Wicked Designs (The League of Rogues) (20 page)

“You have your books and Penelope. Will you be all right the rest of the evening?”

“Yes.”

“All right then, kitten. I’ll have Simkins send up bowls of food and water for Penelope.”

“And a basket? Wouldn’t she need one to sleep in?”

“I’ll see that she has everything her little heart desires.”

“Thank you, Cedric.”

“You are most welcome. We will be downstairs, should you need anything.”

Once alone she settled down on her bed with Penelope in her lap and pulled one of the novels off the side table.
Lady Viola and the Dashing Duke
. She wanted a good story.

As she read on about the plucky heroine and her first encounter with the dashing hero, she saw Godric, and her heart ached. Was he thinking of her now, or even at all? What if she fell asleep before he returned? Would he still come to collect his kiss goodnight?

She should not have wanted him to but, Lord help her, she did. She wanted him to sweep into her room and kiss her senseless. Godric’s kiss was a wildfire on a dry meadow, and she craved that inferno like nothing else. It was madness to want him so much. Logically she knew the danger he presented to her heart, yet she couldn’t seem to resist him.

Emily eased onto her bed and daydreamed of Godric. Penelope curled up against her chest, the dog’s brown eyes drowsy as she fell asleep. Emily remained in that delightful state of partial wakefulness, picturing Godric’s hands on her, his mouth on hers, soft words of love tickling her ear. But they were dreams and nothing more.

Chapter Ten

Godric had never been so anxious to return home.

He rode his gelding so hard that twice Ashton shouted out to him over the thunder of hooves to slow down or his horse would throw a shoe. Then they would really be delayed. The trip had taken longer than they planned and they wouldn’t arrive at the estate until an hour past midnight.

Emily’s gifts were tucked away in his riding coat pocket, and he was desperate to see her, to hold her in his arms, to kiss her, to tickle her just to hear that breathless laugh. He hungered to taste her lips, to watch her eyes sparkle with delight or sear with the first blush of passion. He wanted to speak to her in Greek, to see how much she really knew. He longed to test her mind and taste her lips. She was an enigma to him, a woman unlike any other he’d ever met before.

The pearly moonlight broke over the distant manor’s pale stones, taunting him like a mirage in the desert. Would Emily wait up for him? He hoped so. He wanted to tuck her into his bed and kiss her goodnight, and to his surprise, his desire to do so was not purely carnal.

How on earth had he come to care for this young woman in a way he never cared for anyone, save his closet friends?

Ashton had been right. She’d enchanted him, and he hoped the spell lasted forever.

When he and Ashton reached the manor, they abandoned their horses to a groom and went inside. A servant had dimmed the candles and the hall lay silent. A bloom of distant gold light brightened the path to the drawing room. Cigar smoke wafted down the hall towards Godric and Ashton.

Emily was not with them. Even gentleman such as themselves never smoked in front of a lady.

Godric and Ashton headed towards the room and found Cedric, Charles and Lucien lounging in wingback chairs near the fire. A gray cloud of cigar smoke hovered above their heads as they spoke in hushed tones and played cards.

“You’re back.” Cedric looked relieved to see them.

“It seems we have been missed.” Quiet concern laced Ashton’s tone.

Godric didn’t like the sudden pitch of panic in his stomach. Had something happened to Emily?

“I am almost afraid to ask, but where is Emily?” Godric’s heart was tight in his chest.

“Don’t worry, Godric. She’s in her room, asleep. She has been since ten o’clock.”

“Thank God for that. Excuse me.” Godric bid the others goodnight, desperate to reassure himself she was still there, still his.

He sprinted up the stairs but slowed at Emily’s door. He tested the door handle of her room. It was unlocked. The fools! She could have snuck out without their knowledge.

Stray beams of moonlight lit Emily’s room. The dark form of the young woman lay outlined on the bed. She was still fully dressed and looked as though she’d collapsed in exhaustion. Had she meant to wait up and fell asleep? A flicker of hope burned in his chest. He wanted it to be true.

Godric hesitated before he summoned the courage to enter and lock the door. He reached down, removed his boots, and left them near the door.

Padding softly to the bed he examined Emily. She seemed to be dreaming of happier days, with that soft expression on her face. He bent down carefully and brushed his lips over hers, not wishing to wake her, but she stirred all the same.

“Godric?” she murmured, her eyes still shut.

“Yes?” He knelt next to the bed as she opened her eyes.

“You’re really back?”

“Of course, my dear. I do live here, you understand.”

She tried not to laugh. “Do you? I had no idea.” She flashed him an impish smile. “I wanted to be up when you returned, but I must have fallen asleep.” She reached out a hand to touch his cheek.

Godric turned his lips towards the center of her palm, kissing it. “What did you do while I was away?” He wanted to know everything that she did and whether she missed him. He’d hated every minute he spent apart from her, and he wanted Emily to reassure him he wasn’t alone.

He crossed his arms on the bed’s edge and rested his chin on them as she told him of her day, his chest filling with an odd warmth. Emily was an open book to him at times, but tonight her eyes were mysterious pools. He sank deeper and deeper into them, entrapped by the wondrous emotions reflected there.

She wrinkled her nose and then smiled. Her hand toyed with his cravat absently as she gazed at him, wide eyes dark as diamonds, veiled by midnight shadows.

“And you? How was your trip to London?” Her question left Godric with a smile.

“Pleasant enough, but…”

“But?”

But I missed you terribly
, he wanted to say, but the words choked and died somewhere between his throat and his lips.

“It doesn’t matter. I bought you some presents while I was there. Would you like to see them?”

“Presents?” A smile bloomed on her face, an irresistible enchantment that stole his breath. He’d waited all day to see her look at him like that, as though he’d ridden up upon a white charger, ready to fight for her heart.

But Godric couldn’t trust himself to read that thought in her eyes. He wanted it to be true, but how could she want him? Him, the man who’d taken so much from her?

“Of course I brought presents. Cedric couldn’t be allowed to have all the fun.”

He pulled the parcels from his riding coat pocket, and Emily took them. Godric joined her on the bed. She unwrapped the dark purple paper and found the first two items, the brush and the comb adorned with butterflies. The pearl of the butterflies’ wings channeled the moonlight, and the opal gleamed darkly, like the sea at midnight. She stroked a fingertip over the surface of the comb’s butterfly and turned her face towards Godric, not realizing how close he was. Their noses brushed and she smiled before giving him a kiss on the cheek. A butterfly’s kiss, so faint he wondered if he’d imagined it.

“They are so beautiful. I have never owned anything this lovely. Thank you.”

Godric flushed. He’d never seen a woman take such simple gifts with such reverence and joy. He could have thrown the Crown Jewels at Evangeline’s feet, and she would not have expressed the same gratitude. The thought humbled him in a way he hadn’t thought possible.

“I chose them myself. The butterflies reminded me of you.”

She kissed his other cheek and looked up through smoky lashes. “I remind you of a butterfly?”

“Yes, you do. They are beautiful, mysterious, alluring, easy to catch if you bring a big enough net…” His voice was low and husky as he gazed at her lips.

“Godric, I believe you are trying to seduce me.” Her words teased, but the heat in her eyes was no joke.

“Always, my dear. Always.” His lips were so close to hers. He ached to kiss her, he needed to kiss her. He had to blind her with the light of the fire in his heart just as she’d blinded him with hers.

“Are you going to kiss me goodnight?” Her question was innocent, but her tone held something more.

“Not yet.” He pointed to the parcel in her hands. “There is still one more present for you.”

Emily dug deeper into the wrapping and found the leather collar with the silver engraved nameplate.

“Penelope,” she read in an excited whisper and leapt from the bed.

She crossed the room to the small little basket near the vanity table. The puppy was fast asleep, unaware of the world around her. Emily slid the collar underneath and around her neck. She fastened the buckle and patted Penelope’s head before coming back over to Godric.

“I am sure she’ll be excited in the morning when she wakes.”

Godric almost laughed. “I imagine she will be.” He stood, taking Emily by the arm.

“Shall we go to bed, my dear?”

A flash of panic marred her beautiful face.

“What’s wrong?”

Emily’s cheeks reddened. “I…”

But Godric realized her fear and sought to reassure her.

“We will sleep, and nothing more. I care for you too much to want to do anything but hold you tonight.” From the bottom of his black heart, he truly meant it. Tonight he wanted to reassure her of his honorable intentions.

Honorable intentions. What madness was this that ran through his soul like quicksilver? Godric was incapable of love. How often had his father told him that? Told him that if he was capable of love, his mother would never have died. Rationally Godric knew his father had tried to ease his own grief by putting the burden of her death on him, but he couldn’t help but agree. Had he been older, or stronger, he could have ridden to town to get the doctor, while Father tended to her. But he hadn’t. He’d hidden in the dining room, his little knees tucked up beneath his chin, listening to his mother’s screams. And then that dreaded silence, how it had pounded against his ears.

My fault. Always my fault
.

Maybe he was capable of love, but he’d stopped himself because the risk was too great. He’d lost his mother, his father, the sibling who’d never had a chance to breathe its first breath. What if he lost Emily? His insides recoiled at the thought. He mustn’t care for Emily, mustn’t feel anything for her. It was better this way.

But it was all a lie. He did feel for her.

Strongly.

Emily’s worries vanished in the wake of excitement as he led her through the adjoining door into his bedroom. He pulled back the covers of his bed but prevented her from crawling in. His hands fell heavily on her shoulders.

“Let me undress you.” His voice was rich and dark.

Emily should have refused, but his heavy-lidded gaze robbed her of speech.

She gazed, it seemed, into the eyes of the captivating marauder-turned-duke of her novel.

Godric accepted her silence as consent and turned her back to him as he undid her laces. The gown wilted at her feet.

His fingers deftly untied her stays, plucking them free like a skilled harpist.

Emily shivered, nervous at the intimacy of being undressed. “Have you had much practice at this, Your Grace?” She realized at once what a silly question it was.

“You know my reputation, darling.” He continued after her intake of breath. “But I’ve never been so pleased by it before.”

Emily was certain she would melt into a puddle.

He leaned forward and kissed her, nibbling where her shoulder met her neck. She sagged helplessly into his embrace. Godric caught her before she crumpled to the floor.

“Easy. We aren’t done yet.” He pushed her back so that she leaned against the edge of the bed.

She was down to her chemise and stockings.

Godric knelt before her and patted his right thigh. “Put your left foot here.”

She did as he asked, faint with inner hunger as his hands roved up to her thigh, unfastened the garter, and caught hold of the top of the stocking. He slid it down her leg and placed soft, hot kisses on each inch of skin he bared until he freed her foot entirely. Godric then repeated the ritual with her right foot.

He slid his hands back up her leg and pushed the chemise out of the way so he could lean forward to kiss on the inside of her leg, near her knee.

Emily shivered. She was not prone to swooning, but when Godric sucked on her skin and flicked his tongue, she wavered.

“Are you all right?”

She half-laughed. “If you keep kissing me like that, I’m bound to forget my name…”

“That’s a sign that I’m doing all the right things,” he teased. “I believe you have had enough for one day. Even I am not so villainous as to demand more tonight.” Godric went back into her room and returned with her night rail. Emily turned her back and removed her chemise, and slid the night rail down over her body. When she turned back around, she found Godric watching her, fists clenched.

He nodded towards his bed. “In you go, before I change my mind about only sleeping.”