Sinful Possession (7 page)

“Oh forgive me.” Harris
grinned at her and took a long, leisurely look.

Ash moved to step in front
of her. “What the devil are you doing, Harris?”

“
Me
? I am entirely innocent
in all of this. As for you...”

“It was an accident.”

“Oh yes, I know all about
dresses
accidentally
falling off and men
accidentally
falling on
top of women. Accident, indeed,” Harris scoffed.

“It was,” Ash said through
clenched teeth.

Lila, weary of all the drama,
came to her feet, now modest enough apart from the open back of her gown. “I do
wish both of you would consider knocking. It’s very rude you know.”

Both brothers glanced at one
another and muttered an apology.

“Lila, your food shall be up
shortly. Ash, there is a telegram from Jasper already. Wanted to know how long
we’re staying here and if we need him to come help.”

“We don’t need any more of
you!” She didn’t think she could cope with anymore Cynfell men.

“No, we’re not bringing him
into this. We can handle this ourselves.” Ash took a step toward her. “You will
be safe. I promise I will not let you come to harm.”

She nodded. Already, she was
beginning to understand that there was something about this man that meant he
would do anything even to protect a near stranger. It was certainly a very
admirable trait.

“Shall I send someone up to,
er, aid you?” he asked.

Shoulders straight, she
muttered a weak, “Yes, please.” It could not be any more embarrassing than it
already had been to have someone help her.

“I won’t be long,” he told
her and they both left.

Lila only had a short time
to sit on the bed and contemplate having Ash Cynfell on top of her. The images
were back but they were not as raw as they had been. They involved long looks
again, maybe longer touches. She was never one to lie to herself, and she had
to admit, she had really wanted him to remain on top of her.

Maybe even kiss her.

She put her head in her hands.
This was not what was meant to happen. Why had everything gone so wrong? She
was to be swept up by some affable nobleman. They would have a sweet, charming
courtship then retreat to his country estate and make beautiful children. The
idea of conceiving said children had hardly crossed her mind. She had mostly
hoped it would involve dramatic kisses where he would bend her over one arm and
kiss her like there was no tomorrow.

Never had she imagined being
flattened to the floor and kissed as intensely as she had no doubt Ash would.
Everything about him was intense—his kisses would be no different.

A knock at the door jolted
her from her thoughts. She smiled to herself. There was no chance
that
was
either of the Cynfell brothers.

Ash stopped by Anna’s office to find her buried under
paperwork. It was odd that when he’d pictured her running a place like this, he’d
expected the work to be a little less dull. Instead of being on the gaming
floor or flirting with her customers, she kept herself busy in the office or
seeing to the women who worked for her. He had to admit, things ran smoothly at
Stourbridge.

Certainly, the behaviour of
her patrons was particularly debauched, with rich and powerful men gambling
away fortunes then whiling away the night with their mistress or a beautiful
woman or two. However, so far he’d managed to keep Lila away from anything too
scandalous.

For how much longer though?
Three days and no word of any progress in finding a connection between the chief
and the murders.

“Any telegrams?” he asked.

Anna looked up and shook her
head. “I’m afraid not.”

“Damn.”

“You cannot keep her hidden
forever.”

 “I know, but I’ll be damned
if I let her come to harm.”

She gave him a sad smile. “You
always were the hero.”

Guilt struck him as it often
did with Anna. She’d been quite attached to him during their younger years, and
he could not help feel he should have done something—counselled her or talked
with her. He didn’t know what, but something.

“Are you happy here, Anna?”

“Of course.”

“You don’t miss society?”

She released a mocking
laugh. “Why would I miss them? Anyway, now they come to my doorstep, begging to
come into my house.”

“I hate to say it, but you
sound bitter.”

“Ash, you are hardly the
sort of man to be talking of such things. Are you not a cynic of the world? Is
that not why you hide yourself away from society?” She motioned between them. “We
are more alike than you realise.”

They were not. But she did
not need to know the real reason he had appeared to have given up on life and
why he avoided society.

“Is Lila well?”

Something flashed in Anna’s
eyes. “I am not her nanny, Ash, but Harris is watching her. I promised you she
would be safe here.”

“I know you would not let
her come to harm,” he replied stiffly.

He hoped Harris wasn’t
keeping too close an eye on her. His brother was too charming for his own good,
and he didn’t like the way Lila giggled when he talked to her.

“I shall leave you to your
work.”

She didn’t respond, merely
turned her attention back to the papers on her desk. He couldn’t fathom what he
had done wrong, but she was being distinctly cold toward him. If only he
understood women better. He could swear out of all his brothers, he was the
worst with them—and that was saying something considering his brother Julian
had been a practical ogre before his marriage.

He headed up to Lila’s room
and paused with his hand to the doorknob. Taking a step back, he knocked
several times and waited.

“Lila?”

His heart picked up speed a
little. Images of her lying on the ground like Westerling, her throat cut and
blood everywhere seared his mind. Ash shoved open the door and swung his gaze
about. No sign of her. Bloody hell, where was she?

He stomped downstairs and
was about to disturb Anna once more until a familiar laugh reached his ears. He
took the double doors through to the gambling hall and stopped to peer around.
The tables were busy for a week night. Men lined the bar, drinking to excess no
doubt, and the rattle of chips and the flick of cards rang in his ears. Every
now and then, the low murmur of male voices was broken by that laugh.

Lila’s laugh.

He searched the crowd until
his gaze landed upon her. She was playing craps. And worse, she was surrounded
by men. He could tell they were all enamoured with her and who could blame
them. Decked in a sumptuous deep purple gown, she shone like a star. No one
could possibly keep their eyes off her. Perhaps he’d been wrong about pastel
colours.

Aware he’d wasted too long
gawping at her, he strode over and grabbed her arm. Lila let out a gasp, and
her eyes rounded when she faced him. For a brief moment, she beamed at him. And
then he saw the annoyance darken her eyes.

“Whatever are you doing?”

“You should not be here.”

“It’s perfectly safe,” she
hissed. “Anna would never let strangers in here.”

“Firstly Newton is no fool,
he could sneak in easily enough, and secondly, have you not seen how these men
are looking at you?” He leaned close to say the last part in her ear. “You are
in grave danger, let me assure you of that.”

Her mouth worked, but she
didn’t say anything. He tried to tug on her arm, but she yanked it from him and
offered the gentlemen her apologies before striding ahead of him. Ash raced to
catch up, finding that the men present were far more eager to move aside for a
beautiful woman than himself.

By the time he’d caught up
with her, she’d burst outside and was striding across the grass toward a line
of oak trees. Dusk had fallen and the moon had begun to give off a ghostly
glow. She appeared almost ethereal, like an angel or maybe a ghost. Either way,
she was far out of his reach—from another world.

“Lila,” he called.

Her shoulders dropped, and he
heard her huff.

“Lila.”

He touched her shoulder
gently, aware he shouldn’t be admiring the way her hair was coiled high in
beautiful ringlets and how he longed to unpick every pin and watch them spill
about her shoulders. Now was not the time to be imagining her golden hair
against her skin. Nor was it the time to be wondering what her neck would taste
like.

Sweet, like her, perhaps.

When she turned, there was
no sweetness. Her eyes were filled with annoyance.

Spicy, then. He smirked. Or
maybe a little bitter at present.

“I have been trapped in my
room for days. There was no need for you to embarrass me so.”

“Embarrass you? In front of
those men? Highly unlikely.” He took a step closer, and she folded her arms. “You
were gambling with the worst rogues in England, Lila. They could tell tales
that would shock even the hardiest of women. I doubt they cared much about me
speaking with you.”

“Speaking? Is that what it
was? Because it sounded very much like you were scolding me, Ash, and I won’t
have it.” She even did a tiny foot stomp. He wouldn’t tell her he found it
adorable. “I won’t have it,” she repeated.

“Forgive me, I did not mean
to speak to you so. But you should not be spending time with those men or
gambling.”

“I suppose because you
believe it’s not ladylike.” She lifted her chin, daring him to say as much.

He could be a fool a lot of
the time, but he was not
that
foolish. “I cannot say I’m all that
bothered by whether your behaviour was ladylike or not, but I do care if you
are safe.”

“Why, Ash?” Lila sighed. “Why
do you care so much? I know you blame yourself for this, but to go through all
this, to drag me away from my family and even risk their wrath? Why?”

He tightened his jaw and
stared into those emerald eyes. They sparkled in the moonlight, much like they
did all the time. Even in anger, her eyes were animated, excitable. Entirely
the opposite of him and his slothful behaviour. He could never claim to be
excited by life.

But she excited him.

“I won’t see you harmed,” he
said tightly.

Disappointment shuttered her
gaze. But why did she care what he thought of her? After all, he could not very
well admit that she had plagued him since the moment he had set eyes on her.
That she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on from that first
moment. That, deep down, he’d known in his bones there was something magical
about her, that he would happily die for a stranger. It was all too strange. If
he told her that, she’d likely be terrified and run away. Then he would not be
able to protect her.

“I suppose I am a mere duty.”

“No,” he said softly, not
really even intending to release the word.

Her lashes fluttered in
surprise. “What am I then?”

Ash contemplated her for
several moments, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. “Too beautiful,” he told
her. “Too lovely. Too amazing.” Bloody hell. He hadn’t meant to say that
either. “Every man in there is enraptured with you, and I don’t like it.”

She stared at him, her gaze
searching his. “You’re jealous.”

Fingers curled into his palm
until they hurt. He nodded.

Lila inched closer. He was
aware of everything. Of the way her breaths misted slightly in the air. Of how
they sounded in his ears. He could hear the swish of silk, the pound of his
heart. See the smoothness of her skin and the sparkle in her eyes. Sense the
warmth of her body.

“You have no need to be. I
am not interested in any of those men.”

Ash uncurled his fingers and
lifted his hand, palm open. He wondered if he’d intended to push her away, but
instead he put his hand to her bare arm and moved closer. Only the faintest whisper
of air separated him as she tilted her head to gaze up at him.

“I find myself interested in
you,” she said so quietly it took him a few heartbeats to absorb the words.

Words that rioted through
him. Words that rocked him to the core. This bold, wonderful woman was
interested in him. Was it possible that while he had been fantasising about her,
she had been doing the same? But why? He had done nothing but be grumpy and
angry with her. He bitterly regretted he hadn’t treated her as she deserved—like
a princess. No, a goddess.

“Are you...” He found his
mouth was dry. He coughed. “Do you...?” The words refused to come.

A tiny smile graced her
lips. “I want to kiss you.”

One could have knocked him
over with a feather. It was exactly what he was trying to voice. How did she
know that? But she wanted to kiss him. Not receive his kiss. Not be kissed.
Lila Radley wanted to kiss him, of all people. And he wanted to let her. More
than anything.

He nodded stiffly. How could
he find the words to tell her how much he wanted that? She would surely think
him crazed if he continued to spout his stilted words of how he had wanted her
kiss from the first moment he saw her. Ash’s pulse began to quicken. He slipped
his other hand around her waist and pressed it lightly to her back. He hoped it
was enough encouragement.

Lila lifted up slightly and
tilted her head. “I have not kissed many men,” she whispered.

He would rather she had not
kissed any at all, but he would not say as much. Ash wouldn’t ruin this moment
for the world. Instead, he remained quiet and drew in the scent of her and the
feel of her breath on his jaw.

Soft lips brushed his. His
eyes remained open, as did hers. Heat rose within him but there was more than
that. The brief brush of her lips summoned something else. Some emotional
response. He didn’t know whether to flee or stay and fight.

But, at the end of the day,
Ash knew he’d fight for this woman. Not to keep her for himself, but to keep
her alive, happy, safe. The likelihood was he wasn’t the man to keep her happy,
but he could keep her safe and alive.

However, that did not matter
at present. Not when she was looping her hands around his neck and closing her
eyes. He took a moment to savour the image of her lashes across her cheeks, the
look of pure innocence, before deepening the kiss. He pressed harder, and she
gasped. The warmth of alcohol registered. She’d been drinking—the reason for
her boldness, probably.

It was like a punch to the
gut. She didn’t really want to kiss him. Here he was spouting what was far too
close to poetic words in his mind, and she was likely a little addled from
drink.

“Lila,” he murmured against
her lips as she held him tight.

“Shhh, you’re spoiling it.”

Hell, he did not wish to
spoil it. He wished to kiss her forever and ever. From the moment he laid eyes
on her, he’d wanted to. Lila Radley knocked the sense from him from the very
beginning. He couldn’t let go.

With a light growl, he
clamped her tight against him. Her mouth opened in another gasp, and he used
the chance to dart his tongue in. A tiny sound of surprise escaped her, and he
relished it. He tasted her again and this time her tongue met his. She drew
back to suck in a breath.

“I like that.”

“Shhh, you’re spoiling it,”
he mocked.

Lila narrowed her gaze at
him then laughed. Then she kissed him again. Dear God, he was a fool. But this
fool was kissing Lila Radley, and he wouldn’t break away for the world. Not
even the skies falling on top of him could stop him from--

“Ash,” Harris called.

“Shit.” The word came out
unbidden as Lila broke away from him.

Her eyes widened at his
coarse language. He went to apologise, but his brother called his name again.
With a huff of annoyance, he released Lila and turned to see his brother
striding toward them.