Rachel Carrington (5 page)

“This is real, then?” She felt her lower lip begin to wobble.

The grin turned wicked and his hand brushed over the dip in her waist. “It is quite real.”

Carla shifted away from him while her blood warmed to his touch. She had to remain focused…or she would burst into tears. “How did I get here?” She rolled to her back and quickly realized her nipples had peaked at his touch. She flung her arm across her breasts to shield them from his view, but by the look in his eyes, he’d already seen.

“I believe you came by boat.” The words came out thick and guttural, like a man drugged by desire.

Carla slung the blanket aside. “I meant here…in your time.” She had to find the portal. Isn’t that what it was called? She hadn’t watched enough science fiction to know.

The Duke’s face closed and he stood, straightening his waistcoat. “Dinner will be served shortly. You have slept the day away. You should dress. You will find suitable clothing in the room adjacent to mine.

When you are ready, simply ring the bell and Nettie will escort you to the dining hall.”

Carla pushed herself upon her elbows. With each passing second, her resolve strengthened. She’d survived her parents’ wrath many times over. She could survive this. Somehow. “Don’t talk to me like a child. I may be in your world, but I still live in mine. And in my world, women are equal with men. Now, here’s the plan. I may be here now, but I don’t intend to stay. I will find a way out…with or without your help.”

Black eyes raked her face and Carla felt the depth of his emotion in the gaze. Heat. Passion. Power.

Determination. The man laid claim to them all. “It will be without.”

Her mouth fell open. “You’re refusing to help me?”

“In my world, women are far from equal with men, Miss Morgan. They do not announce their plans and expect a man to assist them. You are here for a reason. The sooner you accept that, the better you will like it here.”

“It would help if I knew the reason.”

His eyes flashed. “I can think of at least one.”

She nibbled on her lower lip while her pussy quivered. She could think of many naughty reasons, but she wanted the real one. “Don’t tell me you think I’m here for your sexual plaything.”

His brows lowered. “I would never play with you, Carla. Everything I intend to do will be done seriously. Thoroughly.”

Oh, God. He was going to kill her by his voice alone. Every nerve ending in her body came alive and sparks of fire tangoed up and down her spine. She cleared her throat. “Will you please help me find out why I’m here?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot.”

“Cannot or will not?”

His lips curved and Carla knew she’d never seen a sexier smile. “You will discover your destiny on your own, Carla. Now, get dressed.”

As he walked to the door, Carla watched him. “Wait. Please.”

He stopped and cast a look over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“How long will I have to stay?” She watched his lips thin.

“Soon you will not find it so distasteful to remain here at Heath Castle.”

Carla licked dry lips. “How can you be so sure about that?”

He gave her one more enigmatic look before leaving her to stew over his presumptuous attitude, which was difficult given her body’s inordinate attraction to his. She wouldn’t think about his hard thighs, broad shoulders, long dark hair or the way, when he sat beside her on the bed, his masculine bulge appeared larger than life.

She wouldn’t think about it.

But she wondered if he would feel as hard as he looked.

* * * * *

Dinner consisted of cold venison, cheese and bread served at a long table with high-backed chairs and an ornate chandelier hanging overhead. Carla surveyed the polished silverware, the Duke’s elegant dress and even her own clothing, feeling the ambiance of the era sweeping over her.

The beauty of Heath Castle captivated her and she found herself sneaking surreptitious glances at the Duke. His dark head bent low, he took a small bite of cheese and as he chewed, Carla watched the muscles in his jaw move. Her skin tingled.

She scrambled to her feet, causing the Duke of Heath to stand. She waved a frantic hand. “Don’t. I just need some air. I have to have air.” She dashed from the dining hall and raced across the thick carpets.

She didn’t know where her flight took her, but discovering a glass door with filigreed carvings, she saw a glimpse of freedom.

The garden embraced her and though night had fallen, she could still see the manicured lawn and smell the lush, green grass. Taken straight from the pages of a landscaping magazine, the walled enclosure allowed the barest hint of moonlight to dance over its hedges.

By the light of that moon, Carla saw the green foliage adorning the walkway leading to a small alcove.

Vivid blossoms lent perfume to the air and petals to the ground, cushioning her feet as she walked, enjoying both the night air and sense of serenity. She knew as far as the eye could see, the lands stretched out before her, bracketed by the nursery, the hothouse, the stables and rolling hills that beckoned a weary traveler to collapse among the greenery. The pictures she’d seen of the castle prior to her arrival had merely hinted at its grandeur.

Carla gave a wistful sigh.

“You are welcome here for as long as it takes you to resolve your dilemma, Miss Morgan,” the Duke spoke from behind her, too close behind her.

Carla gave him the first smile, not surprised that he’d followed her. “Thank you.” She hooked one hand around the dress and swished her way back up the walkway. How women of this age had managed in these damnable dresses, she would never know. “I apologize for running off like that.” What had made her say that? Now, she sounded like a meek woman of old besides looking like one.

Clad in a heavy silk gown of pale yellow, Carla had caught a glimpse of herself in the oval mirror in the Duke’s bedchamber before she’d been summoned for dinner. Although the look was fashionable for this time period, the many layers of clothing weren’t conducive to a sense of freedom. Not for the first time, Carla tugged at the stays digging into her hips and waist. The corset pinched her skin unmercifully and Carla winced. If not for her intentional denial of the situation, she would have laughed. Of all people, she was the last to belong here in this land, this era. She was a city woman with an unapologetic love of the rush and whirl of Manhattan and now, she was stuck in an age where her opinions meant as little as her lack of comfort.

The Duke fell into step beside her, his shoulder occasionally bumping hers. “You are having a hard time accepting your circumstances. I understand and I want you to feel free to talk to me at any time.”

Carla’s eyes narrowed and she wondered what this man had done with the real Duke, the lord of the manor. “I will be fine…as soon as I figure out how to get out of here.”

“In the meantime, please treat Heath Castle as your home. You may come and go as you please. Tour the grounds, ride the horses. I want you to be comfortable here.”

Carla shifted as the corset gouged her left side. “I’m scared.” She gave a little laugh. “It’s been a long time since I’ve said that. Where I come from, admitting your fears is not a good thing.”

Black eyes watched her, reading beneath the brave façade. “I do not judge you for your fear, Miss Morgan. Fear is a natural emotion. Any woman would be frightened in your situation, but I assure you that you are safe with me.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Am I?” She had seen the way he’d been watching her and even in her desperate state, she acknowledged her own attraction to the Duke. She couldn’t be faulted for that. The Duke of Heath exuded raw masculinity and sheer magnificent perfection. Broad shoulders tapered down to a lean waist. Muscular thighs strained against the black linen of his trousers and just above those thighs, well, she’d spent enough time sneaking glances at that particular area in spite of her attempts to remain aloof.

Her fingers itched to brush up against him, just to see if his body would respond as wildly as hers would.

She shivered at the sheer decadence of the thought.

She quickly brought her eyes back up to the Duke’s face only to find him smiling at her. “As safe as a babe in her mother’s arms,” he intoned in a sultry voice which promised her own downfall.

“Why do you keep watching me?” She hated the nervous bite to her tone.

“I like watching you. You interest me.”

That was a new line. “Because I’m from another world?”

“Because you’re beautiful. Sexy. And I think—” his fingers glided over her neck, “—that you would make a man not want to leave his bed.”

Carla’s uncomfortable shift had nothing to do with the corset this time. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Why? Do the people in your time not speak their mind?”

“Only if they want to get slapped.”

That brought the frown back to the Duke’s face. “The women would only slap a man who has offended their virtue here. I have not offended your virtue by stating the obvious.” He stopped walking and gently reached out to catch hold of her shoulders. He turned her to face him. “I think that, in spite of your testimony to the freedom women have, they have been sheltered in a different way.”

Carla licked her lips to restore the moisture. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“They have not been given the freedom to be a woman, to be loved as a woman should without fear of being judged.” His hand lifted and he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I think you could learn a lot from my world.”

“From your world or from you?”

He shrugged. “Whichever you prefer.”

Carla laughed a little, a nervous laugh. “And you would teach me…what exactly?”

“Why it is good for you to be a woman and for me to be a man.” His head lowered to a fraction of an inch from hers. “And you would like the lessons.”

Carla pushed against his chest, needing the distance to clear her spinning head. “I’m going to take a walk now. Please excuse me.”

The gardens suddenly held too much appeal and Carla knew escape was her only recourse, unless she found herself in an extremely likeable situation with a man she’d convinced herself she didn’t like.

“Carla.” His soft call halted her steps.

“Yes?”

“Have you ever been intimate with a man?”

She looked over her shoulder. “I live in a different world, Duke. Women are not expected to remain chaste.” She didn’t know why she’d even answered the question. She could have walked on, chalking his rudeness up to an innocence of the ways of her time.

The Duke inclined his head shortly. “Then you know what it feels like to have a man touch you, hold you, caress your body.”

Carla felt faint. “I don’t think I’m going to discuss this with you anymore.”

He took a step toward her and stopped. “When we make love, I promise you will think of no other. I will make you crave my touch.”

Dear God. She rushed away before he could add to the vivid dreams she knew she’d have that night.

* * * * *

Night deepened over the English countryside and as Carla prepared to face her first real night in Heath Castle, she was at a loss as to what to do with herself. With none of the comforts of home, she wandered the halls aimlessly, squinting against the dimly lit walls.

“You might want to carry one of these.” Sinclair’s deep voice startled her, seeming to come from the recesses of the walls.

Carla let out a shriek and plastered herself against the dark wood. “God, you scared the life out of me!”

Sinclair moved with the shadows to her side and closed her hand around the base of the candleholder.

“Which is precisely why you need one of these.”

Carla held the candle up to illuminate his face. “What do you do around here in the evenings?”

He tipped his head to one side. “What would you like to do?”

Carla ignored the hidden meaning behind the words. “Well, at home, I could watch television or listen to music.”

“I’m not certain what this television is, but my brother does play the violin. Perhaps he is available for some music this evening. I’m sure he can be persuaded since he lives just over in the next village.”

“No. That’s okay. I’ve never been a really big fan of classical music. I don’t even like the opera.” She noticed the way Sinclair eyed her strangely and she shook her head. “Never mind. What about a shower…um…a bath? Is that a possibility?”

With his hand at the small of her back, Sinclair guided her back down the hallway. She saw the awareness flaring in his eyes and sensed he was finding it difficult not to make a tawdry suggestion. “By now, my staff will have drawn you a bath. You will find that your every need will be met here.”

Carla doubted that, but she gave a sigh of relief anyway. At least here was common ground. “So what do you do around here for fun?”

His dark countenance softened with a grin. “We could begin your lessons.”

She swallowed hard and shifted to one side of the wall. “You should stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“I’m not going to be here long enough to learn what you think I should learn.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I’m going to get out of here.”

“Perhaps. But in the meantime, you will need something to pass the hours. I have an extensive library which you’ve already seen.”

“I believe I’ll stay away from the library, thanks.” Carla shivered.

“You are cold?” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close to his side. His touch created a new heat, deep in the heart of her quim and liquid dampened her panties.

“How do you stay warm in these gargantuan places?” She didn’t resist the warmth he offered, especially when his hand dipped lower, fingertips resting slightly over the top of one breast. If she stood on tiptoe, he would touch her nipple, right where she ached. She forced herself to stand still.

He looked down into her face, his eyes glittering in the glow of the candlelight. “We have our ways.” He shifted to bring his chest directly into contact with her breast.

She bit back a moan. “Did you bring me here, Sinclair?” She’d said his name aloud. She wanted to retract it, but by the way the Duke’s eyes lit up, she knew it was too late.