t need help, what the deuce are you talking about?”

Her frown showed up immediately. “But that’s why you did it, isn’t it?”

“Did what?”

“Invited that woman here. You did it to remove her from the competition for me. So I’d have a chance to find a husband without having to compete with her.”

He shook his head. The way the female mind worked sometimes was quite beyond his comprehension.

“Mandy, think about what you just said for a moment, would you? You’re implying that any man interested in you would immediately turn his interest to Ophelia instead, if she showed up. Is that the kind of man you want?”

“No, of course not, but—”

“There are no buts in that analysis.”

“There are some things that would tempt a man beyond good sense. She’s one of them.”

He would have liked to argue with that statement, but since he was already experiencing some of that temptation, he couldn’t. “Perhaps. But if a man is going to be that fickle, I’d think you’d want to know about it before you drag him to the altar.”

“Drag?” she started to sputter.

“You know what I mean. Before you get a proposal. Before you fall in love.”

She gave him a thoughtful look. “That would be a good test, wouldn’t it?”

He lifted his eyes toward the ceiling. “I said it before, why don’t you stop worrying about finding a husband and just let it happen naturally.”

“Because the Season is half-over. I’m running out of time!”

“It wouldn’t be the end of the world if you don’t find a husband in your first Season.”

“Are you mad!” she gasped. “Of course it would be. Two of my best friends are already engaged!”

“I swear, Mandy, if you follow the pack and settle for a husband you won’t really be happy with, just because your friends are getting married—”

“I wouldn’t. I’m not that stupid. But I’ll be mortified if the Season ends without my at least getting engaged.”

“No, you won’t, you’ll just start ordering a new wardrobe for the summer Season and begin again. Now let’s go have some dinner. I’m—”

“Wait just a minute,” Amanda said without budging. “If you didn’t invite Ophelia here for my benefit—oh, good God, Rafe, don’t tell me
you’ve
followed the pack and are enamored with her too!”

“That’s a bad habit you’ve developed, jumping to wrong conclusions. No, I’m not enamored with her. I barely like her.”

“Barely? The last I heard, you didn’t like her a’tall.”

He shrugged. “So I’m finding out she isn’t quite the prima donna I thought she was.”

“But
what
is she doing here? Did she just show up without an invitation and you don’t know how to get rid of her? I’ll take her back to London with me if that’s the case.”

“There you go, doing it again. Stop guessing, and stop trying to wheedle information from me that is none of your business.”

As if she hadn’t heard him, she guessed again, “She’s hiding here, isn’t she? She thinks her second breakup with MacTavish made quite the scandal, which it should have done, but didn’t. I can assure her that it didn’t.”

“Amanda.”

She caught the warning tone this time and protested vehemently, “You can’t leave me in the dark! She’s too beautiful, too well-known, and too sensational to just be here for no good reason!”

“There’s a perfectly good reason,” he relented enough to say. “I’m helping her to develop a few good qualities to add to the pitifully few she has now.”

“Oh, sure you are,” his sister snorted.

He wasn’t going to try to convince her it was true. He said instead, “And you are not to repeat that or mention to anyone that she’s here. I do
not
want my name linked to hers or have the entire town of London going through the same sort of ridiculous speculating that you’ve just done. Am I quite clear about that?”

“Then give me a crumb!”

He sighed to himself. When did his little sister become so bloody stubborn?

“I’ll give you dinner instead, a bed for the night, and see you on your way back to your husband-hunting in the morning. Amanda, her parents know she’s here and Aunt Esme is acting as her chaperone. There is absolutely nothing out of the ordinary occurring here. So keep your pretty nose out of what doesn’t concern you.”

“Fine, so don’t tell me!” Amanda huffed on her way out the door.