“I will go up with you.” Temperance stood up beside her sister, although she had as much intention of going to sleep as Lynette did which was to say none at all. Tucked beneath a blanket with Mr. Humphrey curled between them and two glasses filled to the brim with hot chocolate, Annabel and Delilah decided to remain.
“Do not stay up too late,” Lynette warned.
“We won’t,” Annabel and Delilah chorused in unison.
“You know they are lying through their teeth, don’t you?” Temperance said as she followed Lynette up the stairs.
“Something tells me they are not the only ones.” Lynette turned at the top of the staircase. Candlelight flickered across her countenance, revealing the puckering line of worry between her lips. “Please tell me what is bothering you, Tempy. I want to help if I can.”
“Who says anything is bothering me?” Temperance said lightly. “I am merely tired and feeling a bit under the weather, that is all. A good night’s sleep and I shall be right as roses.”
“If that is all there is too it…” Lynette said, looking unconvinced.
“It is. Good night, Nettie.” Leaning in close, she pressed her lips to her sister’s cool cheek. “I shall see you in the morning.” With a mischievous wink, she rocked back on her heels. “Do not stay up too late.”
“I – I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Temperance grinned. “I am sure you don’t.”
“Oh, go on to bed.” Visibly flustered, Lynette began to walk backwards towards the room she had been sharing with Nathaniel since their return. “I will see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” Temperance echoed before she walked briskly down the hall, her heat thumping with anticipation of what was to come.
Standing in the shadow of a large elm tree with his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his trousers and a scowl firmly etched across every inch of his face, Hugh waited for Temperance to make her appearance.
As usual, she was late.
Turn around and go back, he told himself. This is a mistake and you damn well know it.
But even as he glanced back over his shoulder at the soft glowing lights of the village he’d just left, he heard Temperance’s voice whispering in his ear. You are not a good man, Hugh. But nor are you quite as bad as you think…
Did she truly believe that or had it merely been a ploy to get what she wanted? If so, it had worked. He was here, waiting for her at the bend in the road. Like a common idiot. He had not intended to come tonight. His belongings were waiting for him back in his room, packed and ready to go. But when he had opened the door intending to walk out and never return, something had pulled him back. And that something was none other than Temperance Swan.
In the short time they’d known one another she had gotten under his skin like a barb he couldn’t shake loose no matter how hard he tried. It may not have been a pleasant metaphor, but it was an accurate one. He had never felt this way about anyone before…not even Aileen.
Hugh had loved his wife and, for a time, she had loved him as well. He truly believed that. But their love had been young and foolish and unprepared for the harsh realities of the real world. A world where they would never see eye to eye. Now he had fallen hard for a pretty pair of brown eyes and a bewitching smile…a smile that belonged to a woman who was just as far out of reach as Aileen had been.
He’d seen where Temperance lived. It was a castle to his hovel. She might as well have been a princess while he, once again, was a lowly pauper.
Nothing could come of their affair. At least nothing good. But if that was what he truly believed, then why the hell was he here?
His jaw clenched as he bit down, grinding his teeth together in frustration. He needed to leave and he would have, if he had the strength. But his feelings for Temperance had made him weak. Weak and selfish and all the other things he had sworn he never would be again. She was a distraction he could not afford…and one he could not live without.
The sharp crack of a branch lifted Hugh’s head. A faint mist had settled over the top of the road and as Temperance emerged through the grey licks of fog she looked like a woman out of time. She was wearing a dark cloak that covered her body and hid her hair, but he would have recognized her anywhere. There was no mistaking the graceful arrogance of her saunter nor the curves that no amount of clothing could hide.
“You came.” She stopped short two yards away and drew back her hood revealing a spill of silky hair and eyes that were a bright and bold as a lion’s. “I did not know if you would.”
“I came,” Hugh replied gruffly.
They studied each other for a moment.
Princess and pauper.
Beauty and beast.
“I missed you,” she said at last. Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, but he heard her clear as a bell. “I did not think I would, at least not so keenly. And I probably should not admit that I did, but I am.” She stepped on another twig as she came closer and the sharp sound of it ricocheted like a gunshot. Neither one of them flinched. “Are you pleased to see me? I can never tell what you thinking.” Her tawny gaze searched his. “Not when you hide your thoughts so well.”
“Does this answer your question?” For once, Hugh ignored the silent warnings of his head and listened to his heart as he wrapped Temperance in his arms and pressed their bodies together. His mouth sought hers and they both groaned breathless sighs of relief as their lips fell into place. He buried his hands in her hair. She dug her nails into the nape of his neck. When the kiss finally ended they were both panting and their arousal hung in the air like a heavy cloud.
Temperance glanced over his shoulder at the village. “Should we…?”
“God yes,” he growled. Securing her hand in his, he pulled her towards the light.
“I did not know it could be like that.” Dazed and feeling slightly drunk despite not having sipped any wine, Temperance rolled onto her back and stared up at the cracked plaster ceiling. Hugh was stretched out beside her with one arm crooked beneath her neck.
“Like what?” he asked even as a roguish smile curved his mouth.
She slanted him a sideways glance. “I refuse to answer that question on account that you are already far too arrogant and conceited for your own good.” Blasted man. Was he looking for a compliment? If so, she’d given him plenty in the form of moans and cries and the red scratches running down the length of his spine. As she recalled how she had attacked him while he’d thrust his hard length in and out of her, Temperance’s cheeks filled with color and she turned her head away before Hugh could see. She had been positively feral. And if Hugh’s reaction had been any indication, he’d loved every second of it.
Was it like this for other couples? The blinding heat. The desperate attraction. The animalistic need to give and receive pleasure. And if it was, how did they ever summon the strength to get out of bed? Two hours of arduous lovemaking and she felt as though every bone in her body had dissolved into dust. She couldn’t have left even if she had wanted too which was a good thing as Hugh had showed no indication of wanting to let her go.
Since they’d both collapsed on the mattress and made a haphazard attempt to drag the tangled sheets up over their hips he had been strangely tender. Well, tender for him. Some men may have whispered sweet nothings after lovemaking to show their affection whereas Hugh had thus far resisted the urge to shove her out of bed and demand she leave. By his standards it was practically a declaration of love.
She wanted to know what secrets he was hiding, but she knew enough not to ask. If he wanted to tell he would and if he didn’t no amount of prying would help. He was like a locked box without a key and no matter how hard she tried to pry him open she would only hurt herself in the process. She closed her eyes. Had she really thought this time would be different? Had she honestly believed if they made love again he would suddenly turn into another man? A man who did not leave her filled with more questions than answers. A man who was warmer th
an he was cold. A man who desired more from her than what could be found between the sheets of a creaky old mattress.
She never should have seen him again. She realized that now. By doing so she had done both of them a disservice. Hugh would never want her. Not like she wanted him. And that knowledge, painfully earned, burned like a hot coal in the pit of her stomach.
As tears, unwanted as they were familiar, burned the corners of her eyes Temperance rolled onto her side and started to get up, only to fall back against Hugh’s chest when he wrapped his arm around her belly and rolled her against him.
“Where are you going?” he whispered, his breath stirring the delicate hairs at the top of her neck.
“We’re done,” she said simply. “It is time for me to leave.”
His arm tightened. “No.”
“No?” Twisting, she peered up at him beneath the silky fan of her lashes. If he was about to say what she thought he was…but no. There was nothing in his gaze but desire and when he stroked a suggestive hand along the curve of her hip she knocked it away.
“What are you doing?” A lock of hair tumbled into his eyes as he sat up on one elbow and gazed down at her, his expression a mixture of bemusement and frustration.
What am I doing? Temperance asked herself miserably. She’d thought she knew, but she didn’t. She’d thought she could handle an affair with all of its rules and conditions, but she couldn’t. Not like this. Not with him. And if it was going to end…well, she owed it to both of them to finally tell the truth.
“I lied to you,” she admitted. When his eyes narrowed she took a deep breath and forced herself to continue before she lost her nerve. “Before, in the woods. I lied. I – I think I am falling in love with you, Hugh.”
“Temperance–”
“No, let me finish. At first it was just a physical attraction. But now…now it has developed into something more, and I cannot allow it to go any further. This has to be the last time. I’m sorry. I thought… I don’t know what I thought.” She dragged a hand across her temple. “I never wanted to feel like this. But now I do and it has to stop. It isn’t your fault. I know the blame is entirely mine. I believed I could handle a cavalier affair and I can’t. I can’t,” she whispered as she stubbornly blinked back tears. “I am truly sorry for having wasted your time.”
He studied her for a moment, his gaze coolly assessing her tortured expression. “Are you done?
Unable to summon any more words for fear of losing what little control she still had left, Temperance managed to nod her head. Bloody hell, but it was all so embarrassing. Falling to pieces in front of a man who was no doubt counting the seconds until he could be rid of her. If this was love, then she wanted nothing to do with it ever again.
“Good. You know, you have a habit of talking too much.”
Of all the things he could have said…
“Let go,” she demanded when he reached for her, his hand curving around her back. “I am leaving, and I never want to see you again.”
“Is that so?” He lifted a brow. “You were singing a different tune just a moment ago.”
“I never should have said anything.” Struggling to free herself, she pushed both hands against her chest. For all of her efforts, she might as well have attempted to topple a stone wall. Hugh was not going anywhere and neither, it appeared, was she.
“Oh!” she hissed. “You are the most frustrating, stubborn, asinine man I have ever met!”
“And yet you are falling in love with me.”
“Not anymore!”
“That’s too bad,” he drawled, mouth twitching with amusement at her futile efforts to free herself from his unrelenting grasp. “Because I think I happen to be falling in love with you as well.”
Temperance froze as all of the breath left her lungs in one fell swoop. “You – you are?” she croaked.
Looking more annoyed than pleased by his unexpected admission, Hugh’s smile faded as he gave a curt nod. “I am.”
“If this is just an attempt to keep the affair going so you can make love to me–”
“Well of course I want to keep making love to you.” He scowled. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t. But there is more to it than that. I…have developed feelings for you. Do not look at me like that,” he growled as Temperance’s heart soared. “It is not as if I am asking for your damn hand in marriage.”
A laugh bubbled up in her throat. “I should hope not. We barely know one another.” And yet we are both falling in love. How had it happened? And when? If Hugh were to ask her the same questions, she did not know if she would be able to give him an exact answer. It felt as though she had always despised him…until all at once he was the only person she wanted to be with. Judging by the way he was glaring at her, she could assume it had happened the same way for him as well.
“Where should we go from here?” she asked when he remained silent.
“Where do you want to go?” The hand on her spine lifted and he sat up, leaning back against the wooden headboard with a guarded expression. “I am not in a position to offer you any more than this. At least for the foreseeable future. I am not a wealthy man, Temperance. I will not be able to buy you pretty baubles or a large house or–”
“Since when have I expressed interest in pretty baubles and a large house?” she interrupted with a snort. “If I wanted a man who would shower me with gifts and tell me how fair I looked I would have done a great deal better than you.” Pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts, she sat beside him and, just to gauge his reaction, rested her head on his shoulder. When he stiffened but did not push her away she could not help but smile. No, she did not want a man who filled her pockets with useless presents and her head with empty compliments. What she wanted was Hugh…and for the first time she felt as though she had him. Not all of him. Not yet. But enough to finally feel content.
“My family is leaving for London in two weeks.” She tilted her chin up and caught his clear blue gaze. “I am not asking you to go with me. But I am asking that we continue seeing one another until I leave. I do not know what the future holds, Hugh, any more than you do. And to be honest I have never cared enough to look.” Until you. She bit back the words just in time, having already shared more than she was comfortable with.
“Two weeks is not very much time.”
“We can make it enough if we try.” She pressed her mouth to the dark scruff on his jaw. “And when it is over, we can see where we are.”
“Temperance.” Leaning away, he frowned down at her. “There are things about me…things about my past that you should know. Thing I should have told you before we began any of this.”
“Then tell me now,” she said softly.
His jaw tightened. “I cannot.”
“You mean you will not.” Annoyance darkened her tone when she realized he was not going to give and take in equal measure. She had all but laid her heart at his feet and he…he had what? He admitted he has developed feelings for you, a little voice reminded her. Do not push him. Not unless you are ready to let him walk away once and for all. She took a deep, calming breath as her mind quickly raced through the possibilities. “Is there someone else? Do you have a wife or a fiancée or a sweetheart you have not told me about? Because if you do–”
“God no,” he said with a convincing shudder. “It is all I can do to put up with one woman. Why the hell would I want to burden myself with two?”
She struck him lightly in the arm. “You should be nicer to me, you know.”
“And why is that? You like me as I am.” Devilish intent gleamed in his eyes as he suddenly grasped her by the waist and brought her down on top of his body.
Caught off balance, Temperance gasped when she felt the hard, hot length of him press against the inside of her thigh. “Again so soon?” she blurted in disbelief.
“I believe I shall take that as a personal challenge,” he murmured as his mouth found hers….
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dunhill Es
tate
Thirteen Days Later
On the eve of her departure, Temperance could not help but feel despondent as she slowly packed away the last of her things. The past two weeks with Hugh had been nothing short of euphoric. Of course she had not been able to sneak out and visit him every night. Lynette and Lady Townsend had been far too watchful for that. But the times they’d shared together had already become treasured memories she would carry in her heart all the way to London.
Their silly fights…their passionate lovemaking…the flowers he had surprised her with one evening that were wilting in her closet…the way his eyes glowed when he saw her…the unexpected gentleness with which he held her cradled against his side…
With a tiny moan she buried her head in her hands and sank down on the edge of her bed. She wasn’t even gone yet, and she already missed him so much it hurt. How could she possibly get through the next six months without him? It seemed like an impossible task.
Without warning – or so much as even a courtesy knock – Annabel waltzed into the bedroom. One glance at Temperance and she threw both of her hands in the air. “For goodness sakes,” she sighed as she closed the door behind her. “Is this how you are going to be the entire season? Because if so, I am going to suggest to Mother that we leave you here.”
“Please do,” Temperance said hopefully.
“As if I am going to do anything to upset her now that she has forgotten all about my recital. You know, I wasn’t sure about uprooting all of us and returning to the city so early…but now I am rather looking forward to it.”
Temperance flopped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “At least that makes one of us.”
“It will be all right,” Annabel said with a consoling pat on Temperance’s knee as she sat down beside her. “You will soon be so distracted you will not even have a second of spare time to think about Mr. Jacobson. Why, just imagine all of the things we shall be doing! Visiting the dress makers, preparing for the holiday, skating in Hyde Park…We’ll be so busy your head will spin. And you never know what the future may bring. When the Season officially begins you might even meet someone. Someone a tad more suitable than your Mr. Jacobson.”
Taming Temperance Page 13
