It is hard to believe someone with such eyes could be so cold-blooded a killer.
“My chances of being elected to the House of Lords – gone, as though shot with a bullet. My chances of marrying too. So, pray, tell me, for what crime you think I am guilty that you would so obliterate my life?”
“You deserve everything that will come to you,” she spat back up at him, speaking quickly and quietly. “You are a murderer.”
His eyebrows shot upwards at this word. “Murderer?”
“I know what you did. You killed my brother for his gaming debts. So yes, I had no qualms about destroying your life, just as easily as you took his.” She had lifted her head, the better to intimidate him again.
He lowered his head toward her, making her retreat back down to the floor. “I am no killer.” The words were dark, spoken with more acidity than anything that had yet passed his lips. “Beckett? Beckett? That is your name?”
He appeared to be thinking about something – thoughts crossed his face in a whir, making the gray-blue eyes dart around. “Mr. Robert Beckett was your brother?”
“That was him. Are you recalling the day you murdered him?”
“I never laid a hand on him, My Lady.” His dark voice did something to her.
She felt a new knot in her stomach. It was not fear, anger or any bad emotion of the kind.
It was intrigue.
“Though I was not surprised to hear of the man’s death.” The Earl raised an eyebrow again. “He was a rake and a scoundrel. Performed more hustles at my gaming hall than I can recount.”
Cleopatra’s fury flashed within her as though it were lightning. “How dare you speak of him so?!” She strained beneath him, frantic to be free, but he merely held her down with his body.
His straddling position prevented her from moving and brought a new blush to her cheeks. “My brother was a good man.”
“He was a cad, a cheat and a liar. It is only natural he would hide his true life from his sister.”
“You are the cheat and liar.”
“Oh, believe me, Miss Beckett. When faced with an accusation so serious as murder, I would only ever tell the truth.”
“I cannot believe your lies. Tell me why I should trust the word of a man who would lead a double life?” Her words made him smirk slightly; it only infuriated her more. “You have deceived half the people in your life, it is only natural to assume any word you speak would be a lie.”
The carriage jolted, as though they had sharply turned a corner. The Earl strained against the force, trying to keep her down in her place.
It made her hot and clammy, with a new blush rising to her chest and cheeks.
He saw it. She could tell.
Instead of replying to her words, his eyes merely went back to appraising her. She watched for a minute where his eyes traveled, both fearful of the gaze and drawn by it.
“Do not look at me like that.” She tried to make her words as dark as possible, aware the illusion was ruined by the tremor in her voice.
“Like what, Miss Beckett?” he smiled; it was a rogue’s smile.
“I can read the thoughts on your face. Raise your eyes, Earl Larson.”
“That is a difficult task with you pressed beneath me.”
Her breath hitched, trying to deny the thrill of excitement that had been caused by his words.
How could I be attracted to such a man? The world is a cruel place!
“Then work harder to raise your eyes.” She ground her teeth, driving home her meaning. Despite her words, her eyes wandered of their own will across the broadness of his shoulders.
In their tussle, his jacket had been unbuttoned, revealing the navy-blue waistcoat beneath. It was tight across his chest, betraying the muscle beneath.
“If you wish me to stop appraising your figure, Miss Beckett. Then you should stop appraising mine.” He was smirking again.
Her eyes shot up to his face, furious to have been caught. The carriage jerked, coming sharply to a stop.
“You are to be taken inside now.” He looked up at the door momentarily before looking back down at her. “Now, you will behave, Miss Beckett, you will not provoke me further. Is that understood?”
“I will not follow the orders of a killer.”
She hated him. With every fiber of her being, she hated him. She just also detested the way his gaze set her body on fire and sent her mind to places it could not be permitted to go.
“Then you will behave for someone who is not a killer. And I am no killer.” He jumped up.
He reached down to her ankles and quickly untied them.
“My Lord?” a voice came from outside as the door opened.
“Coming,” the Earl nodded at whoever was stood there. He reached down and took both of her elbows, pulling her swiftly to her feet to guide her out of the carriage.
She wanted to cower away from his touch, but instead, she marveled at the strength in his hands and the firm grasp. She turned her eyes away from him to investigate where they were.
It was the center of town. The roads were lined with orange gas lamps and white buildings. Beyond the black railings that bordered the houses, the windows were all lit expensively with hundreds of candles.
Cleopatra’s gaze rested on the building before her.
It was the Wicked Souls Gaming Hall.
The tall white townhouse stretched above them with arched windows and grand pillars. The carriage had pulled up by a side entrance to the building, but Cleopatra recognized it from the number of times she had watched it from the shadows.
As soon as her feet touched the cobbled path, she began to scream.
Chapter Five
Alexander quickly muffled Miss Beckett’s screams. As he jumped down to the cobbled ground, he pulled her against him with one arm around her waist and another hand across her mouth.
She continued to wrestle to be free, but he was much stronger, holding her easily as he directed her steps toward the door.
He tried to ignore the press of her petite body in front of him, already beguiled enough by the woman from the encounter of her beneath him in the carriage. He did not need a further temptation.
She nipped him – biting the hand to be released. “Ow!”
“What happened?” Pip threw open the door and looked back at him in surprise.
“She bit me.” Alexander could not stop the chuckle that came from him as he reset his hand over her mouth again, adjusting the hold to cover her chin as well to prevent her from repeating the assault.
There was something amusing about the fire within the woman. It only made him want to have her beneath him again.
Fearing they would be seen, he lifted her with the arm he had around her waist and carried her inside. She kicked out to be released, but it was of little use.
As Pip closed the door behind him, Alexander continued through the building, determined to reach his own rooms that he kept for personal use.
“Patrons will be arriving soon,” Pip said behind him as he followed.
“We will put her in my room until then.” Alexander nodded, urging Pip to hold open the door to the staircase.
It proved difficult she kicked out at every step en route. It only made him lift her higher, preventing her from reaching down and finding any purchase on the steps. He soon had her up the stairs and followed Pip through each open door of the labyrinth of rooms until they reached Alexander’s private chamber.
Once Pip closed the door on them, leaving them alone, Alexander released her mouth. She did not try to scream, apparently having realized it was of little use anymore. Her eyes darted about the room in mere wonder, taking in everything she saw instantly.
Alexander untied her hands, knowing he would have to leave her quickly to serve his patrons. The thought of it filled him with concern, knowing she would just seek to cause trouble in his absence. As he released her wrists, he noticed red marks across her skin from the rope. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling guilt
plague him.
How has it come to this?
He still did not know what to do with the woman. One thing was clear, he would not release her until he had thought of a way for her to pay recompense for the crime against him.
“You cannot leave me here.” When her hands were free, she dashed away from him across the room.
“I do not trust you in anyone else’s company,” Alexander dropped the rope to the floor. “You have proved yourself violent enough as it is.”
He pointed to his kneecap to make a point.
“This is improper!” she cried, having put herself on the other side of a grand armchair, the better to keep some kind of obstruction between them. It drew another smile from him as he followed her, his eyes re-appraising her figure with each step.
Did the lady have to be so beautiful?
“Improper? That is what you are concerned with?” He laughed at her, delighted when she scurried around the chair to move away from him, her own eyes dropping from his face to look elsewhere.
“If anyone discovers I am here, my reputation–”
“Your reputation? Oh, My Lady, have you realized the irony of that sentence? You have demolished my reputation, so I hardly care if I tarnish yours a little.”
His words sent her running across the room. He followed her easily, continuing their game of chase around the small table.
“You said you have patrons coming,” she gestured to the door, a thought occurring to her. “I will scream when they are here. They will come to my rescue!”
“Oh, that would be very unwise, Miss Beckett.”
“Why?”
He caught up with her, managing to take her elbow and pull her flush against his body.
It startled both of them – he could see her breath hitch as much as his own did.
“Because you would not want little John to come to any harm now, would you?” His heavy words had the desired effect.
Her mouth fell open in shock…her chestnut eyes darted between his in fear. “I see you have done your own research.”
“A little.”
She tried to push away from him, but he kept her there – she pushed against his elbows to be free. “I must go to him. My brother will wake up all alone. What if something were to happen to him?”
“That is hardly my problem. Now, we are agreed. No screaming.” He offered one last dark glare and pushed away from her, turning to make his exit from the room.
“As you wish.” Her words were cold, intriguing him to her meaning.
That was when she started shouting, screaming for assistance. “Help! The Earl Larson has kidnapped me!” She ran toward the window, the better to be heard.
“Be quiet.” He was marching toward her, unbearably angry at the woman’s fiery spirit. “Hold that tongue!”
“You would have to make me.” She turned back to him defiantly, her dark eyes alight with burning anger.
There was but one way he could think of to make her close those lips.
He acted on instinct. He reached for her, taking her by her waist and pulling her toward him again – in the same movement, his lips found hers, silencing her with a kiss.
Cleopatra went to push the Earl away, but as her hands touched his chest, she found they betrayed her. Rather than attempt any kind of defense, her hands curled around his jacket lapels.
The force of the kiss had surprised her – what equaled the shock was her body’s will to relent to it.
I suppose this is what they call passion.
It was as though for a moment, both of them had forgotten their argument. As the Earl touched her lips with his tongue, she found herself capitulating. At the nudge, she opened her lips, allowing his tongue to find hers and dance together.
His hands were around her waist, holding her flush to him with strength as her own hands continued to pull at his lapels.
It was the work of only a few seconds, but she hated herself for it. Her good sense returned, questioning her mind as to what she had done.
Am I so great a fool that a kiss would distract me? The man is a monster, after all! He killed Robert.
She pulled her hands away from his lapels and bit his lip.
“Ow!” He reared his head back, but his lips were curled in a smirk. She tried to ignore the way the sight of that smirk made her stomach knot in longing, wanting another one of those kisses.
“That was unacceptable.” She kept her voice as dark as she could, aware that her eyes darted down to his lips, betraying her once again.
“Well, My Lady. It was the only way I could think of to silence you.” He pushed her away with his hands on her waist – it was sharp yet gentle. “It proved rather effective, did it not? Besides, you provoked me.”
“I did no such thing!”
He turned away from her as though he were heading for the door.
“What are you going to do about my brother?” She hurried after him, determined not to let him leave so easily and desperate to change the topic of conversation from their kiss. “Since you have abducted me, then you now have a responsibility. You cannot leave him to wake alone.”
“I will send someone to fetch him.” He stopped by a mirror, rearranging his cravat and waistcoat from their tussle.
“You would bring him here? To such a place?” Her voice was laced with disgust as she stood next to the full-length mirror, earning the Earl’s gaze. At the sight of those gray-blue eyes, she bit her lip, trying to stop the thrill they caused. “It is a gaming hall!”
“Miss Beckett, allow me to spell something out for you.” He stepped toward the mirror – this also meant toward her.
She tilted her chin up in defiance, uncertain whether it was anger or attraction she felt more. “What is that?”
“I am the one who makes the rules here. At the moment, your brother is but a complication. The quickest way to resolve that complication is to bring him here.” He finished resetting his cravat. “Now, I must see to my patrons.”
She could not resist spoiling the perfect image he had created. She reached out and tweaked the cravat, making it fall loose again.
“My brother and I will not be controlled by your rules.”
“You think not?” He raised his eyebrows, challenging her, then moved into her space, backing her up against the wall next to the mirror. “You owe me after what you have done to me, Miss Beckett. The situation you are in, well…from where I’m standing, I think I can do pretty much what I like with you.”
“I will kill you if you dare touch me,” she said through gritted teeth, trying to remind herself that he really was an evil man. Yet her mind wandered away with his words.
He had suggested he had control, that he could do what he liked to her. She wondered what those things would be – it caused a creeping blush up to her neck and cheeks.
“Fear not, Miss Beckett,” his voice was but a whisper, making her eyes drop to his lips again. “We are in a gaming hall, remember? There are many prostitutes here. If I find myself longing for a woman’s touch, I will visit them instead of you.”
He moved away, hurriedly resetting his cravat again as she marveled at the empty space between them. His words had shocked her.
“You have women of the night here?”
The Earl looked over his shoulder and laughed at her reaction.
She could scarcely believe it. In all her research of him, she had never thought his depravity stretched to employing prostitutes. Yet it should not have surprised her; many such gaming halls had them.
“You look truly appalled, My Lady. What is so wrong with that?” He moved to walk to the doorway again, but she moved in his way, suddenly desperate to be heard.
“You truly ask me what is wrong with that?”
“Are you a puritan, Miss Beckett?” He was still smirking, laughing at her.
She fidgeted, suddenly uncomfortable at his dark glare.
“I do not endorse prostitution.”
“Is it prostitution you dislike or an app
etite for the bedroom?” He leaned forward as he spoke these words, pinning her with his gray-blue eyes.
She tried to lean away, but her body only let her move so far.
“There is nothing wrong with the latter, My Lady. If you tried it, you might find you like it.” The whispered words in her ears brought tingles up her spine and neck.
In Temptation and Damnation with the Earl: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 4
