A Dangerous Game

by Julia Templeton

  “But what of the marriage contract?”

  “Men are clever, particularly when it comes to bedding the women we want.”

  Nicolette went up on her elbow. “And what type of woman do you want?”

  His eyes searched her face, as though gauging if she were serious. Apparently sensing she was earnest, he shrugged. “I love all women, which is not surprising given we grew up in a whorehouse. I often felt like we both had thirty mothers, didn’t you?”

  He was trying to change the subject, but she wouldn’t let him. “But certainly there is a certain type of woman that you’re attracted to. What color hair, what color eyes? Do you like them slender with small breasts, or voluptuous with large tits?”

  “Nicolette! How crass you are.”

  She flashed him an innocent smile. “What? Certainly you have a preference.”

  “What of you, Miss Nicolette? What type of man are you attracted to?”

  “Oh no, you don’t.”

  His brows lifted. “I shall tell you, if you tell me.”

  “I find I’m attracted to tall men with broad shoulders. I also prefer long hair over short.”

  “Well, that means you are attracted to fifty percent of the population then.”

  She watched him, drinking in his rare beauty. The smile on his lips disappeared and his eyes narrowed. “What are you up to, Nic?”

  Now was not the time to lose her nerve. She had to be strong, just as Charlotte suggested. If she wanted Salvatore, she must make her move and do it now. She cleared her throat. “I want to see what you look like?”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Her gaze shifted to the bulge in his pants. “Down there.”

  His mouth dropped open. “Nicolette, I think this is going too far.”

  She refused to acknowledge his shock and surprise, and instead lifted her chin and prayed for courage. “I think it only fitting that I know what a man looks like, especially given the way the seduction is going. I have little doubt Darian will be showing me his cock...and very soon.”

  He paled as he watched her. “I think you have spent too much time with Charlotte. Things need not go that far. You know that, right?”

  She shrugged. “But how can I stop it once it does? After all, I have to lose my virginity sometime, and if I become his lover, then we will have exactly what we want.”

  Salvatore cursed under his breath. “You must have misunderstood, Nic. Seduction does not mean you have to sleep with him.”

  “But how can I stop him once we start? Already he is frustrated with me making excuses. I have to get him alone, in my bedchamber, and I will not have you there to save me.”

  “I will make sure it does not go to such an extent. Make sure you are never alone with him, like you were in the labyrinth. If you meet, make sure you say it is in your room and not his. I will be in my room and you will tell Darian that you will knock on my door, just to let me know you’ve made it back safely, and I’ll be there.”

  “He believes we are lovers.”

  “Tell him that I am with a woman, and that is why you choose not to disturb me. That way when Elizabeth does discover him in your room, the both of us will appear innocent.” He ran the backs of his fingers along her jaw. “I have to mend things with Elizabeth, but I will make sure she sees you leaving Darian’s room. She will run to her father and the marriage will be called off. I am certain of it.”

  “But how can I escape his advances, particularly when I’m in his room? Already he believes I am teasing him mercilessly.”

  Salvatore turned his head and kissed her forehead. “I will not let that happen.”

  A sound at the door startled them both. Salvatore rolled away from her and then strode toward the door. Nicolette stayed where she was, arms crossed behind her head.

  Salvatore opened the door and Nicolette had a clear view of Darian and Elizabeth. Darian’s gaze shifted abruptly to Nicolette. His brows furrowed. Elizabeth’s cheeks blazed red and she averted her gaze, looking instead at the floor.

  “Nicolette, I am glad you are here too. Elizabeth has something she would like to say to you both.”

  Elizabeth quirked her lips. “I apologize for my behavior earlier. I had no right to say what I did. I do not pretend to know how difficult your lives have been, and I did not mean to belittle you in any way.”

  The words sounded rehearsed, but at least she’d said them.

  “I accept your apology, Elizabeth,” Salvatore said, glancing over his shoulder at Nicolette.

  Nicolette came to her feet. “I do as well, Elizabeth.”

  Darian’s gaze held her pinned to the spot. His dark eyes narrowed slightly. The jealousy she saw there surprised her and made her uneasy.

  He cleared his throat. “Well, we obviously interrupted you.”

  Salvatore did not rise to the bait and instead nodded. “We shall see you this evening. Kedgwick, Lady Elizabeth.” With that he shut the door.

  *****

  Refreshed from a hot bath and a glass of brandy, Nicolette sat down at the card table, intent on winning a hand, undeterred that she was the only woman present, and that the Duke and Duchess of Durham had arrived and watched their future-son-in-law relentlessly.

  The duchess, a very plain-looking woman who rarely smiled, had looked down her nose at Nicolette the moment she’d entered the drawing room on Salvatore’s arm. The duke had at least smiled, nodded in greeting, then immediately turned his undivided attention to his wife and daughter.

  An hour later Nicolette was losing badly and considered quitting when Darian walked into the room. Rather than join the game, he stood back and simply watched her.

  Conscious of his steely gaze on her, she wondered what was going through his mind as he silently brooded.

  Darian motioned with a slight tilt of his head toward the courtyard. Her stomach knotted. Did he mean for her to follow? she wondered, and when he left out the double doors, she waited a few moments before she put her cards facedown and stood. “Gentlemen, I fear I have lost enough this night. Perhaps I will try again tomorrow evening.”

  Masculine moans filled the air as she took her leave, and discreetly exited a different door than the one Darian had taken.

  What did he want?

  He was taking a chance meeting her like this. So why did he want to meet now, especially when his in-laws were underfoot, and his fiancée was watching his every move?

  Exiting out the double doors, her breath lodged in her throat as Darian grabbed her from behind and pulled her toward the hedge. “Why did you not come to me last night?”

  “You were occupied.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  “Darian, I am not a fool. I know what transpired between you and Charlotte in the maze.”

  Even in the dark she could see a blush color his cheeks. “What did she say?”

  “Nothing. I had been concerned due to her drunken state, so I followed her, afraid that she might fall. That’s when I saw the two of you.”

  His hands tightened on her arms. “It meant nothing.”

  “I will be your friend, Darian, but that’s all.”

  “No!” He pulled her close to him, and her heart slammed against her ribs. For the first time she was afraid of his anger. “I want you.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “And what of the way you and Salvatore behave? You always are touching each other, always whispering, always together.” There was no mistaking the jealousy in his tone. “You should hear what people say about the two of you.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t care what they say.”

  His dark eyes held her pinned to the spot. “What are you to each other? I want to know.”

  “We are friends, partners, companions.”r />
  “Lovers?”

  She lifted a brow. “That is none of your business.”

  “But I would like to make it my business.”

  “I do not ask you about your lovers.”

  He laughed under his breath. “You are a witch, Nicolette. Truly, I have never been so beguiled with a woman in my life. Why did I meet you now when I must marry another?”

  “Things happen for a reason.”

  “Do you honestly believe in fate?”

  She nodded “I always have. I know that meeting Salvatore when I was a child was fate. I knew the moment I met him that he would be—”

  “Do not speak of him anymore. The very thought of the two of you together sets my teeth on edge.”

  His arms encircled her waist, and he kissed her, his tongue sweeping past her lips, his teeth grinding into her upper lip.

  Dear God, was that blood she tasted? Fed up with his boorish behavior, Nicolette kept her arms braced against his. He took a step and she felt her back make contact with the cold brick of the manor.

  On the verge of a scream, his lips abruptly left hers, making a trail down her neck. “This is wrong...yet I cannot help myself.”

  Her throat was too tight to speak, and it seemed he would not give her time to respond before he kissed her again. “When you are near, I want to touch you, and to know that I cannot is killing me. It’s wrong, I know it—” His hands went to either side of her face. “I see desire in your eyes when you look at me, and I don’t know if I’m mistaken. Perhaps I’m seeing only what I want to see.”

  Her heart was beating so loud it was a roar that filled her ears. Where was Salvatore? This was getting too intense and she wanted nothing more than to be inside the manor, safely amongst the other guests. Seeing he waited for her response, she said, “I desire you, as well you know.”

  The torture that had been in his eyes moments before was gone, replaced by something that resembled relief.

  “How can we be together?” he asked, pulling her farther into the shadows.

  “Come to my room tonight,” she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

  “What of Salvatore?”

  Still he thought that she and Salvatore were lovers. Now was not the time to tell him differently. “He will not come to my room tonight.”

  “Darian!”

  Nicolette jumped at the sound of Elizabeth’s voice coming from nearby. “I shall go around to the front, that way she will not accuse you of any wrongdoing.”

  Darian held her face between his hands. “No, stay here with me for a little while. I don’t care if we are discovered. In fact, I wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be for the best if we were caught.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  Nicolette heard the sound of swishing skirts and light steps. She had little doubt it was Elizabeth. “Please go, before we’re discovered.”

  “Only after a kiss.”

  She kissed him quickly. “I must go.”

  “I will come to you.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” she said, and a moment later he was gone.

  Chapter Eight

  Throughout the long night, Nicolette had drifted off to sleep, only to awake with a start. Checking the clock on the nightstand served to remind her the hour was growing late. She had glanced at the wall, wondering if there was a secret wall somewhere—a panel that hid a dark staircase that led from his room to hers.

  It had been two in the morning when Salvatore had checked in on her. He had gone downstairs to find Darian and Elizabeth’s father playing a game of chess. It appeared the older man was not about to let his future son-in-law out of his sight anytime soon. She had finally fallen asleep and gotten a few hours of rest.

  With the dawning of a new day she had much to think on. Last night she had without question expected Darian to show up in her chamber, and Salvatore had been at the ready, to no avail. Now both of them were tired and grumpy.

  But she was bound to get his attention this morning, she thought, smiling at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She was pushing convention by wearing specially tailored men’s clothing to a hunt. She had the clothes made a few years ago, finding even riding habits too cumbersome, particularly during a hunt. The pants that had once hung loosely now hugged every curve of her womanly body. The shirt with billowing sleeves was as black as her pants and knee-high boots. She stared at the provocative woman who looked back at her.

  Salvatore had not seen her in the male attire for a long time. Perhaps he would notice today. No doubt she would cause scandal by being so daring, but she had never been one to worry about what others thought—a quality her mother had passed on to her.

  As she made her way down the long staircase, she noticed the raised brows of several ladies who exited the drawing room. There were a few who bid her good morning, wide smiles on their faces, no doubt amazed at her audacity.

  Salvatore walked out of the dining room with Charlotte on his arm. The other woman laughed at something she said, but then stopped upon seeing Nicolette. The widow lifted her brows and grinned as though to say, ‘that a girl.’

  Seeing where her attention was directed, Salvatore looked up. His eyes widened, and as she descended the steps she could feel his gaze on her—all of her. At his side, Charlotte winked.

  When she reached the bottom step Salvatore took her by the hand. “I am absolutely speechless.”

  She was pleased with his reaction. “That would be a first.”

  “You shall have every man panting after you, my dear,” Charlotte said coyly.

  “Yes, and every woman scowling,” Nicolette added, meeting Charlotte’s knowing grin with one of her own.

  “They are jealous, my dear, for they know you have what they lack.” Charlotte laughed. “Not only do they envy you for your beauty, but even more for your daring.”

  “I wonder if it is too much given the present company,” Salvatore said, bringing her attention back to him.

  Charlotte smacked him on the arm. “Come, what is the fun in that. I say let her stir up this bunch of old crones. Give them something to talk about.”

  Salvatore’s lips quirked. “That is what I’m afraid of.”

  “And since when have you ever cared what any of them thought?”

  *****

  Salvatore had no immediate response to that question. Nic was right. In fact, hadn’t he been the one to tell her to thumb her nose at convention, to ignore what anyone thought?

  Yet that was before.

  Before what? His conscience asked, trying to forget how good she looked in those tight pants, which hugged her curves and showed off how incredibly long her legs were. And her tailored shirt fit her perfectly, accenting her tiny waist and ample chest. Her hair was worn down, the shiny waves falling past her waist in thick curls. One did not have to imagine anything. Her assets were there on display for all to see, and therein lay the problem. He suddenly did not want anyone else seeing her like this.

  “Come, let me walk with the two of you to the stables. I do not want to miss this.” He extended his arm, and Nicolette took it.

  The reaction to Nicolette’s attire was mixed. The men smiled devilishly, while the women seemed highly offended at such brazenness. The closer they came to the stables, the more Salvatore wanted to take Nicolette in his arms and walk in the opposite direction.

  Darian, who had been talking with the duke, turned as they approached. The man’s dark eyes raked over Nicolette, hot with wanting. Salvatore bristled, calling himself a thousand kinds of fool for coming up with such a madcap scheme of having Nic seduce a scoundrel.

  The duke, seeing where Darian’s attention was directed, glanced their way and his gray brows rose to his hairline.

  “This is absolutely priceless,” Charlotte sai
d, amusement lacing her words. “The duke’s face is so flushed, I fear his head might explode. Have you ever seen a man turn so red?”

  No, Salvatore had not, and as one by one the men turned to stare, he wished he and Nic were anywhere else, preferably back in London, in their townhouse, sleeping the day away, while playing and entertaining the city’s elite.

  Even the groom who came toward them with horses in tow, blushed to the roots of his red hair. Nicolette, playing the seductress to the extreme, smiled prettily at the boy who was closer to her age than Salvatore, and accepted his offer of help. Nic mounted, and even went so far as to wink at the boy.

  “You have your hands full,” Charlotte whispered in his ear. “Every man here wants her, and every man here envys you for what you have with her.”

  Salvatore studied the widow. “Why would they envy me?”

  “Because you already have her love, something they would give anything for, and she adores you. She doesn’t hide that fact from anyone. Even now Darian watches you like a hawk, wondering what the two of you are to each other. You know the rumors. I know you do. I ask you this, my friend. Have you ever gone out of your way to deny them?”

  “No, I have no reason to. I truly don’t care what they think.”

  She lifted a tawny brow. “Or do you prefer them to think she is taken?”

  Any response was cut short, for Darian appeared before them. He nodded at Salvatore, then briefly glanced at Charlotte. He seemed careful not to look at Nicolette. He no doubt could feel the duke’s eyes boring holes into him.

  “Hello, Kedgwick,” Charlotte said, a saucy smile on her lips. Salvatore was beginning to truly enjoy the widow’s company.

  “Charlotte,” Darian said, with a curt nod.

  Salvatore mounted and turned to Darian. “Will Elizabeth be joining us?”

  The duke’s dark expression showed how affronted he was that someone of such insignificant breeding as Salvatore would ask about his daughter. “My daughter is abed this morning, sir.”