“Anna?”
“I…” She shook her head.
“What?” When she still didn’t look at him, he slid his hand over hers. “Please, tell me.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I know you do not think me very smart, but I did not think you thought that I had nothing to offer.”
It was then that he realized he had been completely wrong. How had he not seen it before? Because, as Jo had told him, this woman was not the girl he knew. The depths in this woman, the amazing complexity of her emotions would take him a lifetime to figure out. How could he convince her he didn’t mean that?
He slid his fingers beneath her chin and turned her to face him. “It isn’t that I think you stupid, Anna. It is too dangerous for you.”
She looked away. “I see.”
“What exactly do you see?”
“You have no problem having Lady Joanna involved in all of your activities.”
“That was not my choice. That was my uncle’s decision.”
She glanced at him. “You truly did not want me involved because you wanted to keep me safe?”
He nodded. “No one can call you stupid.”
“I promise you it has been said more than once.”
Anger whipped through him. “Tell me who had the audacity to call you stupid and I will throttle the bastard.”
Her eyes widened. “Why on earth would you do that?”
She did not understand. That for every pain she went through, he felt it too. Looking at the confusion in her gaze, he knew she did not. Even now after what they had shared, she did not understand the depth of his feelings.
He opened his mouth to correct the mistake, but the sound of approaching feet stopped his words. Something drew Anna’s attention over his shoulder and the smile that filled her expression clogged the air in his throat. He swallowed and forced himself to look at what had drawn her attention.
Colleen tried to catch her youngest as she ran laughing toward them. Millicent did not even pay any attention to him, but made a beeline for Anna. Anna laughed and pulled her up onto her lap.
“Hello, Millicent.”
The little girl babbled.
“I am sorry. She heard your voice, Anna, and that was all it took,” Colleen said with a smile.
“No worries.” She kissed the cherub on the mouth and made her laugh.
“Daniel, I did not know you were here. Sebastian is actually at his club at the moment.”
“Ah…yes, Templeton told me. I…ah, came out here to see…Anna.”
Colleen’s eyes danced. “Yes, I see that.”
An uncomfortable silence filled the air among the adults, while Millicent babbled nonsensically. It was then he realized Colleen had no place to sit. He stood and she waved him back, but he shook his head.
“I have a meeting with my man of business.”
He stood for a moment and then bowed. “I shall see you at the theater tonight.”
Anna frowned. “The theater?”
“Oh, your mother said you and she would accompany my mother and me to the theater tonight.”
She sighed. “Of course. She had not told me.”
“Well, I will be off.”
He bowed again and headed out. The chatter of the two women ensued, punctuated with happy giggles from Millicent. He looked over his shoulder and saw Anna lift Millicent in the air. A stream of babbling and giggling burst from the young girl. Anna pulled her back into her arms again and Daniel stopped, arrested by the sight. The two heads were together, one blonde, one strawberry blonde, their sounds of joy intermingling. The only thought that came to his mind was mine. He wanted that. He wanted Anna in his life, he wanted children and he wanted them with her.
There were things he had to do, namely find the Viper, then hand everything over to his cousin. As he strode through the garden, determination soared. He would have a life…because he just realized there was something worth living for.
Anna bit back a gasp the moment strong male fingers slipped down her arm then tangle with hers. Without looking she knew it was Daniel. From the moment he entered the ballroom she had been nervous.
“I see that you are not dancing. Is there a reason?”
“We only just arrived.” Which was true, but she had not felt like dancing. Except with him. But she was loath to admit it. It was bad enough she had been dreaming of him. She had awakened more than once in the last week with his name on her lips and her hands between her legs. She had never known what it was to need this way.
“I thought you might be waiting for me?” He said the words as flirtation, but there was something beneath it, something that had her looking sharply in his direction.
She said nothing and continued to watch the dancing. If any man approached, the look Daniel gave them discouraged any of them.
“Daniel, you must stop that. People will begin talking, and I think if we are to conduct an affair, we should not spend so much time in public together.”
She did not look at him when she spoke, but she could feel his gaze.
“Indeed? Well, I will tell you this. While we are conducting this affair, you are not to dance any waltzes with anyone but me.”
The possessive note in his voice should have irritated, and it did. Still, a part of her, the part that loved him, that wanted him with a need that had scared her more than once in the last couple of days, rejoiced.
“I think I can dance with whomever I want.”
“Not if you want him to survive the night.”
She gaped at him. “Are you threatening me?”
“No. Just any man who thinks he can touch you.”
He said it in a tone that sounded more like regular chatting. “That is absurd.”
“You refuse my suit, but you expect me to allow other men to touch you. I think not.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“You are being a boor.”
When the music changed into a country reel, he pulled her behind a statue and then out a door. They stepped into a servant’s hallway and then he tugged her down to another door. With an ease that had her gaping at him again, he slipped through the door, pulling her behind him.
“I am assuming your mother is otherwise engaged?”
She nodded. The darkened room must have been a library or study, definitely closed off from the party. He released her hand and went to another door. She heard the lock click shut. Nerves that had been shimmering were pulled tighter when she realized they were utterly alone, with no hope for escape.
“Why are we here?” Even as she asked it, she knew why.
“What do you think? You said you wanted an affair.”
It had been four days since she had seen him. They had been to the theater and had not had a chance to be alone. Her mother had not wanted to go out, so she had taken the time to think things through.
“Yes.”
He stepped behind her. The heat from his body warmed her back. The room seemed smaller, quieter. More dangerous. He skimmed his mouth over her bare shoulder.
“You wore this just to drive me insane, did you not?”
She should deny it, but she knew she would be lying. It was another creation made to drive men crazy. She had never worn it, but tonight she had hoped to see him. Hoped that he would see her.
“I did not know if I would see you.” She tried to keep her voice light, but he skimmed his teeth over her collar bone.
“Indeed?”
His tone told her he didn’t believe her.
“It has been close to a week since I have seen you. I thought you might have changed your mind.”
He paused, then continued on teasing her with his mouth. The low throb of arousal beat through her blood.
“There is no chance of that.”
His voice had hardened, even as he moved his hands up her torso to her breasts. The moment he touched them, they ached. As if they knew his touch, knew he was the only one who could soothe the pain. She sighed the moment he pulled the fabric down and bare
d them to his hands. Expertly, he teased her nipples.
“I would rather spend more time, but with an affair, we do not always have a choice.”
It seemed it did not matter. With just a touch, the sound of his voice, she was aching for him. Need clawed at her stomach. Wet heat flooded her body.
He sighed and his breath feathered out over her flesh, and she shivered. In the four days she had not seen him she had thought of him…and dreamed of him. More than once she had awakened, her skin damp, her body humming with need. She had ached between her legs, yearning for Daniel.
“I wanted to punish you, stay away longer.” He nibbled on her earlobe. “But I could not do it. When my mother told me you were going to be here tonight, I had to come.”
He spun her around and then, without any talking, scooped her up in his arms. As he walked to the couch, he kissed her. All the repressed need, desire, yearning she had felt in the last four days came back to her in that one kiss.
He still wanted her.
Her mind whirled. Her body rejoiced. She did not wait for an invitation but slid her tongue into his mouth. He jolted and she could not keep herself from celebrating that fact. He laid her on the couch and then followed her down. He kissed a path down her neck to her bosom, taking one needy nipple into his mouth. It shot a bolt of heat from her breasts down to her most private parts. She squirmed against him, needing relief. Dear Lord, he had barely touched her, but she was already straining against him, begging for him to take her.
He continued down her body, tossing up her skirts. The next instant he set his mouth against her stomach. All the tension gathered in her tummy then slipped lower. She shifted against him. He seemed to understand and moved lower. His tongue touched her first. It slipped inside, teasing her.
It did not take him long to push her up, to build the wonderful tension that she remembered and push her over into a free fall. But that apparently was not enough. He did it again, slipping his finger inside, his tongue touching the tiny bundle of nerves that rushed her headlong into another release. Every one of her nerve endings danced with delight, rejoicing in the pleasure he was offering.
It was then and only then that he moved back up her body. In the darkened room she could see the need etched on his face, the stark lines it created on his face.
“Who do you belong to?”
She wanted to deny it, say that no man would ever own her, but she could not. She shook her head, but it was of no use. He dipped his head and took her mouth in a wet, possessive kiss. She could taste herself there, the pungent flavor of her arousal, the desire he felt for her.
He pulled abruptly away and she tried to follow him, but he denied her.
“Who do you belong to?” he asked again.
This time, even though her mind rebelled against the idea, she said the words he needed, she needed, her heart and soul desired to hear.
“You, Danny. Only you.”
With that, he plunged into her so forcefully that she came apart again. He thrust into her again and again. His fingers dug into her hips as he continued, pushed her further again, to reach the pinnacle but not allow her to shatter. It was only when he found his own that he shifted his position and pushed her over again. He was staring into her eyes. The intensity of his gaze scared her. She wanted to look away, but could not. This was not the patient lover. This was a man who had conquered her, the man she dreamt of each night, the one she yearned for during the day. This was her Danny, the man she had uncovered.
But even as she panicked, her body surrendered. She convulsed, drawing him deeper inside of her, and he groaned her name. He heaved a sigh filled with relief as he collapsed on top of her and nuzzled her neck. Moments passed and the only sounds in the library were their harsh breathing and the sounds of the staff drifting by. She felt herself drifting when Danny pulled back from her.
He leaned down once more to give her a quick, hard, thorough kiss. She wanted to object, to beg him to lie upon her. She loved to have his body press against hers.
But she said nothing as she watched him button his trousers. He shot her a wicked smile. “As long as you remember what you said, I will allow you to wear that dress.”
All the warm feelings she’d had dissolved into anger. “And just what do you mean by that?”
He stilled and then braced his weight on the couch. He leaned his face down close to hers. “I do not like that dress. I do not like the way men look at you while you are in that dress. But as long as you promise that you are mine, I have no problem allowing you to wear it in public.”
There was a hard edge to his words. She placed both hands on his chest and shoved. He moved back easily.
“I do not belong to any man.”
There was silence. Then, “So, when we are making love, you do not mean what you say?”
She knew that her answer carried weight, knew that while she wanted to say that it didn’t mean a thing, she could not. He might not love her, but she loved him. Lying to him just would not do.
“No. I do mean what I say, and in this, I do belong to you. But in my everyday life, I do not belong to you.”
He said nothing, just continued to watch her in that patient way of his.
“I offered marriage.”
How like a man. He had never asked for her hand in marriage, he had ordered. As if she was his chattel. “First, you did not. You told me we were marrying. Second, I do not ever want to belong to a man, not unless he fulfills one requirement.”
She finished righting her clothing and then smiled brightly. “Now, how is this done? Do I go back alone?”
He said nothing but nodded.
She wanted to say something, but his expression sent a fresh wave of alarm rushing through her. There was something so stark, so forbidden in it she did not know what to say. Something cold unfurled inside of her, seeping into her blood, chilling her to the bone.
But she could not leave without one more touch. She rose to her tiptoes and brushed her mouth on his. “I will see you back in the ballroom.”
He did not respond, to the kiss or the comment. She had a feeling that she had done something wrong, said something, but she did not know what to do to fix it. She went to the door and unlocked it. She opened it, checked the hallway and found it clear.
“Anna.” His voice was quiet, barely audible.
She turned, her hand still on the knob.
“What is the one thing you want?”
“What?”
“To marry. What is the one thing you want from a man?”
She did not answer at first. She did not know how to explain it, but she found the words that were the simplest.
“I need a man to love me for me.”
He watched her as she stepped out into the hallway and closed the door. Her heart was aching as if she had lost something precious. She had known the relationship would not go on forever, but she felt that something had shifted tonight, something had changed. She worried her bottom lip as she walked down the hall. The sound of the ball grew louder, the voices, the music, the clinking of glasses. But she did not want to go in. She wanted to return to the library, to slip back into his arms…but that would not do.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not see the man who approached her.
“Lady Anna?”
She looked up to find Lord Elwood smiling at her.
“Oh, I am sorry. I was lost in my thoughts.”
“No worries. I was actually looking for you.”
She smiled. “Was my mother looking for me?”
“No.” He wrapped a hand around her upper arm, his fingers digging into her flesh. She glanced up and found the usually quiet, sweet eyes filled with sinister intent.
“I have been trying to get you alone since you thwarted my assassin in the alley that night.”
Chapter Twenty
Daniel shoved a hand through his hair, his mind on the woman who had just left him. He should have known Anna wouldn’t ask for anything hal
fway. He closed his eyes, her words playing over in his head. The woman would not give an inch, he knew that. Of course, he probably would not love her if she was a pushover.
What could he do? He wanted her, needed her in a way that he did not understand before tonight. Making love to her brought some primal beast out in him. He opened his eyes and stared at the closed door. It had taken all of his monumental control to allow her to walk out that door. Every instinct he had had screamed for him to grab her and pull her back in the room. Away from prying eyes and lusting men. But he did not have that right, and according to Anna, he would not unless he proved in some way that he loved her.
He wanted to sit in the darkened room and brood. But he did not have that luxury. He had to get back out into the ballroom and watch over Anna. He stepped out of the room into the hallway and only made it a few steps before Lady Victoria came rushing toward him. Worry etched her features and curdled his stomach. He did not want to be discovered before he had Anna’s agreement of marriage.
“Have you seen Anna?”
“No. Why would I have seen her?”
“Oh, goodness, I do not have time for this. Dear boy, you slipped her out of the room over forty minutes ago through that hidden panel. I have a feeling you were not discussing politics.”
He opened his mouth but she did not let him talk.
“I thought she was with you and I was worried that others had noticed. When I headed back this way, I only found this.”
She raised Anna’s dance card. Now panic swept through him. A missing dance card was one thing, Anna not making it back to the ballroom was another.
“Did you check the retiring room?”
She nodded. “I went there first. Then I found this down the hall.”
He needed to think, needed to come up with some explanation. He had thought Ashburn was at his Yorkshire estate, far from Anna. He had let his guard down and put her in danger. He should have known better. This was a man who had been making a mockery of the War Department for years.
He held out his arm. “Let’s get back to the ballroom, see if my mother knows anything.”
“If you got her mixed up in this spy business, I will never forgive you. I swear Daniel, I was hoping for a wedding, but if she is hurt in any way, it will be a beheading.”
The Spy Who Loved Her: Once Upon an Accident, Book 3 Page 18
