by Anna Bradley
The clock chimed the hour, and Natalia moved quickly toward the drawing room.
She had agreed to meet Lord Staunton tomorrow morning so they could discuss how to undertake what now seemed like a fairly foolish plan.
It wasn’t that she would change her mind.
A fiancé was a sure-fire way to get her father to forget his plan to marry her off to a stranger; Natalia was certain of that.
And she was intrigued by Lady Fortescue’s reasons for bribing her nephew to marry because no matter what he said, it was bribery. The fact was that the lady wanted Lord Staunton engaged and Lord Staunton, for reasons unknown, needed to comply.
Natalia rushed down the staircase, her mind still whirling.
It was just that she had to pretend to be engaged to the creature. And she didn’t actually know how to pretend such a thing.
Natalia had never been in love. Hadn’t even been close to it.
For the past two years, Aunt Mary had been taking her to London for the Season. She’d danced, she’d flirted, she’d allowed gentlemen to escort her to the theatre and take her driving in Hyde Park.
But not a single one of them had ever held her attention more than fleetingly.
How did one act when one was betrothed? In love?
She would imagine that she should at least want to be in the same room as her intended without wanting to plant him a facer. That was going to require some effort.
Natalia arrived slightly breathless in the drawing room, just on the verge of being late.
Her cousins had come home for the Yuletide season, their wives and children in tow. It was a joyous household to be sure. Far livelier than usual.
In the ordinary way of things, Natalia would have been in the thick of it all. Playing with the children. Singing along to the pianoforte. Discussing politics and new farming methods with her cousins, though Aunt Mary found it vulgar for a lady to speak of such things and Natalia’s interest in them deplorable. To appease her aunt, she could also happily discuss the latest Parisian fashions with her cousins-in-law.
But this evening her mind was five miles to the west, on a great big oaf of a man to whom she’d entrusted her future.
Well, she told herself stoutly, there’s nothing for it but to plough ahead and make the most of a bad situation. After all, she mused as she pretended to listen to the carolling by the pianoforte, we’re both adults and will gain from this. It is in our best interests to get along. We shall have to be civil.
***
“You’re standing on my toe, you ninny.”
Ben threw his eyes heavenward and questioned aloud what he could possibly have done to have landed himself in this situation with this bloody nuisance.
“You’re the one who told me to squeeze into this ridiculous spot,” he bit back.
“Be quiet,” Natalia hissed, which was rich given she’d bloody started it.
Having spent all of last evening and the short ride over here this morning telling himself that this was a good idea, Ben was fast forgetting the reasons why he’d agreed to this madcap scheme.
And the longer he spent in the less than delightful company of the ice queen here, the more he felt like just walking away.
The plan had been for them to meet at the river that bordered both estates, but since it had started to snow heavily at dawn, Ben had stupidly acted the gentleman and insisted on Natalia staying indoors.
Now, not ten minutes into their clandestine meeting behind the heavy curtains in a small morning room that she insisted was never used by the family, Ben was starting to wish he’d locked her out in the blasted snow.
“If we’re caught alone together, we won’t get away with a fake betrothal, you dolt,” she hissed, glaring up at him.
Ben opened his mouth to answer her back just as harshly but at that moment, the low winter sun suddenly broke free from the snow clouds, shining directly onto Natalia where she stood at the French doors.
For reasons beyond his comprehension, the sight of the sunlight lighting her hair, making it shine like a bright halo, glinting off the impossibly light blue of her eyes rendered him mute.
He could only stare like the dolt she accused him of being.
Ben couldn’t understand his reaction; the suddenly dry throat, the slam of desire that nearly took him off his feet.
This was Natalia Soronsky, for God’s sake. She had been a thorn in his side for eight long years, albeit a beautiful one.
And he couldn’t claim to be attracted to her wonderful personality.
Even now she was scowling at him whilst he stood there, mute and idiotic.
“What in heaven’s name is wrong with you?” She shook her head, a renegade curl falling over her cheek.
An excellent question, Ben thought.
Still, he remained quiet.
Natalia huffed out an impatient breath, her green gown straining enough with the action to give him an apoplexy.
“I don’t have time for your mind to catch up with mine, Lord Staunton. It would take a miracle, in any case.”
Damn, but she was a viper.
“Allow me to repeat the question that seems to have taken its toll on that poor, overused brain of yours.”
Ben was too distracted by that lock of hair on her cheek to be as offended by her comment as he should be.
“How are we supposed to act around each other? How do we act as though we are engaged? As though we are in love?”
It was very likely the single most idiotic thing Ben had ever done or would ever do.
But he couldn’t help himself.
Without any real conscious thought, he reached out and smoothed the hair back from her cheek, mesmerised by the sudden blush of scarlet that stained the satiny smooth skin.
“I think,” he began, his voice gravelly from the desire pulsing through his veins, “this is probably a good place to start.”
And closing the distance between them, he captured her mouth in an explosive kiss.
CHAPTER SIX
Natalia had one brief moment where she wondered at Ben’s actions and at the strange something that unfurled inside her at the touch of his hand against her cheek before his lips were suddenly pressed against her own.
Oh, good heavens, she thought, Benjamin Trafford is kissing me!
And that was it as far as coherent thought went.
She opened her mouth, whether to object or encourage him she couldn’t have said. But he swiftly took advantage of the action, deepening their kiss, his arms reaching out to pull her closer and press her body against his own.
Shock, disbelief, and every other emotion Natalia had been feeling were quickly replaced by desire, hot and potent.
Somewhere in the recesses of her jumbled thoughts she knew this shouldn’t be happening but lord, logic had no place in this. She had no power over the raging feelings he was awakening in her, causing her knees to buckle and her hands to grab hold of his riding coat for purchase.
The kiss went on and on, his tongue delving into her mouth, his hands roaming, setting fire to her everywhere they went.
She felt them dig into her hair, loosening her pins and sending her hair tumbling down her back.
Still, she couldn’t stop him. Didn’t want to.
This was Benjamin Trafford! Her childhood nemesis. The odious, arrogant, snobbish cad that she absolutely, categorically detested.
How then, was he awakening in her a feeling unlike any she’d ever known? How was he making her feel as though her entire body were going up in flames?
Natalia’s head was spinning, and she suspected that it wouldn’t be long before she ran out of air all together, but she’d rather stop breathing than stop kissing him.
Suddenly, however, the decision was made for her, and Ben wrenched his mouth from Natalia’s.
She felt utterly powerless as she stood there staring up at him, her breathing laboured as his own appeared to be.
Having never been stuck for words in her life, Natalia found herself
unable to think of a single thing to say.
But as her heart rate finally began to slow, a modicum of sense returned.
She’d kissed Ben Trafford.
She’d kissed him.
But this was no use!
The absolute last thing Natalia needed was to lose focus now. She had too much staked on their scheme.
She couldn’t allow herself to do something as foolish as develop feelings for her fake fiancé!
“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” she said as stiffly as she could. But she rather thought the quiver in her voice ruined the effect slightly.
Ben smiled crookedly, and Natalia was alarmed at how appealing she found it.
“It wasn’t, hmm?”
You are not allowed to find him charming, Natalia scolded herself firmly.
His sudden black oath was more of a reflection of her current feelings than his light-hearted question.
“It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, either,” he said ruefully.
“Well, you started it,” Natalia bit out.
Now that her mind had stopped spinning and her insides had settled down, she was beginning to feel acutely embarrassed.
While she watched, Ben heaved a shaky sigh.
“Yes, I did.”
They stared at each other for an age, and Natalia couldn’t for the life of her think of what to say to break the tension.
“So, what did you have in mind then?” Ben asked, and Natalia felt a wave of gratitude that he was moving the conversation on to less dangerous territory.
There would be time enough later to obsess about what had just happened.
But with only a week until her family arrived, they still had to focus on the task at hand.
“W-we should know each other. Really know each other,” she said, stepping back, away from the scent of sandalwood that was suddenly so tempting, away from the chest that she now knew was rock solid, the shoulders that she now knew were broad and strong.
His answering grin was positively wolfish.
“What’s your favourite colour?” she burst out, lest he say something flirtatious. She didn’t think her poor heart could take any more flirting from him.
He continued to stare at her, holding her gaze with his own mesmerising, golden one.
Finally, he answered.
“Blue.”
***
The truth was that Ben had never had a favourite colour until just now. It wasn’t the sort of thing he usually thought about.
Staring into her eyes like a moonstruck puppy, however, changed things. Now he couldn’t think of a single colour he preferred to an icy, coolly beautiful blue.
He watched, hypnotised, as a becoming blush stained her cheeks.
Perhaps he favoured pink.
Ben’s thoughts were as incoherent as he would expect having just kissed the living daylights out of Natalia Soronsky.
Later, he would berate himself. Later, he would wonder at the sheer stupidity and madness of his actions.
Right now though, he couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the taste of her. The feel of her. The beauty of her.
“Are you listening?”
Her waspish question cut through the haze of desire and bafflement he’d been drowning in, and he frowned at her icy scowl, feeling more than a little insulted that she seemed unaffected by their kiss while he felt like the entire earth had shifted.
“Of course, I’m listening,” he lied smoothly.
“What’s my favourite colour then?” she asked, planting her hands on her hips and raising that disdainful brow that drove him mad.
Damn it.
“Er – green?”
It was as good a guess as any. Besides, today she was in a gown of light sage and she looked stunning, so she should like the colour green since it was so good to her.
The narrowed eyes were a fairly good indication that he’d gotten it wrong.
Ben couldn’t imagine what had come over him of a sudden, but he stepped forward until only inches separated them, delighting in the hitch in her breathing, intoxicated by the scent of her.
“What is it, then?” he asked.
She gazed up at him, peering into his eyes with an intensity that affected him more than he liked, and he found himself holding his breath.
Finally, she spoke.
“Gold,” she whispered breathily.
And then what could he do, but kiss her again?
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Your sister Harriet has two girls; Althea and Jemima?”
“Correct. And your younger brothers Petr and Andrei will be arriving with your parents next week.”
“Exactly.”
Natalia drew to an awkward silence, her eyes darting around the frosty grounds stretched before her, focusing anywhere but on the man beside her.
Aunt Mary had thought her quite mad this morning when she’d swept into the dining room in her navy-blue riding habit.
“Natalia,” her aunt had gasped, dropping the morsel of eggs on her fork. “You cannot mean to go riding today. Why, you’ll freeze.”
Natalia had waved off her aunt’s concerns, assuring the older lady that she’d be quite well.
Standing here now, however, she began to feel the cold seep into her very bones.
It had seemed like such a good idea when she’d suggested that she and Lord Staunton meet away from prying eyes this morning.
Though part of her was uncommonly nervous given what had happened the last time they’d been alone, sense and logic dictated that they not be seen during these meetings.
Of course, being seen together would lend credence to their claim that they were betrothed.
But should his lordship kiss her again, and get caught doing it, there would be nothing false about their engagement. And they’d be stuck with each other forever.
Natalia was horrified to realise that the idea wasn’t as repulsive to her as it had been only two days ago.
Two days ago, she’d happily despised the tall, broad-shouldered earl frowning down at her.
Now, she couldn’t even hold his gaze for more than two seconds without remembering how it felt to be locked in his arms, her mouth at the mercy of his own.
Her heart stumbled at the memory of their embrace, and she swiftly turned away from him to gaze out over the icy vista below their current vantage point on a hill between both properties.
This wouldn’t do! She couldn’t keep running over that kiss again and again.
For one thing, it was keeping her from sleeping. For another, it was too dangerous. She was quite sure that the encounter had meant next to nothing to a worldly gentleman like Benjamin Trafford.
No doubt he had some mischievous reason for doing it in the first place. And of course, he’d have forgotten all about it by now.
But Natalia – well, Natalia had never been kissed before that moment. And if she were given to flights of fancy, she might well imagine that it had meant something special.
Unbidden, the memory of that kiss flashed through her mind again, and Natalia shivered, not with the cold, which was no longer a problem given her heated thoughts, but with impossible to repress desire.
“You’re freezing.”
Lord Staunton’s voice sounded in her ear, his breath tickling her neck from where he stood only inches from her back.
“I-I’m fine,” she argued, refusing to turn and look at him.
He was mercifully silent while Natalia gave herself an extremely stern talking to.
He is just a man. An annoying man, she told herself. And you will not be doing anything ridiculous like begin to care for him. You will just be engaged. Not in love.
Feeling slightly better and more equipped to deal with the confusing maelstrom of her emotions, she took a steadying breath and prepared to turn and face him.
Before she moved however, she was suddenly swamped in a heavy, warm material that smelt of sandalwood and Lord Staunton.
A swift and potent desir
e licked her veins as she inhaled the scent, and she turned to stare at him in amazement, her emotions once again threatening to overwhelm her.
A terrifying tenderness washed over her as Lord Staunton reached out and fixed the collar of the great coat he’d just placed round her shoulders.
He fussed at the material before finally looking up and locking gazes with her, pinning her with a golden stare heated enough to melt the very ground on which they stood.
After an age, he spoke.
“How do you do it?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
“D-do what?” Natalia managed to stammer.
His smile was positively wicked as he ran that gaze over her.
“Look good enough to eat,” he answered. “Even drowning in my coat.”
***
He was getting better at controlling himself.
He was.
Ben had spent the last two days telling himself over and over again that it had been a mistake to kiss Natalia Soronsky.
That it was foolish to be enchanted by her jet-black curls, her impossibly blue eyes, her biting, wicked humour.
But the image of her wearing his coat was a test on his resolve that he never could have imagined.
Beyond the sudden, visceral attraction to her that he’d discovered only days ago, this feeling was deeper, more tender, and infinitely more confusing. He felt protective of her, like he wanted to fight all her demons and keep her safe, always.
It was ridiculous.
And more than a little terrifying.
Much as he wanted to close the distance between them and kiss her again, Ben made a herculean effort to step away from her.
“I think we’ve learned enough about each other to see this thing through,” he said, forcing his voice to sound calm and even.
“Y-yes, I suppose we do,” she answered.
An icy wind bit into Ben’s skin, and he felt suddenly concerned at having Natalia out in this cold for so long.
“Come, let us return before it grows colder still,” he said softly.
He watched as Natalia’s eyes widened and she reached up to remove his great coat from her shoulders.
