Lilac Temptress (6 page)

“
Then what is William to
you besides your employer?” Drake pressed.

Sierra smiled and
thought—
What is it with men that make them
always want to know the intimacies of a woman’s relationship with
other men?

“
Wil was my father’s
confidant and best friend, and he has cared for Kyle and me since
my mother’s death. I sometimes feel we owe him the very air we
breathe.”

Drake grimaced, causing lines to
crease his forehead. “You believe this man possesses you
both?”

Sierra glared at Drake, truly
surprised by his interest in what she had to say. Men in Jadesville
generally didn’t care to hear a woman speak, especially if she
could read and write, and came across as smarter than her
counterpart.

“
You wouldn’t understand,”
Sierra spoke grimly.

Drake welled with overblown emotions.
He wanted to convince Sierra that no one could ever own her or her
brother. He wanted to know about the sadness hidden behind her
eyes. He wanted to stop talking and kiss her, but instinct held him
back. And he was certain that he didn’t have a remote chance in
hell of her accepting him at that moment.

“
I understand that men have
failed miserably at attempting to own other men—or women in your
case.”

“
And now you are wondering,
Mr. McCalister, aren’t you? About Kyle and me... and about Wil
possessing us.”

“
More so speculating,”
Drake said. “When you speak of William your voice hardens. You
tense when you say his name, more than you did when you found me
standing outside your bedroom door. I wonder if you resent
him.”

Sierra quivered and bowed her head.
“You’re reading more into this than I would like,” she
whispered.

“
It is clearly written on
your face that you don’t like it here. Why won’t you leave this
place behind and start over somewhere else?” Drake
asked.

“
I’ve saved a little money.
And I suppose I could leave Wil, but never without Kyle. Kyle is my
entire life. He’s all I’ve got, and he’s here, content to ride his
horse and sketch all day.”

“
Is he any good at
sketching?” Drake asked patiently.

“
Very good. Maybe even good
enough to make a living out of it,” Sierra said proudly. Some of
her hair began to escape her bun. She twirled a fallen strand
nervously around her finger before catching herself, and stowing it
behind her ear.

“
If you do that thing with
your hair again—” Drake stopped mid-sentence, realization dawning
that she had no idea of the affect she was having on him, making it
all the crueler.

Sierra clasped her hands together
placing them into her lap, breaking eye contact. She wouldn’t look
at him, lest the conversation end. She was too frightened to find
out what would happen if she stopped talking, and wondered how long
she could carry on the gutsy girl act.

Looking at Drake too long made her
feel like she might do anything he asked.

“
A man once told me that he
loved me. He told me that he was going to take me far away from
here. He was traveling through town when I met him. I fell madly in
love with him in a matter of weeks, and when he left town without
me, without even saying goodbye, I decided I’d never trust feelings
as deceitful as love again.”

“
You are no more than
nineteen years, I’d guess, and a life lesson you’ve already learned
is to reject love?” Drake arched his brows.

“
Twenty-one, Mr.
McCalister, and there is not much else I wish to learn concerning
the topic.”

“
Someone so young couldn’t
have experienced life long enough to know,” he said
dismissively.

“
And what do you know of
love, Mr. McCalister?”

“
Call me Drake.”

“
Calling you Mr. McCalister
suits me just fine. I don’t want you to think that we are becoming
personally acquainted.”

“
Would it really be so bad
Sierra, to know each other better?” Drake challenged
evocatively.

Sierra didn’t want him to know that he
intimidated her. “Alright, I will call you Drake.” She liked how
his name slid off her tongue. “Will you answer my question? What do
you know of love?” she repeated.

Drake didn’t care to answer
the question; he was not a man capable of falling
in love
—for reasons he
didn’t want to discuss. “I can’t answer your question and talking
will no longer satisfy me.” Drake didn’t mean to sound harsh or
off-putting, but he couldn’t help it. His mind was swimming with
images of lovemaking. With every passing word between them, his
longing intensified.

“
I told you, I’m not a
whore. And if we must end this conversation, then your stay here
ends with it!” Sierra was surprised at her own resolve. Silence
enveloped them as they stared at each other in consternation.
Sierra wanted to throw him out, but her curiosity about him got the
better of her and she waited to see how far their conversation
would go. It wasn’t often that she conversed with a stranger, and
she was always interested to learn about other places outside of
Jadesville.

“
Will you and your friend
be leaving town tomorrow morning?” she questioned.

“
Likely,” Drake nodded,
slightly agitated. He was not amused by her tenacity.

“
Wil usually advises
travelers not to overstay their welcome. But if he ran visitors
away too often, Adrienne would have a lot fewer
customers.”

Drake slightly grinned, wondering how
Adrienne ever retained clientele if any of the other women under
her supervision were as unwelcoming as Sierra.

Sierra observed him momentarily before
changing the subject. “Do you think you could tell me something of
New Orleans now? I might never get the chance to go
there.”

Drake decided to let go of the chase.
Sierra would not be an easy conquest. And if she relented, then it
would be because she was letting her body, not her mind, rule her
actions. The intensity in her stare, the way she subconsciously
leaned in when he spoke, betrayed her innermost desires. She wanted
him regardless of what she said, but Drake had never forced himself
on a woman, and he would not start now.

His willpower was truly tested by this
woman unlike any other woman he had ever met. He commended himself
for his own perseverance, and would not cheapen her by toying with
her until she consented. So, he had no choice. He would tell her
something of his home, if only to stay with her a little
longer.

“
Do you mind if I make
myself more comfortable?” He eyed her harsh expression. “I promise
not to take advantage of you.”

Sierra was still weary of him.
“Please, make yourself comfortable then,” she said, gesturing
toward her bed.

Without further invitation he leaned
back, stretched out his legs, and laced his fingers behind his
head. “For a young lady like yourself, New Orleans is the perfect
place to live,” he began. “In the city, there are wonderful
boutiques with fashionable wear to complement your loveliness,” he
added. Sierra blushed at his words before catching herself. This
man would not woo her with his compliments.

“
On Canal Street lies the
business district, laced with large artful buildings, fancy
boutiques, gentlemen clubs, markets and so on. The city is full of
life. Vendors are on every corner selling the fresh catches of the
morning. Parlors and saloons line the streets. People of all
descent occupy the city—French, Dutch, Arcadian, Creole and more.”
Drake smiled as he watched her eyes sparkle with
interest.

“
New Orleans’ cobblestone
streets bustle with handsome stagecoaches and streetcars. The
finest restaurants in the world with the most exotic cuisine can be
found in the city. And the hotels are grand with large ballrooms
for dancing, glittering with brilliance and romance. They indulge
the whims and fanciful imaginations of the remarkably wealthy, and
there are other rooms for more private affairs, if you know my
meaning,” Drake teased and winked at her.

“
I think I know as much,”
Sierra said, color rising to her cheeks.

“
But what I think that you
would love most of all, is the playhouse packed with people every
night to see the actors, singers, and dancers. You might so love
the opera.” He sat up on his elbows for a moment and then
continued. “You are talented enough to perform in the St. Charles
Theater.” His facial expression showed Sierra the seriousness of
his words.

“
I only sing and dance for
one reason,” Sierra said softly.

Drake smiled at her knowingly. “Yes, I
see. You dance to raise enough funds so that you may take your
leave of Jadesville. Your books motivate you. You dream of such
adventures,” Drake deemed, gazing briefly at her bookshelf before
turning his eyes back on her.

Sierra warmly returned his smile,
impressed by his perception. “I wish to see an exciting new world
without limitation. Am I wrong to want more in life than this?” she
whispered.

“
No, you are not,” Drake
confirmed, lowering his silky voice as he continued. “At night the
city is most exquisite with its brightly lit streets and buildings.
Lovers take moonlit strolls along the Mississippi, near the Place
d’Armes.”

“
It all sounds amazingly
wonderful. I can visualize it all.” Sierra became aware of how
relaxed she’d become in his presence. There was something about the
smooth velvet sound of his voice that drew her in, and she had felt
a connecting force during that brief moment when she had groped him
at the tavern. It was an intimacy that went beyond the physical
feel of his thighs between her legs. She nearly shuddered at the
thought.

“
It is all true, Sierra,
every word that I say to you,” Drake voiced softy and
reassuringly.

“
Then I suppose you are
homesick,” she uttered.

“
You can’t imagine how
badly I miss it all. I’ve been away from home on business for a
little over a month. New Orleans is like a foreign city, different
from any other place I’ve ever been. There is something special
about the city roads as I travel them. I can never quite place the
feeling.” Drake sighed.

Sierra slid toward Drake and rested on
her back next to him, staring at the ceiling. “I think I might be
able to trust you a little.”

Risky
, was all that Drake could think to describe her. He was
pleased, just as much as he was surprised that she decided to share
her bed with him in some manner, but this woman didn’t realize how
close he was to kissing her.
Too trusting
and unaware
, he thought.

“
What is your residence
like?”

Drake met the soft glow of her eyes
when he turned on his elbow to face her—her body so close to his
that his concentration began to slip. “Don’t think of me as
boastful when I tell you this.”

“
I won’t.” Sierra realized
just how close to him she was, feeling the warmth of his breath
against her skin. Even her leg grazed his once or twice. As strange
as it was to have this man in her bed, her intuition told her that
his being there was right. He felt familiar, as if she might have
known him all her life.

He had not tried to take
advantage of her since he had entered her room, and now he was
refraining from touching her, even as she brushed against
him.
Who are you?
she thought.

“
I live in a stately
Greek-revival style mansion. I call it
Newhaven
. It’s situated along the
Mississippi River Road, and the land surrounding it stretches
toward Lake Pontchartrain. The house has handcrafted columns, and
iron lace works encompasses it. There are forty bedrooms, a
ballroom, twelve water closets, eight studies, numerous drawing
rooms—used mostly to entertain guests, and two grand dining rooms
all excessively overdone in elaborate decor. I have a full staff to
keep my home in order. They tend to its gardens and oversee it when
I am away.” Drake smiled at her briefly. “I could never live in
that house alone—should I tell you more?”

Sierra imagined the mansion in its
grandeur while looking at the plain white ceiling of her simple
bedroom. “It all seems surreal, Drake. How did you ever acquire
such a place?”

“
When my father’s
parents passed away, he was left with two rather large
estates,
Newhaven
and
Faircrest
. My parents and my sister, Rosaline—only seventeen years of
age, live in Faircrest. My mother, Elaine, is a brilliant woman who
knows much in the way of the family’s auctioneer business and my
younger sister Rosaline, has the vibrancy of youth and a rare love
of riding, not often found in debutantes. She can race her
thoroughbred just as well as any man, and is good enough to best
them in competition, could such a young lady be permitted to
perform such masculine feats—but of course she
cannot.”

Drake pondered Rosaline’s
predicament—unable to break the social dictates demanded of young
women to be genteel and ladylike. Still he couldn’t feel too sorry
for her. Her father’s business expertise and relentless drive—of
which she had none—ensured that she would never have to worry about
money, and could have her choice of suitable husbands.