The Bachelor Bargain (Secrets, Scandals, and Spies)

by Michaels, Maddison

  “Can we do that again?”

  Seb felt every part of his body clench in desire with her words. He closed his eyes tightly and focused on breathing in and out steadily for a minute. “No, Lady Olivia, we can’t do that again.”

  “Lady Olivia?” She looked suddenly confused. “What is wrong? Did I do something to displease you?”

  “No, of course not.” He was already making a mess of it.

  “Then why are you being so formal? Did you not enjoy what we did?”

  “Men always enjoy it, Olivia, that’s why we do it.” He swung his feet over the side of the bed and walked to where his trousers had been discarded. Putting them on, he glanced back to her. “It makes little difference who it’s with.” Liar, the voice accused again. “And one can even pleasure one’s self. You should try it sometime, you’ll enjoy it.”

  A gasp of shock or outrage left her lips, and her mouth opened wide. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Doing what?” He growled as he swung his cotton shirt over his shoulders and began buttoning it.

  “Being so cruel after what we just shared.”

  “It’s not cruel, it’s just reality.” He hated himself right then for hurting her, but what else could he do? He had to bring a sense of reality back to their situation, for both of them, before unattainable dreams could gather momentum. He threw her nightgown across to her. “And if you don’t want anyone to see you naked when I escort you back to your room, I suggest you put that on.”

  Livie shoved her arms into the garment, the expression on her face more furious than Seb had seen on her before. “Really, so all that we just shared meant nothing to you? Nothing at all?”

  “Don’t get me wrong.” He shrugged. “It was pleasurable. But did it mean more to me than the other occasions I’ve bedded a woman? Not really, no.” And that was the biggest lie of all, because never in all of his years had bedding a woman ever felt even a fraction as good as he’d felt bedding Livie.

  Every single inch of her body had turned him on. Even her scar was a delight, curved across her gorgeous thigh. Hell, part of him was jealous of the thing, always getting to caress her and be next to her. But if he admitted any of that, she’d get the wrong idea. She’d think he cared for her, and she’d probably go so far as to try to convince herself she cared for him, too.

  Which she didn’t. She was just in lust for the first time in her life, and as soon as those feelings faded, so would any caring she might have thought she had for him.

  “I don’t believe you, Sebastian.” Livie raised her chin and stood from the bed, her nightgown buttoned up tight. She hobbled across to where her cane was lying on the floor and picked it up before quickly collecting the rest of her undergarments and shoving them under her free arm. “But if you want to pretend that what we just shared meant nothing to you, then go ahead and do so.”

  “Thank you for the permission.” His voice was sour, and he couldn’t help it. She was seeing right through him, and that wasn’t acceptable. “But it didn’t mean anything, and I promise it will not happen again.”

  “Well then, I best learn to pleasure myself or find another willing man.”

  Seb strode over to her in four steps and spun her around to face him. “What the hell did you just say?”

  Her eyes flashed daggers at him. “You heard me well enough, Sebastian Colver. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”

  “Like hell you will find another man for your bed!”

  “Why not?” she asked, pushing his arms away from her. “You don’t seem to want to be in it anymore.”

  “For fuck’s sake!” He spun around and dragged his hands through his already completely messed up hair and took in a deep breath. Seb was letting her push him to the edge, and he couldn’t afford that. “Fine, sleep with whoever you want. But it won’t be me again.”

  “I will then!” she declared, as she stormed from his room and he reluctantly followed.

  She didn’t say a word to him as they navigated back to her room, and she opened the door and then closed it in his face. Seb sighed. It was the least he deserved, he knew it. Knew he’d been an absolute bastard to her, but he’d had to.

  It was better she hate him than be under the mistaken impression that she loved him.

  Women who loved Sebastian had a terrible habit of being found dead.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Livie woke to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight streaming through her window. She rolled over and groaned while grabbing the other pillow beside her and pulling it over her head. The little tweets sounded like massive hammers going off in her skull.

  Sleep had mostly eluded her last night, especially after Sebastian had walked her back to her room in silence, the atmosphere thick and heavy between them.

  She must’ve tossed and turned for hours, finally falling asleep well after the light had started to creep across the dawning sky. And now the birds and sun were conspiring to wake her. It wasn’t very nice of them at all.

  London, with its lack of wildlife and the gloomy haze of smog over the city, was much more accommodating, usually allowing her to sleep for hours more. But not the country, of course. No, everything in the country was done early, including breakfast, which the housekeeper Mrs. Brooks had informed them all would be served between nine and ten in the dining room.

  Rolling over, Livie opened one eye and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already ten past nine, so she really should get up. But that would mean facing Sebastian, and she didn’t know if she was ready to do that yet.

  Especially when every time she remembered what they’d done with each other last night, an equal measure of embarrassment and delicious desire ran through her.

  Goodness, how could she ever face him again? How could she ever look at him and not remember what it felt like to have him inside her, his body pressed closely to hers, as he pumped himself in and out of her until they climaxed together in pleasure?

  She was getting all hot and bothered just thinking about it. Perhaps, though, he might not even be at breakfast. Livie imagined he had much on his mind trying to work out how to capture the leader of the Lads and keep them all safe. Which she hoped was sooner rather than later.

  She couldn’t afford to be in the country more than a few days. The gazette was at a critical juncture, so close to publication, and though they had bachelors to critique, she wanted to annihilate Lord Daverell completely. Which meant she had to get back to London and find evidence against him.

  A knock at her door jolted her from her thoughts. She pulled up her quilt and called out to enter. For a moment, her heart started beating faster, a part of her wondering whether it would be Sebastian, but of course she knew it wouldn’t be. Even he wouldn’t be so bold as to visit her in her bedroom during the light of day, unfortunately.

  A young maid opened the door and bobbed her head into the room, holding some dresses in her hand. “I hope I didn’t wake you, my lady, but Her Grace thought you might need some assistance to dress. Mrs. Brooks found these in the attic. They’re slightly old and a bit outdated but should be your size.”

  Livie swung her legs out of bed, grabbed her cane that was resting beside the mattress, and got slowly to her feet much like she imagined an old lady would. “Yes, I do suppose some assistance dressing would be wonderful. I’m tired enough that without some help I’ll probably put on a dress backward. Though I shall just wear my clothes from yesterday.”

  “Very well, my lady,” the maid replied, and for the next thirty minutes Livie listened to the maid, who turned out to not actually be a maid, but a girl from the local village who the housekeeper had drafted into service yesterday evening after receiving word to expect them.

  The girl, whose name was Anna, chattered on about everything and anything while helping Livie to dress.

  It seemed from what Anna was saying, the local village had
benefited greatly from Sebastian taking over ownership of the old duke’s estate, and things had greatly improved under his oversight.

  “I don’t care about what all the gossip says about Mr. Colver,” Anna enthused. “He’s been simply marvelous to us all in the village. Making sure the estate sources products from the village and helping build the industry in the area. He cares about those under his protection, he does.”

  “And the village is under his protection?” Livie asked, as she sat at the dressing table while Anna began to style her hair, or at least tried to.

  The girl nodded as she pushed a pin into Livie’s bun. “Oh yes, my lady, he owns half of it. We were all worried at first, of course. Mr. Colver has a fearsome reputation. But he also has a reputation for protecting his people. And I can happily say he does that in spades.”

  The more she learned about Sebastian, the more Livie realized that, though the rather notorious rumors about him were true, they also left out a lot of the other, positive things he did for the people around him. Like actually seeming to care for his people and helping them get ahead, as much as she doubted he would want others to be extolling such a virtue. He did place great stock in his fearsome reputation. “How does he look after you all? I thought he spent his time in London mostly.”

  “Oh, he does,” the girl replied. “We see him here only a handful of times a year, though it’s been more frequently over the last six months. But he still keeps an eye on things, he does. My father owns the local pub, and Mr. Colver got him a much better deal on supplies from London, saving him a lot of blunt. And none of those merchants dare to swindle so much as a dime extra from me pa now, not since they know Mr. Colver’s involved. Best thing for this place, Mr. Colver’s been.” Anna stepped back from behind Livie and smiled. “There we go, my lady, all done.”

  Livie returned the smile, and though the bun was slightly lopsided, it had a lovely charm to it. “Thank you, Anna, for the assistance.”

  The girl did a quick little curtsy before turning around and leaving the room. It was now half past nine, and though Livie really didn’t feel like facing Sebastian at that moment, she knew that her aunt would comment if she didn’t get down to breakfast, which would create even more questions she’d rather avoid.

  Hopefully, Sebastian wouldn’t be there.

  Her hopes were dashed when minutes later she strolled into the breakfast room, her cane in hand, only to see him as soon as she entered.

  He glanced up at her, and their eyes locked, completely trapped in each other’s gaze.

  Instantly, memories of what they’d been doing with each other the night before bombarded her senses. She could still feel the touch of his hands on her skin, the whisper of his breath as he caressed her, what it felt like to have him inside her. A flush of embarrassment began to creep up her cheeks, which she did her very best to tamp down, but knew she was completely unsuccessful.

  It would do no good for him to see how he affected her, not to mention the man very annoyingly looked completely refreshed and energetic. Perhaps he hadn’t stayed awake for hours after their conversation like she had. And why would he? He’d made his position very plain.

  Pushing her shoulders back a little bit more, she plastered a serene smile on her face, determined to pretend that she was fine. Perfectly fine, in fact.

  Belatedly, she noticed that her aunt and Charlotte were also at the table and were watching her with rather curious expressions on their faces.

  “Good morning,” she said, wandering into the room, hoping they hadn’t seen her looking at Sebastian.

  “You’ve finally graced us with your presence,” her aunt bit out, deftly replacing her teacup on its saucer. “Though I do suppose you went through a harrowing ordeal yesterday,” she conceded. “Miss Hastings has been regaling me with tales about your adventure and how you helped her escape. Hairpins as lockpicks? Really, my dear Olivia, where on earth did you learn such an unusual skill? I imagine it was from Lady Kaitlyn, wasn’t it?”

  Livie wandered over and sat down next to her aunt, leaning her cane against the table next to her. “Well, of course I helped Charlotte escape. And yes, it was Kaitlyn who taught me, and I should very much like to see you try to chastise her over it.”

  Her aunt exhaled in a slight huff.

  Kaitlyn was the only lady besides Demelza who also intimidated everyone she came into contact with. A fact Demelza didn’t like. Not to mention Kaitlyn was the only woman in Society who Demelza couldn’t instill fear in, no matter how she tried.

  “Regardless of how you picked the lock,” Demelza continued, “it was brave of you to do so, and I am proud of you. But of course I would expect such a thing from you, being your mother’s daughter.”

  Livie shrugged, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the attention, but glad her aunt was focusing on those events rather than questioning her on what her aunt had surely noticed was her rather flushed appearance. “It was merely practical. Charlotte would have been able to get help. I would not have been able to.”

  “Yes,” her aunt confirmed. “I’m glad you were able to keep a level head in such a situation.”

  “It was far more than simply that!” Charlotte vehemently declared. “Livie saved my life. She got me out of that cell, knowing she was going to be left alone. It was very brave. And I will be forever grateful to you for saving me, Livie.”

  “What are you doing about this situation, Colver?” her aunt imperiously called to Sebastian, who was sitting at the head of the table. “I hope you have measures in place to ensure this will never happen again.”

  Sebastian lowered the paper he’d been reading. “I do, and it won’t.”

  “Good,” her aunt announced.

  They all went back to eating when a moment later the footman interrupted with a note for Sebastian.

  Pushing back his chair, Sebastian stood. “If you will excuse me, ladies, there is something I must attend to immediately. Though, might I have a quick word with you, Lady Olivia, out in the hallway?”

  She’d just poured herself a coffee and stopped short at his words, plonking the silver pot back onto the table with a thud. “Yes, of course.” Livie was glad her voice sounded calm, because her heart had started racing at the thought of being alone with him, even in the hallway. He came around the table and pulled back her chair for her.

  Then he picked up her cane and handed it to her, the pads of his fingers brushing against her hand, sending a jolt of energy down her arm. She took in a sharp breath and for a split second she saw the desire burning bright in his eyes before he carefully masked his expression and indicated with a wave of his hand for her to go ahead of him.

  She was vaguely aware of her aunt and Charlotte discussing what they were going to do after breakfast as she made her way out of the room and into the hallway, Seb following and closing the door behind them. Livie strode down the length of the empty corridor until they were well out of earshot before stopping and turning around to face him. “What is it then? And if it’s anything to do with last night, don’t bother saying a word. You made your point loud and clear, and I do not wish to revisit the matter.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  “I have no intention of revisiting what we discussed last night.” Seb dragged a hand through his hair in a habit she was coming to recognize was his way of dealing with a mix of frustration and annoyed acceptance. “What I wanted to tell you, out of earshot of the others, is that I received word from Lance.”

  All her frustration with Sebastian was immediately forgotten. “And?”

  His lips pressed into a hard line. “It appears he’s found the last of the Lads, including the leader. They are holed up in some tenements on the other side of the Thames.”

  “Oh…” Livie was glad they’d found him, but not so glad of what she knew Seb was thinking of doing. “What do you intend to do now?”

  “I’m goin
g to travel back to London shortly, but I want you ladies to stay here.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but he put a finger against her lips and silenced her. Annoyance flooded through her that, regardless of how angry she was with him, his very touch still made her body leap in awareness.

  “I intend to end this tonight, Livie, once and for all. To do that, and without distraction, I need to know you and my sister are safe. If you are here with my men protecting you, then I won’t be distracted worrying about you. Do you understand? I need to know you are both safe.”

  Livie nodded and Seb lowered his finger. “But surely there’s a way of apprehending him without you having to be involved? What about the police?”

  “No. They are too easily bought off.” Seb shook his head. “The Lads have gone well beyond merely crossing the line with their actions. I cannot have men like that roaming my streets. You know what I must do.”

  “But they’re not your streets, Sebastian.” How could she make him see reason? “Why can’t you have the police arrest him? If I were to tell my father what happened, he would make certain the authorities apprehended him.”

  “He not only had you kidnapped, Livie, but he was going to kill you for money, and God only knows what he had planned for Charlotte, too.” Sebastian ground his jaw. “A man like that does not deserve to live. I cannot let such a thing go unpunished. That’s not how it works in my world.”

  “I’m sick of hearing you talk about your world and my world as separate entities.” Livie felt like hitting him. “It’s our world, Sebastian. Our world. You can choose a different path going forward.”

  “Do you think you can change me?” His voice was a harsh growl. “Do you think just because you know some of my past that you know all the terrible things I’ve done? Well, you don’t. You wouldn’t have touched me if you knew all that I’m capable of.”

  “Why do you keep attempting to push me away by trying to scare me? You’ve killed people, I know that, but like I said it’s in your past, if you let it be there.”