She let out a sigh. “I’ve been faring well, though I’ve pondered when my only grandson would come calling.”
Dominic knew his grandmother thought him made of the same cloth as her only child, Dominic’s father, a man who had been renowned for his rakehell ways. Throughout the years, Dominic had tried in vain to win the woman’s affection, but to no avail. She was cold-hearted, and it seemed that no matter what he did to please her, it was never quite enough. So he simply had stopped trying.
“I’ve been busy,” he replied, instantly noting the disapproval on her face.
“So I hear.”
He refused to take the bait, and instead glanced over her shoulder to where Arlie danced with an older gentleman, who was staring down at her bosom.
“She is quite a lovely young lady, Dom. When did you plan to introduce me to your new ward?”
It did not completely surprise him that she already knew about Arlie, since it seemed word had spread like wildfire through the ton. He was amazed word had reached as far as Whitley though. “She has been busy with lessons and the like.”
“Indeed. Well, I should think she might like a stay in the country. Bring her to Whitley, boy. I would dearly love to get to know this young lady who has the enviable pleasure of having you as a guardian.” Her sweet smile belied the words laced with sarcasm.
“Perhaps I will be sending her sooner than we both know.”
His grandmother’s gaze riveted on Arlie. “She is a fair beauty. It’s hard to imagine she is but a commoner.” She lowered her voice so that it was barely audible. “You’d best come up with a good story, boy, or we will all be made a laughingstock.”
“For both our sakes we must keep the truth quiet.”
Her gaze flicked over him. “It was nice to see you, Dom. By the way, your hair is getting far too long. You look like a gypsy.”
Without another word, she left him with a swish of her skirts. He shook his head, wondering if there would ever come a day when she would not voice her opinion.
“My lord.”
Hearing Arlie’s voice, Dominic turned abruptly. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I am not feeling very well. I hoped you might escort me to my room.”
Her face was a bit pale, and just beyond her shoulder he saw the throng of young men coming toward her. “Of course,” he replied, extending his arm, taking great pleasure in turning his back on the crowd of young bucks who no doubt cursed him as he took Arlie out the double doors and up the stairs to the second floor to her room.
But he didn’t care. He had Arlie away from them.
Neither of them spoke a word as he opened the door to her room and entered. She sat down on a nearby settee, and he lingered at the door, feeling awkward. “I’ll summon a maid.”
“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “Please, just stay with me for a moment. ”
Concerned, he joined her on the settee. “What’s wrong?”
“I have a terrible headache,” she said, pressing her fingers to her temples. “I am not accustomed to so many people in one place, and I must say that the smells are almost overbearing. The last gentleman I danced with wore too much cologne.”
He relaxed when she smiled softly at him. She was simply overwhelmed, and it was no wonder when she had every dandy in town chasing after her. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Her eyes closed for an instant, long lashes fanning her cheeks. His stomach tightened as desire filled every ounce of his being. He imagined her just as she was now, but naked, waiting for him, ready to surrender.
She opened her eyes, her gaze settling on his mouth before meeting his once again. “Would you read to me? My father used to read to me when I did not feel well. It always helped me fall asleep.”
A strange request, yet a pleasant one—he was more than happy to do her bidding. “What would you have me read?” he asked, but before the words left his mouth, she was walking toward the bed. She reached beneath a pillow and pulled out a well-worn book, which she handed to him. He lifted a brow at the simple title, Enraptured. She lay down on her bed and turned toward him, her eyes wide, watching him intently, obviously waiting for him to start reading.
He cleared his throat as he opened the book, then frowned as he skimmed over the first passage written on the marble-colored paper. “This is highly unsuitable for a young lady such as yourself.”
“It’s my favorite book. My father bought it for me on my twelfth birthday. I always talked of a prince dressed in black, and the hero in this story is a prince.”
“You obviously have a great imagination.”
“Not really. I was just a girl with a lot of time to daydream.”
“And you dreamed of this prince dressed in black often?” he asked, trying hard to keep a straight face.
“For a while. But one day I just stopped thinking of him.”
He wanted to ask her why her dreams had faded but didn’t. “I shall read then,” he said, and he began. As he read, he could feel Arlie’s eyes on him, watching him intently as he told the story that she no doubt knew by heart. From time to time he glanced up, and always she would smile softly. He found it strange that he would rather sit with his ward in her room reading her a story, than be downstairs drinking with friends.
Arlie’s eyes drifted closed and Dominic set the book aside and stood. “I will call your maid,” he whispered, fighting the urge to kiss her tenderly.
She smiled sleepily. “Thank you for reading to me. I feel much better now.”
He touched her soft cheek with the back of his hand. “I’m glad I could help.”
Dominic left Arlie’s room and summoned a maid. Heading for the stairs to return to the party, he stopped. He had no desire to return. Instead, he preferred some much-needed time alone.
Sitting in confines of his dark room, Dominic realized being alone was a mistake. His mind kept wandering to what was happening in the room next door. He envisioned Arlie preparing for bed—stepping out of the gown, her nipples hardening at the cool air while she waited for the maid to help her into a nightgown. He moaned wishing for a hole in the wall that he might see for himself what he imagined. He ran his hands down his face. What was wrong with him?
All night he’d had to fight to keep his jealousy at bay whenever a man even looked in Arlie’s direction. Daniel Butler, the young American, had stuck to her side as though to proclaim to all others she belonged to him. Not that it deterred anyone. Men would never leave Arlie alone, at least not until she was married—and that wouldn’t stop many of them, himself included. Dominic shook his head, glad that she had asked to leave the party early. He didn’t think he could stand another moment of her being ogled. Already he was mentally exhausted. He cringed knowing he had four more days of festivities to contend with.
He knew Arlie wanted to experience everything. He couldn’t very well tell her they were leaving in the morning, even though he wanted that most of all. Why had he brought her to begin with? He asked himself the question, even though he knew why. She had wanted it, needed it, deserved it. She’d proven to him and everyone else what a well-mannered young lady she was. She had surprised even him.
A knock at the door brought him quickly to his feet. Arlie? He crossed the room with long strides. Perhaps her headache had returned? When he flung open the door, his mistress’s sultry smile instantly put that fear to rest.
Veronica brushed past him and he closed the door behind her. “I want you,” she whispered against his neck.
Her body flush against his, Veronica licked the lobe of his ear, her hands ripping the shirt off him. Before he could pull away, she pushed him onto the settee and straddled him.
“What if Alfred comes looking for you?” he asked. This moment had been inevitable. He’d merely hoped it would come much later…long after his ward had gone to sleep, and long after he had consumed another bottle of brandy.
“Forget about Alfred,” she whispered against his ear. Even as Veronica kissed his neck, he couldn�
�t get Arlie off his mind. He closed his eyes and saw her face, felt the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips, the feel of her lips against his throat.
Veronica nipped at his ear and it reminded him of when Arlie’s lips had grazed his ear that night not so long ago. “I don’t care about Alfred. I just know I want you, and I can’t wait another minute.” Pulling her skirts up, she smiled as she unbuttoned his breeches and yanked them down around his hips.
Dominic heard a pounding in his ears. His groin filled with blood as her fingers closed around his erect shaft. Though his heart was not into the seduction, his body could not help but respond. Veronica moaned as she kissed him.
“My lord?!”
His eyes widened. Arlie. She was standing outside his door calling out to him, needing him. He abruptly lifted Veronica off him, and buttoned his breeches.
“She’ll go away,” Veronica whispered, disappointment evident in her voice. “Please, Dominic—”
He was already at the door, whipping it open. His heart lurched at the sight that met him.
Arlie stood in a thin wrapper, her feet bare, her long blonde hair a riot of long silky curls that fell to her slim hips. Never had a woman looked so desirable to him. He wanted to pull her in the room—and into his bed. He’d make love to her until she couldn’t stand.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, pushing aside the wicked thoughts. “Are you ill? Does your head still ache?”
She tilted her head slightly and shifted on her feet. “I…couldn’t sleep, and I thought I heard something. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
She watched him with such wide-eyed innocence he knew that she told the truth. “You thought to protect me?” he asked, trying hard not to laugh at how preposterous that sounded. Yet he was oddly touched by her concern. This young woman who had burst into his life cared for him.
She gave him a blinding grin and his heart skipped a beat. She felt something for him. True, it might not be the same desire he felt for her, but she cared. Her gaze shifted to something beyond his shoulder and the smile disappeared.
Veronica.
Arlie’s mouth opened then she quickly snapped it shut, her cheeks flushing crimson. “I’m so sorry…I didn’t know. Forgive the interruption.”
Veronica’s hand rested on his shoulder, and he felt it like a heavy weight as Arlie’s eyes lost their sparkle. He wondered what she was thinking. Was she upset that he was with another woman, or that the other woman just happened to be married? Veronica’s breasts pressed into his back, her hand encircled his waist, coming to rest on the band of his breeches, right above his now deflated cock.
Arlie’s gaze fixed on Veronica’s hand, and she opened her mouth…but no words came. The silence was deafening. With a deep breath, she turned on her heel, and left him staring after her. A heartbeat later her door closed behind her, and then locked.
“Now, where were we?” Veronica purred, pulling him back into the room.
“I think we need to return to the party,” he said, pulling out of her arms, suddenly ashamed of the relationship he had with Veronica.
Veronica pouted. “I can’t stand another hour watching you with other women. They’re all falling over themselves to be near you. To sit and listen to their endless fantasies…I simply cannot stand it a moment longer!” Her voice was almost demanding, and he lifted a brow in silent warning. She hardly had the right to be angry.
“Dom, it’s been so long since last we spent time alone,” she said with a sweet smile, her voice more controlled.
“Nonsense. It’s only been a few days.”
“But it seems like an eternity.”
An eternity. What the next four days would be. It was insane to have come to the ball, especially with his ward in tow. He had set himself up for disaster, and now he found himself in a most undesirable situation. Arlie had caught him red-handed with a married woman. How could he justify his actions to a young woman who knew nothing of life? Would she think this behavior was common—that this is what she should expect of her marriage? He groaned inwardly at the odd twist his life had taken, that suddenly he should care so much about what Arlie thought.
“Later,” he promised Veronica, ushering her out the door. “We don’t need anyone talking, especially this first night.”
Knowing he had many days to pass in her company made him uneasy, yet his words must have pacified her since she smiled seductively. “You’re right, darling, we have all sorts of time.”
“I’ll return to the party shortly.”
He watched the sway of her hips as she walked away from him, her head held high. She was a very desirable woman. A woman who liked to have sex in every position known to man. She had tried everything at least once, and took great pleasure in all forms of sexual play, particularly being bound. Despite the pleasure she’d given him, he found his desire for her diminished. As she descended the stairs at the end of the hallway, she glanced back, blowing him a kiss, letting her hand trail down the banister as she returned to her duty as hostess, a job she relished.
He sighed heavily and shut the door behind him. He felt compelled to either go to Arlie and explain or lose himself in the bottle of brandy that sat on a nearby table.
The brandy won.
* * * * *
Arlie woke early the following morning, joining the others who had got an early start despite the late night. She had taken special care in her appearance this morning, wanting to capture the interest of one man in particular. Who knew? Perhaps she would be wise to walk away from this party with a bona fide fiancé. At least then she wouldn’t have to contend with a guardian like Rochford.
Last night she had truly felt close to him for the first time, especially when he had comforted her in the labyrinth, and then later in her room when he had read to her. He genuinely had been concerned about her. But then she’d made the mistake of going to his room to find him with the duchess, Veronica. Despite her exhaustion, Arlie had stayed awake for hours last night, tossing and turning. Memories of the woman’s face as she stared at Arlie over Dominic’s shoulder came back to haunt her time and again throughout the long night. It was as though Veronica somehow knew what was going through her mind, and in a sense had been saying, Ha, I have him and you never will!
Arlie lifted her chin. No wonder Dominic didn’t want her underfoot. He believed such a life to be customary for his kind. Well, if Dominic Santrell wanted her out of his life, then so be it. She would find a man worthy of her love and affection, a man who suited her, and her guardian would have no more say in her future, whatsoever. If he wanted to bed married women for the rest of his life, she would not stand in his way.
Convinced she was about to change her destiny, Arlie headed off and immediately ran into Daniel. Looking well rested, and quite handsome in a dove gray suit with knee high boots, he took her hand in his and kissed it gently. “Miss Whitman, how are you feeling this morning? I was quite concerned when you retired early last evening. I heard you had taken ill.”
She smiled, touched by his concern. “I had a slight headache,” she replied, noticing he didn’t drop her hand, but rather kept it firmly within his own. “But I feel fine this morning. I’m sure it was just the excitement.”
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are well.” He stared at her, his gaze slipping to her mouth.
Uncomfortable, she shifted on her feet, and Daniel immediately released her hand. “We are all going for a stroll. Would you care to join us?”
He motioned over to where a large group already crested a hill. The day, though a little brisk, showed promise, and rather than stay and brood over her guardian’s lack of morals, and her silly infatuation with him, she decided it would do her good to take a walk with the American. She nodded. “I would love that.”
He rewarded her with a boyish grin. Taking the arm he offered, she followed, enjoying the company and the leisurely pace.
It seemed the further they went from the manor, the more comfortable she b
ecame with the young man at her side. Daniel was easy to talk to, quite clever, and had a good sense of humor—all desirable qualities for a husband.
“You were quite the talk of the ball last night,” he said, bringing her out of her thoughts.
“I hope that is a good thing.”
He chuckled. “Of course, it is a good thing. Dear Miss Whitman, you are much too naive when it comes to your beauty and fairness. Yet I must say your innocence is refreshing and others feel likewise. I fear I have some rivalry for your attention.”
His words were like a double-edged sword. She wanted the young man to like her, perhaps even pursue her. Yet, at the same time she was reluctant. It would be difficult to fall in love with anyone when her feelings for Rochford kept her awake at night. She could not understand what she felt for her guardian. She did know that when she touched him a charge raced through her, straight to her breasts, and caused an ache between her thighs. No one had ever made her feel that way…and she feared no on else would.
“You’ve been called London’s best kept secret,” he added.
“Really…why?”
After Daniel steered her around a large stone, the hand he had rested on her back to guide her remained. “Because Rochford never said a thing to anyone about you. Langley leaked word, but none believed it, of course. Not that Langley is a liar, but he has been known to start a few stories. And I’ll be honest, the idea of Rochford being a guardian is…well, surprising.”
“His lordship only kept quiet because he wanted to make sure I would be ready. He wanted me to have time.”
“Time for…?”
“To mourn the death of my father and to become accustomed to my life here. Where I come from things are different. The pace is slow, and you could go days without seeing another human being.” For all she had told herself she would be closed-mouthed around these people, she found Daniel so easy to talk to the words just seemed to slip out. Yet Dominic’s advice to be aloof about personal details came back to her and she clamped her lips together, deciding some things were better left unsaid.
Dangerous Desires Page 5
