Tempted by You

by Tiffany Clare

  Dear Lord, what the mere sight of her did to him!

  There was something about her that made him want indescribable things—of himself and his music.

  Benedict Johnson, the cad, intercepted her before she could make it to the dining hall and whisked her into a small sitting room. Thaddeus wanted her all to himself.

  He’d give her a minute to rid herself of Johnson. Otherwise, he would get rid of the man himself. As he approached, he realized their voices were lowered. Not wanting to intrude on a private conversation, he stood just outside the door waiting for an opportunity to interject; wondering how in hell Johnson knew her when Teddy hadn’t even formally been introduced to her before today. Regardless of her past acquaintance with Johnson, Teddy planned to escort the lovely lady to dinner.

  “I heard your brother’s latest game is taking loans from the seediest of shylocks about Town and disappearing into the night with all their money. There’s a price on his head, but I’m willing to help you in exchange for your company.”

  “I would never accept you, Johnson. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that. And don’t ever think to put a price on me; I can help my brother just fine without your interference.”

  Her voice had the cadence of a lone viola—wistful, distant, the intonation even and clear, firm and without negotiation. Knowing now that Johnson’s company vexed her, he turned toward them.

  “You make a man feel as though he has to prove himself.” Johnson’s knuckle caressed her left cheek.

  She flinched away, locked her hand around his wrist, and pushed him away. “There is nothing you can say or do to prove yourself worthy of my time, Johnson.”

  Slamming the door against the wall, Teddy strode into the room. He had no qualms about beating the blighter into the ground for distressing Miss Montgomery. This was his home, and while she was here she was under his protection.

  Both heads turned at his sudden entrance.

  “I shouldn’t be surprised to find you accosting a guest, Johnson,” Teddy snarled in warning.

  Johnson sidled past Miss Montgomery, a sly, self-satisfied smirk on his face. “De Burgh.”

  “It would do you well to remember that this isn’t your house.” He pointed an accusing finger at the man. “And you’ll treat the lady with the respect she is due.”

  “Lady?” Johnson guffawed. “Really, de Burgh, think about what you’re saying.”

  Miss Montgomery turned in his direction. A frown creased her delicate brow and her lips pursed in distaste.

  “Get out of my sight, Johnson. And don’t come back or more than words will pass between us.”

  Johnson held up his hands in surrender and backed toward the exit. “May the lady keep you warm, then.”

  Teddy clenched his hands at his side and took a deep breath after Johnson left. He still wanted to plant his fist between the man’s beady eyes. The only thing that stopped him was the way Miss Montgomery stood by the chaise, her right hand curled tight around her blue topaz pendant, her fingers trembling slightly. Her expression was stark and distressed. He should have interrupted the moment Johnson had stolen her away. He would not make that mistake a second time.

  “I cannot thank you enough,” she said with a relieved exhalation.

  “It is my fault you had to endure his company. I should have intercepted him before he had a chance to pull you in here. I’ve never liked that man; I have no idea what Nathan sees in him.”

  He stepped toward her, not sure exactly what he planned now that he had her alone and all to himself. Taking her in his arms to offer solace crossed his mind, but he didn’t think she’d be receptive to his touch just now.

  ROSA TOOK IN ANOTHER DEEP breath. Goodness. She tried not to think of what could have happened had de Burgh not come across her path. Johnson wasn’t normally so confrontational, and she’d smelled the evidence that he’d been drinking; the stench had been on his breath, in his clothes, and everywhere around her when he’d grabbed her wrist. It was no wonder Nathan wanted to get rid of his guests before they dined; he knew how much she disliked Johnson.

  A shiver of revulsion roiled in her stomach. It was best to put that man out of her mind and not think of him a moment longer. Except the part where he’d mentioned her brother. Who was her brother borrowing money from?

  “I wanted to escort you to dinner, Miss Montgomery.”

  She relaxed her guard, instantly feeling at ease in de Burgh’s company. “Thank you. And my friends call me Rosa,” she offered. “I insist you do the same, since we will be friends.”

  “Is that what we shall call our arrangement? Friendship?”

  There was that intimate—seductive, even—quality in his voice again. It was a velvety promise of sinful delight if she so much as took a nibble. Why did she have a feeling she was going to take a bite? Because every moment she spent with him made her feel safe and so very alive.

  “It shall be many things, friendship included. I’ve no inclination toward brutes, and you’ve just saved me from one of the worst.”

  “How do you know you can trust me?”

  Because she just did. Instinct and experience with men told her that she could trust this man. But she couldn’t admit that after meeting him for the first time tonight.

  “You would not have played my very own Galahad and knight errant if there were an ounce of cruelty in your character.”

  “Well spoken, my lady.” Teddy took her hand and pressed a kiss to her glove-clad knuckles. Her breath caught in her lungs at his gallant gesture. She hated the thin material that stopped them from touching flesh-to-flesh as they had earlier.

  She waited for him to release her, but he held fast. Tucking her close to his side, he threaded her arm through his and led them both toward the dining room.

  “I’ve no intention of being discourteous, but I heard you turn down Johnson’s offer.”

  “I meant what I said earlier.” Her voice came out more firmly than she intended, but there was no negotiating for her company. She chose whom she wanted to spend time with. End of story.

  “I don’t doubt that for a moment.”

  Was that disappointment she heard in his voice?

  His thumb rubbed over the inside of her wrist, the action possessively intimate. “Despite what Johnson said, I do believe I’ll be able to find your brother.”

  “I should make it clear that there is no amount of money I won’t pay to help my brother out of any trouble he’s found himself in.”

  “I do love a self-sufficient woman, Miss Montgomery.” Amusement was evident in his response this time. “Let it be clear that I would never make such a vulgar suggestion as Johnson.”

  “Perfect. I cannot express how grateful I am for your kindness. And I insist you call me Rosa.”

  “Rosa.” He rolled his “r” a little when he said her name. “Please call me Teddy. It is a name reserved for my closest friends. To everyone else I am simply de Burgh.”

  “Teddy, then.” A smile curved her lips as she repeated his name.

  “It’s odd that we have never met before, but I feel as though I know you.”

  He couldn’t mean he remembered her from when she was a young woman—at least she hoped not. “We have traveled in some of the same circles, so it’s no wonder you feel that way.”

  “I must take your word for it. We’ll have to share a list of our acquaintances to see how many near misses we’ve had in being introduced.”

  That was the last thing she wanted to do; it would not be difficult to follow the trail from the young virtuosa she’d been to the kept woman she’d become merely to survive.

  “A woman should always remain a little mysterious.”

  “My curiosity has been irrevocably piqued where you’re concerned, Rosa.”

  Regardless of their odd beginning tonight, everything was made a little better by simply being in his company. It also helped that he’d saved her from Johnson.

  Admittedly, she was too jaded to fantasize
about a knight in shining armor coming to her rescue. Fairy tales were for dreamers and her dreams had been crushed long ago. That truth didn’t stop her from feeling as though she were a young woman with the whole world ready to be set down at her feet when de Burgh flattered her.

  But she must try and remember that the world was no longer at her feet. A small piece of her had died the night of the accident.

  “I hope you’ll consent to letting me take you to the opera tomorrow evening.”

  “In what capacity, Teddy? Anyone who sees us publicly will assume one thing.”

  That she was his mistress.

  And Rosa was no man’s mistress. She must always have complete control of every situation she put herself in and something about being in this particular man’s company made her feel as though she was surrendering that control to him.

  “That you’re there as my friend, as my lover, that I am your protector. They are mere words and only some of the names other attendees will give our union. We cannot hide from the world forever if we are to embark on a journey together.” It didn’t matter what they were to each other; the gossips would all have their own opinions. “Join me for a night at the opera. I’m actually attending to hear an oboist that I might hire for my upcoming performance.”

  “How can I partake in something so ... joyous when my brother is likely in trouble?”

  “I will find him for you, Rosa. If your brother has found a spot of trouble, we will have to find a way to work around it. But until he’s found, I presume we’ll be constant companions. You can’t stop living in the meantime.”

  Which theoretically was true. But how would he find her brother when he knew little about the places Daniel frequented? In fact, de Burgh knew nothing about her brother and that made the task so much more difficult.

  “Will you visit your clubs tomorrow?”

  “Those in which I hold memberships, yes. You’ll have to help me draw up a list of clubs and places he visits, and the people he prefers to spend time with. While I help you with this, you cannot forget that you still need to live your life.”

  She let out the breath she’d been holding in anticipation of that exact answer. There was no doubt in her mind that she could trust Teddy implicitly with this task. He would not let her down. He was as good a man as his brother, if not better, for he didn’t truly know her.

  “I can agree to that, but tell me why we are listening to an oboist?”

  “I want your thoughts, and your company.”

  “And which opera will we attend?”

  “A surprise,” he said. “I’ll have the carriage pick you up midafternoon.”

  She pushed playfully at his arm since he stood so close; an electric hum ran through her body with his nearness. When had she last felt this thrill for life? This kind of anticipation?

  “You cannot mean to keep me in the dark,” she teased.

  “Never, Rosa. You are too much a darling to be kept in the shadows.”

  Her cheeks warmed and her heart pounded anxiously in her chest. He had a sweet way with his words that made her melt a little on the inside.

  “And afterward ... Will we part ways?” She was shocked that she even asked, but she might as well know his true intentions now.

  They stopped for a moment and Teddy turned her to face him. He threaded his fingers through hers. She held firm and steady as his rougher hands explored hers more familiarly. Though confident was the last thing she felt with his tender touch. “I have a feeling we’ll be far from done with each other.”

  Her eyes slid closed for the briefest moment with his caress. “We’ll have to see what tomorrow brings us, my lord.”

  “I’m afraid I have to insist you refrain from calling me ‘my lord.’”

  “That is easy enough to promise.”

  “We can apprise Nathan of our plans so he has one less worry before he leaves for Maidstone,” he said.

  “Might I ask a favor?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  “I think I’d pull the moon from the sky for you, fair Rosa.”

  He said it so steadily and with so much conviction that she was momentarily taken aback. That he offered such a grand gesture when she knew she had not earned his kindness warmed her heart.

  Her arm stretched out, fingers brushing against his torso, seeking knowledge of his person. He was solid beneath her careful exploration. She took a small step closer, swallowing against the lump of nervousness in her throat.

  “Might I see you with my hands?” She could hardly believe she’d asked; it wasn’t something she ever requested upon first meeting someone. In fact, she could count on one hand how many people she had asked since becoming blind. But it was too late to take the request back. Not that she wanted to.

  “Yes,” he responded without hesitation. Taking her hand, he slid it higher so it covered his heart. The steady beat beneath her palm was like a metronome that matched the tempo of her pulse.

  “You’re positive you don’t mind? I know my condition can be unsettling.” This was his last chance to refuse her.

  “Not in the least.” His voice was low, his body taut as a well-strung bow where she pressed her palm against his chest.

  She slid her hand away from him to pull her gloves off. His warm fingers met hers as he relieved her of the satin burden. She raised her hands to his face, one to each of his cheeks. His skin was freshly shaved, smooth. Not a crease to be had around his mouth or his eyes.

  “How old are you?” She didn’t mean to ask; she supposed she could have found out in a less conspicuous way.

  “Twenty-five.”

  A few years younger than her own age of twenty-eight.

  She passed her fingers over his lips as he talked: not too full, not thin at all. She felt the tip of his tongue faintly against her fingers, then the heat of his breath fanned out over her. Had she imagined the carnal touch?

  She closed her eyes, focusing only on him and not the sounds of dinner being set up in the room beyond. Teddy’s jaw was nicely formed, his nose large and quite defined, a bump gracing the top ridge.

  When her touch lingered, he said, “I broke it when I fell off my horse a few years back; rolled right down into a ravine. A tree stump stopped me at the water’s edge.”

  “It is an attractive feature to many swooning ladies,” she teased.

  “Ah, but I’ve no interest in the swooning type.”

  She made no response, only smiled as she moved onward from his nose. The ridges of his brows were lined with short, well-groomed hairs, turned down at the edge. Bedroom eyes. What a thought to have when she should be dissuading any base reactions she had toward this man.

  She didn’t stop there. She rose to the tips of her slippered feet, because he had a good six inches on her, her fingers slid though his hair, which was thick, and longish, the texture rougher and heavier than her own.

  “What color is it?”

  His hand pressed lightly to her hip, holding her in place. “Dark brown. Almost black. Do you remember the shade of your own hair, before ...”

  “Yes, like tar.”

  “Much prettier than tar. It’s more like burnished ebony.”

  She dropped her hands away, opened her eyes and stepped away from their impromptu embrace. She couldn’t do this. Not here, not now. A flirtation was one thing—an outright seduction something altogether different. Something she wasn’t sure she could allow.

  She put her hand out to the wall beside her, feeling a little off balance from his nearness.

  It was then that she realized she’d made a devil’s bargain. She wanted to spend time with Teddy. When was the last time a man had made her truly smile? She honestly couldn’t recall a time since Michael. The bittersweet memory had her tilting her chin down, afraid something in her expression would reveal the momentary pain she felt when thinking about her dead fiancé.

  If she let any man into her life like she had Michael, it would devastate her if she lost that deep a connection a second time.<
br />
  No, it would do so much more than that. It would completely destroy her.

  Had she agreed to this madness because Teddy made her remember everything she loved and craved most from her old life, the days and nights filled with music, laughter, and friends who understood and shared her aspirations? Did he wish to remain friends, or did he have something of a forbidden nature in mind? More importantly why did she hope for all those things from him?

  “Come,” he said, handing back her gloves and taking her hand. “Nathan will be looking for us if we tarry much longer.”

  Time would give her the answers she sought. And hopefully she wouldn’t lose herself in the process.

  TEDDY SLID A CHAIR OUT for Rosa and guided her to her seat. She sat next to Nathan at the head of the table, so Teddy took the seat on her left, not liking the idea of sitting too far from her.

  “It’ll only be the three of us dining tonight after all,” Nathan said. “I asked Fredricks to go with Johnson to the club,” Fredricks being the other friend who had come to see Nathan to cheer him up.

  “It gives us more privacy,” Teddy pointed out. They would need to discuss Rosa’s predicament, and the fact that Teddy had volunteered to help her in Nathan’s stead.

  “I hope your company didn’t leave on account of me. Fredericks could have stayed.” Rosa lowered her head and her hands twisted around the napkin in her lap. Teddy was surprised she seemed genuinely troubled that that might be the case. After the way she’d been treated by Johnson, he thought she’d be receptive to the idea of a more intimate dinner arrangement.

  “And why shouldn’t they leave on your account, darling?” Nathan reached for Rosa’s hand, stilling her fidgeting.

  Teddy’s own fists clenched in his lap. Why the sight of his brother offering a kind caress to this particular woman should bother him was something he’d dissect later. He was developing a dangerous attachment to Rosa. A woman, he reminded himself, he knew very little about other than the minor details of her profession, her need for assistance in finding her brother, and her love of music.