The Elusive Earl (Saints & Scoundrels)

by Michaels, Maddison

  “Our marriage would only be temporary,” he said.

  “Oh how lovely,” she replied.

  She could see his jaw begin to clench. Truly, this had to go down in history as the single most unromantic proposal ever made. “Once an agreement is reached between your grandfather and the Duke of Siprezino voiding the betrothal promise,” he ground out, “then we can seek an annulment.” He stalked over to the wall sconce near the desk and, with a quick flick of his wrist, lit the match and brought the flame to the wick of the candle held within.

  “An annulment?” The sudden flare of light seemed bright in the small space, even as it cast a warm glow against the rich gold of Daniel’s hair.

  “Yes, of course.” He shrugged. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to obtain. Though, we may have to wait at least six months to a year to do so, but it’s not as if we are getting married in a church or will consummate the marriage. It will be the perfect temporary solution.”

  Consummate the— “Wait, just one moment.” Bree strode over to him. “You cannot simply dictate to me that we are getting married.”

  “Why not?” he asked. “Marriage to me is the only way to ensure that neither your grandfather nor the Duke of Siprezino would have any control over you.”

  “But you would.”

  He laughed with little humor. “When have I ever had any control over you, my dear?”

  “You are being so very cavalier about all of this.” She blew out a breath. “This is my life you are talking about.”

  “It does actually affect me, too,” Daniel said, with about as much emotion as a footstool.

  “Clearly, not overly!”

  “What exactly does that mean?” His voice was a low growl, and the emerald of his eyes had darkened to the color of an angry sea.

  “It means you are talking of fetching the captain to marry us as casually as you’d tell someone you were fetching tea.” She folded her arms in front of her, but the gesture offered little comfort against the panic rising inside of her.

  “Marrying, at least temporarily, makes logical sense.”

  “What if the church won’t grant an annulment? Have you thought of that? Perhaps they find out that we’ve been traveling alone together for days! What then?” she all but shouted. Was the man being purposefully obtuse? “Would you wish to be stuck in a sham of a marriage in name only? No heirs for you? Resorting to having illicit liaisons with others?”

  He grabbed her wrist, his grip gentle yet uncompromising. Bree could see the dangerous fire sparking brightly in his eyes.

  “You will never have an affair whilst we are married.” He used his free hand to tilt her chin up until she was staring at him. “Do you understand me?”

  Bree regarded him evenly, despite the fact that her traitorous body thrilled at his possessiveness. She wouldn’t let him use his proximity to undo her. Not this time. “But it would only be a pretend marriage, remember? I don’t know why you would care what I did, or did not do, during the charade.”

  He smiled coldly at her. “Because if you turn up pregnant, regardless of whether the child was mine or not, I would have to claim it.”

  Bree felt like he’d slapped her. And then doused her with icy water. “Claim it? How callous of you.”

  He released his hold on her wrist and took a step back from her, a cold formality suddenly shrouding him like a cloak.

  “You were the one to suggest having affairs, Princess.”

  She crossed her hands over her chest once more. “And you were the one dictating we would marry, Your Lordyness, with no thought to the consequences.”

  “Do you think I have paid no regard to the possible repercussions of marrying you?” he said. “Of course I have, and if you stopped getting your pert little nose out of joint and considered the matter properly, you would know that my solution is the only way to ensure you truly do have choices.”

  “What about you?” she asked. “What of your faithfulness during this sham marriage you are proposing?”

  His jaw clenched tightly. “If you were a man, I would call you out for asking such a thing.”

  “Well, I am not a man, and I did ask.” She flicked her hair angrily over her shoulder. “Are you going to answer the question?”

  “No, I will not have an affair!” he nearly shouted. Silence. They both breathed heavily as they regarded each other. “I am not my father.”

  Her best friend Sophie had never spoken a great deal about the late Earl of Thornton, her and Daniel’s father. But from what Bree had gathered over the years, the Earl had been a proliferate rake, a debonair and dashing man who had broken the heart of Daniel and Sophie’s mother with all of his philandering.

  She had also heard rumors that Daniel’s father had flittered through the Thornton coffers as quickly as he had gone from one lady to the next, leaving the estate all but bankrupt upon his death.

  Daniel appeared to be his father’s opposite in every way imaginable. Well, except he was reputed to be the spitting image of the man, just as Bree herself seemed to be with her own mother.

  Suddenly, all of Daniel’s behavior over the years began to make perfect sense. Why he was always so serious and stern. Why he’d never been involved in any inappropriate situations. Why he wouldn’t allow himself to take romantic risks or allow himself to relax and enjoy life.

  She tentatively stepped closer to him and put a hand softly on his upper arm. “You are nothing like your father. And from what I have heard, that is a very good thing.”

  His eyes flicked down to regard her arm resting on his before traveling back to her own. “Yes, the stories of his conquests were bandied about in society like delicious little morsels of scandal, consumed until everyone was stuffed full with them.” It sounded like he’d been exposed to them all. “I doubt you would have heard much of them, being in the school room at the time.”

  “I’ve heard some stories from Sophie,” she explained. “I imagine all of your father’s escapades would have been very hurtful to you all.”

  “My mother loved him quite desperately, you know.” Daniel laughed bitterly. “He used to parade around his latest lover in front of her at various soirees and balls, uncaring of the gossip or the hurt caused. He was the Earl of Thornton and thought he could do as he pleased, regardless of the humiliation and pain it inflicted.”

  “Such behavior must have hurt your mother a great deal.”

  “Oh it did, but she would always forgive him after he professed his undying love for her whilst promising it would never happen again. She invariably believed him. But then he would do it all over again. And so the cycle continued.”

  “I would have shot him if he had been my husband,” Bree said.

  Daniel’s mouth quirked up at the corners. “Yes, I believe you would have. But love affects all of us in different ways. I think my mother thought she could change him, that her love would be enough. But it never was.”

  He closed his eyes briefly. When he blinked his lids open, he seemed unfocused, his thoughts lodged firmly in the past.

  “One day, she finally decided she had had enough,” he said. “Her heart was unable to cope with the pain any longer.”

  “Yes, I heard she fell ill and caught a fever before succumbing to an illness.” Bree reached up and traced her fingertips along his jawline.

  “That is what society thinks.” He took her hand away from his face, but he didn’t let it go. “And Sophie, too. But the truth is, my mother died from drinking an entire bottle of laudanum and never waking up.”

  She felt her heart lurch from the pain she could see on his features. Without thinking, she placed her arms around his neck, pulling him in close to her. “I am so sorry, Daniel,” she whispered into his ear.

  “I found her, did you know?” His arms tightened around her waist as he bowed his head into her neck. “The night before, as I was retiring for bed, the very last words she ever said to me were ‘I love you, Daniel’. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but that
phrase has haunted me since. The next morning, the housekeeper told me my mother was still abed and had left instructions not to be disturbed. I don’t know why, but I knew something was wrong, so I went to check on her.” He paused briefly as the memories seemed to consume him. “She left a note saying she was sorry, but she couldn’t stand the heartache any longer. I hid the letter and the empty bottle of laudanum. If anyone had found out, she would not have been allowed to be buried in the family plot, and of course, it would have ruined any chance Sophie had when she was older to contract a suitable marriage.”

  “How old were you at the time?”

  “Sixteen.”

  “That is a lot of weight to bear for a young man.”

  He pulled back from her and regarded her somberly. “I haven’t told that to another soul before. I don’t know why I bothered you with the tale.”

  “I am honored that you trusted me enough to do so.” She gulped as his expression changed to a deep, burning intensity. “I promise to keep the secret safe, even from Sophie.”

  He smiled briefly. “I know you will.” He let go of her but then, as if he couldn’t bear to completely break contact, began toying with a lock of her hair near her temple. “You love her like a sister and would never want to her hurt her with such news. You have a very kind heart, Brianna Penderley, as much as you try to hide it when I am in the vicinity.”

  Bree was having a difficult time not letting him see the effect that his thumb softly brushing against her cheekbone was having. She wanted nothing more than to sway into him and kiss him breathless.

  Oh darn it. They’d be in Cosenza soon enough, with eyes on them everywhere.

  She leaned up and boldly pressed her lips against his, his stubble rubbing lightly against her chin, sending a thrill of excitement through her.

  He stiffened slightly, and for a mad moment, when he grabbed both of her arms, Bree thought he was going to push her away. Instead, he pulled her closer and used his lips to open her mouth. His tongue began to gently flick against hers as it traced along the inside of her lips.

  She wound her hands up and across his neck, urging her chest tightly against the broad expanse of his, feeling like she wanted to sink into him.

  His kiss deepened as he hungrily tasted and teased her. He cupped her breast through the thin material of her dress.

  Bree felt her own body arch up in response, urging more of her breast into his palm. She kissed him back with a fervor she’d never known she possessed. His fingers flicked under the edge of the neckline of her dress and began rubbing across her nipple, while his mouth trailed kisses from her mouth down the nape of her neck.

  Bree’s whole body felt more alive than it ever had. Each single nerve ending pulsated with the heady thrum of desire as Daniel’s mouth and hands weaved an enthralling spell over her.

  “You’re intoxicating,” Daniel murmured, beginning to unbutton the back of her dress. “So smooth and soft.” He gently tugged the now loose dress down over her breasts, exposing them to his view.

  For a moment, Bree felt infinitely shy and uncertain, but then he looked up, and there was passion clouding his gaze as he stared almost reverently at her breasts. “You’re perfect.” His voice was rough with emotion. He bent his head and began to tease her nipple with his tongue.

  “Oh my,” Bree gasped as a tingling sensation shot straight from her chest to her very core. In response, Daniel’s mouth captured her nipple, sucking on it, while his hands began kneading the flesh of her bottom.

  She couldn’t help herself; she moaned aloud as sensations of pleasure cascaded throughout every inch of her, all from his touch.

  Never had she felt so wanton, or so desired, before.

  His head lifted from her nipple, and she was about to protest the loss of contact, until he lay claim to her other breast with his lips. His hand came up and cupped her other one, gently squeezing it with his fingers. Bree arched her neck back and gripped onto his shoulders tightly as feelings of desire stirred within.

  Trailing her fingers up the column of his neck, she buried them in the thick locks of his hair, reveling at the feel of him.

  She gasped as his other hand traced along the back of her pantaloons, then toward the front, coming to rest at the junction of her thighs. An unfamiliar intensity began to build inside her as his fingers slowly rubbed against her sex through the thin material. Her hips rocked against his hand, and her whole being started to vibrate with pleasure.

  Her breath quickened, and she felt as if her body was rising to a peak.

  A fever began to burn through her. He raised his head from her breast, and his mouth once again trailed kisses back up her neck. The very touch of his lips against her flesh sent another streak of intensity through her, while his hand continued to rub against her. She almost couldn’t bear it as a deep sense of yearning filled her.

  He rose to reclaim her lips in a kiss fueled with a frenzy of passion. She opened her mouth to his as their tongues danced back and forth against the other.

  Bree raised her hands up to the buttons at the front of his shirt, her fingers clumsily unfastening each one, parting the material that was covering his chest, inch by inch. After she undid the last button, her hands ran across the hard planes of his chest, exploring the strength of him as he continued to kiss her. The sensation of his solid muscles under her soft palms had her feeling giddy. Without stopping to think, she drew her hands down lower until she could feel the rigid strength of his manhood straining against the fabric of his pants.

  He groaned aloud when her fingers skimmed across the length of him. She’d never felt anything more glorious or enticing.

  Every bit of her skin began to thrum as he continued to touch the most intimate part of her, while his mouth devoured her own. She greedily feasted on the sensations, rejoicing in the blissful delight his hand and mouth were inflicting upon her.

  “You taste like an exotic elixir,” he murmured against her mouth. “Making me forget everything, except you.”

  A loud pounding on the door had them both jerking apart.

  “God damn it,” Daniel swore, hastily pulling Bree’s dress back up over her chest.

  Bree felt completely disorientated for a moment as she fumbled with the buttons of her dress.

  “What is it?” Daniel called over his shoulder as he quickly tidied up his attire. There was a definite look of ire on his face—whether it was from being interrupted or because he was now already regretting how carried away they’d gotten, Bree was unsure. She hoped it was the former but, somehow, suspected it was the later.

  “There’s trouble up on deck,” Alessandro’s voice yelled from behind the wood. “A small fire. It won’t endanger the boat if we put it out quickly, so they’re going to need all the help they can get.”

  Daniel’s whole body stiffened. He backed away, scrubbing a hand across his face. “My loss of control a moment ago was unacceptable. I am sorry. Now, stay here in the safety of the cabin, while I go and find out just what the devil is going on.” And as simple as that, it seemed that he scrubbed away any trace of tenderness and desire as well.

  He looked at her enigmatically before turning and wrenching open the door. Then he stormed through it, slamming the wood panel behind him. She could hear some mumbled words, probably to Alessandro, who was obviously stationed out in the hall as he had said he would be. Then there was the thunder of their footsteps as they retreated, followed by silence.

  She collapsed back onto the bed.

  Good Lord…a fire? And on a barge? Things were not boding well.

  Bree wondered if this was an omen of what was to come.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Daniel had only been gone for a few minutes, but already, Brianna was getting impatient. And rather than lounge on the bed, she’d began to pace across the short confines of the room. She felt so helpless down here. Perhaps she should go up and help? Perhaps they would need the extra hands?

  Just then, the smell of smoke wafted acr
oss her nostrils, and she wrinkled up her nose. Oh dear…that was not a good sign. She leapt to her feet and shrieked as a fist pounded against the door from the outside corridor.

  “Principessa?” a voice called urgently from the other side of the wood. “Quickly, there is danger!”

  Bree raced over to the door and yanked it open. She was greeted by the sight of one of the guards, Marco, standing there, an expression of worry etched across his face. She looked beyond him into the hallway and felt fear lance through her. Tendrils of smoke were beginning to drift down from the staircase, toward them. “What is going on? Is the fire under control yet?”

  “No, it is not,” he replied.

  “Oh my goodness! But where are Daniel and Alessandro?” She put a fist up to her mouth and coughed as the smell of smoke grew stronger.

  “They are up battling the blaze with the others,” Marco told her, between his own coughs. “I was sent to get you to safety. Come, we must go.”

  “But Daniel told me to stay here.”

  “That was before the smoke began to head down to the cabin.” He took hold of her upper arm and pulled her through the door. Bree coughed again, inhaling some of the fumes wafting down the hallway.

  Marco pulled her along next to him, heading in the opposite direction of the normal exit up to the deck.

  “Why are we going this way?” she asked, following him.

  “Some of the crates near the other entry are on fire,” he replied. “There is another exit up to the deck from this end, too.”

  He led her up some stairs and she coughed again as the smoke followed closely, nipping at their heels.

  “My captain thinks there may be a traitor on board who set fire to the crates,” he replied, his voice earnest, whilst his hand gripped her arm tighter. “I can take no risks with your safety.”

  They came up onto the deck, and Bree breathed in a deep breath of fresh air, though it was still tinged with the smell of smoke. They had surfaced on the other side of the barge, well away from where the others were battling the red flames dancing across the top of some wooden crates.