A Proper Scandal

by Paula, Rebecca

  “We promised no secrets,” he said, reaching for her arm. The black silk of her dress looked as if she were in mourning. Alex wished none of this for Minnie. He wanted her dressed in red or nothing at all. He wanted to know there was something substantial between them, more than some shared lust. It was more than lust. It was more than passion and certainly more than friendship. But if he ever confessed that he loved her...

  “I’m not sure I’ve told you how proud I am of you.”

  She gave a dry laugh, quickly wiping at her eyes before slapping her gloves over her thigh. “There is nothing to be proud of,” she said. “Are you feeling better?”

  “You had the courage to live a life that others are fearful of and condemn. They don’t understand because they give in and live a life that is expected. But they have missed out on living. You have lived your life. Are living,” he corrected. “I don’t know many others who can say the same.”

  “I’m a failure.”

  “Failure?”

  “I wanted to be a ballerina.”

  “Mhmm,” he agreed. Alex moved over the mattress, twisting Minnie around so their foreheads touched. “You went after what you thought you wanted and discovered your true purpose along the way. That’s not failure, Min.”

  She closed her eyes for a beat, her soft exhale filling the space between them with the smell of mint.

  “You’re extraordinary.”

  Minnie nodded, but still didn’t return his stare.

  “If it will make you feel better, you can dance for me any time.”

  A small laugh passed her lips as she rolled her eyes. “Flirt.”

  Alex kissed her. There was no stopping it. Her lips were so close to his and it was the one sweet pleasure he thought of all day to kill the stabbing edge of pain wracking his head. Everything he risked by being with her was worth it.

  §

  Everything spun as Alex slanted his lips over hers, erasing the day’s events from her mind, the doubts, the fears. She tasted the bitter laudanum on his lips and wondered if his kind words were inspired by the wicked tonic. Then he caressed his tongue over her lips, opening her mouth to his, patient and slow. Her thoughts stilled and her body reached for his like it was answering some unspoken call.

  It was too much.

  Minnie broke away with a small sigh, her hand gripping her forehead to straighten out her untidy thoughts. She ran her finger along the underside of his jaw, feeling his pulse beat against her fingertip, and tipped his chin up. “You still need to rest,” she said.

  The look that shadowed Alex’s face suggested he thought otherwise.

  She stood and rested her hand on his shoulder, pushing him back into the pillows. “If you rest, you shall get your wish.”

  She spun and left the room.

  It took some work, but she managed to fashion a sari out of the sheet Chapman supplied before she slipped back into Alex’s bedroom. His head hung low as he massaged his neck. His feet were crossed and sticking out of the sheets at the end of the bed.

  “Have I ever told you that I was born in India?” Minnie watched the line of his shoulders, broader with the passing years, roll as he stretched. She shook away the image of raking her nails over his back. His eyes took her in, an appreciative smile on his face.

  “No.” His voice caught in his throat.

  “I was,” she said, beginning to sway her hips. With a long sweep of her hand, she began to dance, losing herself to the exotic rhythm that thrummed in her veins. “I lived there before my parents died and I was brought to England by my uncle. I lived there again when I was thirteen when he became a diplomat. That’s been home to me all these years. I’m a daughter of the British Raj.”

  This had always been her problem. Her body wasn’t made for the elegant gracefulness of ballet. She was never the prim miss who blindly followed the pointed dictates of others. Minnie was made for the dances of the Orient, the sensual and exotic. It was liberating to move her body in that way, to beckon Alex’s attention with the curl of her wrist and bump of her hip.

  “I saw some women dancing like this one night at the Maharaja’s palace and I remember being so jealous. I wanted to move my body the way they did.”

  Alex crossed his arms behind his head, his eyes fixed on her, unblinking.

  She bent backward, bowing her back until her fingertips brushed over the carpet. Blood rushed to her head as her naked body stretched beneath the linen sheet. Everything inside tightened with want, but she slowly unfurled upward, her hands twisting and turning as if she pulled herself up by an invisible rope suspended from the ceiling.

  Alex straightened, his hand in front of his mouth as he gnawed at his thumb, his eyes falling to dangerous slits, narrowed on her as she popped her hip and shimmied her shoulders in slow figure eights.

  “One time,” she started, licking her lips, “I decided to pierce my nose and ear with a sewing needle so I could wear the beautiful gold chain they wore.” She drew a line from her nose, across her cheekbone to her left earlobe. “No one liked that much. I was forced to remove it, but I still have the scars.”

  “Min.”

  She spun around and curled her fingers up into the air as if she were weaving, until they were over her head as her hips rocked. “I think I fit better there instead of a wild thing set among a bunch of timid ninnies.”

  He cleared his throat and she peeked over her shoulder, fanning her eyes lashes as his finger curled, calling her on. But she would not give in yet. She turned back to the wall and drew her hands down in a slow, wide circle and rocked her hips again.

  She heard him get out of bed and pad up behind her. She spun around, clamping her eyes shut, afraid she’d lose her nerve if she met his stare. She traced the back of her hands up along the curves of her body, biting her lower lip when the heat of his hand hovered above the knotted sari.

  “You belong here,” Alex said, his voice low. “With me. You’re my wild thing, darling.” He kissed the curve of her shoulder. One quick press, then another, then his teeth worried her skin before his tongue made a delicious stroke, wiping away the pain. Her limbs felt suddenly heavy. He swept his fingers through her hair. “Turn around,” he whispered.

  Minnie circled around until they met nose to nose.

  “They’re all fools.”

  She opened her eyes, her breath rushing out of her lungs at his words.

  His hand worked at the knot, untucking the fabric, then spinning the first bit free around her, never stepping back or looking away. Her breath skipped then under his hardened stare. He pulled again, dragging her against him in a swift tug. Alex raised an eyebrow as a soft breath rushed from her lips. Even during her hottest days in India, Minnie had never felt so warm.

  He kissed her until she was breathless and her heart drummed in her ears. And just as she came up for air, his hand rested on her shoulder as the other pulled at the fabric around her body. One slow spin, then another, until her breasts were bared. Alex bent forward and kissed each nipple, taking one long sip of each until the pain spiked through her body, changing into a heavenly pleasure that pooled at her core.

  She fell back a step, her knees trembling as he stood before her, the end of the fabric resting in his hand. Her breath, her heart, her sanity rested in his palm as he studied her.

  “Raise your arms.”

  Minnie took a nervous swallow. She wished to feel his body against hers and erase the years that he had not been there with her. Minnie wanted Alex to love her until her past sins were forgotten. There could be bliss in her redemption.

  She held her arms up, spinning and spinning, until the rest of the cloth fell to the floor. She stood by the door, naked and waiting.

  “They’re damn fools,” he repeated, stalking toward her. His charming front melted into something predatory, something raw. That had to account for why her breathing shuddered as she closed her eyes at his approach. He swept her off her feet in a swoop.

  She giggled as he set her onto his be
d. “I take it that you appreciate my dancing.”

  He smiled that smile. “Darling,” he sighed, bending over her stomach. “You make me a wild thing.” His fingers lightened their hold of her hips. “I want you, Min.” His mouth covered hers, kissing her until she could only nod her agreement. “I want to taste you,” he continued, slipping his fingers inside of her. “I want to feel you shake around me.” His tongue parted her lips in a firm stroke.

  Minnie sucked in a breath as pleasured pooled deep at her core. Everything grew warm as she stretched over the bed, his lips and fingers taking her to a quick climax. She fisted the sheets, arching her back as she shattered around him, his name on her lips.

  “I want everything with you,” he said, sitting up on his knees. The way he looked at her made her forget the rest. It was as if it had always been the two of them. That had always been the secret harbored in her heart. There was no other for Minnie except for her charming guttersnipe, the caring madman, the ruthless dreamer—her Alex.

  The soft light in his eyes made her feel beautiful. She loved him for that. She loved that he was the only person who spoke to her heart, who didn’t try to limit her life.

  The silence lengthened as she sat up and crawled across the bed, holding his face firmly between her hands. She drew his face down to hers so their foreheads touched, their breath ragged and shared. “I need you too, Alex.”

  She kissed him hard and hungry as he lifted her body to sit astride his. It was as if time stopped as he pushed against her, then slid inside. With one shaky exhale, the past was forgotten. There was no other who made her feel this way. She rocked against Alex, losing herself to the rhythm as his hands and lips savored her body. His skin was hot against hers, the musk on his skin clouding around her, pulling her closer to him until it felt as if they were one.

  Alex buried his head into her shoulder as he groaned, his hands at her hips. Her head fell back as his lips traveled up the column of her neck, his fingers twining in her hair.

  The tension grew as the pleasure coiled up through her body. “Alex,” she sighed. Without having to say more, he leaned her back onto the bed and levered over her. She arched upward to take him deeper, raking her fingers over the small of his back.

  A moan escaped her lips as she shattered around him once more. He chased away her heart drummed against her chest, his body tensing before he reached his own release.

  Slowly, the room faded back around them and the soft crackle of the fire filled the air between the sounds of their haggard breathing. The weight of his body pressed her into the mattress, the sheets sticking to her back.

  A small laugh rumbled in her throat as his lips nipped at her skin, drinking in the last sip of their pairing.

  “What’s so amusing?”

  Everything was right in the world and that was funny to her, that that was what she had missed with him all those years. Needless abandonment, because they thought one would do better without the other.

  “You minx,” he growled playfully, nipping her bottom lip between his teeth. She savored the way the pain faded into a sweet pleasure as his tongue caressed hers and he started moving inside her once more. “God, I missed you,” he whispered into her ear. “Don’t leave me, Min.”

  Minnie smiled up at the ceiling, happy to have found that piece that had missing from her these past few years.

  §

  “Why are you smiling?”

  The light bled through the white sheet, casting a surreal glow over his face as they both hid under its cover. The rest of the world could wait, for all Minnie cared.

  “It’s been ages since I’ve seen the sunrise and wanted to stay awake for the rest of the day.”

  “Is it too early? Do you want to keep sleeping?”

  “We haven’t slept yet,” she said, burrowing deeper into the pillow. Her voice was rough from no sleep. “And no, I don’t ever want to leave this bed again while you’re in it.” Minnie reached out and stroked his cheek, smiling more when he didn’t tense at her touch as he once had.

  “I...” Alex blinked.

  Minnie loved the way his brow pinched together as he worked out a thought. She loved the wait as it all played out on his face. She loved the sounds he made when he finally gave voice to those thoughts, soothing and lyrical.

  “This can’t be real.”

  She had the same thought herself. Well, not thoughts, but more doubts, really. “Pinch me, if you wish.” Minnie bumped her knee against his leg, his rough hair grazing over her skin.

  Alex stared at her lips, then slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers.

  “I’m here and well. And not only have you succeeded at returning me to London, but you’ve also thoroughly oriented me to you and your bed.” His smile grew and transformed into that wicked thing that made her knees shake and wobble. “Job well done, sir,” Minnie whispered when he didn’t reply.

  His fingers snaked up from the mattress, up over the swell of her breasts, the line of her neck, until they curled around a strand of her hair. “It wasn’t easy.”

  “Things between us never are.”

  “Can that change, do you think?”

  Minnie rubbed her thumb over the crease between his eyes, erasing it in answer. There was nothing to worry about now. No, that was a lie. There was plenty to be worry about. Namely, about the piece of paper she now possessed that held his future. She thought maybe now would be a good time to tell him, but his lips kissed her palm and the confession fell away to thoughts of the pleasant variety.

  “It’s early and I should be leaving. There’s work.”

  “Stay a while longer and tell me what I missed,” she said, scooting closer.

  “Aren’t you tired?”

  Beneath the sheets, there in his arms, she could sleep for weeks now that she was beginning to feel alive once more. “No.”

  He folded himself around her until they were tangled up well and good. “Liar.”

  Chapter 21

  It took three days to leave bed. For once, it had nothing to do with his dark moods. Alex simply hadn’t wanted to leave now that he had every reason to stay.

  The ball shot back into his hand from the opposite wall, his fingers curling around its curves as a rush of footsteps hurried toward his office. Alex chucked the ball again, counting in his head until the doorknob opened and the ball shot past him.

  “Minnie?” He dropped his legs from his desk and straightened. The ball rolled at his feet.

  “I tried to stop her,” Headly said.

  Alex met Minnie’s amused stare. “I’ve known her for some years now. There’s never been any stopping Miss Ravensdale.”

  She fluttered her eyelashes, all demure and ladylike at his jest. Minnie was wearing another lovely fur coat, her cheeks rosy from the cold winter air. He wanted to lean over his desk and pull her into his lap. She caught him staring and he hesitated, searching for the words.

  Finally, he collected his wits and waved off Headly.

  The door clicked shut and she remained the image of propriety, her gloved hands holding a small basket.

  He was afraid to break that moment, fearing that she would be another dream. And though he knew she was in fact standing there in his office, that ripple of fear threaded through him again, giving the moment more weight, as if his life depended on it.

  With slow steps, she glided over the rug and set the basket onto his desk. The wide brim of her hat cast a shadow over her face. Minnie placed her hands onto the desk, spreading out her fingers as she slid forward until they met nose to nose. “Hello,” she said in a low whisper. She rubbed her nose against his, stealing his warmth.

  “Hello.”

  Her perfume clouded his thoughts and he was left sitting there like an expectant fool, reduced to a beggar, and it had only been three hours since they last saw one another. Then she was gone again, walking to his window overlooking London before he could speak. It was a fantastic view. Better when she was included.

  Alex cleared his th
roat and stood, shaking away his surprise. “Not that I’m complaining,” he started, approaching her, “but why the visit, darling?”

  Minnie continued surveying the view, worrying her lip.

  “Darling?”

  “I brought lunch.” She backed away, running her hand over the bookcases on the opposite wall. Her fingers bumped along the book spines before she turned and walked to the globe by his desk. She spun it, her finger sailing over continents and oceans. She’d conquer it all, judging by the determined set of her eyes.

  “I have something...that is I—” She stepped away from the globe and looked up to the ceiling, closing her eyes.

  The cold from the window seeped through his suit until his skin screamed from its biting reach as he waited her out.

  “There is something that I have done.” Her head snapped down and on a long breath, Minnie said, “and I must tell you.”

  He nodded for her to go on, afraid that this confession would be the start of a slow series of cracks that always spiraled out of control between them until they were broken once more.

  She fished around in her chatelaine and removed an aged envelope then rushed forward and shoved it against his chest. Minnie retreated to the opposite side of his office and waited, giving him a wide berth before he could act.

  “I feel as if this is going to be a warrant for my arrest,” he joked. “C’mere, Minnie.”

  She shook her head and walked her fingers over the stack of papers on his desk. “I like you too much to see you arrested. Again.”

  He laughed at that. He had to. If life taught him anything, it was to always keep laughing. Otherwise he would fall victim to those dark demons, waiting to drag him down to meet his premature end.

  Nothing was written on the envelope, no hint at what lay beneath the opened seal. She wasn’t looking at him when he lifted the seal and removed the papers within. Minnie plopped into his seat as he unfolded them, sighing.

  Alex read it once, then again, his heart hammering against his chest when he read it a third time. He pushed off the window with enough force to propel him straight into the next room. “What’s this?” He knew, but he needed an explanation of how he had become beholded...he fought the urge of tearing it in two. “No, first answer how,” he said, each mindful step to his desk feeling like he was chained up and locked away once more. Alex lowered his voice, trying not to frighten her, but he was frightening himself, if he was being honest. No good could come from what he held. “Minnie?” He slid the papers across the desk and tapped them once, demanding an answer.