The Hellion and The Heartbreaker (39 page)

“It’s
lovely isn’t it?”

Turning,
she came face to face with William Morton.

“William,
how nice to see you.”

“I thought
that beautiful red hair belonged to you,” he said with a charming smile. 
“I had planned to call on you yesterday, but I was delayed and didn’t get back
to Town until this afternoon.  Are you here with one of your brothers?”

She hadn’t
seen William since the night of the Brookshire’s ball, the night she had agreed
to his suit.  With all that was happening, she had forgotten that he had
informed her that he was leaving town for a few days and that he’d planned to
call on her when he returned.  She was temporarily at a loss for what to
say, for he obviously had no idea that she had come to the gallery with
Alec.  “No…I…actually…”

“Actually,
she’s here with me.”  As Alec had been walking back with their drinks, he
had noted Fordham approaching Scarlett, and the sight of them together bothered
him more than he cared to admit. 

Turning in
surprise, William discovered Alec standing behind him, holding two full crystal
champagne flutes.  He watched as Alec handed one of them to Scarlett, and
then took a casual sip from the other.

“Thank
you,” Scarlett said quietly as she accepted the glass, feeling suddenly uneasy.

“Alec,
it’s good to see you,” William said, quickly recovering from his initial
surprise.  “Are the two of you enjoying the exhibit?”

If he was
wondering what she and Alec were doing there together he disguised it well,
Scarlett thought.  “It’s wonderful,” she said truthfully.  “There are
some truly marvelous pieces on display.”

“I think
Scarlett has taken quite a fancy to this painting in particular,” Alec said,
motioning to the landscape, as he moved to stand at Scarlett’s side, drawing so
close that they were almost touching.

“Yes, it’s
quite beautiful,” she murmured, wondering what had gotten into Alec. 
Though his manner was polite, his expression, as well as his body language,
seemed almost challenging as he regarded William with his steady green gaze.

William’s
own gaze moved to Scarlett, and she thought she detected a question in his
eyes.  “You have excellent taste, this happens to be one of my favorites
as well.” 

Though she
smiled in response, William seemed to sense her sudden discomfiture.

“Well, if
you will excuse me, I shall leave the two of you to enjoy your evening.” 
With a courteous nod, he turned and left them alone.

“The marquis
seems to have taken quite a liking to you,” Alec commented, as they watched
William walk away.

Was it her
imagination, or did she detect a note of irritation in Alec’s voice, she
wondered?  With a sidelong glance she noted the tautness of his features. 
If she didn’t know better, she might actually think Alec was jealous.  But
of course, that was ridiculous.

Hours
later, when she and Alec finally took their leave, they found a long line of
coaches waiting in front of the building.  Scanning the line, Alec quickly
spotted his own near the front of the queue.  As they made their way
toward it, Scarlett looked skyward, as she often did in the evening.  But
unlike the clear skies found in the country, the notorious London haze obscured
the stars.  “I miss seeing the stars at night,” she said to Alec as they
walked.

“I think
you will like Worthe Castle,” he told her.  The sky above it is clear as
glass and the stars above seem endless.

Castle
, good heavens Scarlett thought to
herself.  Sometimes she forgot just how wealthy Alec’s family was. 
She reminded herself that she was about to become a duchess, and the notion was
a bit daunting.  “I imagine your country home must be quite grand.”

“I have
several actually,” Alec admitted with a wry expression, “though I don’t get to
spend near enough time at any of them.  Worthe Castle is by far the
grandest of the bunch though.”  He noted Scarlett’s somewhat anxious
expression, and quickly sought to ease her obvious fears.  “It’s a stuffy
old place really.  Duchy didn’t seem to mind it, but Mother never liked
living there.  It could use some updating, and of course you will have
free rein to make changes as you see fit.  A host of children running
around is sure to lighten the place up as well.”

Scarlett
didn’t miss Alec’s reference to children in the plural form.  She knew
that he was an only child and had often wondered if he had felt lonely growing
up.  “Do you want to have a lot of children?” she asked, somewhat
surprised by the thought.

“Yes, I
suppose I do,” he acknowledged.

They
continued the short walk to Alec’s coach in silence, the talk of future
children bringing their amiable conversation to an awkward halt.

As Scarlet
pondered their upcoming marriage, the thought of being intimate with Alec once
again was decidedly unsettling.  Obviously, he expected them to resume
their physical relationship, if for no other reason than his desire to have
more children.  With all that had happened she couldn’t help wondering if
they would ever again experience the incredible passion they had once
shared.  Would it be possible to recapture the ecstasy they had discovered
in each other’s arms?  And if they did, how could she endure the pleasure
of his touch, knowing she would never have his love?  When he grew tired
of her, would he seek out the arms of another?  It was a disheartening
thought.  If she wasn’t careful, she feared she would have her heart
broken once again.

When they
reached Alec’s rig, Scarlett was distracted from her musings as the door was
immediately opened by one of the coachmen and Alec dutifully assisted her into
the vehicle.

“Traffic
appears to be snarled up ahead, Your Grace,” the driver said to Alec as he was
about to ascend into the coach.  “It may take us a while to get through.”

“Don’t
worry Tompkins, we’re in no rush,” Alec replied, as he stepped up into the
vehicle, pulling the door closed behind him.

As the
horses started moving it quickly became apparent that they were indeed going to
be moving at a snail’s pace.  Sitting in the dim recess of the coach, lit
only by the single lamp hanging within, Scarlett and Alec sat across from each
other in silence.  Alec had removed his gloves, and as Scarlett watched he
began rubbing his thumb over a small area on his right hand.  She had seen
him doing that very same thing on more than one occasion, and had always
assumed that it was nothing more than an unconscious habit.

Alec
noticed Scarlett watching him, and immediately stopped the repetitive motion of
his thumb.  “An old injury,” he said, looking down at his hand.

“An
injury?”

“A scar,
four of them actually.  The result of underestimating a worthy adversary,”
he admitted.

She felt
her breath catch as his amused grin suddenly transformed his features into the
rakish, fun-loving Alec she remembered so well.  It was warm in the coach,
and Scarlett removed her own gloves as she looked at Alec inquiringly. 

“A bite,”
he clarified.

“You were
bitten by an animal?”

“Not
exactly,” he said, still smiling.

Her
curiosity piqued, Scarlett was loath to understand what Alec found so humorous
about the incident.  “Not exactly?”

“If you
must know, I somehow managed to incur the wrath of a pint-sized, red-haired
hellion with incredibly sharp teeth.”  His expression was decidedly amused
as he watched the dawning realization of what he was insinuating cross
Scarlett’s face.  “As I recall, she had a powerful right foot as well.”

Scarlett
gasped in dismay as she realized what Alec was referring to.  Without
thinking, she moved from her seat to sit next to Alec, immediately grasping his
hand and holding it up to the light of the lamp.  Sure enough, she could
just make out the faint scars that marred the top of his hand.  “Oh Alec,
I’m so sorry,” she said, her expression horrified as she studied the tiny white
marks, brushing her own thumb lightly across the nearly indiscernible
scars.  Glancing upward, she caught the unguarded look on Alec’s face and
froze.  The amusement was gone, and in its place was something far
together different.  She realized then, that she was still holding his
hand, their bodies mere inches apart.

As
Scarlett’s thumb rested against the flesh of his hand, Alec was suddenly
reminded of all the times Scarlett had touched him before.  The feel of
her soft hands against his muscled chest, the gentle pressure of her delicate
lips against his own, the feather light brush of her hair against his cheek;
the memories all came flooding back.  Their eyes met, and without
conscious thought, Alec lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers.

The touch
of Alec’s lips was achingly familiar, despite the years that had passed. 
She leaned into him, unable to stop herself.

Discerning
Scarlett’s willing response, Alec deepened the kiss, moving his hands to the small
of her back, pulling her against him.  As her lips parted, he gave in to
the delicious sensation, the past temporarily forgotten as he lost himself in
the moment.

Of their
own volition, Scarlett’s hands moved to Alec’s chest and then slid upward until
her fingers found their way to the back of his neck, tangling them in the
silky-soft hair at his nape.

Whatever
doubts he may have had as to whether or not Scarlett would affect him as
profoundly as she had in the past, he had them no longer.  Easing her down
against the plush velvet seat, he drew her legs upward so that she was lying
beneath him as he braced himself with one foot against the floor of the coach. 
Fortunately they were in the largest and most luxurious of his vehicles,
allowing them to position themselves comfortably.

Scarlett
felt a rush of exhilaration as the weight of Alec’s body pressed into
her.  Was it only a week ago that she was home at Grey Oaks, a moment like
this happening only in her dreams?  Although a tiny portion of her mind
urged her to use caution, to hold a part of herself back, it seemed an
impossible task.

They
kissed for what seemed like an eternity, blissfully unaware that the horses had
picked up speed as the driver had gotten them through the worst of the traffic
congestion.  When Alec’s lips moved to the curve of her throat, Scarlett
arched against him, turning her head to the side and biting her lower lip as
his mouth and tongue laid a trail of fire along her throat and down to her
chest, while his fingers moved to caress her breast through the thin fabric of
her gown.  Oh how she’d missed the splendor of his touch.  She
couldn’t help it, she wanted more.

Sensing
Scarlett’s willingness, as well as her growing need, Alec tugged gently at the
bodice of her gown until her luscious breasts spilled free.
 
Cupping one of the full mounds in his hand,
he lightly flicked his thumb over the rigid peak of her nipple, and then softly
drew it into his mouth.  As he began to swirl his tongue around the
sensitive nub, he was rewarded by her gasp of pleasure and the increased
pressure of her fingers clutching at his back.

Scarlett’s
senses were reeling.  She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out as
Alec lavished her breast with attention.  It had been so long.  When
his hand moved downward, tugging at the skirt of her gown, her own hands moved
to his jacket, grasping at the buttons and pushing it from his shoulders. 
As she felt his fingers slide up her stocking covered leg, and then brush
against the smooth skin of her inner thigh, she pulled his shirt from his
trousers, sliding her hands inside to touch the naked planes of his chest.

Finding
the slit in her silken drawers, Alec pushed aside the delicate material, his
fingers searching for her velvety smooth opening.  Sliding a finger gently
against her petal soft folds, he found her hot and wet.  She moved
wantonly against his hand, her body crying out for his touch.  She was
ready for him even now, though he’d barely touched her.  In spite of
himself, he couldn’t help wondering if she had responded to her husband with
equal abandon.  Forcing the disturbing thought aside, he plunged his
finger inside of her, sliding it repeatedly back and forth as his thumb moved
in a light circular motion against her delicate bud of arousal.

Scarlett
was completely lost to sensation as Alec pleasured her with his masterful
touch, arousing her to a near frenzied desire.  When he removed his hand,
reaching for the buttons of his pants, she arched upward, her hands twining
around his neck as she reined kisses along the length of his throat and eagerly
parted her thighs.

He had
only managed to unfasten the top button, when he suddenly felt the unmistakable
motion of the coach turning a corner.  It was then that he realized his
driver was no longer hampered by the congested streets surrounding the National
Gallery and that the horses were now moving at a steady gait.  In a matter
of minutes, they would be pulling up outside the McPhearson residence. 
Bloody
Hell! 
Pulling slightly away, he looked into Scarlett’s eyes now
clouded with passion, her gaze unfocused. 

“Alec,”
she murmured, trying to pull him back.