The Desires of a Countess (6 page)

With hesitation, she stepped closer.
He wasn’t sure at what point her proximity affected him. One moment
she was an alluring woman across the room, the next her lilac scent
hypnotized him and her warmth radiated through him before she even
took his arm.

And then she did, and every piece of
his self-control shattered, replaced by a pounding, throbbing need
he hadn’t experienced with another woman for as long as he could
remember. Her hand curled around his bicep, and it was as if she’d
branded him. Though the sensation of her touch was anything but
unpleasant, he felt a curious urge to pull away from the intensity.
Somehow he held both his manners and his ground.

As they walked down the hallway toward
the sitting room, Simon stole a glance in her direction. She didn’t
seem as affected by their contact as he was. Except for a slight
increase in her breathing, she looked as calm as ever. It made his
lack of control even more annoying.

“
Ginny,” he began as they
entered the room and she took a seat.

Her calm dissolved as her face flashed
up to his in surprise. “What did you call me?”

He smiled. So there
was
a way to break down her façade
without a touch. “Mrs. Percy called you Ginny earlier tonight. I
decided I liked it better than Lady Westdale, or my lady, or even
Virginia. It suits you.”

She drew in a deep breath, but didn’t
speak for a moment, as if she were contemplating what was an
entirely inappropriate move on his part. He’d begun to doubt the
sense of it himself when she let out a short sigh.

“
I suppose if you want to
call me Ginny, it won’t do anyone any harm. After all, we’re
practically family. In private, you may call me whatever pleases
you.”

He contemplated all the things that
would please him to do with her in private, but did his best to
keep the images at bay.

“
Then it only seems fair
that you should call me by my given name, as well. In
private.”

Again, her silence filled the room as
much as her words had. He had no idea what thoughts were going
through her mind. She’d neatly shut him out with what was obviously
a well-practiced look of detachment. Why had she been required to
master such a skill that forced her to push other people
away?

“
Simon,” she finally
said.

A little thrill raced through him as
her smooth lips formed his name. It was accompanied by yet another
image of her writhing beneath him, saying his name as he ran his
hands over the lush curves of her body.

He had to leave.
Immediately.

Whatever spell this witch had woven
over him was too powerful to deny. But deny it he must, because she
wasn’t his to have. Even if he could, any relationship would only
eventually bring each of them pain and disappointment. He doubted
even the beguiling Lady Westdale could make him stay landlocked for
long. Like his father had before him, he’d seek the sea for comfort
when he grew restless.

“
Perhaps a drink is a
mistake,” he said, his voice as thick and heavy as his manhood was
becoming with every moment he stood so close to her. “Perhaps
I
should
go back to the
cottage.”

Yes, the cold rain would probably do
his aching body some good, especially certain portions.

The spell between them momentarily
lifted as she turned to the window. Rain streaked across the glass,
and even in the darkness it was evident how foul the night
was.

She sank her teeth into her lip and
said, “I-I know that the cottage is in… disrepair.”

He almost laughed. That was a nice way
to put it.

“
If you and your first mate
would like to stay in the guest quarters tonight, I would have
you.”

Their eyes met and Simon searched her face for some
kind of ulterior motive. All he saw was genuine kindness mixed with
a healthy dose of guilt. Though touched by the change, he wondered
why she would go back on her plans so quickly. After all, she’d
obviously gone to a lot of trouble to make his stay
uncomfortable.

He couldn’t help but lean in closer.
“If you’re distressed by me sleeping under your roof, I’m happy to
stay in the cottage, disarray or not. I wouldn’t want to bring you
any kind of shame, Ginny.”

Her eyes misted as she swayed toward
him a fraction. The room seemed to be shrinking around them. It
grew ever hotter and closer.

“
The roof leaks, Simon,” she
whispered.

He barely resisted the urge to touch
her face, but instead lifted his hand to wrap a single stray lock
of hair around his fingertip. It was as soft as silk. “I’ll have
the roof fixed. That’s why I’m here. Not to frighten you. Not to
intimidate you. Not to…”

He cut himself off before he could say
too much. They were too close as it was and he knew a kiss could
easily shove them over an edge where they couldn’t return. As much
as he wanted to take that plunge, he needed to pull back, to do his
duty and protect himself.

But just as he gathered his strength,
Ginny wrapped one slender hand around the nape of his neck, and
pulled him down for a hot, wet kiss that sent fire shooting through
his veins.

***

Ginny surprised herself as much as she
obviously surprised Simon when she crushed her lips against his.
But whatever shock he felt seemed to disappear, for he brought his
arms around her waist and pulled her against him until it was more
than evident that the desire that had coursed between them wasn’t
only coming from her. In fact, Ginny could feel the hard steel of
his erection pressed against her thigh. But instead of that arousal
frightening her as she knew it should, she arched against
it.

He took her silent invitation with a
fervor that pushed her even further over the edge. His tongue swept
against her own, massaging her before he began to slowly brush
across her teeth, her cheek. She gathered sections of his coat in
her fists as she tried to keep from making another sound with all
her might. She failed and a deep, low groan of pleasure escaped her
lips.

He cupped her face and continued to
grind his lips against hers. First hard, then soft, but never
painful. Never punishing. Bit by bit, all her defenses were eroded
and she gave in to the pleasure with every part of her that had
been so lonely over the years. Every part that had yearned for the
warmth this near-stranger now offered her with his skillful lips
and hands.

Near-stranger.

She opened her eyes. With effort, she
pushed him away and stumbled a few steps back. What was she doing?
Simon Webber was a potential enemy, not someone with whom she
should be exchanging passionate kisses in the sitting
room.

He stared at her, his face dark with
desire and his eyes flashing with a heat that told her he would
take her in his arms again if she asked. And she wanted to, despite
the loud, rational voice in her head telling her to back away. Run
away.

She dropped her gaze. There was no way
she could concentrate with him staring at her like he wanted to
have her on the floor that very moment.

“
I’m sorry, my lady,” he
finally said in a low voice that was rough with desire. “I don’t
know what came over me.”

Ginny lifted her head with a gasp of
shock.
He
was apologizing?
After she’d lost control and initiated the kiss? He’d responded,
but she had been the one to start it because of that weak part of
her that yearned for affection. Henry would have exploited that
weakness to his full benefit, but Simon took responsibility for
it.

Now she was more confused than
ever.

“
I-I’ll have Ingram show you
and your man to the guest quarters,” she stammered.

She certainly wasn’t going to engage
in an analysis of what had just happened with the man. Not until
she had regained control of her spiraling senses.

He watched her for a long moment, then
shook his head. “Under the circumstances, perhaps that isn’t the
best of ideas.”

Biting her lip, she considered that.
He was right. Having him down the hall would only serve as a
reminder of what they had just done. Her memories would be reminder
enough. She had a feeling that stolen moment would haunt her for a
long time to come.

“
Yes, I see your point.” She
tilted her head as she pondered their predicament. “What about the
stables? They’re dry and warm and will offer you shelter until we
can determine better accommodations during your stay.”

For a moment, the silence hung thick
between them, but then he nodded. “That would be fine. I’ll fetch
Adam and retire. Thank you again for…”

He trailed off with a shrug that
encompassed everything from supper to the searing kiss. With
difficulty, she nodded and he left the room.

Once he was gone, Ginny sank into the
closest chair and covered her eyes with both trembling hands. What
had she done? And more to the point,
why
had she done it? One moment she was trying
to be polite to the man for her own protection, the next she was
entangled with him, panting for more than just a few
kisses.

She let out a soft groan as she stood
up and paced to the fireside. Her head pounded as she looked with
unseeing eyes at the flames.

Despite everything, she wanted Simon
Webber. That desire was keener than anything she’d ever felt
before. And more terrifying than she dared consider.

***

“A dry bed in a warm house,” Adam sputtered as he
and Simon hurried toward the stables through the renewed downpour.
“Why in God’s name would you choose a drafty stable over that?”

Simon shrugged. He’d hardly listened
to his friend’s words since he’d found him. Why start
now?

“
It’s better than a leaky
cottage. Stop complaining.”

Adam wrinkled his brow, but mercifully
stopped his rambling for the remainder of the walk. Of course, the
silence between them only allowed Simon’s mind to wander back to
the way Ginny had crushed her mouth against his and offered him a
brief moment of heaven. Brief, but long enough for him to know
full-well that he wanted more than just at taste of her lips. He
wanted her beneath him, on him, around him. He wanted her red hair
down around her shoulders like fire. He wanted to hear her cry out
with pleasure. The pleasure she found at his mouth and
hands.

“
Blast,” he muttered as he
shoved his fists deep into his pockets.

“
Beg your
pardon?”

Adam was giving him that strange look
again. Simon knew it well. It was the one his friend gave when he
was about to start prying into things that were none of his
affair.

Simon yanked the door open and they
stepped out of the rain into the warm, bright stable. The smell of
horses and sweet hay tickled his nose as he breathed in deeply and
took a moment’s comfort in the familiarity around him. As a boy
he’d loved animals, especially horses, but had little call for them
while on board his ship.

He slicked the water from his hair,
sending droplets to scatter onto his neck and in a puddle on the
floor behind him. As Adam shook his head like a dog, he stared at
his friend.

“
Are you going to tell me
what’s going on?”

“
Don’t know what you’re
talking about,” Simon snapped as he took a few steps to the back of
the building where blankets were stacked. He searched for an empty
stall and tossed a blanket inside as he shed his wet jacket and
folded it into a makeshift pillow.

“
I think you do.”

Simon scowled as he pushed one boot
off. Normally, he shared nearly everything with his first mate, but
not this time.

Adam circled him with a cocked
eyebrow. “You’ve got that look about you.”

“
What look?” he asked
through clenched teeth. “The only look I have is one of exhaustion.
Between the rain, the travel, the damned cottage and…” He clenched
a fist and came to a halt. He wouldn’t say any more.

“
And what?” Adam shook his
head. “What in the world did that woman say to make you act this
way? And did you get any more information about her?”

Simon grimaced. All he’d succeeded in
learning tonight was that her skin was like fine Indian silk and
that she tasted like ripe raspberries. Neither one of those things
were the kind of information Adam was talking about.

“
Wait.” His friend stopped
moving and his eyes widened. “Something happened didn’t it? Between
you and Lady Westdale.”

Simon groaned. Damn Adam for knowing
him so well.

“
I think the travel has made
you see things that aren’t there.” He strode into his chosen stall
and flopped down on the hard floor.

Adam grinned. “Don’t think you can put
me off so easily. After so many years, I’d think you’d know that’s
impossible.”

“
Go to bed.”

“
You kissed her.”

Simon threw his jacket over his head
and closed his eyes while he concentrated on the steady throbbing
in his temples.