“Why does she not go with Sebastian and Colleen?”
“They left. Colleen is ill.”
“Nothing serious?”
His mother smiled. “I dare say she is increasing again.”
“Good Lord, they already have three children.”
She chuckled. “I have a feeling you will understand some day. So, will you take her in your carriage?”
The thought had him breaking out in a cold sweat. Alone in a dark carriage with Anna? This would not do. “Do you not think people will question it?”
She laughed. “I doubt it. We are family friends and you are escorting her home. Everyone saw how sick Colleen was.”
“How are you getting to the ball?”
“Lord Greenwood is taking us.”
“Is he not a little young for you?”
“Not the pup who has been sniffing around Anna’s skirts. His father. Really, Daniel, I do not have the time to play around. Will you escort Anna home? She is none too happy with the attention she has been receiving tonight.”
Just then he saw her standing off to the side, surrounded by her horde of men. Anger and possessiveness griped him. He did not have a right to it, but he did not like the way they were slavering over her.
“Daniel?”
Without looking away from Anna, he said, “Yes.”
“Oh, wonderful.” She stepped closer, rose to her toes and brushed her lips over his cheek. “Be careful.”
Daniel cursed his mother the moment the door on the carriage shut both he and Anna in alone. Dammit, he should have known better than to let his mother talk him into something like this. They were utterly alone, and he knew with the traffic it would take them close to an hour to get her back to her family townhouse.
“I noticed that you and Sebastian escaped the soprano’s performance.”
“We could still hear her out on the terrace.”
She humphed and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Even in the dim light he could discern the flesh that rose above her neckline. His fingers itched to glide over her skin, feel it beneath his hands.
He swallowed.
“I daresay it was much worse inside. Why does all of society think sopranos are the type of singer to host?”
“They are known as the epitome of the musical world. They are also known to have volatile tempers and tumultuous affairs. I am certain that some of the young men were there tonight because that soprano is unattached at the moment.”
There was a moment of silence. “Oh. I understand now.”
Something had shifted in her demeanor, the way her voice sounded. It was like their discussion yesterday at her house.
“What do you understand?”
She did not say anything.
“Anna?”
She sighed. “I noticed that she is your type of woman.”
“I told you yesterday you do not understand the first thing about my type of woman.”
“She is tall, dark-haired, and well…we know that she will not have to sing to pay for her supper with a figure like hers.”
The prim note in her voice had him laughing. “Oh, that is rich.”
“What do you mean?”
“You attend the musicale with a dress you should not be wearing, have men fairly drooling on you, and you have the right to pass judgment on the soprano?”
“They were not drooling over me because of my dress or my looks. Men in that realm do not find women like me all that attractive. That is something I learned years ago, so you will not make a fool out of me pretending that is why they were watching me.”
He could not think of a thing to say. At first he was convinced that she was joking with him, but he had heard the pain in her voice. Did Anna actually think that men did not find her desirable?
He studied her bent head as she studied her hands. He knew that her association with Dewhurst had done some damage. Her behavior after the incident that exposed him as a killer, and a man who was using Anna to get to her cousin. But how could this woman who left hundreds of hearts strewn over the ballrooms of London actually believe she had nothing to offer a man but her name and money?
“Anna?”
“Oh, let it go, Daniel. I do not wish to further embarrass myself.” He heard it there in her voice, the shame.
“Truly, you cannot think the only reason men are interested in you is your fortune?”
She refused to look at him. It was as the day before. He could not stand being shrugged away as an afterthought, as if he did not matter. He slipped his finger beneath her chin and raised her face until he could see her eyes. What he saw broke his heart.
Tears shimmered in the depths of her blue gaze. The pain and sadness twisted his gut. She tried to pull away but he easily held her still.
“You have to know there is not a man in that crowd who would not be lucky to have you as his wife. Those men might have other motives for any proposal, but I can assure they are all readily attracted to you.”
She closed her eyes, causing tears to stream down her cheeks. This was not the girl he knew, the one who was always the life of the party. She had never wanted for attention from the time she was born until the time she was introduced to society. Being a wealthy earl’s sister helped, but there was vivacity to her. She lightened every room, drew every eye, and she thought she wasn’t the type of woman who attracted men.
It was then he realized that every smile she offered, even her laughter, did not have the same light quality as a few years ago. Sorrow tinged the edges.
“Anna.”
She shook her head. “Please, Daniel, let it go.” The request came out in a ragged plea. She did not know what that tone in her voice did to him. It shredded what little control he had left.
Keeping her chin firmly in his grasp, he leaned forward and brushed his mouth over hers. She gasped, her eyes opening in surprise. In the next instant, they narrowed.
“If you have any respect for me, please, don’t take pity on me. It is one thing I could not stand right now.”
“My dear woman, pity is the furthest thing from my mind.”
With that, he swooped back down and lost himself in the kiss.
Chapter Nine
For a moment, every thought in Anna’s mind dissolved except for one. Daniel was kissing her. His mouth firmly moved over hers, his breath feathered over her skin. In the next instant she felt his tongue glide over her lips. The intimacy of the contact caused her to gasp again. He took full advantage of her parted lips and slipped his tongue inside.
Warmth spiraled through her veins, her head spun. He cupped her face as he slanted his mouth over hers, taking complete and absolute possession. She stopped resisting and just allowed herself to feel. His gloved hands were warm against her flesh, his mouth hot, wet. She could taste the brandy he had drunk earlier. She mimicked his movements by slipping her tongue into his mouth, along his. He groaned and pulled her against him. The heat of him was just amazing. It seeped through her clothes, warmed her. But it was not enough. She needed to be closer, needed to feel his body next to hers.
Without breaking the kiss, he pulled her onto his lap. He balanced her weight with one hand at her back. He slid the other down to cup her breast. His fingers moved over her nipple. It tightened painfully.
She should be shocked to her toes, but she could not seem to gather the thoughts to do so. His fingers glided over the sheer fabric of her bodice and she was lost. She arched against his hand as he continued to kiss her. She did not even protest when he tugged on the delicate fabric and her breast sprang free.
Cold air rushed over her skin, but the next moment, his hand slipped over it. He enticed her, his tongue calling to her, sending waves of heat sparking through her entire body. He continued to seduce her as his fingers moved over her nipple, teasing her. Heat gathered low in her belly and tugged at something she knew had to be lust.
When he tore his mouth away, she opened her mouth to protest, but it ended on a moan as he set his mouth to
the column of her neck. As he kissed his way down, she felt the nip of his teeth, the flat of his tongue against her pulse. But he did not stop there. He leaned her back as he continued his way down until he replaced his hand with his mouth.
Shocked and more than a little embarrassed, she pressed her hands against his shoulders but soon found herself slipping her fingers through his hair and urging him on. He moved his tongue over the tip of her nipple, the scrape of his teeth…
She needed to stop this before both of them regretted it. In the next instant, she shivered as he sucked the entire nipple into his mouth.
“Danny.”
He lifted his head and looked at her. The heat in his eyes sent a shiver of panic through her. It was too much, almost too overwhelming.
“Say it.” His tone dripped with desire.
She shifted on his lap as her most secret of places dampened, throbbed.
“Say what?”
“My name, say it again. Just like you did.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Danny.”
His eyes grew more intense, the rigid lines in his face more distinct.
He practically growled as he pulled down the rest of her top and bared her other breast. Without preamble, he set about driving her mad in the same manner. Warmth rolled through her, over her nerve endings. Everything that had gathered in her stomach tightened, then dropped between her legs. The pressure caused her to shift again on his lap. This time she felt his hardened manhood against her hip. She stilled as he groaned. Embarrassed, she felt another kind of heat fill her face.
“Oh, Danny, I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
He looked at her, a wry smile playing about his lips. The look made him look years younger.
“Anna, you didn’t hurt me.” He took her face in his hands and drew her near. The molten gold in his eyes shined with admiration and honesty. “You destroyed me.”
The utter surrender in his voice made her heart turn over. “Danny.”
“Shhh.” This time when he kissed her, it was gentle, almost loving. Her throat closed up at the tender look in his eyes. By the time he pulled back, he was not the only one destroyed.
“We are almost there.”
It was then she realized they were in a carriage riding through the crowded London streets. In the next instant, she remembered she was sitting there bare-chested.
“Oh my goodness.”
She pulled the front of her dress up, her mind still reeling with what had just transpired. She had almost let a rake, a well-known rake at that, seduce her on her way home. In fact, she was not positive if they had been farther from her home that he would not have done just that.
He lifted her off his lap and set her down on the seat opposite his. Even in the dim carriage, she could see him grimace as he shifted in his own seat.
“Are you sure I did not hurt you?”
He chuckled. “No. And I am sure there is no doubt in your mind that men cannot find you desirable.”
Cold replaced the heat of their embrace. Embarrassment followed at her naivety. How could she have fallen for such a charade?
“So it was all for show?” She could not keep the pain out of her voice when she asked the question.
The coach shuddered to a stop and he narrowed his gaze on her. “Understand this. I might have done that to prove a point, but it was not all for show. In fact, you are bloody lucky we were not farther from your house. There is a good chance you would not have escaped with your virtue.”
Since she had thought the same thing only moments earlier, she decided to keep mum. Her head was still spinning from the kiss, from her speculation on just why he was down in White Chapel the night before. If there was one thing she had learned from her years in society, it was the advantage of a strategic retreat.
She patted her hair. “How do I look?”
He studied her for a second. “Like you have been thoroughly kissed.”
She decided to ignore that. The door opened and she pulled her cloak closed as Daniel stepped down in front of her and offered her his hand. She hesitated, afraid to touch him. Truly, she was not sure she would not pull him back in the coach and ask for more. From the surly look he tossed her way, he was not in the mood for that.
She took his hand as she stepped down the carriage. The footman paid her no heed as she walked past him and up the stairs to the front door. Before they could drop the knocker, it opened, revealing her brother.
“Where’s Mother?”
For a second, she could not think. Where was her mother? It seemed that Daniel had turned her mind to mush with just a kiss.
“Your mother and mine went to the Fillmores’ ball,” Daniel said.
Sebastian looked at Daniel, then her, then back to Daniel. “Then I thank you for bringing Anna home safely.”
His tone had turned icy as he continued to stare at Daniel. Oh, bother, her brother must be able to tell. Her face flushed as they continued to stare at each other.
“Really, Sebastian, are you trying to freeze me to death.” She used the same tone her mother used to scare both of them while they were growing up. Sebastian snapped out of it and stepped out of her way.
“Good night, Anna.”
She turned and smiled at Daniel. “Thank you for bringing me home.”
She stepped inside and waited for Sebastian to shut the door. He hesitated and then shut the door.
“Anna?”
She sighed, thinking she had been close to freedom. “Yes?”
“Did anything happen in the carriage that I should know about?”
Her heart stuttered and she had to gather her thoughts. When she turned to face him, she made sure to keep her expression as calm as possible.
“What do you mean?”
For the first time in years, she witnessed her brother blush. “It is just…well, your…” He gestured toward her face.
“Yes?”
“Well, you look like you have been kissed.”
He said it with so much disgust she thought it might have sickened him to even think of his sister being kissed. The former rake apparently did not want to accept that she was a woman.
She laughed. “And who would have done the kissing? Daniel? A man who I think of as a brother? I am sure he has never seen me as more than a sister. I am hardly Daniel’s type even if I did have a tendre for him.”
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers and rocked back on his heels as he studied her. “You assure me nothing happened?”
She cast her eyes toward the heavens and turned around to head up the stairs. “I told you nothing happened. I have an early morning so I am off to bed.”
Daniel came awake with a start, knowing that someone was in his room—again. There was very little chance it was anyone dangerous because getting into his home was downright impossible. But he continued to lie there as he barely opened his eyes. The first streams of light filtered through the drapery, telling him it was at least ten in the morning. From the way the person walked, he knew exactly who it was.
“Does Colleen know you sneak around men’s bedrooms? I knew she was forward thinking, but this peculiar habit is beyond that.”
“Bloody hell. You always know it’s me.”
He rolled over and squinted at Sebastian. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you about last night.”
Daniel wanted nothing more than to groan and pull the covers up over his head. He still could not believe he lost so much control with Anna. He could not bear to see the pain in her eyes, hear it in her voice. He had planned to just kiss that pain away. He should have known better. The moment he had touched her, he had lost every sane thought in his head. And he had paid for it. What little sleep he had gotten had been filled with images of Anna beneath him, those same blue eyes shimmering with need as he rode her to completion.
He suppressed a groan and raised his leg. He didn’t want to explain just why he had a full cock stand to his best friend. “What actu
ally did you want to discuss?”
“My sister.”
“There is nothing to discuss.”
“So she said. But I know what she looked like.”
“And how is that?” Daniel asked, keeping his voice as steady as possible.
Sebastian studied him for a second, crossing his arms over his chest. “Like she had been kissed.”
“I did not touch your sister. Good God, man, I think of her as one of my sisters.”
He said that lie without blinking. There would be no way he could ever put her in that category again. Not when he knew just how soft her lips were, the way her breast felt beneath his hand. By God she had responded readily. To think she thought herself undesirable to men. He would have given anything in the world to strip her down, lay her on his bed and do his best to convince her just how desirable she is.
Sebastian stared him for a second to two, but Daniel kept his face expressionless.
Finally, his friend relented. He settled on the bed and looked at Daniel’s chest. “All right, I will believe you, this time. I see my sister looking like that again after being in your presence and I will not hesitate to throttle you. Now that I have cleared that up, what the bloody hell have you been doing to yourself? Is that a knife wound?”
Inwardly, he cursed. Keeping his secret duty from Sebastian was one of the hardest chores. Sebastian was no one’s fool, and there’d been times Daniel was sure his best friend suspected something.
“Just a little trouble, trying to help a friend out.”
He raised one eyebrow. “I understand there are things you have not told me.” Daniel opened his mouth but Sebastian held his hand up. “No. Don’t try and lie to me. I told you last night that I’ve known you too long. I know when you are lying. But there is one thing you need to understand. I will stand up for you, protect you against any enemy.”
He did not know what to say to that. Daniel had always known that Sebastian was honorable, knew that in most cases he could count on him for support. From the tone in his friend’s voice, he understood that whatever Daniel would not share with him was dangerous. But Daniel knew without a doubt Sebastian would do anything to protect him.
The Spy Who Loved Her: Once Upon an Accident, Book 3 Page 9
