Once Upon a Masquerade (16 page)

Foolish pride demanded she decline his offer, while her desire to be rid of this infernal dress superseded all else. She dropped onto the bed’s edge and ignored his amusement as he unfastened the remaining closures with ease. When she twisted about to murmur her reluctant thanks, he’d already turned away, offering her a bit of privacy. She slipped the gown off and donned the shirt.

Her skin tingled as the fabric caressed her naked body, his essence clinging to its folds. The shirt offered almost as much coverage as her night rail. Still, the thought of wearing something that belonged to him, something he’d only just worn, that smelled warm and masculine like him…seemed intimate, sensual.

Sliding under the covers, she felt much more comfortable than before. Even so, sleep evaded her. With Christopher so near, she couldn’t make herself relax.

She wanted to stay angry with him, to harden herself. Instead she found herself relieved he’d been there when she needed him.

Her thoughts wandered back to her bizarre dream. Christopher had been both the person she’d run from and the one she was drawn to. Even her dreams warned her to stay away from him or risk a heartbreak so devastating she might never recover. But as in the dream, she found it impossible to resist his allure. She was doomed.

…

Christopher couldn’t relax. Rebecca was, to say the least, a restless sleeper, although that had little to do with his lack of rest. With Rebecca curled next to him, soft and warm, he fought the urge to touch her.

It was almost dawn. She’d fallen asleep some time ago and now lay on her back beside him. The bed covers had slipped down to her hips, and the shirt twisted around her until its bottom edge rested on her torso. He enjoyed an unobstructed view of her stomach’s creamy skin and the shadow of her bare navel in the dim glow of the nearly-spent candle. The brief glimpse inflamed his senses, knowing she lay nude beneath the blankets.

Whether she’d been attacked or not preyed on his mind. He’d brought her to the country so she’d be safe. While a recently lit candle wasn’t enough proof in his eyes, the possibility that he’d made faulty assumptions regarding her safety… Damn. How could he be so careless?

Come morning, he’d alert Spence to the events of last evening. He would take no more chances.

His gaze wandered over her relaxed features, and the graceful line of her neck. Last night outside her door, he could have sworn she’d told him she loved him. The notion had both warmed him and set him on edge. When he’d requested she repeat herself, she’d asked him to stay. Christopher shook his head. Either he’d been mistaken or she’d regretted her words. She’d been drinking. Who knew what she’d intended to say? Still, the possibility…

His eyes strayed back to her bare midriff. What had possessed him to place her in his bed, wearing only his shirt? Obviously, he enjoyed torturing himself.

He debated moving to the chair across the room. At least that might cool his lust. But damn him, he didn’t want to leave the bed. Instead he turned to his side, resting his head on one arm. His every nerve thrummed with anticipation.

Streaks of daylight streamed in through the window, and Rebecca’s skin came to life. Her tousled hair glowed with reddish highlights from the sun’s rays. In its twisted state, the shirt’s collar parted aslant, displaying the rise of one pale breast. Yet that smooth expanse of abdomen enticed him most.

As if it had a mind of its own, his hand reached out and skimmed across the velvet of her exposed skin. She sighed and shifted to face him. His pulse beat faster. He should stop. But the feel of her beneath his hand…

His fingertips smoothed over her perfect hip and onward beneath the light blanket to a slender thigh. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck. The smell of her hair…that faint spicy scent. If his ear hadn’t been so close to her mouth when she sighed again, he might not have caught the sweet sound of his name on her lips. That slight whisper was his undoing. He brushed her lips with his own as his hand slid further inside the shirt to her bare back, stroking along her shoulder blades.

She arched into him, her lips caressing his, weakly at first, but as his mouth became more ardent hers followed suit.

Her arm came around to knead his shoulder and neck, and his gaze lifted to meet her green eyes, glassy with desire. A moan escaped her lips, and sooty lashes hid those sparkling gems.

Her hands slid over his chest, neck, and head, urging him into action, drugging his body with sweeping sensations, and his groin tightened. Before he realized what he was doing, he’d tugged the rumpled shirt over her head and run his hands along the womanly contours of her chest before cradling her face between his hands. Her silken hair entwined through his fingers as their mouths and tongues melded together.

He skimmed his hand down her side and massaged one tantalizing round cheek. She arched into him again, pulling his shoulders down to hers.

With a whimper, she pressed against his back and raised her hips to his. Any trace of cognizant thought fled his mind.

He unbuttoned his trousers. A jolt of excitement coursed through him as Rebecca’s hand clasped around his member, testing its full length before urging his hips lower. He groaned and eased the sensitive tip into her tight softness. Only once before had he so completely succumbed to the pleasures of a woman’s body, letting his primal instincts take over as the molten heat flowed through his veins. Only this one intoxicating woman had this effect on him.

Her arms locked around his neck, she met each of his thrusts with equal fervor, her breasts pressing sensually against his chest. As the heat in his loins reached a fevered pitch, he heard her breath catch and felt her body tense with pleasure. He moaned as her small spasms gripped him, pushing him over the edge of control. Waves of ecstasy washed over him as he throbbed inside of her.

When his senses returned, he propped himself onto his elbows and stared into the clear depths of her eyes. He swept back a stray lock of hair that hid her delicate features. Did she have any idea what she did to him? Something inside melted a little bit more each time they shared moments like this.

The problem was, he wasn’t sure he wanted that ice to melt. It protected him.

His lucky coin hung askew about her neck. The night he’d given it to her he’d discovered she’d lied about who she was—a maid.

What was he thinking? They held no trust between them. She’d told him so many lies he didn’t know what to believe anymore. For God’s sake, she was a suspect in a murder case.

Rebecca’s brows knitted. “What’s wrong?”

She didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth. How could he trust her? With self-disgust, he closed his eyes and turned his face away. He shouldn’t have touched her, and this time he had no one to blame but himself. He’d been weak.

Her body stiffened. “You can get off me now.”

He’d hurt her, and it ripped him up inside. “I’m sorry. It’s not you. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I’m so relieved. Now get off.” She pushed at his shoulders. He didn’t move. He wanted to say something, anything to take away the hurt she tried so valiantly to hide from him.

“I shouldn’t have started anything. You weren’t at fault in the least.” He cursed himself for his less-than-reassuring words. No doubt, she wanted to hear words of endearment, of lasting love. He refused to lie to her. A relationship based on lies was doomed to fail.

Her struggles to rise stopped. “I understand. Now, please move.” Her calm, lifeless voice troubled him far more than her anger.

“I don’t think you do. I never meant to hurt you. You’re just so damned tempting,” he admitted.

“If I’m so damned tempting, why do you pull away from me after you’ve had your fun, like I was some whore bought and paid for? Am I so despicable? Good enough for the occasional romp and nothing more?”

He winced at the raw emotion in her voice. “That’s not what I think of you.”

“Still, you’d never consider marrying me, would you?” She dared him to deny it.

He couldn’t lie. Given all that stood between them, he couldn’t consider the idea and probably never would. “No.”

“Let me up.” She pushed past him and scooted to the edge of the bed. As she pulled the stiff red gown over her nakedness, he watched with fascination. Already the powerful urge to pull her back to bed called to him. He drew close as she wrestled with the buttons of the dress. She backed away from him as if he would assault her. “I don’t need your help, not with this dress and not with my father. Take me home.”

“No.” He was being unreasonable, but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t throw her into the lion’s den and leave her. Out of the question.

Her gown half-buttoned and her hair in disarray around her shoulders, she spun about. “You can’t keep me prisoner here.”

He would if he had to.
He enjoyed the spark that had returned to her eyes and the flush to her cheeks. “Let’s discuss a plan of action today, and then we can return together.”

“We’ll discuss it this morning, early.”

“Very well.”

With a stiff nod, she strode to the door and peered into the hallway. Once assured no one was about, she raised her chin a notch and flew across the hall to her room.

Closing the door, he combed a hand through his hair as something in his chest lurched. How had that stubborn, willful, and wonderfully plucky woman penetrated his defenses?

Chapter Fourteen

IN THE EMPTY HALLWAY, Christopher stared at Rebecca’s door, cursing himself for the hundredth time for being so damn weak when it came to her. Something about her made him do the most idiotic things, and it seemed there was nothing he could do to stop himself.

Last night, from the moment he’d seen her descending the staircase wearing that fitted red gown that accentuated her soft curves and smooth, porcelain skin, she’d ensnared his attention. With her hair bound up in an elegant bow, she’d been the package he’d longed to unwrap. He’d struggled to resist her charms all evening, retreating to the poker tables when his will weakened to the point of nonexistence. Even then he couldn’t stop himself from glancing to where she stood. She’d called to him like a mystical siren, beckoning him with her song. Worse, it wasn’t just her beauty that drew him in. He honestly enjoyed time spent with her. Unpredictable and infuriating at times, she had the uncanny ability to make him laugh, to challenge him in so many ways. So different from other women he’d known. Different from Adele.

Leaning back against the wall just outside his door, he studied a scuff mark on his black boot. When Adele had stopped by the poker tables, he hadn’t wanted to talk to her. They hadn’t spoken since she’d ended their engagement. She’d sought to put the past to rest, to begin anew. She wanted him back and would do anything to make it so. Unbelievable. A year ago, he might have agreed to her offer, when his affection for her still ran high. But now, he had no interest. While she was as winsome and gentle as last he remembered, she couldn’t compare to the one who’d bewitched him with her exuberance and pluck, a woman like no one he’d known before.

The low squeak of a doorknob turning drew him from his musings, and he straightened.

Rebecca opened her door and paused. Her full lips bowed into a frown he wished he could kiss away. Her skin still glowed from their lovemaking, only a few shades lighter than the warm peach hue of her demure day dress. With her mass of curly hair pulled back in a simple ribbon, she’d never looked more beautiful. He ached to run his hand along the delicate curve of her cheek and taste those lips again.

Silence hung like an invisible curtain between them. For a full minute, they stared at one another. Her eyes, now back to their usual luster, never left his. They held an accusatory glint that disturbed him.

“Rebecca, I’m sorry.”

She closed the door and strode past him. “That’s a lie.”

He caught up to her. “A lie? You can hardly know what I feel.”

“I think I’m coming to know you very well.” She shook her head, her brows furrowed. “How ironic. You announce our
betrothal
to Philip to protect me from his advances, when all along you don’t see me fit to be a wife.” He ground his teeth as a fresh wave of guilt gnawed at his conscience. “I…” What could he say? He had no denials, only regrets.

She swallowed and studied the carpeted floor. “How do you plan to end our supposed engagement? If Philip has mentioned it to anyone else…maybe if you talk to him—”

“I’ll worry about that later.” Although breaking an engagement was considered bad form, he didn’t care what society thought of him.

“You could say I cried off.”

Such a magnanimous offer when she had no reputation to protect, not really. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been through this before.” He’d survived the gossips’ prattle then, and he’d survive it now. Besides, this was his fault. He’d acted impulsively, and now he had to pay the price.

For now he’d focus on what was important. Once this mess of an investigation was over—once she was safe—they wouldn’t have to see each other ever again. Until then, they had no choice. “Don’t go anywhere alone today. If you’re not with a large group, stay near me.”

“Why such concern?” she scoffed. Any softening she’d shown toward him had vanished in a blink. “I don’t believe for a minute you think I was attacked last night. Besides, that shouldn’t be a problem, since today we’ll be finalizing a plan to save my father before we travel back to the city.”

“Fair enough.” Her attitude annoyed him. He’d stalled yesterday, hoping to buy some time to figure out how she fit into Nathan’s murder and why she would masquerade as an heiress. But last evening, when he’d mentioned his work on the case, her reaction had said it all. She’d acted surprised, not the least nervous or suspicious of his confession. Either she could hide her emotions well, or she was innocent.

As far as he was concerned she’d never been an accomplished liar. She couldn’t be the cold-blooded killer he was looking for.

They’d risen so early breakfast wouldn’t be served for several hours. A generous host, Spence provided for the whims of his guests, even those who rose with the sun. A light repast was served in the library. Christopher sent a message to Spence, detailing the events of the prior night before he joined Rebecca at the small table. They ate in stilted silence until Christopher gave in to the guilt that nagged him. “Rebecca, about this morning…”

Her porcelain cup clinked against its saucer when she set it down. “You’re not going to ask me if I’m expecting again, are you?”

“No.” He still regretted the last time that particular subject had come up. “I was going to apologize once more for taking advantage of the situation.”

“Don’t bother. All I care about is helping my father. So, if you don’t mind…”

“By all means,” he offered. Apparently, she wasn’t in the mood to be mollified.

Rebecca rose from the table and walked to the massive bookshelves that lined the walls, her fingers skimming over the leather bindings as she passed by. “Well, I’d like to give those men the money they’d receive if they…finished their assignment, and hope for the best.”

He’d already suspected she would argue in that direction. Before he could explain why he didn’t favor the idea, Rebecca continued, “However, since you believe they would likely kill me anyway, I could try to bargain.”

“Exactly what bargain would you propose?”

“If I could get one of them alone I could convince him that he would get more money than the others if he helped me.” Pacing before the long line of books, she nodded. “Otto, the portly, unkempt one, would be the best choice. Of the three men, he argued and complained much of the time, eager to get what he could for himself. I think he could be manipulated.”

While he agreed with her assessment, he would never let her get close enough to Otto to find out if her plan would work. He, too, remembered that slovenly ass who’d been so damned bent on getting whatever he could from Rebecca, no matter if she was willing or not. He’d enjoy interrogating that one himself, with his fist. “No. You’d be easy prey. I don’t think Otto would let you go once he had you to play with.”

“I don’t have unlimited choices to work with. I’m prepared to do whatever I need to.”

Like hell.
“Well, I’m not.” Tossing his napkin onto the table, he rose from his seat and approached her. “Let me share
my
plan. I’d like to speak with your father. Maybe he can shed some light on who these men are.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know where he is.”

“We’ll find him.”

Her gaze met his, more determined than ever. “Let’s leave him out of this.”

Leave him out of this?
Yes, of course. If he came face-to-face with her sire, her façade of heiress would likely crumble. “He was the one who instigated this mess. He should be the last person left out.”

“He’s weak and tired. I’ll not have you harassing him when he’s in such a state.”

“I don’t understand how you can defend the man. He’s left you alone to fend off the men he owes, men who want to kill you.”

“He’s not a bad person,” she insisted, her green eyes softening. “He’s hurting. When my mother died—”

“Your mother died a long time ago. He’s had plenty of time to grieve—” Christopher stopped cold when she flinched at his words and rubbed a spot in the middle of her chest. Damn. He hadn’t intended to cause her more pain, but she had to understand… “You’re not responsible for your father’s mistakes.”

“Those men seem to think differently.”

“How long have you helped your father like this? How many times have you given him money to pay off his debts?” The question shook him. How often had he given Nathan money? Quite a few. Unfortunately not when it had mattered most.

Her silence answered his questions all too well. She’d provided for her father for some time. If she failed her father now, would she feel the bite of guilt that plagued him every day? It didn’t matter. Better to feel guilt than be dead. He wouldn’t always be by her side to protect her. Rebecca’s best option would be to let her father handle his own problems and move on.

Easier said than done he was sure. She obviously cared for her father a great deal. Perhaps she cared too much. “I understand why you feel the need to help him, but he’ll never change if you allow him to lean on you at every turn.” He stepped closer, bending forward to catch her eye. “And what of
your
life? Is this what you want to contend with year after year?”

Her chin quivered, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I have no choice.”

“Of course you do.” He ran a hand down her arm, wishing he could comfort her in some way.

“No. He’s all that I have left.” A tear escaped the corner of her eye, and she gasped in a breath. “If I lose him, I’ll have no one.”

Her strangled tone grasped his heart and clenched tight. He reached for her in an attempt to give her some solace, but she pulled back, retreating several steps. He couldn’t blame her. It seemed he only added to her pain. Hadn’t he spurned her affections just this morning?

She turned away, her hand wiping the moisture from her cheeks. He would fight her on this no more. She’d made her decision and would not be swayed.

He gave her time to compose herself, then began again. “I believe I mentioned last evening that I’ve been working with the Police Chief. We could meet with him and ask for his help.”

Like last evening, he watched her closely, trying to gauge her reaction to his suggestion, although he needn’t have bothered.

“We have no proof other than our word that those men have done anything illegal,” she countered.

“From the looks of those men, they don’t appear to be law abiding citizens. If we could find out what else they’ve done, we could get the police involved. I know a few men who could help make inquiries,” he told her, his gaze taking in her red-rimmed eyes. He wished she would allow him to console her. His mind flashed back to the feel of her softness against him, and his heart beat faster. Then again, perhaps keeping his distance was for the best.

He pushed the image aside and strode to one of the tall, narrow windows. Scanning the green lawns, he tried to focus on the subject at hand. In truth, Bryce was already gathering information. But she didn’t need to know that. “Let’s begin with what you remember about those men. You’ve already mentioned Otto. Then there was the big burly man with the long mustache. He seemed familiar to me. Perhaps he’s worked on the docks.”

“I think his name was Frank. He didn’t speak much, just did as he was told. The one who seemed to be in charge was the older man.”

Finding nothing of interest outside to compete with the vivacious creature within the room, he turned back. “What was his name?”

Rebecca stared hard at the floor. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”

“Maybe it will come to you later.”

Long strands of Rebecca’s hair glowed golden from the morning sun. A slender silky curl had slipped free of the peach-colored ribbon and clung coyly along the smooth shape of her jaw to dangle down her neck. His treasonous body tightened in response.

“Did you hear what I said?” Rebecca’s exasperated tone broke into his thoughts.

Damn. What was he doing? Focus. “Continue. I’m listening.”

She let out a sharp exhale and glared at him. “What do we do in the meantime while your men investigate?”

“We wait.”

Impatience flashed in her eyes. “My father is in danger now. I can’t sit and wait. We need to act.”

Although he admired her spirit and loyalty, it would only lead to trouble. “And do what?”

“I don’t know. If nothing else, I should be at home in case my father tries to contact me.”

“
Home?
The Endicotts’ staff must be treating you well.” He knew it was foolish, but after all they’d been through, it bothered him that she hadn’t confided who she really was.

Her eyes widened, then narrowed. “Extremely well. I feel completely at home. In fact, I should have never left.” Brushing past him, she headed for the door. “I intend to go back as soon as possible, with or without you.”

He grasped her elbow before she could reach the closed door. Of all the foolish… Without him, she’d likely get herself killed by nightfall. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“I think that’s for me to decide. You have no hold over me.”

True, and it exasperated the hell out of him. “How do you think you’ll get back without my help?”

“I’ll find someone else to take me to the city.”

His grip tightened, pulling her closer. “Someone else like Westerly?”

“Perhaps.” She winced, and he relaxed his hold. Short of tying them together to prevent her escape, he couldn’t force her to stay, to listen to reason.

As he contemplated his next move, her sweet scent drifted up to him again. His groin ached from the feel of her body so close to his. He had an overwhelming urge to take possession of her lips, silencing any mention of another man’s name. As if sensing the war that raged within him, Rebecca regarded him, her gaze snapping with defiance, daring him to push her too far.

The heavy door burst open, and Spence swept into the library. Releasing his hold, Christopher jerked away from Rebecca, cursing himself. He’d acted as if he were a schoolboy, letting his body make his decisions for him. Even now he watched her, ready to chase after if she chose to flee.

Spence glanced between the two of them with an amused smile on his lips. “Here are my early risers. The both of you must come out of the library. You’ve been holed up in here all morning. I insist you join the rest of the gods at Mount Olympus.”