To Seduce a Bride (13 page)

But once her rage dissipated, she was determined to put it from her mind.

She was exceedingly glad, however, that the marquess had been with her when she'd impulsively charged down that alley. He had dealt with those louts in heroic fashion, not stopping to question that he was risking injury or worse to help her rescue a mongrel dog. And she trusted that he would provide for the injured animal's welfare.

She had considerably less trust, Lily admitted as she sought refuge in the calming privacy of her bedchamber, in her own ability to withstand his masculine allure.

She'd found herself enjoying his lordship's company far too much. He was delightful to converse with, charming and witty and interesting. He made her laugh, and he made her think.

What was more, she felt completely at ease with him.

Which was patently absurd. How could a man make her feel safe and so unsettled at the same time?

Lord Claybourne had only to look at her to make her heart beat faster. And when he smiled at her in that captivating way…There was something in his smile that made her feel special, appreciated, valued.

Perhaps that was the secret of his devastating success with the fair sex. He treated women as individuals in their own right, not simply as objects of desire.

Yet she had to remember he was only employing his well-honed amatory skills. She had to keep in mind the danger of letting herself become spellbound by his appeal.

And she would have to do better to resist him. He was winning their competition thus far, Lily acknowledged. And once she reported back to their judges about the events of the morning, he would be even farther ahead.

         

The judging went much as she predicted.

By the time Lord Claybourne was shown into the courtesans' private sitting room that afternoon where Lily was waiting for him with Fleur and Chantel, she had truthfully recounted what had happened in the park and the alley.

And her friends were charmingly effusive in their welcome.

“Hail the hero,” Chantel declared, fluttering her eyelashes provocatively at the marquess when he bent over her hand in greeting.

“Indeed,” said Fleur just as fervently. “It was splendid, how you championed Lily in that brave manner, my lord.”

“You give me too much credit,” he responded lightly, shooting a glance at Lily. “Miss Loring was the brave one.”

“And foolhardy, too,” Fleur added tartly. “Who knows what would have happened to her had you not been there to save her from her own recklessness?”

Subduing her own absurd pleasure at seeing him again, Lily resumed her seat in a wing chair so he couldn't kiss her hand as he'd done her friends. “Did you have any trouble caring for Fortune, Lord Claybourne?”

He smiled at her swift change of subject but remained standing. “Your canine has been bathed and doctored. And I personally fed her half a mutton chop in bite-sized pieces. She will be given the other half this evening. I thought it wise to take her recovery slowly, since I doubt she is accustomed to such rich fare.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Lily repeated sincerely.

“So, ladies,” he said, looking at the two courtesans who had settled on the settee. “I presume you mean to judge my first performance?”

Fleur took the lead. “We are all agreed, my lord—even Lily. You won a point for bringing her such a lovely horse to ride. But you lost one for letting Lily escape your escort in the park. And we are awarding you
two
points for helping her rescue the dog and sending those bullies fleeing.”

“And yet another point for being so generous as to give the animal a home,” Chantel chimed in.

“Yes,” Fleur said with a mock shudder. “I wanted to grant you an extra bonus point for keeping that mangy animal out of
our
house, but we decided that would be a little much this early in the game. In any case, you still have nearly a fortnight to earn the rest of your ten points.”

Chantel smiled. “So your total is now five, my lord, if you count the two you earned yesterday.”

“And you agreed to that tally?” Claybourne asked Lily.

“Yes,” she replied, knowing she couldn't begrudge him what he honestly deserved, even if it was rather alarming that he'd already collected half the number of points he needed to win. “It is only fair.”

“Speaking of fairness…” Fleur interjected, “we have reminded Lily of her agreement to permit your courtship, my lord, and clarified the rules for her. She can resist, but she cannot deliberately sabotage your efforts to woo her. If we discover otherwise, we may grant you extra points to make up for her hindering you unfairly.”

Lily saw him smile at that agreeable announcement. “Then I would be within my rights to claim my reward?”

“What reward?” Chantel asked curiously.

“Yes,” Lily seconded. “What reward?”

He shifted his attention to her. “The one you promised me for taking your dog home with me.”

Her gaze turned wary. “What reward would you like, my lord?”

“A simple kiss, that is all.”

Color rushing into her cheeks, Lily shot a tentative glance at her friends, wondering if they would allow so brazen a ploy. But neither of them responded.

She dragged her gaze back to Claybourne. “You want to kiss me?”

“Very much,” he answered, his eyes glinting wickedly. “I have since our very first meeting.”

“But right here in front of an audience?”

“Would you permit such a liberty any other way?”

“Well, no.”

“Then I will take what I can get.”

Lily shot her friends another anxious glance. “You don't intend to object?”

Fleur answered for them both. “We are merely judges, Lily darling. We are not supposed to interfere in your game unless it is necessary for your safety.”

“
Did
you promise to reward his lordship?” Chantel asked. “If so, you must honor your word. But if you wish, we will leave the room.”

“No!” Lily protested. I don't want you to leave.”

She had not promised to kiss Claybourne, but she supposed it would be an innocuous enough payment for his earlier generosity. After all, what could he do to her when they had witnesses?

“Very well, my lord,” Lily murmured.

She regretted her capitulation the instant he moved toward her.

“Stand up, sweeting,” he urged, taking her hand.

Feeling a sizzle of heat arc up her arm, Lily rose unsteadily to her feet. Claybourne smiled slowly, devilishly, as if knowing exactly what impact he was having on her.

Then he raised her hand almost to his lips. His breath fanned the edge of her palm, yet his mouth never touched her skin. Instead he reached out and slipped his fingers beneath her jaw, cradling her chin.

Her respiration grew shallow as he stood gazing down at her, while her pulse pounded in a heavy, uncertain rhythm.

After a dozen heartbeats had passed, though, Lily had had enough. “Pray hurry and be done with it, my lord.”

He made a
tsk
ing sound. “Such impatience. A kiss should be savored, not rushed.”

“Yes, indeed,” Chantel agreed, her tone dreamy.

Lily gritted her teeth, willing herself to remain calm. Even so, her nerves were on fire by the time Claybourne's mouth at last descended to hers.

It was the lightest of caresses. His lips barely moved against hers, yet the impact was searing. His kiss was warm, tender, magical…and oh so devastating, just as she'd expected.

Lily felt hot and breathless and dazed when he finally let up.

While she tried futilely to regain her wits, Chantel applauded his performance with delight. “That kiss was perfectly lovely, Lord Claybourne.”

“And quite romantic,” Fleur said with a sigh. “I think you should have another point added to your tally.”

“Fleur!” Lily protested. “It really was not so extraordinary.”

“I might be wounded, love,” Claybourne said, amused, “if I thought you believed that.”

She had only to look into those gold-flecked eyes, gleaming with wicked knowledge, to realize she hadn't fooled him in the least. He knew very well that even a simple kiss from him was captivating.

“Well, it certainly was not worth a full point,” she complained.

The marquess eyed her thoughtfully. “What do you say we strike a compromise? I will relinquish any points for my kissing skills just now in exchange for a few moments of privacy with you.”

Lily narrowed her gaze on him. “Why do you want privacy?”

“Because as charming and lovely as your friends are”—he bowed gracefully to the courtesans—“their presence does put a damper on my courtship.”

“Having to be alone with you was not part of our game.”

“Very well, if you want me to accept another point—”

“No!” Lily exclaimed.

Rising, Fleur nodded as if coming to a decision. “I think you have earned the right to a little privacy with Lily, my lord. You may have five minutes with her, no more.”

“You cannot be serious,” Lily objected.

“Oh, but I can,” Fleur replied. “A measure of intimacy will go a long way toward loosening you up, my dear. And his lordship is just the man to do it. You will find very few gentlemen with his prowess. Moreover, if you become better acquainted with him now, you will be better informed to make a decision about wedding him.” Fleur's mouth twisted as she contemplated Lily. “I happen to think you are a fool to resist his suit, my darling, but you are the one who must live with the consequences.”

“I agree, Lily,” Chantel announced as she also rose. “If I were twenty years younger, I might try to steal him from you.”

“You may have him with my blessing,” she muttered under her breath.

When the two women had left the sitting room and shut the door behind them, Lily regarded the marquess nervously. “Just what do you think you are doing?”

“I intend to kiss you again. That brief taste wasn't nearly enough. For me or for you either, I suspect.”

“It was more than enough for me.”

He smiled. “Then look at it as gaining more knowledge upon which to base your decision.”

She didn't want any more knowledge of him! Certainly not the sensual kind of education he had in mind. Lily edged away from Lord Claybourne, determined to put some distance between them, but he reached out to lightly grasp her wrist.

“You are hardly playing fair,” she said, futilely trying to free her hand.

“Perhaps so, but you know the saying…all's fair in love.”

“This has nothing whatever to do with
love
! You only want to win this absurd game…and perhaps to gain a broodmare for your heirs.”

He shook his head. “I want a
wife,
Lily, and I am laying claim to you.”

Her exasperation turned to frustration. “You cannot just claim me as if I were the spoils of war.”

“
You
are the one who has made this a war. I am exerting my best effort to woo you.”

“Well, I wish you would cease plaguing me this vexing way.”

Claybourne released her hand but held her gaze. “One kiss, and then I will go.”

That made her pause. “Just one?”

“Yes. And you can end it whenever you choose.”

It was incredibly dangerous to kiss him again, Lily knew. His kisses set her senses aflame and made her head spin so that she couldn't even think straight. And yet she knew there was no other way to be rid of him.

She dragged in a deep breath. “Very well,” she said mutinously. “Since you leave me no choice.”

Ignoring her reluctance, he gently caught hold of her shoulders, bringing her close to him.

He didn't kiss her at once, however. Instead he reached up with one hand to caress her. His fingers lightly rubbed the erratic pulse in her throat, then explored the warm hollows of her ear.

Lily wanted to flee, to run, but his golden gaze held her prisoner. Something hot and molten unfurled inside her at that look in his eyes. She couldn't speak, couldn't move. She could only feel.

His other hand slipped behind her and skimmed up her spine, then stroked her nape before cupping the back of her head. A heartbeat later, he finally bent and sealed his mouth to hers.

He kissed her thoroughly this time, his hot, clever, tongue slowly penetrating and exploring the deepest recesses of her mouth. Her breath gone, Lily felt herself melting in his embrace. Urgency flared at the searing warmth he roused inside her, and that was before his hand cupped her breast with shocking possessiveness.

His brazen caress suffused her body with heat and a liquid heaviness, and she found it impossible to control the small moan of pleasure that rose to her lips.

Her moan deepened when he caught her more firmly about the waist, drawing her even closer. She should have been shocked by the hard length of his arousal pressed against her abdomen, yet somehow the knowledge only excited her.

Then his knee moved against her skirts, nudging her own knees apart. Lily was unprepared for the sharp, erotic rush of feeling from his thigh against her woman's mound.

Her moan turned to a helpless whimper as the pulse quickened between her legs. Encouraging her further, he moved his palm downward to mold her derriere and went on kissing her.

Yet now she didn't want him to stop, couldn't bear the thought of his sublime mouth leaving hers. Clutching at his broad shoulders, she gave in willingly to the glorious madness.

The madness eventually ended, however. His hard thigh still was nestled between hers when his devastating kiss at last broke off and his lips moved to nuzzle her ear.

“I want you, Lily,” he murmured, his voice a husky rasp. “I want you in my bed. I want your lovely hair on my pillow, your soft breath on my skin, your luscious body writhing beneath mine.”

She should not be thrilled by his admission, but it made her tremble and ache with longing. When he drew back to gaze down at her, she stood there staring back, wide-eyed and dazed.