Suzi Love (26 page)

Cayle was standing at the side, scowling at the pair, when a lady joined him. “Your Grace, I am Lord Bennett’s fiancé, Miss Margaret Johnston.”

Cayle bowed over her hand, politely acknowledging her despite the lack of formal introduction. “Miss Johnston. Are you enjoying the evening?”

“Not especially, Your Grace. I do not enjoy watching my betrothed make a cake of himself over another woman in front of my acquaintances.”

“It is only one dance, Miss Johnston.” Cayle glanced to the floor to watch while Bennett clasped Becca far too closely as he swung her into each turn. He hissed in a breath.

“Yes,” Miss Johnston said, “that is what I cannot allow. You must take care to keep your good friend, Lady Jamison, away from my fiancée.”

“I am as dismayed as you are that he is persisting in claiming a close friendship with Lady Jamison.” His eyes narrowed as he watched as the dance finished and Bennett attempted to steer Becca to the other side, rather than returning her to him.

The rogue had a grip on Becca’s arm and was towing her towards the French doors to the terrace. Excusing himself from a seething Miss Johnston, he murmured, “I will inform Lord Bennett that you are desirous of his presence.”

Wending his way to Becca’s side was not easy in the crush and on the way he enlisted assistance from Laura, Lottie, and his two brothers.

“Arthur Bennett forced Becca into agreeing to dance with him. But he’s led her to the other side of the ballroom, away from all of us. “We need to get to her before he touches her.”

• • •

Upon reaching Becca and Arthur, whose escape had been thwarted by the crowds, Brian and Tony and Becca’s sisters moved in closer so they formed a protective ring around Becca.

The low pitch of Cayle’s voice did nothing to hide his fury.

“Bennett, be warned, if you ever lay a finger on Lady Jamison again, I’ll kill you.”

Arthur blanched under the attack but pulled himself up to reply haughtily, “And you, Sherwyn, should stay out of things that do not concern you. Lady Jamison and I have an arrangement.”

Beside him, Becca gasped in indignation. “Lord Bennett, we have nothing of the sort. Any association we had in the past was severed. By you, I might add. I danced with you this evening to avoid further scandal. I no longer have anything to say to you. Goodnight.”

As she tried to move past, Bennett reached out to grab at Becca. This time, Cayle gripped his wrist so hard that Arthur winced and paled.

“I warned you about touching Lady Rebecca. Never attempt it again.”

Bennett laughed, a sneering jibe. “Or what’ll happen, Sherwyn? You’ll challenge me to a duel? You were shown to be a coward when you ran away from one with the viscount four years ago.”

The collected group gasped at the brazen audacity of the man.

In a deceptively calm voice, Cayle warned, “Yes. That’s exactly what I’ll do. Challenge you to a duel. And this time, I won’t spare my opponent for any noble reasons. In fact, I’ll take great delight in shooting you dead centre in your black heart.”

Becca held her breath as Arthur assessed the situation, willing him to leave without fuss. If he were dimwitted enough to make a scene, he’d garner no support from this group of Jamisons and St. Martins. With dawning horror, she realised she’d exchanged too much of her fiercely won independence for the simple joy of spending time with Cayle. As a consequence of her self-indulgence, she’d forgotten how dangerous it was for anyone to become associated with her. How could she have forgotten Peggy’s gruesome end?

Wisely, Arthur decided on a hasty retreat yet couldn’t resist one last taunt over his shoulder.

“You’ll rue the day you joined forces with this horde, Sherwyn. They’re doomed.”

He waved a hand at the St. Martin men and sneered his contempt. “Your entire family too, if they continue to associate with Jamisons.”

With that parting jibe, he hastened away before the men gathered their wits enough to query his last sinister remark and chase after him.

Becca stared at the cluster of angry men, their dark protectors. Caught up in the whirlwind of recent events, she’d leaned too heavily on Cayle and put her trust in the capable hands of he and his friends. She’d listened to her heart, not her head, and her resolve to part from him had weakened.

Now, she needed to be strong. Thank goodness her almost lover had been strong enough to walk away the evening before. If only it didn’t hurt so much.

Four hours later, Becca’s feet ached from dancing and her voice was hoarse from endless discussions of inclement weather.

The earlier incident with Arthur left her mind churning with the sickening knowledge that all the St. Martins were being watched. Somehow, she must convince them that she could control Arthur and their interference was unwelcome. The last thing she wanted was Cayle embroiling himself in another scandal, being challenged to another duel. Her limitations, her flaws, had placed him in this danger. Disappointment that despite joining forces they’d failed to gather enough proof for Scotland Yard, increased her weariness.

Walking away from the dance floor, her shoulders were slumped with fatigue when a large male blocked her path, forcing her to look up. She sighed, unable to hide her exhaustion from Cayle’s astute gaze. He shook his head, and then escorted her to where their hostess was engaged in chatter with Aunt Agatha.

“Lady Rebecca is feeling faint,” he said. “With your permission, I will escort her to the terrace for a little fresh air.”

“Oh, heavens yes, Your Grace,” Lady Moreland gushed. “Very considerate of you. Young girls these days are not as robust as we were in my day. Chits fainting at the slightest thing.”

Before Becca could object, Cayle bowed to the ladies and turned. Thanks to his quick thinking, they escaped before Lady Moreland’s meandering thoughts led to a dissertation on the faults of the young gentlemen of the day as well. Becca was led to the relative privacy of a narrow nook above the magnificent gardens, suffering the indignity with a fixed smile, however, inside she seethed. The moment they were clear of onlookers, she rounded on Cayle.

“What in heaven’s name are you playing at? We’re supposed to be enamoured of each other. You’re supposed to fetch me lemonade and escort me to supper. Look at me like a besotted fool.” She clasped her hands and rolled her eyes in a theatrical gesture copied from Laura’s repertoire. “Not fabricate a transparent untruth to drag me outside.”

Cayle stopped, motionless, staring at her as if it was the first time he’d ever laid eyes on her, intensely, intimately. Then his eyes widened with some sort of inner revelation and he ran his hands up and down her exposed arms from her wrists to shoulders. When it appeared he wasn’t going to stop, Becca squirmed out of his grasp to loosen his hold. In a dazed state, he stood and stared at her.

“What? You look like you’ve never seen me before.”

“I don’t think I ever have.” She watched him swallow, hard. His voice sounded strained. “Seen you I mean. You’re stunning.”

She tilted her head to one side as she studied him, trying to decide what was wrong. “Are you foxed again?”

He shook his head. “Not nearly enough. I did sneak one brandy to keep me calm. Otherwise, I would’ve marched onto the dance floor and pulled you away from those lecherous idiots long ago.”

“Oh, heavens. Please allow me some small intelligence. I know when someone is making a game of me.”

“Has no one ever told you before how incredibly beautiful you are?”

“No, and I don’t know why you’re saying that. It certainly isn’t true.”

With a small smile, he said, “It is true. You’re truly beautiful.”

She shook her head. “I’m not tall enough. I have freckles.”

“Twelve.”

She was even more confused. “Twelve? You’ve counted my freckles?”

“Yes, although I never realised it until now. I’ve counted every one. And I know you screw up your nose in disgust when one of your adoring male followers utters something inappropriate.”

“Male followers? Now I know you’ve been drinking. I’m not like the other girls in there. I’ve never had men falling at my feet.”

“And do you know the thing I adore most about you?” She shook her head in bewilderment.

“It’s that you’re totally oblivious to how wonderful you are.”

He leant in closer so his breath whispered over her temple. “All those men, Becca.”

“What about them?”

“They already know what it’s taken me this long to realise. You’re unique. That’s why they swarm around you like bees to a hive. They’ve all sensed that deep passion inside you. That sensual side you thought you kept hidden. But, you were wrong. It’s there for every man to see. For every man to want, to desire.”

“Cayle, you aren’t making any sense. If any of this is true, why have I never noticed any of this? These men only befriend me for financial gain. They think I can pass on investment information.”

“Does it make sense that I don’t want you for those mundane reasons?”

His eyes glittered with a deep passion that she’d not let herself hope for before, but that she couldn’t now ignore. The fire in his eyes matched the fire igniting in her.

Deep in her belly and spreading to warm her everywhere. Ever so slowly, without taking his eyes from her, he dipped enough that his lips could touch hers. The gentlest of caresses. Her heart stuttered.

She gaped at him, amazed that he was saying this. However, she recognised it now in his unguarded look. He wanted her. Her. Rebecca Jamison. Perhaps hungered for her as she ached for him.

Without consciousness, she leaned into his warmth. Moved closer to his hardness. Pressed her breast against his chest until with a deep groan, he closed his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. All the tenderness he’d shown for the past days evaporated. Left in its place was an unleashed male, dangerous, and past any semblance of his usual tightly controlled behaviour. This time when his head dipped, his mouth folded over hers to take her with a hunger that drew an immediate response.

Her sensual feminine side, often buried as she dealt with harsh day-to-day realities, was unleashed. When their lips touched again, she was out of her depth. Every touch of his warm flesh on hers had her enthralled. Held spellbound. Unable to move and worst of all, not wanting to move away as she knew she should.

His voice in her ear sounded rough with emotion. “I want you. So much that seeing all those men dance with you, lust over you, nearly drove me to madness.”

His lips brushed her temple and she shivered.

“Cayle, I’m not the sort of woman who lets herself be kissed by every man she meets. I wasn’t about to let any of them touch me.”

A laugh rumbled out of his throat. “Don’t you think I know that? You were engaged to that idiot Bennett for almost a year and yet you kiss like an innocent. Or rather, you did until I recently restarted your education on that matter.”

She knew Cayle didn’t mean it as a dare but Becca could never let a challenge go unheeded. “I haven’t been in hiding since you left. Many men have flirted with me.” She tilted her nose higher to give him her haughtiest stare. “So, if I want to kiss a man expertly, I will. I certainly know how. Arthur and I kissed often.”

“Ah, so he did kiss you. You’re too untouched, too untried for him to have given you anything more than fumbling pecks. No wonder you’re so inept.”

Fury made her draw herself up and point her finger in his face. “If I’m inept, it’s you who made me so. As you delight in pointing out, you were the one who taught me.”

Cayle grinned, white teeth shining against his sun darkened skin.

“At last you admit how good it was that last night behind the stable. What we did together.”

“What I remember is you kissing me, but it was of so little consequence to me that I’ve never thought of it again.”

Feigning a devastation she was sure he’d never felt in his life, he clasped both hands over his heart. “My beautiful lady, I’m wounded. Of no consequence? I recall every detail. I’ve relived the moment in my dreams many times.”

“Poppycock. Now you’re being ridiculous in the extreme. Before you left, the gossip sheets were full of your exploits with Sybila, and others. And you did a lot more than kiss them.”

“Careful, Becca.” He chuckled. “You almost sound jealous.”

“Jealous? Of Sybila Charmers. Rubbish.”

“Perhaps you’ll also admit to how you begged me to be your first lover as well as your first kiss,” he said in a soft, seductive murmur.

Heat spread through her body at the image her mind conjured. Cayle’s long length, his tethered strength, entwined with her willing body, as they lay naked in her bed. It was beyond her to remain cool and calm when his words made her insides do crazy things. And it wasn’t just her stomach. Her whole body sprang to full alertness.

Breasts that she considered simply a part, often an inconvenient part, of her female anatomy swelled and tightened until she was sure Cayle couldn’t help but notice. She crossed her arms over her breasts as she tried to relieve this unfamiliar feeling by applying pressure.

But Cayle was a sensual and aroused male so her movement drew his attention straight to her bosom, his dark eyes fixing there. Warmth flooded her body as her nipples hardened and peaked until they pushed against her bodice. His gaze was admiring and knowing.

“Ah, so you’re not immune to thoughts of soon becoming my lover?”

“Your conceit knows no bounds if you imagine every woman you meet is ready to throw themselves at your feet.”

“Not every woman, Becca.” His eyes twinkled with amusement as he teased, “As I recall, you were always the exception to that rule. Although, even you succumbed to my charms in the end.”

Determined to hide how much his words and more his lusting looks affected her, she said, “You’re the one who blows hot and cold every second day. You made me so confused.”

“Unfortunately, sweetheart, so was I. But I now know what I want. I’m just not sure how to obtain it. And I can’t afford to make any more mistakes. Not when my whole future is at stake. And yours.”

“You’re talking in riddles again. Until you decide what you really want, I think we shall just remain old friends. Right now, we need to deal with things of more importance.”