“Don’t act like this is all my doing.” She stuck her nose in the air. “As I recall, you took part in this, as well.”
“Why do you think I’m here? I know some amount of the blame is mine.”
Lifting an eyebrow, she studied him. “You make it sound as though the majority of it resides with me.”
He heaved a sigh. “There are a few factors I can’t be held accountable for.”
Her head reeled. She clenched her teeth, unable to believe they were honestly having this discussion. Being pregnant with his baby alone would assign a certain amount of responsibility to them both.
But his reasoning, misguided as it might be piqued her curiosity. “Then, please, enlighten me.”
“The alcohol for one.” He obviously didn’t hear the anger in her voice. “You and I had both exceeded our limit that evening.”
“I agree with that, although the excessive drinking is nobody’s fault but our own.” She shook her head as the fuzzy thoughts surfaced. “The claret certainly affected my recollection of that night. The few parts I can recall are hazy in my memory.”
“That’s highly insulting. Most women claim a night with me is something they will never forget.”
Gritting her teeth, she glared at him. “Perhaps you’ve lost your touch. Now, what’s second?”
He cleared his throat as he shifted in his seat. “I was under the impression that you were . . . I mean to say that with your reputation—”
She sucked in her breath as hurt clawed up her throat. “You believed the rumors? You thought I gave myself to Lord Higgins while I was in my first season, during a ball, no less?”
Even in the low light, she noticed his face turning pink. “Marcus, too, believed it could be true.”
Angry tears welled up in her eyes. “How could my own brother believe such a thing?”
“He said you never talked about it.”
“I didn’t think I had to,” she replied incredulously.
“Your silence says a lot more than you think.”
She looked out the dark window, unable to take the pity in his eyes any longer. “That doesn’t matter now. In your little blame assignment, you forgot one factor. I understand there are ways to avoid pregnancy. You clearly didn’t take any precautions.”
“Again, I must point out I was drunk. Had I been thinking clearly, a lot of that evening would have gone differently.”
Her eyes met his again. “And the next day? Would that have gone differently as well? Finding you had left had been quite a shock.”
He winced. “Not my proudest moment, I’ll admit. But, both my sister and I were anxious to return to London.”
“And how do you think I felt?”
“I’m here now, am I not?” He raked a gloved hand through his hair. “Even when I left, I knew this was inevitable. I just needed time to come to terms with the fact that I was cornered into marriage at the age of twenty-three.”
“Cornered?” Her voice rose a fraction.
“Maybe that wasn’t the correct word. Regardless, we shall be married before long.”
The resigned look on his face combined with the dismissive way he said it brought hot anger to her cheeks. At twenty, with a reputation ruined by one man, and being pregnant by another, this was her only option. To marry a man she could barely tolerate. However, the more she looked at him, the more she knew she couldn’t go through with this.
“No. We won’t. Stop the carriage.”
Alarm shot across his face. “Why? Are you ill?”
She glared at him. Honestly, she was. He made her sick. “Turn the carriage around. I’m not going to marry you.”
His head reared back. “What you talking about? Of course you are going to marry me. You are carrying my child.”
The fury creeping across his face elicited her panic. Would he force her to wed him? She wouldn’t allow that.
“No, I-I’m not with child. I thought I was, but I learned it wasn’t true a few days ago.” She looked away, worried that he would see through her lie.
Silence filled the space. So thick it was stifling. She shifted on the carriage seat, resisting the urge to tug at her neckline. Forcing her breathing to remain even, she spared a glance at him. The hurt on his face almost made her confess the truth, but she kept her lips sealed.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said at last, his voice gravelly. “I took your innocence. That was the action that led us to this moment. Not what you do or do not carry in your womb.”
She shook her head vehemently. “That isn’t relevant. You can’t save my reputation any more than Lord Higgins can. Besides, neither one of us wants to marry.” Softening her expression, she leaned forward and touched his gloved hand. “Just stop the carriage. That is what we both want.”
The look of indecision on his face made her bite her lip. What if he refused? She would be forced to marry a man she hated.
But, if the carriage stopped, she would be raising a bastard child on her own. She knew her mother and brother wouldn’t abandon her, but life would prove to be considerably difficult. With either choice.
“If you didn’t want to marry me, then why the ruse? You could easily have told me as soon as you found out,” he demanded after a long pause, then he crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t believe you.”
Leaning back, she mirrored his condescending posture. “I saw you as an easy way to get out of my brother’s house.”
“And now?”
“I just realized something. I don’t like you.”
Instead of anger, he laughed. “That wasn’t a problem for you not two months ago.”
“Yes, but there is only so much of you a person can take. I’ve reached my limit.”
The twinkling in his eyes only added to his handsomeness. It made a small part of her regret not marrying him. As she studied the ease of his once rigid posture, she realized he was relieved. Whether at the fact he didn’t have to marry her or her claim to not be pregnant, she wasn’t sure.
“I don’t think so. More like you haven’t had enough of me.”
She ground her teeth. “Are you going to stop the carriage or not?”
He ran a gloved finger along his chin, the black kidskin sliding across the smooth flesh. “It won’t be long before we stop for the night. You shall have your reprieve from me at that time.”
Pinching her lips tight, she glared out the window. If he had no desire to marry so young, she couldn’t understand why he insisted on getting closer to Scotland before stopping. Regardless, anything that would halt their journey and give her a chance to plead to the carriage driver would work for her.
The time seemed to pass at an alarmingly slow rate and once they arrived at an inn, her anticipation had her foot almost pounding a hole in the floorboards. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when the baron returned from securing their rooms.
“Come, my dear.” He held his hand out to her. “We shall dine upstairs.”
As they made their way through the taproom and up the stairs, she kept her head bowed—as though every set of eyes watched her. As if they knew she was being escorted by a man who was not her husband.
Once they were inside her room, she kneaded the length of her neck to ease the aching muscles. Hearing the door click shut, she started upon seeing the baron still in her room.
“My lord, you—”
“This was the only room left.” He crossed his arms as if in challenge. “We have to share.”
She began shaking her head before the words were out of his mouth. “Unacceptable. We need two rooms.”
Her eyes widened as he shrugged out of his jacket and took a step toward her. “What’s wrong? Afraid you can’t control yourself around me?”
Swallowing, she backed up as he stal
ked toward her. His hands were unbuttoning his waistcoat, and she couldn’t look away from him. The glint in his eye caused her pulse to race and her mouth to dry. Instantly, her body reacted to him. Although she wished it weren’t true, she wanted him.
Before he could make it any further, a knock sounded at the door.
Lord Dailey simply winked at her. “Later then,” he promised before he spun around to see to the visitor.
While he handled their luggage and meal, she wrapped her arms around her midsection and moved to the opposite end of the room. Taking measured breaths, she tried to calm herself. This whole thing had been a mistake. What was she supposed to do now?
“Lady Annalise.” His sensual voice washed over her. “Please come. Sit.”
Biting the inside of her cheek, she twisted around to see him holding a chair out for her. He wasn’t making this easy. It was simple to see how he could charm any woman. But, she didn’t want to be just any woman.
Mentally slapping herself, she marched, head high, and took the offered seat. She pulled off her traveling gloves and set them aside before gripping the spoon and dipping it in the steaming bowl. The smell made her stomach growl, and she suppressed a smile. She never knew when the child inside her would decide she should go without food.
As they ate, it didn’t escape her notice how Gordon never removed his gloves. Part of her wanted to ask him if he ever took them off. Instead, she continued eating as the silence overtook the conversation. She knew the baron’s hands had been severely burned as a youth. He’d saved her brother and Viscount Knightly from a fire. She owed him her gratitude, not her curiosity.
Thinking of the night ahead of them, she glanced at the bed.
“Don’t fret. Tomorrow I’ll be legally allowed to share the bed with you. And considering our past, this shouldn’t be an issue.”
Her face burned. “It is an issue. Particularly since I already told you I have no intention of marrying you.”
He leaned back in his chair and studied her. “We shall see.”
Irritated, she opened her mouth to refute him, but he merely held up a hand.
“Let’s not argue. I’ll give you a few minutes to ready yourself for bed.”
With that, he stood, bowed, and left. She wrung her hands as she stared at the closed door. What was she to do? The idea of sleeping beside him sounded like a slow torture. She wasn’t sure she would survive the night with her sanity intact. And, her resolve.
Gordon Ashford bit back a groan as Annalise pressed her luscious bottom up against his lower extremities. Even in her sleep the lady elicited a response from him he never thought possible. What was it about her that affected him—more so than any other? He wished he knew. Drawing in a deep breath, he filled his nostrils with the honeyed scent of her.
This night had truly tested his control. It had been near two months since he’d shared anyone’s bed, as his body continually reminded him. Ever since he’d taken her innocence, he hadn’t been able to get Annalise out of his head, and unfortunately, even the thought of another woman felt unsatisfying. He didn’t like it.
Stretching his aching fingers, he ignored the irritating side effects of wearing his gloves to bed. To date no one had seen his scarred palms, and he’d be damned if he began now, especially with this particular lady in his arms. She had already found enough about him to be repulsed without adding to it.
She moaned softly in her sleep and snuggled up closer to him. Gritting his teeth, he gave in to his urge and brushed her chestnut hair away from her neck in a feather-light caress. He wondered how she would feel against his bare fingers. The sensation of touching someone only existed to him as a fleeting memory, one he would give just about anything to recall.
Bolstered by her lack of acknowledgment and his increasing desire, he drew himself up on his elbow and slid his mouth along her neck, dropping a few kisses as he moved. Her flesh was silk across his lips. Hearing her sharp intake of breath, he froze. She didn’t pull back.
Rejoicing, he continued his attention, kissing and licking her neck. When she rolled toward him to lie on her back, he took her mouth with his. She gripped his shoulders and met his kiss with the frenzy of a woman long denied. Fire, similar to the one that destroyed his hands, raced through his blood as he covered her body with his, settling himself between her legs.
He groaned as she ground herself against him. If he hadn’t been so tightly wound, he would have laughed at her exuberance. She may deny him during the day, but at night the truth came out. Knowing he could use her own reaction against her, he pushed her further into the mattress, loving how her legs automatically wrapped around him.
Sliding his hand along her body, he cupped her breasts in his gloved palms. Again he was struck with the desire to touch her, to really touch her. These thoughts caught him off guard. Never before had he wanted to share that part of himself with anyone. That made their upcoming marriage even more significant. As if he were destined to marry Annalise.
Her fingers bit into his shoulder as he moved his mouth down her neck and fumbled with the fastenings of her nightdress. Gloves made even the smallest task more difficult. Apparently unwilling to wait, Annalise pulled her nightdress down until one delectable breast popped free. Not one to keep a woman waiting, he sucked her pert nipple into his mouth.
She moaned. “Oh, Ian.”
Gordon froze. Not again. Her calling out that name had driven him away after their first time together. Pulling back, he looked into her passion-filled face and cursed. All of this wasn’t for him. It was for his bloody best friend. Clearly, she still held a fancy for Lord Knightly. Gordon had thought the viscount’s dismissal of her would have broken it. Apparently, it hadn’t.
“Gordon,” he corrected.
She blinked, and as her eyes focused on his face, they widened. He cursed again. This whole time she honestly believed him to be another man. Frustration clawed at his throat. He wanted to shake her. To yell and scream until she acknowledged him. But, he couldn’t. No amount of forcing could make a person develop a regard they didn’t feel.
“You must have too many lovers to be able to keep us straight,” he retorted, anger lacing his words.
He knew his statement wasn’t fair, nor was it true, but the overwhelming desire to hurt her as she had done him overruled his good sense.
With fury replacing the passion in her eyes, she shoved at his chest, and he obediently rolled off of her. The reminder of her interest in his friend had managed to cool his desire unlike anything else could. If only it had been his name on her lips.
“How dare you say such a thing?” She hastened to right her bedclothing and tugged the coverlet until only her head peeked out. “You are the only one I’ve made this mistake with.”
“Mistake?” He scoffed. “Anything that happens between us is not a mistake. And once you are my wife, I’ll ensure it’s my name you are calling out every night.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll never be your wife.”
He chuckled as he turned over to face the wall. “We shall see about that.”
Hours later, the sunlight streamed through the curtains and touched Gordon’s face. Spending the night feeling Annalise’s body pressed against his reached a forgotten place deep inside him. He could spend a lifetime enjoying every night like that, and it wouldn’t be enough.
With a contented smile, he opened his eyes to greet the day. Not only had he slept better than he had in a long time, but today he would make Annalise his wife. He hadn’t expected to feel such anticipation. Something about her called out to him, and he couldn’t wait to explore what it was.
Rolling over to face the lady in question, he sucked in his breath. The bed was empty. Sitting up, he glanced around the room, but she wasn’t there, either. Ripping off his gloves, he tossed the offending things across the room. What good d
id wearing them provide when he woke alone?
After drying off his sweaty palms, he rubbed feeling back into his working fingers. He paused on his numb ring little fingers on his left hand. Those two had sustained the brunt of the damage from the fire and therefore had been instrumental in saving his two friends. Due to that, he couldn’t even bring himself to lament their uselessness now. A small price to pay.
Would Annalise think the same way when she gazed upon his ruined flesh? Although his actions helped her brother, he imagined she would be repulsed, regardless.
He cast the thought aside. Right now he needed to concentrate his attention on discovering where his soon-to-be bride had disappeared to. Although he wasn’t pleased with the idea of her wandering around the inn alone, he appreciated her independence.
His lady wasn’t one of those incapable of making a decision without a man. Pride swelled in his chest as he readied himself, then made his way downstairs. Annalise would make him a good wife. At least, she would, just as soon as he made her forget about Ian.
One sweep of the taproom revealed no Annalise. A tingle of fear set his spine rigid. When his gaze met the anxious eyes of his coachman, dread tightened his throat.
“Jeffrey, have you seen Lady Annalise?” Gordon’s anxiousness overruled the courtesy of offering pleasantries.
“Yes, my lord. The lady is gone.”
“Gone?” Gordon repeated. “Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. After her ladyship and the innkeeper’s wife had some words, they left. No one would tell me a bloody thing. Not even where to find you.”
Fury, concern, and frustration exploded in his mind as he clenched his fists to ward against the desire to hit something. She’d left him. She actually put herself in danger in order to get away from him. The blood pounding in his ears made his head hurt.
Embracing the Knight Page 22
