When they reached the daylilies, she couldn't help but feel awed over the enormous display.
"This is lovely. Much prettier than any of the gardens I've seen in England or New York."
"Good. If I keep showing you the sights of Charleston, maybe you'll decide to stay."
"I don't know where I'll live. I just know I won't be going back to New York."
"That's a start."
She turned to look at him."My aunt tells me you raised your sister Suzanne."
Connor nodded his head at a passing gentleman on the sidewalk. "Yes, since she was eight years old, it's been just the two of us."
Alexandra raised her eyebrows. "I'm quite shocked. I never expected a man like yourself to take care of a small child."
He looked at her. "Why? I don't appear to be a family man?"
Alexandra chuckled. "Not at all."
"That just goes to show how little you know me."
For a moment, she was taken aback. The man seemed sincere. There was softness about his face when he talked of Suzanne. And she had witnessed him with the girl. There seemed to be genuine affection between the two of them.
He plucked a lily from a plant and tucked it behind her ear, bringing her back to the moment. He whispered, "Lovely."
Alexandra looked down, uneasiness filling her. When she raised her gaze again, she felt drawn into the depths of his skyblue eyes. The man intrigued her.
They were all alone. The illusion of intimacy made her uncomfortable. "I think we'd better be getting back. Besides, I'm sure the gardener would be most upset if he saw you picking his flowers."
Connor laughed. "Old Man Middleton would be ranting. But for you, I'd gladly take his wrath."
"Pretty words and elegant gestures will not ease your way into my heart." She pulled the lily from her hair.
"Maybe not, but the pleasure of seeing that flower in your hair would make his displeasure all worthwhile for me."
He reached down and picked the flower from her hand. Then without warning, his lips descended upon hers, warm and caressing. The jolt of his lips touching hers left her dizzy, and she felt the breath leave her body. For a moment she was stunned, then she pulled back. "Stop. You mustn't."
But he only leaned into her body, until her breasts touched the hardness of his chest and his lips covered hers once again. The taste of strawberries lingered on his lips. Her hands curled wantonly around his neck, yet she resisted the urge to pull him in closer as a curling sensation wound through her center, leaving her aching.
So many years had passed since a man had kissed her. So many years, and yet she'd never experienced a kiss quite like this. His lips coaxed her mouth open, his tongue enticing her with the promise of seduction. A promise of sweet, slow death.
Dear God, what was she doing? She wasn't supposed to be affected by his touch or his kisses.
Her knees felt weak and her hands trembled as she wedged them between his rockhard chest and her tingling breasts. Reluctantly, she pushed him away.
Slowly, he pulled back and smiled at her. He brushed the flower against her lips, its petals soft and caressing, the smell sugary and intoxicating. "I've been wanting to do that since the night we danced."
Alexandra cleared her throat, trying to gather her wits. She'd never experienced such a pleasing sensation, such a rush of desire. She didn't realize how a brush of the lips could make a woman so defenseless, and she could never let herself be vulnerable again.
She cleared her throat. "I think it's time you took me home."
***
Three days later, Connor sat at his desk in the study, poring over the account books of the plantation. The situation was bad. Finances were not improving and soon he would be forced to make some kind of decision. He ran his hand through his hair. The hurricane of '93 had almost wiped him out, but somehow he'd struggled through that year. Since then it had been one crop failure after another. Something would have to change, fast!
"Excuse me, Mr. Manning," Leona, his housekeeper, said, interrupting his thoughts. "There's a visitor here to see you."
Assuming it was William, he said,"Send him on back."
He closed the books and went to pour them both a brandy. But when he turned around he almost dropped the drinks.
James Halsted III, Alexandra's father, stood before him. Good Lord, what was the man doing here?
Connor set the glasses down and crossed the room to grip the man's hand. "My apologies for not greeting you at the door. I assumed you were a friend of mine who drops by regularly. Could I interest you in a brandy, sir?"
"Thank you. It will wash the dust from my throat."
Motioning to a chair on the other side of his desk, Connor said, "Please sit."
Halsted sat down across from him, and Connor handed him a glass, then took his own seat. For a moment, they simply sipped the liquor, Connor examining the possible reasons why Alexandra's father was here.
Finally, Mr. Halsted glanced up at him, eyes dark and intimidating, his manner serious. "I'm sure you must be wondering why I'm here. You take my daughter to one picnic and I show up on your doorstep."
"Yes, sir. My curiosity has definitely been aroused."
The man glanced down into his glass. "You know that several years ago my daughter was divorced."
"Yes, sir, I know."
"It was a dreadful situation, but that's all behind her now." He sipped his drink. "I'm not a young man anymore, and Alexandra is my only child. It's my wish to see her remarried and settled with children before I die. Grandsons who will someday inherit my bank."
"Seems like a natural wish." But what did this have to do with Connor?
"The problem is my daughter." He sighed. "During the last five years she has become extremely strongwilled. When I told her it was time she remarried, her first reaction was to deny my request." He shook his head. "Mr. Manning, my daughter has never refused me."
Connor smiled. The man obviously had missed his daughter's stubborn streak.
"Alexandra will be a wealthy woman someday and it's obvious she needs a man by her side, taking care of her. Otherwise, I'm afraid some scoundrel will dupe her and steal her blind after I'm dead and gone."
Connor shrugged, still speculating what this had to do with him. "I don't think you have to worry about Alexandra. She's tougher than she lets on."
"Perhaps. But I'm a man who likes every detail taken care of. Yet if Alexandra found out I was meddling, I have the distinct feeling she might do something drastic." He paused and sipped his drink. "You seem to be a man who knows how to handle her."
It suddenly dawned on Connor why Halsted was here, and he stood up from his desk, unable to sit any longer.
"I've made some inquiries regarding you and your family," his visitor said, voice tense.
Connor raised an eyebrow. He walked around the side of his desk and sat on the corner. Just how much did James Halsted know about him? "What did you find out?"
"Your reputation is good despite some of your earlier exploits. Although River Bend seems to be in financial trouble. You are about to lose the plantation to the county."
Connor downed the rest of his drink before returning the man's direct stare. "Unless this year's crop is substantial, I could be forced to sell part or all of River Bend."
"I'm going to be blunt, Mr. Manning." Mr. Halsted glanced down at his brandy and then lifted his eyes, staring straight into Connor's. "As far as I know you are the first man who has seen Alexandra socially in five years. What are your intentions concerning my daughter?"
"Your daughter is beautiful, but I'm not looking to get married," he answered.
"Even if marriage would bring you significant financial gain? Enough that you wouldn't have to worry about River Bend? Even if your son would inherit my bank someday?"
Connor tried to appear disinterested, while his palms began to sweat. "What are you offering, Mr. Halsted?"
"Marry my daughter. Get her with child within six months, and fifty thousand dolla
rs will be yours to do with as you please."
Connor sat, stunned.
The money would allow him to do more than fix up River Bend.
"Why does she have to conceive so soon?" he asked.
Mr. Halsted laughed. "My daughter is a very stubborn woman. She might resist and I do not want another divorce tainting our family."
"So you're dangling this sum of money, knowing how badly I need it and giving me an impossible situation to obtain it?"
The older man leaned forward in his chair; his eyes had a steely glint to them. "No. But I am making it a challenge. I won't just give my money away. Gordon, her first husband, managed to use her dowry within a year. This time it's going to be much harder. With children, there could be no divorce."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"You need to consider, Mr. Manning, that my daughter is a trifle spoiled and needs a firm hand. The years away in England have only encouraged her independent streak."
"Not a problem, Mr. Halsted," he said, thinking of his own sister's stubbornness. Older women he could handle; young girls were a different situation.
He stood and walked around the edge of the desk to a window and looked out upon the land. With the money, he could pay off the loan, fix up the stables, buy the mares he needed, and give Suzanne her debut. How could he fail Suzanne and his father's last request? How could he refuse such an offer?
Alexandra was the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. But she could make his life a living hell. Could he seduce her and get her with child within six short months?
A smile crossed his lips. Bedding Alexandra had been his hope all along, but now he'd have even more reason. Alexandra would get a good husband and she'd be redeemed in society's eyes. But best of all, he'd save the plantation and give his sister the entrance into society she deserved, along with the woman's touch she needed.
Maybe his new bride would be a tad tarnished, but the prosperity she would bring would be well worth the sacrifice. Besides, there was an unsettling spark between them, one he was sure would guarantee them both pleasure. And he couldn't wait to experience his new bride in every way.
Wasn't it just several days ago Nate had encouraged him to settle down, get married? Maybe now was the time, and maybe she was the woman.
He turned from the window. "Your daughter may be a stubborn woman, but I can be much more persevering. I'll accept your offer, Mr. Halsted."
Chapter Four
Alexandra was not going to make this easy. Not that Connor expected her to, but somehow he hadn't anticipated this much resistance. Whenever he had called on her, she had not been receiving guests. He had sent her a note regarding tonight's party, and she had politely declined his invitation.
And tonight at the Sloanes' Annual Ball, she had avoided him until he felt as if he were always one step behind her as she flitted from one end of the room to the other, always safely nestled within a crowd. One kiss seemed to have raised her defenses higher than the walls of the Carolina Penitentiary. Now more than any time during their brief courtship, it was important he find a way around her barriers, for he planned on storming her defenses and capturing the prize.
Though his conscience twinged for a moment, Connor had every intention of compromising Alexandra and saving River Bend. There was no alternative. Without Mr. Halsted's proposal, he would certainly lose his home, and he was not willing to give up River Bend.
Alexandra would become his wife after tonight.
Lamps brightly lit the Sloanes' home as couples swirled by him on the dance floor, the women elegantly dressed. Invitations to tonight's ball had been highly coveted, with only the creme de la creme of society attending. Of course it was always helpful when Mrs. Ora Sloane, tonight's hostess, happened to be a family acquaintance, a friendship that predated Connor. He only hoped she wouldn't mind his using the biggest social event of the year to accomplish his deed.
The thought of simply asking Alexandra to marry him had briefly crossed his mind. But her background and the walls she had thrown up between them in the last week made him realize he would be wasting his time. His proposal would only raise her suspicions, and he certainly didn't need the lady anymore skeptical than she was.
The plan had been set, the entrapment laid out, and now all he needed was his soontobe bride's cooperation. Somehow he had to get her alone. Preferably outside in the garden where they would be found. He had yet to determine how to accomplish his task. But once she was in his arms, if their lone kiss was any indication, nature would take its course.
She stood by a potted palm tree on the edge of the dance floor next to her aunt. Purposefully, he strode toward his prey, vowing she was not going to get away this time. For this woman to fall for his deception would require all his seductive prowess, but he had every confidence she would be his after tonight.
Her bluegreen gown shimmered in the glow from the lamps. The lace of her dress dipped to expose the creamy whiteness of her breasts, the cloth fitting snugly down to her small waist. The urge to run his hands down the satin fabric clinging to her curves curled his fists. Soon, very soon, he would have his fill and then some.
She turned as he approached, her lips turned up slightly. Heat pooled in his lower anatomy. The woman's smile had the ability to make his blood quicken faster than any of his previous paramours. Damn, but he could not remember a time he had been so enthralled with a woman. Not since Georgiana.
He bowed low over her hand, pressing his lips against her gloves. As he raised up slowly, her green eyes sparkled like emeralds, staring at him speculatively.
"Would you care to dance?" he asked, his eyes noting the diamonds that hung around her neck. Light reflected from the stones, drawing his gaze to her bosom. He longed to taste where the necklace lay.
She tilted her head and gazed at him a long moment before considering her answer, her aunt gently nudging her with her hand. Finally, Alexandra answered, "Yes, thank you."
Clasping her hand, he led her out onto the dance floor. Though he longed to pull her close and feel her trembling body against his, he knew she would not respond in kind, so he resisted.
She turned her head sideways and gave him a coquettish grin. "You seem perplexed tonight, Mr. Manning."
He smiled and nodded his head. What could he say? He was baffled that one kiss had made her more skittish than a newborn colt. She was mysterious and different from any woman he had ever experienced, and he wanted to know more of her. "If I seem that way, it's only because a certain young woman is leading me on a merry chase. A chase she seems to be enjoying."
Alexandra smiled, then clucked with her tongue. "Who would do such a thing to a gentleman like yourself? A gentleman known for his generosity of time and experience with the ladies."
His brows raised and he shrugged. "Most of which gossip has overblown to the point it is fiction, not fact, Mrs. Thurston."
Her smile disappeared. "Scandal can be deadly, can it not?"
"Yes. That's why I choose not to listen to idle prattle, except, of course, when it's about you."
"Most of which is fiction, not fact."
He threw back his head and laughed. "Using my own words against me. You're a mean woman, Mrs. Thurston."
"No. I am a practical woman." She took a deep breath. "And because I'm a practical woman, I must tell you that further association with you is not in my best interest."
Stunned, Connor managed to keep his feet moving without stepping all over her toes."Why? Are you afraid, Mrs. Thurston? Afraid of the feelings that one kiss evoked?"
She stiffened in his arms. "Of course not. Your kiss did not affect me in any way."
Connor remarked, "Forgive me for being blunt, but you're lying."
Like a soldier prepared for battle, she drew her shoulders back. "I am not."
"Then why did you insist I take you home that day?"
She gave him a blank look. "It was getting late. It was time for me to go."
"So you're going to end our courtship be
fore it has a chance to get started."
"Courtship?" Alexandra shrugged. "I never had any intention of letting anything develop between us."
Connor raised an eyebrow. "I think for the first time, you felt the spark that can happen between a man and the right woman. And you're frightened."
Her mouth thinned. "That is absolutely ridiculous. There's only one reason you're attempting to court me."
"And that is?"
She appeared flustered. "You know a lady never responds to that kind of question."
"Maybe not, but I wanted to see if you would." He paused, his hand tightening on her waist. "Admit you enjoyed our kiss the other day, just as much as I did."
Connor watched with amusement as a blush spread across her face, tingeing her cheeks with a rosy color.
"Mr. Manning, I do believe your ego is talking. Whether or not I was affected does not matter. I'm asking you not to pursue me anymore."
"I can't keep away," he whispered close to her ear.
"You will gain nothing," she blurted out.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Depends on which side of the fence you're on." His voice became even lower. "I'm going to intensify my endeavors with a very open display of how much I want you."
Alexandra swallowed, her green eyes large. Frightened, she turned her lush, inviting lips down in a frown. "You are wasting your time."
He grinned. "I have all the time in the world for you. And you'll soon learn, I can be a very stubborn man."
She ran her tongue nervously across her lips. "And I am an equally stubborn woman."
He nodded to her, acknowledging the gauntlet she had thrown down. "May the most obstinate person win."
Alexandra was angry enough she could easily have pulled out a gun and shot Connor Manning in the middle of the Sloanes' ballroom. All night they had been playing a game of cat and mouse, with him showing up at her elbow every time she turned around. He had followed her back and forth across the room, even being so bold as to cut in the few times she had danced with other men. Every time he'd left her, she'd felt flushed and feverish.
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