by Jo Beverley
Yet she could not help herself.
Surprisingly, the idea of the portrait intrigued her. For the first time in her life she felt truly beautiful. Wearing only silk against her naked body and being held by an equally undressed Gavin had been an astonishing pleasure. And wickedly erotic. His muscular arms around her, embracing her possessively. And his hands … One on her hip, the other on her breast. She thought she would faint when Doña Yvonne suggested the pose, but she did not. In fact, she reveled in it, much to her amazement. His lips on her cheek, the heat of his breath against her skin, sent shivers of delight down to her toes. Lying against him in the soft morning light, draped in luxurious silk while a sea-scented breeze wafted around them had been nothing less than heavenly. She could have easily remained in that position all day and not minded a bit. Except that she wanted more from him. She wanted him to touch her. Wanted him to kiss her.
And feared that she would kiss him if he did not do it first.
It had been maddening and terrifying and thrilling and wonderful.
And she would do it again tomorrow. And the day after.
Charlotte could hardly contain her excitement over the prospect of another morning in Gavin’s strong and muscular arms.
Which was exactly why she could not trust herself to spend another moment in his company. He had already been more intimate with her than any man had a right to be, but she did not think she would be able to ward off further liberties from him. If he were so inclined to try.
And knowing the type of man he was, she did not doubt that he would.
However, it was just that type of man she needed to stay far away from. He would only end up hurting her, breaking her heart. She had seen it too many times before with those spoiled, wealthy, charming gentlemen who took what they wanted and disregarded the consequences. She and her friends had heard the gossip and stories of the rogues who won the heart of a young woman and then set their sights upon the next pretty face. It was the chase that appealed to them rather than the prize itself. And if ever she met a rogue, Gavin Ellsworth was one, and Charlotte had no wish to be one of those foolish young women. She was too smart for that.
A sudden knock at her door startled her. She sat up on the bed where she had been lying and straightened her dressing gown. The late afternoon sun slanted through the wooden shutters and spilled across the rich-tiled floor.
“Come in,” she called, assuming it was a servant coming to collect her lunch dishes.
Aunt Louisa entered the room, her kind eyes clouded with worry. “I have not seen you all day, Charlotte. Are you not feeling well?”
“I am quite well, thank you. Just resting a little. I was up rather early this morning,” Charlotte explained to her aunt. “Doña Yvonne was painting me.”
“Oh yes, of course.” Aunt Louisa sat on the bed beside her. She looked at Charlotte carefully. “Still, I am a little surprised you did not join the others on the trip to town.”
“The others?” Charlotte asked in confusion.
“Yes, the other young people.”
As far as she could tell from supper last night, she and Gavin were the two youngest guests at the villa. “Who are you talking about?”
“Gavin Ellsworth and the rest of them. Don Francisco’s son, Pedro, arrived with some friends.”
Charlotte shook her head, suddenly wondering whether the friends were male or female. “No, he asked me but I preferred to rest.”
Aunt Louisa’s brows drew together. “Has Mr. Ellsworth done something to offend you?”
“Of course not!” Charlotte protested. “Why would you think such a thing?”
“Well, the two of you seemed to be getting along quite well last night and I know that you both posed for Doña Yvonne this morning, and for you not to join him this afternoon … I just wondered, that’s all.”
Charlotte remained silent. Had her name been linked with Gavin’s so soon?
“He is a very handsome young man.”
“Yes, he is,” Charlotte agreed.
“What do you think of him?”
“I think he is used to getting his own way and does not trouble himself with the consequences of his behavior.”
Aunt Louisa’s brows rose. “You know him so well already?”
“I know his type.”
“That’s a little judgmental, don’t you think? You just met the man.”
“Exactly.” Charlotte knew all she needed to know.
“How was the portrait sitting?” Aunt Louisa changed the subject.
“Unusual.” She hoped her aunt did not notice the blush creeping across her cheeks. She figured the less details she gave about the portrait sitting, the better.
“Knowing Yvonne I can only imagine! I look forward to seeing the finished painting.” Aunt Louisa laughed lightly. “My friend is rather eccentric in her tastes. She and I had great fun in finishing school in Paris together back when we were much younger. Then she fell in love with Paco, that is, Don Francisco, and moved to Spain. I make a point to visit them here at their villa whenever I can.”
“This villa …” Charlotte said, recalling the Bohemian atmosphere in the sala last night. “They don’t follow the usual conventions here, do they? They prefer doing things their own way, it seems.”
“Yes,” her aunt nodded in agreement. “That is the wonderful part of traveling, Charlotte, and why I suggested you come along with me on this trip. Women are boxed in and constrained in every way in England. When you see more of the world you realize how much more to life there is than what you are led to believe back home.”
“I am beginning to see that,” she said, thinking of how her morning was spent.
“Please don’t hide away in your room, Charlotte.” Aunt Louisa took Charlotte’s hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. “Do not squander opportunities to enjoy your life, for sometimes they do not come again. Your parents entrusted me with your well-being on this trip and wanted you to have new experiences and—”
“They sent me away,” Charlotte interrupted, “because they are fed up with my overly selective qualifications for a husband. They don’t know what else to do with me.”
Aunt Louisa ignored her little outburst. “As I was saying, your parents entrusted me with your well-being on this trip, and as your guardian, I am allowing you complete freedom to do as you wish. Break out of your usual routine, my dear. You need not answer to me or anyone else. You are not here to find a husband, but to let yourself grow. At least, that is how I see it. You are young and beautiful and have your whole life ahead of you. Enjoy yourself now.”
Charlotte stared at her aunt, wondering what she would say if she knew that her niece had posed nearly nude in the arms of a half-naked man that morning. She squeezed Aunt Louisa’s hand in response. “I was not hiding in my room,” she lied, for she had been doing just that. “But if it will make you happy, I will not rest during the day again.”
Aunt Louisa sighed. “I just want you to be unafraid and to not regret missing certain opportunities.”
Charlotte could hardly be called a coward for what she did with Gavin and she did not regret it. At least not yet anyway … But what had happened to her aunt in her past to have her speak so passionately now about wasted opportunities? “What is it that you regret in your life, Aunt Louisa?”
Aunt Louisa pulled her hand away and her eyes clouded. “Oh, too many things to count. I suppose I mostly regret the times I feared doing something I should have done and the chances I lost to do the things I wanted to.”
“Who was that gentleman you sat with last night?”
Aunt Louisa smiled and the expression on her face softened. “You mean Carlos? He is an old friend. A very dear and special friend of mine who knew me when I was young.”
“Were you in love with him?”
Aunt Louisa nodded.
“What happened?” asked Charlotte, intrigued by this new information.
“I was very foolish and did not marry him when he asked me. So
he married someone else.”
“That’s sad, Aunt Louisa.”
“Yes,” she agreed, looking toward the window. “I was devastated at the time.”
“Is his wife here?”
“No. She passed away last year.”
“Oh, then the two of you can now—”
Aunt Louisa interrupted, “Oh well, that is enough about me. I came to talk about you.”
And that was all she was going to share with Charlotte on that subject, it seemed.
Aunt Louisa faced Charlotte and said brightly, “Now promise me you will enjoy yourself thoroughly while we are here. No more hiding in your room.”
Could she do it? Could she pretend her mother had not sent her here as a punishment? Could she simply pretend the old Charlotte did not exist for the time being and let down her reserve? Could she let go and do as her aunt suggested? Would it be so terrible? And hadn’t she already begun?
She whispered hesitantly, “I promise.” “Good!” Aunt Louisa beamed with satisfaction. The seductive atmosphere of the villa had already begun to work its magic on her, and Charlotte’s heart began to race at the prospect of what she just agreed to do.
Chapter 5
Gavin’s eyes scanned the room watching for her. Waiting for her.
He had not seen Charlotte since that morning and he wondered with growing impatience where she was and what she had been doing all day. It was the same scene in the sala as the night before. Guests were milling about, or seated in intimate groups around small tables or on sofas. Platters of succulent seafood and dishes of exotic fruits and cheeses covered the long table. A guitarist’s music filled the room. Gavin was growing rather accustomed to the casual atmosphere in the villa.
“Señor Ellsworth, would you care to sit beside me?”
Isabella Hernandez flashed her dark eyes at him and beckoned to him from a red velvet sofa. Pedro’s pretty cousin had been hanging on him all day and the novelty was wearing a bit thin. Accustomed to women flirting with him, Gavin was wise to her bold looks from the moment he met her. Pedro had returned home before noon that day, just before Gavin was venturing into town. Gavin had waited longer than needed, hoping that Charlotte would change her mind and come with him. Then Pedro, along with his three cousins, arrived unexpectedly at the villa, and Gavin allowed himself to be swept along in their plans. He spent the afternoon touring Málaga with them and had a pleasant enough time, although all he could think about was Charlotte.
She was a bit of a mystery. Aside from her reasons for spending the summer abroad, last night he thought he had her all figured out. She was a typically aloof, hard-to-please female, full of high principles and suspicions. But she had proved him wrong on that account this morning in the art studio. Charlotte had not put up a fuss about that pose at all! And she was too delectable to be believed. Her perfectly shaped body, her enchanting scent, the graceful arch of her neck, the silkiness of her creamy skin, the clear blue of her eyes … The look in those eyes …
He could not get the image of her out of his head.
It seemed, however, that he would not be seeing her this evening. Devil if he knew what she was about! It was ridiculous of him to be thinking of her so much anyway. She was not his type. Charlotte was the sort of girl one married, and Gavin was too young and looked forward to more fun in the years ahead of him to think of getting himself married now. He needed to put the lovely Charlotte Wilton out of his mind.
He flashed a grin at Pedro’s dark-haired cousin and joined her on the sofa. Isabella smiled with unabashed delight.
“Did you have a nice time this afternoon?” she asked brightly, placing her hand on his arm possessively.
Before Gavin could give an answer to Isabella, the beautiful object of his thoughts captured his gaze. Charlotte had entered the room and for a moment Gavin could not speak.
Charlotte paused under the archway, looking for all the world like a luscious temptress in an elegant gown of deep burgundy that hugged the curves of her body like a glove and displayed her ample cleavage to perfection. Her blond hair was arranged high upon her head, revealing the graceful curve of her neck. Gavin fought the urge to wave to her, to call her over to him. Instead he watched Doña Yvonne, as the excellent hostess she was, quickly take Charlotte by the hand and draw her into the room. Doña Yvonne then introduced Charlotte to her son, Pedro.
Gavin almost leapt from the sofa at the way Pedro’s eyes glittered in appreciation of Charlotte’s beauty. Of course his friend would gravitate immediately to Charlotte, for Pedro would never pass an opportunity to be with a gorgeous female. Charlotte reacted with a shy smile to Pedro’s charm. He took her arm and then guided her toward the sofa. Gavin stood and Pedro performed the necessary introductions.
“Miss Wilton, have we not met before?” Gavin smiled at Charlotte.
“Yes, I seem to recall seeing you somewhere,” she teased, a sparkle in her eyes. “Something about you seems quite familiar to me.”
Pedro’s face clouded in confusion. “Have the two of you met?”
Gavin laughed then. “Yes, we met last night and your mother is doing a portrait of us now.”
“Por supuesto, mi madre.” Pedro nodded in understanding. “So now we are all friends. Qué bueno! We shall eat together. Señorita Wilton, you must come with me. Gavin, will you escort my cousin?” Pedro took possessive hold of Charlotte and moved her expertly toward the table.
Gavin found himself wanting to knock Pedro’s hand off of Charlotte’s arm and escort her himself. Instead he assisted a beaming Isabella to the massive dining table to fill her plate. He spent the remainder of the supper irritated by Pedro’s blatant claim upon Charlotte and growing more annoyed by the clinging Isabella. Every time he caught Charlotte’s eye, she held his gaze longer than necessary. Her wide blue eyes mesmerized him. As did her laughter.
And she seemed to laugh at everything his friend said, smiling and fluttering her long eyelashes, apparently captivated by Pedro’s Latin charms. He had not guessed Charlotte to be a practiced flirt when he met her. She had been alluring with him and he believed it to be because of his own magnetic charm.
Yet here she was acting the coquette quite skillfully with his friend.
He did not like it one bit.
By the time guests began retiring to their rooms for the evening, Gavin was more than ready to leave as well. As the group concluded making plans for the next day, Gavin tried to position himself beside Charlotte, but Pedro had his arm on hers and he watched helplessly as his friend escorted Charlotte from the sala.
Gavin was left with Isabella, who tugged on his arm and asked to have a bit of air before retiring. Normally he would have enjoyed kissing the pretty Spanish-eyed girl on a starlit veranda and could not understand why he had no desire to do so now. She was more than willing and not shy about letting him know it. Yet, all he could think about was Charlotte. And if Pedro was planning to kiss her.
“I’m afraid I’m not feeling well, Señorita Hernandez.”
“The fresh air will make you better,” she insisted with a slight wink.
What was wrong with him? “I am afraid not,” he said as gently as he could, while removing her hand from his arm. “I think it would be best if I were to sleep. I shall see you tomorrow, señorita. Thank you for a lovely evening.” He flashed her his most devastating smile.
He recognized the disappointment in her eyes, for he was sure it was clearly in his own as well.
He fled the scene as quickly as he could. He had to reach Charlotte before Pedro made an advance on her. Gavin first searched the walled garden, thinking his friend might have led her to a secluded and romantic spot in the moonlight, but he did not find the couple. Although he did happen upon Charlotte’s aunt and a bearded gentleman in a private corner, conversing rather intensely. Luckily, they did not notice him before he backed away. He then hurried through the villa and followed the steps up to the area near Charlotte’s bedroom. The long hallway was empty. He paused outside her
door but did not knock.
Feeling like a fool but unable to quell the panic within his chest, he descended the stairs and returned to his own room. He flung open the double doors and walked out to the private patio. He stopped before the spiral staircase that led directly to Charlotte’s bedroom, glancing up at her balcony.
He took the steps two at a time.
He tapped lightly on the door. Through the gauzy curtains that draped the glass-paned double doors a soft light shone through.
A startled Charlotte opened the doors. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of him. “Gavin!”
“Are you alone?” he demanded.
“What a ridiculous question! Of course I am. What are you doing here?”
He relaxed slightly at that news but still had to know. “Did he kiss you?”
Her elegant brows drew together. “You mean Pedro?”
“Yes.” He took a step toward her.
Her chin went up. “Why is that any of your affair?”
“It’s not. I just—” He felt like an idiot. He had no claim on Charlotte. Who was he to be standing on the balcony outside her bedroom demanding to know whom she had been kissing? “I just …”
Charlotte looked up at him, her expression full of longing. “No,” she whispered breathlessly. “I did not let him kiss me.”
“Then I will.”
Without questioning the impulse, Gavin reached out and drew her into his arms. In a swift motion, he lowered his mouth over hers and kissed her. She melted into him, warm and soft and willing. And he was lost the minute his lips met hers. As their kiss deepened, he couldn’t tell who was trembling more, he or she. Her heady floral scent enveloped him and he felt himself drowning in her. The sweetness of her mouth and tongue as it twined with his made him hunger for more. More of her. Her arms reached up and around his neck and he pulled her more tightly against his chest, feeling her luscious breasts press into him.
Gavin had kissed his fair share of women, some far more accomplished than others. Tall blondes, petite brunettes, luscious redheads, stage actresses, ballet dancers, eager debutantes, and young widows. He had flirted with, laughed with, kissed, and enjoyed each of these ladies. They were all beautiful women, just as Charlotte was.
