„He meant it.“ Mikhail Kuzdief had paused beside her and
was gazing down at her, his deep brown eyes oddly
sympathetic. „And he is not mad, only a little wild. Still, it
would be better if you ran away.“
„Why?“ She looked at him in surprise.
„Nicholas is used to getting what he wants,“ the big
Cossack said simply. „But if you are not here…“He shrugged.
„He saw you only once. Maybe – “
„Why are you warning me?“ Silver asked curiously.
„Because I think Nicholas is right. You do not belong
among the tame hens in this place.“ His gaze gravely searched
her face. „But I am not sure you belong anywhere else either.“
She flinched. „If I don’t, I’ll make my own place.“
A faint smile touched Mikhail’s lips. „Yes, that is what we
must do.“
„We?“
„I also belong nowhere.“ He put on his big black sheepskin
hat and turned toward the door. „Except with Nicholas. I have
warned you, but my loyalty is to him.“ The glance he gave her
over his shoulder was sober. „Always.“ He strode out of the
parlor.
Nicholas was waiting for him in the carriage and cast him
an amused glance as he climbed into the carriage. „You
warned her?“
„Yes.“ Mikhail closed the door of the carriage and settled
himself across from Nicholas.
„Do you think she will heed your warning?“
„No.“
The carriage started to move, the horses hooves echoing on
the cobblestone street.
„Neither do I.“ Nicholas leaned back on the leather seat.
„Thank God. I believe I would be ready to break your head if
you’d made it difficult for me.“
Mikhail looked at him in surprise. He had known Nicholas
since they were children, and one woman had always been
much the same as another to him. He had assumed it was the
rebellious defiance of Silver Delaney that had caused him to
react so explosively. Now, as Mikhail studied Nicholas more
closely, he was conscious of something else. „You want her
that much?“
„That much.“ Nicholas closed his eyes. „God, I’m so damn
hard, my guts are twisting.“
„We will be back at the levee soon. I’ll fetch one of the
women to your cabin. Which one do you want?“
None. He wanted none of them, Nicholas realized with
amazement. He wanted Silver Delaney or no one. What kind
of a spell had she woven over him? He didn’t answer for a
long, time, his gaze on the neat little hedges that bordered the
equally neat little houses lining the street. „We’ll be leaving St.
Louis tonight. Tell Robert to be ready to cast off by nine
o’clock.“
Mikhail nodded.
„I’m taking Silver Delaney with me.“ Nicholas’s gaze
shifted to Mikhail’s face. „You don’t have to help if you
choose not to do so.“
„I will help,“ Mikhail said quietly. „I will send her carriage
away and be waiting for her when she leaves to go to the
circus tonight.“ He paused. „But I want to do it alone. The
more men there are, the more chance that she will be hurt. I…
I like her, Nicholas. Do not hurt her.“
„Rape?“ Nicholas made a face. „My God, when have I ever
raped a woman? I have no taste for using violence on any
woman.“
But Nicholas had never been placed in a position where
force was necessary, Mikhail thought worriedly, he’d only had
to smile or speak sweetly and women flocked to his bed. But
Silver Delaney was not’a woman who would yield without a
struggle. She would be as fierce as the women of his own
people. „I would like your promise.“
Nicholas looked at him in surprise. „What the hell is wrong
with you? I told you what Bentsen reported on Silver Delaney.
The girl is no blushing virgin. There have been men aplenty
between her thighs.“ His expression hardened. „And she stood
there and watched while they hung Andre.“
Mikhail merely gazed at him, not speaking.
„Oh, very well,“ Nicholas said with exasperation. „You
have my promise. I’ll not force her no matter how much I’m
provoked. Satisfied?“
Mikhail nodded.
Nicholas slowly shook his head. „Why are you so
concerned?“
„I do not know. You are right, she is probably able to take
care of herself, even with you, Nicholas.“
„Exactly,“ Nicholas said. But would Silver Delaney want to
protect herself? He had known a plethora of passionate women
and had learned to recognize the signs when he saw them.
Silver Delaney possessed a potential for fiery sensuality
greater than any he had ever encountered before. If he wasn’t
mistaken, it would take very little to arouse her to the point
where she would be pleading for him to come into her.
Just the thought of her lying in his bed, her arms
outstretched with yearning, sent an aching heat to his groin.
His heart was suddenly slamming hard and fast against the
wall of his chest. Tonight. He drew a deep harsh breath and
tried to relax. Damnation, he didn’t know if he could wait until
tonight.
Silver moved slowly, heavily, through the arch of the parlor
entrance toward the curving staircase. She must get to her
small room on the third floor, she must close the door, close
out what had happened between her and Nicholas Savron.
„Silver.“ Mrs. Alford’s dulcet tones rang through the hall.
„I do hope nothing is amiss with your family. No one has
suffered an illness?“ The headmistress’ pale blue eyes were
bright with curiosity as she hurried forward. „His highness
was most insistent on speaking to you alone or I would have
been there to support you.“
Silver gazed at her blankly. She had never heard that note
of concerned sweetness in Mrs. Alford’s voice in the two years
she’d been under her roof. At least, not when the woman was
addressing her. „No, there’s been no illness.“
„Then perhaps it would be proper to invite his highness to
dinner. It would be a social coup of the first order to entertain
Prince Nicholas. You have no idea how prestigious it would be
for the academy. I’ve just been speaking to Miranda’s mother
and she says the entire city is in a tizzy about his arrival.
Rumor has it that he’s fabulously wealthy and his mother is a
favorite at the court of the tsar.“
So he hadn’t been lying; Nicholas Savron was truly a
prince. The thought sent an unexplainable rush of
disappointment through her. Why should it matter? Nicholas
was only an extraordinarily handsome young man who had
spoken words of lust to her. Such words had been spoken
before and been stopped by the little knife she always carried
with her. The knife could stop Nicholas also, perhaps he would
be even easier to discourage. His exquisite attire and cultured
manners could reflect a will that was equally soft.
„Silver! You’re not listening to me.“
„What?“ Silver glanced absently at Mrs. Alford’s
displeased face. „Oh, no, I’m not.“ She started up the stairs.
„And no, I won’t invite Nicholas Savron to dinner.“
„You won’t invite his highness?“ The woman’s voice was
outraged.
„No,“ Silver said again, even more clearly. „I will not see
him again.“
She heard the headmistress’ indignant gasp and then
proceeded to ignore the woman as she climbed the stairs.
He was gone. Why did she still see his face before her? She
had behaved so stupidly. Pray God he hadn’t noticed the effect
he’d had on her. She had blushed and trembled like one of the
giggling ninnies who were her classmates. He had smiled at
her with that wicked golden charm and she had felt a melting
somewhere deep within her. She had wanted to reach out and
touch him, run her fingers over the clean outline of his upper
lip and then up the broad plane of his jaw and perhaps – What
was she thinking? Of course she did not want to touch him.
She had always found it difficult to touch any person with
affection.
Yet, if she had wanted to touch Nicholas Savron, it could
mean only one thing. Lust. She was beset by the same malady
that was common to all young animals, the same fever that had
driven her mother to lie with Boyd Delaney. Fear shivered
through her as she remembered how strong had been the
response of her body as she stood before Nicholas. She had
never dreamed how terribly strong that response could be. She
must fight it. Who should know better than she how dangerous
lust could be? She had lived all her days on the fringe of life as
punishment for her mother’s yielding to that siren call. But she
was stronger than her mother; she’d had to fight to prevent
herself being crushed by the contempt of both Apache and
white. She could close her ears to that siren call even when
sung by a golden warlock.
Good Lord, the man was actually a danger to Dominic. A
Russian prince could not be Durbin’s pawn as she had first
assumed, but Dominic had made many enemies during his
years on the run. It was entirely possible Savron could be one
of them. He wanted to use her only for his body’s pleasure and
to get the information he wanted from her. She had no
intention of letting him reach either goal.
No, under no circumstances would she ever see Prince
Nicholas Savron again.