“My company is known for its fine silks. I understand they are in demand by many ladies. Have you ever felt truly fine silk?”
She could not answer. His voice had dipped lower, caressing her like the fine silk he spoke of. Cordelia knew she should step back, but she could not make her feet move. He inched closer, his legs now brushing the front of her dress.
When she did not answer, Blackburn continued, leaning down to place his hand on the stone wall behind her. He was now much closer than propriety allowed, and her heart threatened to beat from her chest.
“Fine silk slides against flesh,” he murmured.
His breath heated her earlobe. Cordelia pulled in a deep breath trying to regain her wits. But her breasts brushed against his chest and tingles shot through her body like shooting stars.
She shook her head. Other questions swirled in her brain, and she knew that Blackburn was trying to divert her attention. Her body did not care. Need coursed through her veins, urging her to move closer, into Blackburn’s heat.
At that moment, a group of younger people came out laughing and talking, their excitement of the season easily heard in their voices. Blackburn’s head whipped around, and a growl rumbled in his chest. For a moment, she thought he might attack them.
“Mr. Blackburn.”
She whispered the words as not to gain the others attention. He hesitated, then looked down her. Fierce hunger darkened his eyes. Cordelia was not sure he even heard her, but a moment later, his expression blanked, the harsh lines of his face smoothing. He drew in a deep breath, then stepped back, the cool night air replacing his heat. She shivered as goose bumps rose over her flesh. Cordelia should be thankful he had pulled back in time. With her background, she had to be careful. There was always a chance that she would step over the line. And at that point, her invitations would stop and she needed them to earn money.
He offered her arm once again. “May I escort you back to the ballroom, Lady Cordelia?” He pitched his voice just loud enough for the group to hear.
She nodded, laying her hand on his arm. “I do thank you sir for your help. Hurst is a nuisance and I could have deflected him. Your help just made it much easier.”
He guided her over to a group of matrons. “I trust you will be able to avoid him in the future.”
It was not a question, but an order. Odd, because, before tonight, she had barely spoken to him. She sent him a sharp stare to tell them man he had overstepped his bounds. Little shock that he ignored her.
Instead, he bowed and, loud enough for a group of nearby matrons to hear, he said, “Thank you for the dance, Lady Cordelia.”
She had been in his company for the last five minutes and had yet to ask him more than one question about his finances. As she stared at him, that eyebrow of his rose again. Mr. Blackburn knew she had questions for him…which was why he had avoided her for days. Now that he was dumping her with the matrons, she had no way of asking them. She was stuck—and he knew it.
She offered him a smile she reserved for the most vapid of young misses. “You are most welcome, Mr. Blackburn.”
His lips twitched as if he repressed a smile. After a nod to the matrons—watching the whole scene as if they were at the theater—he turned and walked away.
And Cordelia cursed herself again. She still didn’t know if the man earned his money legally or not. She thought back to the dance, the way his body pressed against hers, the heat she saw in his eyes and sighed. She had to learn how to keep her wits about her the next time she encountered Mr. Blackburn.
Her livelihood depended on it.
*
“You look ready to faint, Blackburn,” Grayson, Duke of Nothingham said, amusement threading his voice. “Done in by a little mouse of a woman?”
Nico threw him what he hoped was a nasty look and grabbed a drink as a waiter passed by him. Bloody hell, his hand was shaking. “You are treading on thin ice.”
“I've never known Lady Cordelia to have this affect on anyone but Hurst, and seriously, I cannot understand why he is interested.”
Without knowing or caring what the drink was, Nico tossed back the contents in one huge gulp, wincing as the warm lemonade slid down his throat. God, he needed to get out of there, find a woman. The moment he thought it, he caught sight of Lady Cordelia. His body responded as if he’d been struck by lightning.
“So, tell me, how did Lady Cordelia ensnare you? Was it her modest gown, or her discussion on anything political?”
How could he explain it? Not once in society had he come so close to losing control. How could one petite, blue-eyed miss have brought him so close to the edge? Even now he had to grind his teeth together to keep his incisors from descending. He had been moments from taking her, and she would not have resisted. It was in her makeup to respond to him—even if she did not understand. His plan to divert her attention had gone horribly awry. Even now, he could remember the feel of her hardened nipples as they lightly brushed his chest.
Damn! He pulled his attention away from Lady Cordelia and back to Gray who was now studying Nico with enjoyment.
“She's a Carrier.”
Gray's face lost all emotion, his body turning to stone. “You must be mistaken. I know every Born in the ton. She is not one.”
Nico glanced around looking to see if anyone had overheard and realized that the only attention they had were from eligible young women across the floor. With a sigh, he motioned with his head and turned, not even waiting to see if Gray followed. Nico knew the duke would. He found the library easily, and was relieved to discover it empty. Gray shut the door quietly and leaned against it.
“Do you really think she is a Carrier?”
“I don't think. I know. At age five hundred, I think I know the difference between a Carrier and a normal human female.”
“She is not descended from any line I know. Her mother was married to the Earl of Collingsworth.”
“He must not have been her birth father.”
The look of comprehension slid over Gray's face. “Of course. Only the oldest is his, the son. The daughters were said to have different fathers, all four.”
“Yes, and the youngest, Cordelia, is treated as an outcast by the others.”
Gray sneered. “That brother of hers is a bastard. Owes everyone in town, which is why he isn't here.”
“You mean she is in town alone?”
Gray crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “Indeed. I think she stays in the family townhouse, but with little staff. Truthfully, I have no idea how she affords it. Her father...Collingsworth left her barely anything to live on from what I heard.”
“And there is no rumor of impropriety. She has no protector?”
“Not that I know of. And I assure you, with the notorious Lady Fionna as her mother, if there was a hint of scandal, it would be all over the ton.”
Nico shoved that aside and moved back the subject on hand. “Regardless, she is a Carrier.”
“Again, I point out that my family has kept track of all the noble families. She isn’t on that list and neither is Lady Fionna.”
Irritation turned Nico’s voice sharp. “Think. When the church attacked us during the Inquisition, many families hid. We scattered to the winds, and I am positive we have yet to find everyone. There are probably several dozen Carriers in the ton and they have no idea…why would they unless they have mated with a Born? “
He had known about Lady Cordelia for days. Something about their first meeting, the way his body had reacted, had told him she was not just a simple bluestocking. He had immediately responded to her, despite the fact she was not his type of woman. He usually liked females tall, lithe and definitely experienced. Cordelia had none of these attributes, but she was a Carrier. So he was predisposed to respond to her.
Though in truth, he had never reacted even to another Carrier so strongly.
“You may be right,” Gray surmised.
“I am. It’s easy to scent a Carrier. It also explains why H
urst is after her.”
The young duke crossed his arms over his chest. “Hurst is not one of us.”
“Indeed. He's Made for sure.”
With satisfaction, Nico watched Gray's eyes widen in alarm. It was the first Made vampire to hit the ton in recent times. “Bloody hell.”
“Precisely. He has shown little to no interest in Lady Cordelia until recently. We need to find out where he was before his fascination arose. If he has not left town...”
He let his words trail off letting Gray draw his own conclusions. “And a nobleman at that. This is not a good development.”
“No. I need you to find out where he was, discover any of the places he frequents. Who he’s spent time with. We also might want to put a man on him.”
“Do you think we need to warn the other noble houses?”
Nico snorted. The other vampire families were notoriously stubborn. “Would it do any good? They refuse to believe there is a problem. My father is the only patriarch who is worried. No one else but the three of us seems to understand the gravity of the situation.” He thought about Lady Cordelia and her role in everything. “I say that Hurst's attention started just over a fortnight ago. Something must have happened then. He does not appear to have gone completely into the Blood Lust, but there is a good chance he is not far from sinking there.”
“How do you know he isn't already there?”
Sometimes Nico forgot that Gray was too young to have seen Made vampires and their terrible descent into murderous madness. “If he had, you would have seen more than just a slight altercation when I asked Lady Cordelia to dance. It is very likely the bastard would've challenged me on the spot—possibly even attacked me.”
Shock crossed Gray’s face. “Truly? That would have been a sight.”
Nico ground his teeth again, but this time not to keep his teeth hidden. Gray was a good sort, but he was young, especially for a vampire. He was not around for the last purging, and he did not know just how bad this mess would end up.
“He probably doesn't know I am a Born, has no idea what is going on. His body is telling him to pursue her. And since she has no protection, such as your sisters and others in the ton, he knows she would be easier to prey upon.”
“I'll get a man on him, and I'll talk to father about his connections, where he has been before. I hope this doesn't end up like that bit of business you had to handle up north.”
With that, Gray left Nico alone with his dark thoughts.
There would be no way out of it; Hurst would have to die, but not before they got some information out of the bastard. The one he had to kill three weeks ago had been too far gone to question, but Hurst seemed to still be functioning surprisingly well…but Nico didn’t expect that to last. If they could grab the viscount off the street, they might be able to persuade him to talk. He'd make plans tonight with Malik. Time was precious when a vampire had been Made. If they were not handled properly, they would turn into a craven beast searching out the nearest Carrier to consume. If the woman didn't die, she would wish she had.
Now Hurst had apparently set his sights on Lady Cordelia. And that bothered Nico. Exceedingly.
With a sigh, he straightened away from the desk. His body was still humming with anticipation of a joining. While he could not satisfy the mating call Lady Cordelia had nearly wrested from him, he could find a woman to slake his lust.
He walked to the door but it blew open, bringing Lady Cordelia with it. His body responded immediately. The normally perfectly coiffed curls that dangled over her ears were in disarray. A look of irritation marred her usually smooth features. She slammed the door shut behind her and then leaned against it much the same way that Gray had. Clearly, she did not notice him in the room.
“Stupid man.” She locked the door behind her and then patted down her hair. “He is becoming a real trial.”
“I hope you are not referring to me,” Nico said.
She started and then looked in the shadowed corner where he stood.
“Mr. Blackburn?”
He cursed himself the moment he realized she could not see in the darkness. If he had stayed quiet she would not have seen him. She had not mated yet, so she possessed only human abilities.
“It is I. I take from your comments that you did not follow me here.”
She sniffed. “Of course not. I am trying to avoid that idiot Hurst. Why on earth he has decided to bother me now is beyond me.”
Bloody hell. Hurst’s constant pursuit could herald the coming of his blood lust. If the viscount touched her, he’d likely sink into madness. Something would have to be done—tonight.
“Come, now, Lady Cordelia. You could easily attract his lordship’s attention for any number of reasons.”
She mumbled something under her breath that sounded like “not bloody likely.”
At least she understood there was danger. Unfortunately, it did not help his protective instincts. The need to shelter her, keep her safe, coursed through his blood, along with a healthy dose of lust. He did not speak for fear of revealing the depth of his need.
Silence loomed several moments, then without any warning she flashed him a brilliant smile. He blinked as he watched her approach, amazed at the change in her expression. And wary. No woman could be trusted, especially a Carrier. Those with the ability to birth vampires were frighteningly clever—they had to be to survive. He knew without a doubt, Lady Cordelia was working something out in her brain that would only bring about disaster for them both.
“Mr. Blackburn?” She stopped in front of him, her scent wrapping around him, tempting him. It was a mixture of musky woman and innocence that had his incisors threatening to descend. The woman was too bloody tempting for her own good. No wonder Hurst had been after her.
“Yes?” he asked, surprised that he hadn’t started panting. Or done something far more aggressive. Even now as she gazed up at him as if she worshipped him. He reacted, his lust in full bloom. He wanted—ached—to throw her across the desk and strip her naked. Nico knew it was primal; it had nothing to do with the woman.
But he’d never had such a strong reaction to a Carrier.
“I wondered…” She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth, and he inwardly groaned. The woman was going to undo him with her innocent gestures. He curled his fingers into the palm of his hands.
“Lady Cordelia, what do you need?”
She blinked and hesitated. He did not blame her. Even he could hear how his voice had deepened, roughened. The earlier altercation still thrummed through his blood. Maybe she would flee the room, and he would be free of her long enough to ease his desires elsewhere.
He should have known better.
She raised her chin, and said, “Can you explain a bit more about your shipping business?”
“W-what?” He could not concentrate on her words, but rather watched the way her lips moved in the slant of moonlight that illuminated her face.
Cordelia cocked her head to the side. “Are you unwell?”
He shook his head, his attention still on her mouth. Her tongue flicked out over the fuller bottom lip as she took a step closer. Bloody hell, he craved to taste her, to feel her mouth move beneath his. He wanted to feel her flesh beneath his and he wanted to sink his teeth into her neck. With every bit of his control, he pulled his mind away from the image of her wearing nothing but the moonlight.
He needed her to go, far away. He made one last attempt.
“Lady Cordelia, I think you should leave.” He bit out each word, the lust he felt dripping from each syllable. Unfortunately, the woman apparently was oblivious.
She stepped even closer, determination stamped all over her face. Passion darkened her eyes. She was magnificent.
“I will not be deflected again.”
Good God, the woman smelled of heaven. He could imagine rolling with her on a bed, the scent of her surrounding him, the tangy taste of her on his tongue. His incisors descended, primed for feeding. He did not even try to st
op it. He knew it impossible.
Without another thought, he grabbed her. She gasped, the sound erotic in the darkened library. He had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen as he dipped his head.
“Mr. Blackburn, whatever do you think you are doing?”
“Shutting you up.”
Then he bent his head and took possession of her mouth
Coming this July to print and digital from Melissa Schroeder Publishing.
About Melissa Schroeder
Born to an Air Force family at an Army hospital Melissa has always been a little bit screwy. She was further warped by her years of watching Monty Python and her strange family. Her love of romance novels developed after accidentally picking up a Linda Howard book. After becoming hooked, she read close to 300 novels in one year, deciding that romance was her true calling instead of the literary short stories and suspenses she had been writing. Since her first release in 2004, Melissa has had over 30 short stories, novellas and novels released with multiple publishers in a variety of genres and time periods. Those releases include the Harmless series, a best-selling erotic romance series set in Hawaii. A Little Harmless Sex, book 1, was one of the top 100 bestselling Nook Books of 2010.
Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, fate always has her way with mortals. Her husband is an Air Force major, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, and two adopted dog daughters, and they live wherever the military sticks them. Which she is sure, will always involve heat and bugs only seen on the Animal Discovery Channel. In her spare time, she reads, complains about bugs, travels, cooks, reads some more, watches her DVD collections of Arrested Development and Seinfeld, and tries to convince her family that she truly is a delicate genius. She has yet to achieve her last goal.
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