“I played for royalty before my accident. I was someone.” Her voice hitched, and she wrapped her arms around her middle. “Someone worth knowing.”
“And you still are worth knowing.” He rubbed his hand over the stubble peppering his jawline. “I would remember having met you.”
“We never met formally. But I knew who you were, and you likely knew of me.”
“Say what you mean to say already. I’ll not play guessing games with you, Rosa.”
“Amaryllis is my given name.” She sat up straighter next to him, radiating pride for the first time since he’d come to her tonight. “Amaryllis Rosalie, after my grandmother.”
Amaryllis Montgomery. That name had a certain ring of familiarity to it. A pianist. Vienna. Eight, maybe ten years ago, had he known that name?
When he didn’t respond, she elaborated. “The Austrian princess named me a Royal and Imperial Virtuosa.”
Dear lord. It struck him precisely who she was. He had no words; he didn’t know what to say or how he should respond to this monumental revelation. The pieces of the puzzle started to fall in place and make sense.
“Rosa.” Teddy placed his hands on her arms, wishing he could take away the pain she so evidently felt with her confession.
“It becomes clearer to you now, doesn’t it?” She turned her head away from him.
“You should have told me. It is just another thing to bring us closer, not tear us apart.”
“Are you so sure? You might have walked away from me had you known. Everyone else has.”
He pulled her into his arms, wanting to give her comfort, knowing it pained her to have to reveal any of this to him. “Don’t. Don’t lower yourself.”
“What choice do I have?”
“Tell me what happened between you and your father.”
She shook her head. “I’ve already told you what I did to earn his contempt.”
“I’ll work doubly hard to find your brother, Rosa.” Teddy ran his fingers over the thick plait of her hair, tugging at the end to draw her gently nearer.
She nodded against his chest. “Someone must have said something to you about my brother for you to come here so late.”
“Nothing good, I’m afraid. It seems he owes half the men about Town something.”
She pulled away from him, though not entirely out of his arms. “I can pay them off.”
“Your brother will learn nothing of the trouble he has caused if you do that.”
“You think to lecture me on my brother?”
“I only wish to protect you.”
“You’re far too late to do that.”
He brushed loose strands of her hair away from her face. “I’m sorry we didn’t know each other sooner. Had we, our lives might be very different right now. We will find Daniel, Rosa, and we’ll work together to accomplish it.”
“As we work on our music together?” Derision coated her comment. Did she still question his intentions?
“Yes. I can’t change your past anymore than you can. What I can promise is that I would never judge you for what you think went wrong or what you did to survive.”
Tilting her head back, he looked into her crystal blue eyes, and for the first time since having met her, he wished she could read the sincerity reflected in his own eyes.
“I wanted to ask if you’d consider staying at my house for a while. It’ll be easier to work on my compositions and to write down your piano sonatas if we are constant companions.”
She pulled away from him, forcing him to release her as she stood. He followed her, unable to let her escape too far. “Think about what you’re saying. You can’t move me into the ducal town house; it’ll be social suicide.”
“I am a second son. I have always had a strike against me.”
“You can’t possibly mean that. You aren’t thinking clearly.”
“Think about this for one second, Rosa. We’ve spent enough time together to know we’ll get on just fine. And I will not live my life in fear of offending anyone else’s sensibilities.”
“You are a titled man. You have no choice but to live by their rules.”
“Is that what you believe?”
“It’s what I know. With that title comes responsibility. You cannot invite your whore to live with you in a respectable house.”
Advancing, he grasped her arms tightly enough to get her attention. “Never call yourself that in my presence. Never say that word to me again. You will never be a creature so vile and low as that.”
She tilted her chin up and jutted out her jaw defiantly. “That is precisely how society has labeled me and they will never see me differently.”
“Society, whom you deem so ever important, will talk about us anyway. And I don’t give a damn what they’re saying.”
“Courting me isn’t only a danger to your reputation. Have you so easily forgotten that your sister is of marriageable age?”
“I have not forgotten that she is tucked away at a boarding school in the south of France and is untouched by any scandal you think I’ll cause by associating myself with you.”
“You will simply counter everything I say. Don’t listen to me if you don’t want to, but know that society is far crueler to a woman for her transgressions or the transgressions committed by her family than they are to a man.”
Teddy let her go with the same suddenness with which he’d captured her. On some levels, he knew she was right, but still, he wanted her. He didn’t care what anyone thought of their union.
“This is the right decision for us.”
“But for how long?” she asked calmly.
“For as long as you like.”
She paced away from him, easily maneuvering around the furniture in her own home.
It occurred to him that he hadn’t asked the most important question about her brother. “What’s the real reason you never talked to your brother after being forced to leave home?”
She paused, then turned toward the direction of his voice. “My father forbade it when I was told to leave. He promised that should I disobey him, Daniel would be shunned and expelled from our family home as well.”
Teddy stood in front of her and ran his hand down the side of her face. She pressed her face into his palm, taking the comfort he offered for a moment before she stepped away and continued her pacing.
“I’m confused by us,” she said. “Are we friends or do we fall into bed and become lovers? I don’t understand what you want from me.”
“I’ve told you before that those are mere words and what we have isn’t so simple as to be described one way or the other.”
She sat heavily on the settee. “I promised long ago to never be any man’s mistress.”
“I’m not asking you to be my mistress.” He sat next to her, taking her hand. “There is something special and beautiful about us together.”
“You will be met with scorn if you continue down this path with me.”
“I have felt reckless since the moment we met,” he teased. Would he be able to wipe away the look of distrust that scrunched up her brow and caused her lips to purse? In time, there was no question about it.
“What now?”
“I will approach a few of Nathan’s friends tomorrow. If Hagan, the man I spoke to tonight, had any information to share, others will as well. Now, can we sort out our arrangement?”
“I will agree to stay with you under two conditions.”
“Name it.”
“You cannot reveal my identity or what I’ve told you about my past to another soul.”
“Done.”
“That’s not all.”
All he cared about was the fact that she was agreeing to his mad plan. It took a force of will he was surprised he harbored to not take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. “Continue, then.”
“Under no circumstances can you be seen in public with me. I’ll not be responsible for you losing favor amongst your peers.”
The little trickster. “I
beg to differ with your opinion on that topic.”
“This is not negotiable. And it is a condition of me staying with you and being your companion.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re too smart for your own good?”
That earned him a smile. And he was happy to have eased the distress he’d caused on his arrival.
“Do you agree to all my terms?” she asked.
“Reluctantly, yes. This does not, however, mean that I will not try to persuade you to join me on a few trips about Town.”
“You can try, but my answer will always remind you of our agreement.”
“Why should you care at all? I would think that after all this time, you could not care less about the society that shunned you.”
“Because I know how cruel the ton can be. I know your concerto will not be well received if you are not acting according to society’s plan.”
“There is one flaw with your assessment I feel I should point out.”
“And what is that?”
“No matter the company my brother has kept”—it went without saying that he was referring to Anna in this instance—“or how recklessly he has acted over the years, no one would dare scorn him.”
“The rules are different for him. He’s the Duke of Vane.”
Teddy chuckled at the assessment and contradictory standard.
“How long do you need to pack?” Now that she’d agreed to stay with him, he wanted her to come back with him immediately.
“You can send a carriage around in the morning. I will need to make arrangements to close up the house for a short time, give my butler and cook some time off while I’m away.”
Teddy stood and bowed over her hand. “As you wish, my lady. A carriage will arrive at seven tomorrow.”
Before he could leave, she rose and clasped the sleeve of his coat, halting him. “Thank you for everything, Teddy.”
“There’s no need. I haven’t done nearly enough yet. And I’ve forgotten something important about your brother.”
“What?”
“Hagan mentioned Johnson having dealings with your brother.”
She pinched her lips together and turned away from him. “You’ve done more than you can ever imagine. And we’ll figure out Johnson’s intentions soon enough.”
Cupping the back of her head, he pulled her in close and brushed his lips across hers. The kiss was feather light and fleeting.
“You’ve made me a happy man today. With that, you have done more than you can ever imagine.”
Then he left. Morning could not come soon enough. He’d set up his mother’s room for her. It was the second nicest to his brother’s master chamber and only two doors down the hall from his room.
There was no doubt in his mind that he and Rosa would eventually become lovers and spend more time in his room, but she would require a space to call her own.
He thought back on her words. About the threat of society scorning him. Did he really care what they thought? He cared how his work was accepted, but no, he didn’t care what they thought of his personal and private decisions.
“I GAVE THE SERVANTS THE night off after they set up dinner in the breakfast room. It is far less formal than the dining hall.”
Rosa took his arm, letting him lead the way through the house. After they wound their way down the staircase, they walked arm in arm down the long corridor; nearly to the back of the house, she was sure. All the while, the soft scent of his shaving powder and the starch on his shirt teased her close enough to him that the side of her breast brushed lightly against his arm with every step.
“I hope you don’t mind the informality.”
“Not in the least. You’ll spoil me while I’m here.”
And she still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to this arrangement. Yes, it would make working together all the easier now that they could work together at any odd hour. And there would be less traveling between their houses, though admittedly, it was only a half-hour carriage ride. But those weren’t the reasons she’d done it. She wanted to spend more time with him. She wanted to be closer to him. She wanted to better understand the feelings she had for him and this was the best way to do that.
“What is for dinner tonight?” she asked.
“Skewered lamb and carrots and greens in a raspberry drizzle. The divinest rosemary-flavored potatoes you’ll have in all of London and a selection of cheeses and a fine vin de Bourgogne from Côte de Nuits.”
“Do you plan on lowering my inhibitions tonight?” she asked, her tone clearly amused by the set up.
“Maybe. It is our first night together. We might as well enjoy it to the fullest before we work through the day tomorrow. As I see it, there is only one disadvantage to you staying here.”
“And what is that?”
“Put simply, my dear, you’ll have no escape from me now that I’ve lured you into the lion’s den.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at his teasing tone. “I don’t think I’ll mind so much.”
When he opened the door, warmth enveloped them and she could smell the coals burning in the grate. But more than that, she could smell the delicious scent of their dinner.
A chair slid across the carpet to her right, then Teddy directed her by her elbow to where she would sit. Removing her shawl, she folded it and placed it over the back of the chair.
She didn’t miss his sharp intake of breath on seeing what she wore. She’d felt brazen and daring, knowing tonight would cement their relationship going forward. And she’d had seduction on her mind all day and wanted nothing more than to act on that desire.
The gown she wore was blush-cream in color, or so the seamstress had described it to her. The material was so fine that he would be able to make out the firm peaks of her nipples, since she wore no stays and the room still held a slight chill that the fire had yet to chase away. She’d forgone the hoops and frilly underclothes, too. The dress was a sheath of silk that hugged her hips before fanning out in layers of silk that gave it an elegance that trumped any formal evening dress she owned.
Before she could take her seat, Teddy had her in his arms. One of his hands rested over her lower back, the other found the curve of her bottom as he edged her closer to him. His mouth crushed against hers and stole the breath from her lungs. She didn’t shy away from the kiss for one moment; she took everything he gave and still ... She wanted more. Her hands fisted around the sleeves of his evening jacket, his muscles flexing beneath her hold.
The firm assault of his lips was meted out over the curve of her neck, where he bit the flesh gently before laving the nips with the hot slide of his tongue.
As she twined her arms around his shoulders, he rasped out, “I didn’t mean for this to happen quite like this.”
His kiss eased, and he suckled at her flesh as he worked his way back up to her mouth. He pulled her bottom lip between his, his tongue caressing now instead of conquering as he coaxed her into a slow seduction of the senses. Arms tightening around her waist, he pulled her in until her back was arched over his arm.
“You had seduction in mind,” he stated, his voice deeper than it had been before he’d started kissing her.
“Yes.” There was no denying that truth when she was suddenly feeling weak-kneed in his arms.
“I lose all sense when I’m around you, Rosa.”
She did too, but she wouldn’t tell him so. A woman had to have some mystery about her. Her fingers threaded through the hair at the back of his head.
“You say that as if it’s a good thing,” she teased.
“I enjoy being lost in you. I want to be lost in you.”
When he settled her back on her feet, the loss of his touch was like a wall going up, separating them. She stepped toward him, not knowing quite what she was doing, but needing him nonetheless. His hand caressed her cheek tenderly.
“If we don’t sit and eat, I’m afraid I’ll occupy your time in a much different way.”
She took another step, fe
eling unsure of herself for the first time in years. She didn’t know what she wanted from Teddy, but she did know they would be lovers before the night was through. She wanted him to kiss her again.
She reached her hand up tentatively, and swallowed against the nerves clogging her throat. She skimmed the smooth side of his jaw. “I want to be lost in your touch, too.”
No sooner than the words were out Teddy was walking her backward. She had no idea where he was taking her, but she trusted him not to lead her astray. Hands around her back to hold her tightly against his body, he lifted her off her feet before carefully bringing them both down to the floor. The soft sheepskin rug beneath her back was warm and comfortable. She almost asked why it was in here but figured it was to keep your feet warm as you sat by the fire on a cold winter day. The heat from the fireplace sizzled along her arms chasing away the goose bumps.
TEDDY BRUSHED THE HAIR AWAY from her temples and gave her a sweet kiss on the mouth.
“You mesmerize me, Rosa.”
Hand lowering, he drew teasing circles over her right shoulder, her collarbone, then lower over the upper swell of her breasts. Teddy kissed her chin, the tip of her nose and finally her mouth.
While he explored her mouth, his free hand inched up her skirts. He paused when his hands brushed against her bare legs and he realized she wore no stockings beneath. Bending her knee, he pushed her skirts high enough to reveal the slight curve of her hip and the milky white skin. The palm of his hand skimmed lightly over the short clipped hairs at her center.
“I never imagined ...” How did he finish that thought? He’d thought intimacy with a woman would be many things, but to be so overwhelmed and lost in the moment was something he hadn’t imagined. Good lord; he might know the logistics of what came next, but he couldn’t claim to be any sort of expert.
As his knuckles skimmed lightly over the crisp hairs at her center, her leg dropped open so she was fully bared to him. He swallowed hard. The folds of her sex were a rich pink, and as soft looking as her lips. He wanted to kiss her, delve his tongue in every fold and taste the nectar that coated her entrance.
As he trailed his hand upward along the inside of her thigh, she released a ragged breath. His exploration was slow as he brushed his knuckle over her core before retreating back to her thigh.
Tempted by You Page 8
