Her hand automatically rose when she should have denied all and fled the room.
“Why is there grass in your hair?” His gaze narrowed farther and the heat that had warmed his eyes changed to suspicion. “Where did you go?”
“When?”
“Just now. Newberry told me you went out.”
“I-I went for a walk,” she stammered. Lying was not something she was good at and they both knew it.
“Generally when someone goes out for a walk, one uses one’s feet. One does not use one’s head.”
“I do not have to explain my actions to you.” Pushing him from her path, she tried to flee but he reached out and grabbed her elbow, forced her to face him.
“You do have to tell me if you have broken the terms of our bargain.”
Carmalina’s mouth snapped open and then shut again. What could she tell him? The truth? Would he believe her? He seemed to have already made up his mind that her walk had turned into some kind of… Well, actually she had no idea what he took offense over. What did he believe she had done that could have violated their agreement?
“You think I met with a man?” she asked, incredulous that he had immediately come to that conclusion.
“Tell me why you have grass in your hair and why your dress is wet.”
“I was playing with the children in the park.” She need not lie about it. There was naught to be ashamed of. His judgement of her character should cause him guilt, not her.
“You were what?”
“I was at the park and there was a little girl that no one would play with so I kicked a ball to her.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I’m not lying to you.”
“It’s not a very believable story.”
His accusation would have made her angry if she hadn’t used all of her energy to quell the shivers that now racked her frame. She was freezing.
“If you’ll excuse me and my lies, I believe I have a headache.” Her words dripped with sarcasm; it was all she could muster under the circumstances.
“You aren’t going anywhere. We have more to discuss.”
His imperious, demanding tone set a lick of flame to her temper. “This discussion is over.”
“It is not.” His grip tightened on her arm and no matter how hard she tried to wrench herself free, he was immovable, stubborn in his vehemence.
“Let me go!”
“Not until I have the truth.”
“Fine, what would you like me to tell you? Would you like to hear that I met with my secret lover where I let him throw me down on the wet grass and have his way with me? In the cold? On the freezing cold, wet grass of a public park?” Exasperation fuelled her where her energy was found wanting. She had to fight the impulse to strike him where he stood.
“I want you to tell me the truth…or…”
“Or what?” He was bluffing. What could he do to hurt her more than his mistrust already had? She would not let him treat her like the whore he assumed she was.
* * *
He behaved irrationally, but dammit if he could tame the mistrust. Her explanation may have been laughable for a genteel woman of the ton, but for a foreigner, for Carmalina… She probably told the truth. His misplaced anger was more the result of bruised pride that she hadn’t wanted to spend time with him this morning. She’d preferred to run. Now that he’d picked this particular argument, he couldn’t let her win, otherwise she would think she had some power in their relationship.
To demonstrate his strength, his threat, he pulled her forward so her breasts pressed tight against his chest. She had nowhere to run now. No way to escape her fate.
He crushed his lips to hers, thrust his tongue into her mouth before she had time to react to his intrusion. There was nothing gentle about what he did, the way he slid his hands into her hair, grasped the silky strands so he could pull her head back, so he could taste more of her. He applied a little pressure to display just the merest hint of what he was capable of. He ground himself into her softness so she would know for sure that he wanted her. That he could take her anytime, agreement be damned.
For a moment she stiffened and tried to push against his chest but then she melted into his embrace like a rose whose petals opened to the rising sun. Soon she kissed him back as she skated her hands tentatively over his chest. He felt her fingers explore through the thin cotton of his shirt. Justin doubted she knew what the seemingly innocent gesture did to his desire.
Or maybe she did. Maybe Carmalina was practiced enough to know her actions would change the subject and stop more questions she didn’t want to give him honest answers to.
He would show her.
He eased his grip in her hair and let one hand drift lazily down her back, lower and lower, until he cupped her bottom, nestled her closer to his cock. Through the fog clouding his intentions he registered a wrongness. She responded to him the way he wanted; her tongue dueled with his, her breasts pressed harder, her fingers twined in his hair but there was something else. Her body trembled. He had many effects on the women he’d been with but never had his kisses alone caused the shivers that racked the body pressed so intimately against his.
Slowly he realized he grew cold in places he should have been on fire. Pulling away from her sweet taste, it was on the tip of his tongue to make a smart remark and leave her where she stood, wanting, alone. To force her to comprehend just how much she wanted him in her bed. To force her to accept that he was no gentle man or gentleman.
He set her away, first making sure she could stand on her own two feet, and then he waited for her to open her eyes. The first indication that all was not as it should be was a very strange sound though he could barely make out the cause. It sounded like her teeth chattered yet her lips pressed together in a tight line.
“Carmalina?” Now that he really looked at her, her skin was pale and her hands shook despite her best effort to hold them still.
His fervor was completely forgotten as he jerked hard on the bell system.
“Newberry, draw Mrs. Belluccini a bath immediately and build the fire in her room.”
“Milord?”
“Now, dammit!”
Damn her. She should have told him how wet and cold she was instead of making small talk and letting him monopolize the time she should have spent warming herself. Now the vixen would probably catch her death and ensure that he would never come to her bed.
If he couldn’t warm her, she may just succeed.
Chapter Eight
He didn’t waste time, just scooped her into his arms, her shriek of outrage going unheeded.
“Put me down,” she railed as she beat ineffectually against his back.
He ignored that too. If her delicate sensibilities were offended that he held her against his body, she was going to be very shocked when he dumped her in a hot bath.
He’d seen what the ague could do to a man and even though Carmalina was sweetly fleshy and curvy, she would not stand a chance against that kind of fever.
The door to her room flew open when he kicked it and he was pleased to see Newberry had already sent a footman to stoke the fire. As he set her on her feet, the man fled the room, closing the door behind him. They were alone and what he was about to do would make her more than shriek.
“I am perfectly capable of undressing myself.” When she tried to slap his hands away, he sent her a thunderous glance that would have cowed even the most courageous of men.
“Your hands are colder than snow and you need to get out of this dress. Now.”
“Well, send me a maid if you must. This is completely inappropriate.”
Justin concentrated on the row of tiny buttons that marched from the neck of the grey dress all the way to the hem. No wonder she’d been ready so early this morning. She hadn’t needed help with laces or back fastenings. He imagined she’d chosen the garment for exactly that reason.
After a few moments Justin had only a handful of buttons undone and he c
ould hear the steady footfalls from the bathroom as Newberry supervised the filling of the tub. He didn’t question why the water had already been heated and ready. Newberry rarely missed any happenings in the household.
Frustrated and furious with himself and the stupid buttons, he gripped each side of the material and ripped it open, sending pearls scattering softly to the carpet.
“Th-that was a n-new dress,” Carmalina pointed out. He could still hear the steady chatter as her teeth rattled together. The more skin he exposed, the colder his own fingers became.
“You should have changed your gown immediately and then we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“If y-you hadn’t o-ordered me t-to talk with you, I would have.”
Chagrin made Justin pause for a moment just as her dress slid from her arms to pool about her feet.
“You aren’t even wearing stockings.” How could she have left the house on such a cold day not even properly attired against the elements? Did she have wool in her head?
“I was. My feet were too damp to put them back on.”
Without any more thought as to what he was doing he untied the ribbons of her single petticoat and peeled it from her until it too lay around her ankles. That left her standing in only her chemise. No corset shielded her form from his avid gaze and despite the gravity of the situation, he was transfixed.
She may as well have been nude. Her dusky nipples jutted from the clingy chemise, her olive skin a dark contrast to the white lace. The triangle of curls at the top of her thighs beckoned from beneath the sheer garment. He wouldn’t have called her plump but she was voluptuous and fleshy, her stomach nicely flat. Here was a woman made to be loved.
“You can go now.”
Justin smiled as she made a move to hide from him. She had no idea it was too late for that. If he wanted to show her who held the power in this room, in this house, it had to be now.
“I need to make sure you don’t catch a chill.”
“I promise I will get straight into the bath and I won’t come out until I am warm.”
How naive she was. Or desperate.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I will not let you do this. We have an agreement.”
“There is nothing sexual in what we are doing, bella.” Justin bit his tongue against the lie. He was most certainly going to hell.
“Then why do you have that look in your eyes?”
He shrugged. “I’m concerned for your well-being.”
* * *
Carmalina snorted. It had to be the biggest of all the lies he’d told to date. The wild desire in his heated gaze could not be disguised with concern. She didn’t want to admit it—nor would she ever say it aloud—but his presence thrilled rather than frightened. For an instant, she was disappointed he’d agreed to her seven-day reprieve, but then her good sense returned.
She was almost naked and he was on his knees in front of her. They were alone in her room and if she wasn’t mistaken, he was going to finish stripping her clothes off and then put her in the bath. Carmalina didn’t have the strength to argue with him. She’d been a ninny to stand around for as long as she had in her damp dress and was going to have to pay the price.
His price.
Her nose itched so she gave it a wriggle to try to stave off the inevitable. She would lose her position in this battle if he thought she caught a chill.
“I do hope you haven’t spoiled my plans for the evening with this folly.”
“Folly?”
“Yes. I credited you with more intelligence than rolling around in the wet grass with urchins.” His face was shadowed in darkness as he leaned over to unlace her shoes but she imagined he rolled his eyes.
She decided to change the subject to a matter more pressing. “What are your plans for this evening?”
“Our plans.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Thank you.” Justin stood and gave her bottom a little pat to move her along into the bathroom.
“Why do you always do that?” she asked, exasperated.
“Do what, love?” His back was to her and she had the sudden impulse to pinch him. Hard. He didn’t pay any attention to her as he opened the connecting door to their shared bathroom. She had no choice but to follow him if she wanted a reply.
“Why do you always think I am apologizing to you?”
“When you say ‘I beg your pardon’ that implies that you are begging my pardon. You are pardoned. I forgive you.”
“Forgive me for what?” She was even more confused now than when she’d initially asked the question.
“For ruining our plans for the evening.”
“I didn’t even know we had plans so how could I have set out to ruin them?”
“Did you think we would spend every evening staying in?” Justin’s brows rose and his eyes took on the slow burn again.
She could well imagine he’d rather stay in every evening. “I would expect you to ask me if I had made my own plans.”
“Have you?” he asked as he tested the temperature of the water in the tub with his hand.
She should have but she hadn’t thought of it. Until now, she wasn’t aware they were engaged in a silent battle. “No,” she admitted with a sigh. She was rapidly losing the war.
“Good. If you are up to it, we shall leave at ten for one of my clubs.”
“I thought men’s clubs were for men only.”
He gave her that ‘are you a simpleton’ look again. “There are many more clubs than the ones you’ve heard about, bella.”
“What kind of club is it then?” she persisted. She knew he created a scandal but she would not go against her own morals or principles in the process. Not any more than sleeping in his bed for money already would.
“Not the kind of club you’re thinking of, I can assure you.” He rose from his perch on the edge of the tub and looked pointedly at her. He was waiting for her to take off her chemise and get into the water. Her teeth no longer rattled but she was still cold. Not cold enough to remove the last vestige of her dignity though. She would prefer to bathe in her underthings.
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Carmalina crossed her arms over her chest. Justin lounged against the door frame, his annoyingly smug expression fixed in place. They were at a deadlock and she wouldn’t concede defeat.
“If you don’t take it off and get in the tub right now, I will take it off for you.” His voice was quiet and strangely soft but there was a threat there and she heard it loud and clear. He didn’t bluff.
In a matter of only days he would see her naked, touch her bare skin. What did it matter if he saw her now? They had an agreement. He’d given his word.
She was normally perfectly comfortable with her body. Working in the theatre for as many years as she had, Carmalina was used to being in a room with several naked bodies on more than a few occasions.
Maybe that was the problem.
“If I have to take my clothes off, then you should too.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt herself flush. Where had that come from?
“Are you sure?” His mouth curved wider and he looked like he tried to hold back a jump for pure joy. She’d just handed him an invitation she hadn’t meant to.
“No.”
“Because I would be happy to oblige.” Justin’s hands went to his shirt and he slipped the first button free. Carmalina gulped. She’d taunted a lion and it certainly wasn’t her smartest action to date.
The chemise she wore was simple so she untied the ribbon that held the sheer material, took the hem in her trembling fingers and pulled the garment over her head. Her thick hair was in wild disarray but helped to cover her chest as she lowered her arms, the fabric floating to the tiled floor. There was just one other obstacle to overcome before she could sink into the soothing warm water.
Justin Trentham.
He now stood between her and the relative safety of the tub.
“Magnific
ent,” he breathed as his gaze travelled everywhere at once.
Carmalina waved her hand to move him out of the way but he was too busy ogling. She cleared her throat but still he didn’t react.
“You’re going to have to step aside, my lord.”
“You shouldn’t be ‘my lording’ me while you are at my mercy, bella.”
“Is that what this is all about? I thought you were concerned for my welfare.”
“I am.”
“Yet you stand in the way while I shiver.” Her teeth chose that moment to rattle again. A fierce draft blew through the open door, not helping her current state.
Her nose began to itch again but this time she couldn’t ward off the sneeze that rocked her body with its force.
* * *
“For God’s sake, get in the bath.” Justin moved from her path and even managed to keep his hands by his side when she climbed into the steaming tub. His voice was barely recognizable to his own ears, the low, gravelly tone emerging right from the depths of his chest.
Why did he continue to torture himself like this? She shivered like a waif in the snow; though her dark hair held pieces of grass and dirt, she was still easily the most stunning creature he’d ever seen. His gaze strayed first to full breasts, then to nicely rounded hips framing a smooth, flat stomach. The curls beneath made his hands itch to reach out and touch her. His cock strained at the fastening of his trousers but he didn’t care if she saw. Maybe if Carmalina knew how she tormented him, she would relent and let him in.
He watched as she sighed with pleasure and sank beneath the surface of the water. For the first time he noticed just how dirty her feet were; there were also smudges of soil on her knees. The cloth was on the floor next to the tub so Justin picked it up and then stood at her feet and waited for her to open her chocolate eyes.
He didn’t mind the wait. She was a vision. Her wet hair floated in a black cloud around her shoulders, her puckered nipples just barely visible through the strands. He wanted to take her up on her suggestion and strip bare but then he would have joined her in the tub. There would only be enough room for them both if they were as one. He could imagine the water spilling over the smooth edges to splash on the tiled floor as she rode him to ecstasy. He would suckle her smooth café au lait skin while her thighs tightened about his hips, her ankles crossed behind his back as he thrust into her over and over.
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