Belong To Me (book 4) (The Fielding Brothers Saga) (6 page)

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She lifted her chin. “No, I’m not. I specifically remember saying I wasn’t going with you, so if you will excuse me, I have more important matters to see to.” She tried to close the door, but he blocked it with his arm.

“And I, my dear, will not be toyed with.” He brazenly stepped inside and firmly shut the door behind him. “Let me see the papers.”

Charlotte didn’t hesitate in dashing unladylike to her bedroom and grabbing the documents. She hurried back to the sitting room. It was up to her to get this over quickly and painlessly.

Ian had made himself comfortable on one of the sofas, his arm outstretched across the top, ankles crossed,
a
vision of total relaxation.

She handed him the papers. “Sign it now, please.”

His gaze skimmed the writing briefly and he pushed his fingers through his dusty-blond hair. “I’ll read it later. I want my solicitor to go over it to make certain everything is in order.”

She gasped. “Are you jesting? The solicitor I hired is very capable, and has a good reputation. I cannot believe you are in doubt of his abilities.”

“I’m not going to trust the man, especially when he sympathizes with you.”

She huffed. “You are extremely bullheaded.”

Ian neatly folded the papers and placed them inside his satchel. He slapped his knee as he lifted off the sofa. “Now, do you want to dine with me or not? It’ll be your loss if you decide not to join me.”

She didn’t want to, but her hungry stomach grumbled the decision for her. Besides, she needed to convince him to sign the document. “What could we possibly have to talk about? We can’t stand each other, and we constantly disagree.”

He took her hands in a loose hold. “Then we shall just have to find a subject we can both settle on.”

“And what would that be?”

“We shall find one, I assure you.” His mouth stretched from ear to ear.

Oh, she wanted to hit him, spit in his face...or better yet, be held in his strong arms while he kissed her passionately. Silently, she scolded her thoughts.

Without another word, he placed her hand in the crook of his arm and escorted her out of the room. The restaurant he’d chosen was immaculate. It was the most extravagant eating establishment she’d ever seen. She studied Ian’s expression and he watched her in return.

Was this restaurant one of his ways of seduction? Crazily, her heart prayed it would be, and then once again, she criticized her thoughts. This was just a game for him, something from which only he could benefit.

He rested his hands on the table. “Does my choice please you?”

Her gaze darted around the room taking in the low hanging chandeliers and crystal goblets on the waiter’s tray as he walked past their table. “It’s very lovely.”

“I remember when I first laid eyes on this place,” Ian said. “I was certain they created it for royalty. George’s cousin lives here and introduced me to fine dining.”

She raised her brows in curiosity. “George’s cousin?”

“Yes, he was my first employer after I moved here. Didn’t I tell you about him when I wrote? Remember, right after I arrived?”

Charlotte remembered, and the bitter taste of abandonment still lingered in her mouth. After reading the letter, she’d thrown it in the fireplace. She quickly lost her pleasantness. Her heart clenched and she glared at him. Straightening her back, she refolded her napkin. “Are you still close friends with George’s cousin?”

“We still keep in contact, but I wouldn’t say we are close personal friends.”

The waiter arrived and the conversation stopped. Ian ordered for both of them without consulting her to see what she wanted to eat. Anger boiled in her blood. Obviously, he wasn’t the least bit concerned with her thoughts or desires.
So typical.
This dashed any ideas she had about any further dalliances with this selfish rogue.
Even if he had ordered her favorite dish.

“So, Charlotte, tell me what you’ve been up to lately. Were you aware that I received a letter from your father about a year ago?”

She gasped. “Father wrote you before he died?”

“Yes. He begged me to return home to you and stop you from ruining my good name. He said you were creating a scandal. Is this true?”

She laughed harshly. “No, it’s not true. In fact, I mourned your abandonment for nearly six months before realizing you didn’t deserve my tears. That was when I met Allison. She wasn’t a child like most of my friends, and Father didn’t like the idea of my befriending a more sophisticated woman, especially one with a bolder lifestyle.” She adjusted the napkin on her lap. “Allison took me to soirées held by socially promiscuous groups. It appalled Father, but what I think bothered him more than anything was he couldn’t govern me any longer.”

Ian nodded. “I believe your father wanted to keep you a child forever.”

“And he would have if you hadn’t married me,” she clipped.

His brows lifted in puzzlement. “I must correct you, my dear. He would have kept you a child if he hadn’t bribed me into marrying you. Remember?”

She sighed. “Yes, of course I do, but you don’t know anything about me, or about my heart, do you?
Of course not.
You didn’t stay around long enough to find out.”

* * * *

Ian sipped his wine while silence surrounded them. He tried hard to think of something to say that wouldn’t upset her. Reluctantly, he admitted he liked her smile. She should smile more often. Yet so far this afternoon, all he’d accomplished was to make fire shoot from her eyes. Perhaps it didn’t matter. Her cold heart wouldn’t forget or forgive anyway.

He gulped down his drink. “What are your plans once the annulment goes through? Are you going to court George?”

“I really haven’t decided,” she coolly replied. “To be perfectly honest, I’m looking for a man who can show me the love and respect I’ve missed having so far in my life.”

It was his turn to gasp, although he swallowed it with his wine. “Are you telling me George doesn’t show you those things?”

“George doesn’t love me. He sees me as a prize. That’s the only reason most of the scoundrels are after me.
That, and of course, because of my inheritance.”

He sat back in his chair and folded his arms. “Oh, I think you are mistaken, Charlotte. You’re very lovely. The men back home would be insane if they didn’t try to win your affection.”

“I’m surprised you’d say that, when only three years ago you thought of me as a homely child,” she bitterly pointed out.

He scrambled to put his words together. He didn’t want her to know the truth, although that was very close to how he’d felt. “I didn’t think you were homely, but you were not the kind of woman I wanted for a wife. I wasn’t ready to marry, but most of all I hated being forced into an unwanted marriage.”

The subject was temporarily postponed when their server brought their food. Charlotte’s eyes widened at the steamed seafood and mushroom rice. When pleasure highlighted her face, his heart skipped a beat.

“Oh, this looks absolutely delicious.” She glanced up at him. “Thank you for ordering for me. How could you have possibly known this was my favorite?”

He lifted his eyebrows. The truth was, he didn’t know. This particular dish also happened to be his favorite. “I just thought you might like it. It pleases me to see I selected well.”

A smile lit her face and nearly melted his resistance. She heartily dove into her meal like a starved person. He enjoyed seeing a woman who ate instead of picked at her food like some bird.

After a couple of bites, she cleared her throat. “Tell me about some of the cases you have solved.”

He wiped his mouth with a linen napkin and grinned. Because this just happened to be one of his favorite subjects, he told her about some of his hair-raising experiences. When he relaxed, the bitter side of him disappeared and he found he could talk with ease. She listened, and even laughed a few times.

“Your cases sound very exciting,” she told him. “As a child, I used to fantasize about sneaking around and spying on people.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Did you
now
?”

Her soft laugh sounded like heavenly bells. “Many times my governess found me in a tree or somewhere I shouldn’t have been.”

“I cannot imagine that.” He grinned. “Actually, I cannot imagine your father allowing you to have such boisterous activities.”

“I spent most of my adolescence with him angry at me.”

“So, did you solve any mysteries?”

“Oh, yes.” She laughed.

Forgetting his manners, he leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “Do tell.”

“I discovered who had been taking my fancy slippers.”

He arched an eyebrow.
“The kitchen maid, perhaps?”

She shook her head.

“The butler?”

Her laughter grew. “Wrong again.”

“Then who?”

“My puppy.”

He tilted his head back and roared with laughter. When he looked back in her big amber eyes, they glittered like stars.
So lovely.
So desirable, he wanted to take her in his arms and shower her with affection.

“Those vexing animals always get in some kind of trouble,” he replied.

He kept the conversation flowing, and when he finished, he realized that they were not arguing. In fact, it was nice to talk with her.
Almost too nice.
He paid for their meal and left with her on his arm. A surge of pride burst in his chest to be escorting the most beautiful woman in Bath. He took her down the streets and enjoyed her delightful sense of humor. As long as they stayed on neutral subjects, she didn’t argue or bring up the past.

Regretfully, it was time to walk her back to her hotel. He stopped at the door to her room and stared into her fascinating amber eyes. She didn’t look away, but the color in her cheeks darkened beneath his close scrutiny.

“Would you like to come in for a drink?” she asked.

If he agreed, they’d be alone together. A new energy sparked within his body. He really wanted to, but knew if he stayed any longer, he’d try to ignite the heated passion they shared last night. He certainly couldn’t do that now that he knew her true identity. Yet, he couldn’t deny the ember of excitement at that prospect.

“No, Charlotte. I really need to leave. I have spent too long with you as it is. I still have a lot to do before finishing the case I’m working on.”

“Then I should let you go.” She turned and opened her door, but didn’t walk inside.

He looked past her and scanned the empty room. “When is George expected back?”

“I’m not certain. He didn’t give me a time. I’m not his mother, you know.” Her voice turned bitter.

Silently, he cursed. It was really none of his business, but he had to know how she and George spent their time together. “Charlotte, if you and George aren’t doing anything this evening for dinner, you’re both welcome to come to my townhouse and dine with me.”

“Thank you, but if you remember, my friend, Allison, is staying with me as well.”

Her mesmerizing eyes kept him spellbound, and he held tightly to his control to keep from falling under her magical charm. “Bring her along. I’d like to meet the friend who made your father so upset.”

The corner of her lips twitched into a grin. “I’ll ask George when he returns.”

“If you decide to come, George knows where I live. Dinner is at eight.”

As he stood in the doorway, he tried to think of something that would keep him with her a little longer, keep him staring into her eyes, but he couldn’t think of a single thing. “Well...”

She sighed heavily. “Yes, well...”

He moved next to her and ran his fingers across her cheek. An invisible pull tugged him toward her and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and smother her with his kisses. He breathed deeply, trying to fight the sensations the best he could. “Thank you for sharing the afternoon with me. I had an enjoyable time.”

“As did I,” she answered softly. “Surprisingly enough, we didn’t argue much.”

“Indeed, it was quite astonishing. Most of the afternoon I could see the beautiful She-Devil I met last night, instead of the woman I thought I’d married.”

She laughed lightly. “Do you know I had the same thoughts? The man you portrayed this afternoon was the mysterious man at the masquerade instead of the horrible creature I’d married.” The tone of her voice lowered when she mentioned the night before.

Automatically, his gaze moved to her mouth; the same pair of lips he’d enjoyed devouring less than twenty-four hours ago. Those lips that had moved beneath his in a mixture of heaven and hell when he’d held her so intimately in his arms.

Burning sensations roared through his body, convincing him to act upon his impulses. He stepped back before something happened and he was completely under her control.

Charlotte tugged on her ear as she lowered her eyes. “I’ll let George know of your invitation. If he doesn’t have other plans, I’m confident he’ll accept.”

He took another step back. “I hope to see you tonight.” He bowed slightly.
“Until then.”