moistened her lips with her tongue. „I told you, Indians have a
more sensible attitude toward their bodies than whites. It
meant nothing to me.“
He suddenly dropped to his knees before her, his gaze
searching her face. „I think you’re not telling me the truth,“ he
said softly. „I think you wanted me to touch you as much as I
wanted to touch you last night. Would you like me to tell you
what I was thinking as I watched you? I was thinking I’d never
seen a more magnificent woman in all my life. I was thinking
your breasts were like perfectly shaped golden melons, firm,
solid, generous – just meant for a man’s hands. I was thinking
I’d like to lift your breasts to my mouth and suck until those
pink nipples were flame-red and hard.“ His eyes were riveted
to her rounded fullness beneath the prim white bodice. „As
hard as I was.“
„You’re talking foolishness.“ Her voice sounded choked
even to her own ears. She wanted to look away but she
couldn’t seem to pull her gaze from his face. „I wouldn’t have
let you – “
„And I was thinking how I’d like to run my hand down
your body.“ His gaze dropped to her lap, demurely draped in
the gabardine skirt. „I want to tangle my fingers in those soft
curls and tug and tease until you open your thighs and
welcome me. Then I’d press my thumb on your – “
„Stop!“ Her voice was shaking and she had to take a deep
breath to steady it. What was he doing to her? He hadn’t
touched her, yet her body felt heavy with an aching sensuality,
her breasts swollen and sensitive. She suddenly wanted to tear
open her shirtwaist and free her breasts. She wanted his hands
lifting and fondling her, his mouth – No, she must not, she
thought desperately. „Go away. I don’t want you here.“
He sat back on his heels and smiled. „Oh, yes, you want me
here. And you want me to carry you to that bed and drive into
you again and again and – “
„No. No, I don’t.“ She pressed back against the tufted
cushions of the chair, her cheeks singeing with color. „Why
should I? You’re nothing to me.“
„Except a man who can please you.“ His gaze narrowed on
her face. „A man who can stop you from burning. Because you
are burning, Silver.“
Her breasts were lifting and falling with every breath as she
tried to force air into her lungs. Move away, she thought
dizzily. Though not touching her, he was still too close. She
could feel the heat of his strong male body and caught the
scent of soap and musk she was learning to recognize as his
own.
„I’m not burning,“ she protested.
„Yes, you are.“ His face lit with a strange tenderness as he
smiled at her. „But don’t worry, I’m not going to let you burn
for long.“ His smile deepened to ruefulness. „I couldn’t. I
thought I wanted to punish you, but I decided last night it
would only be punishing myself. I’m much too selfish to do
anything so idiotic.“ He rose lithely to his feet and looked
down at her. „I also decided that next time I would act as a
lady’s maid when you chose to disrobe in front of me. You
shouldn’t mind my assistance.“ His dark eyes were suddenly
dancing with mischief. „After all, nudity is nothing to you, and
I’ve promised to restrain my lustful nature.“ He paused.
„Unless you issue an invitation.“
She tilted her head back to look up at him. She didn’t dare
speak, for she knew her voice would tremble, but she refused
to lower her eyes or avoid his glance.
He nodded and for a moment there was a flicker of both
admiration and pride in his expression. „Later.“ He turned and
walked toward the door. „It will be all the better if we both
think about it for a while. I just wanted you to know what I
would be thinking when I looked at you this evening.“ He
opened the door and glanced back at her. „I’ve decided that
since you seem to have such a distaste for being confined,
there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have dinner with our
guests. They may be a trifle disreputable, but a woman of your
background shouldn’t be uncomfortable in their presence.
Dinner is at eight. Valentin will escort you to the table.“
Silver breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed softly
behind him. She was tingling, trembling, and her heart was
pounding crazily. And he had been aware of his effect on her,
dammit. She should have known she wouldn’t be able to hide
her emotions from him. She had never been good at subterfuge
even as a child. When she had tried to hide her loneliness and
fear behind a wall of defiance, Rising Star had always been
able to see right through the deceit to the terrified child. Now
this golden-haired satyr was reading her just as easily as her
aunt had.
No, that was not true. He was aware only of her body’s
response, not the responses of her heart and soul. Even if her
body betrayed her, she could still keep from yielding him
anything else. He would never know the curious aching
tenderness she had experienced when he had thrown back his
head and laughed so joyously, nor her wistfulness when she
had watched him with Mikhail and Valentin. Those reactions
had both been madness and she would not acknowledge that
they had existed for more than a fleeting moment.
She rose from the chair and wandered over to the window
to gaze out at the bluffs bordering the banks of the river.
According to what Robert had revealed to her, she might not
have long to worry about Nicholas or her reactions to him. The
Mississippi Rose would proceed down a channel almost in the
middle of the river for the next twenty-four hours. Then the
boat would have to bear toward the western shore to avoid a
chain of sandbars. Even a strong swimmer would have
difficulty making it to shore now, but the distance would be
cut in half tomorrow evening when the Rose veered around the
sandbars. She must only make sure she was not locked in the
stateroom or surrounded by Nicholas’s guests when that time
came. Her hand clenched on the peach-colored velvet of the
heavy curtains. It shouldn’t be too difficult, much easier and
less dangerous than spending another day with Nicholas.
Oh, yes, far less dangerous than staying with Nicholas
Savron.
5
Valentin stood in the doorway, his gaze traveling over Silver
from the top of her dark head to the tips of her sensible patent
leather boots. He bowed gracefully. „You look as fresh as a
spring daffodil.“
„I look no different than I did this afternoon.“ Silver
touched the bodice of her white shirtwaist. „I have nothing
else to wear. Not that I would have changed for dinner
anyway. Why should I care what you all think of me?“ She
came toward him, her back very straight, her carriage majestic.
„I didn’t choose to come here.“
Valentin grimaced as he looked down at his own elegant
attire. „Ah, such confidence. I’m afraid I’ve always relied
upon my tailor to lend me boldness when facing a social
evening.“
Silver smiled. It was difficult to believe Valentin could be
anything but confident in any situation. „I have a confession to
make.“
„Wonderful, I love to hear lovely women’s confessions. I
do hope it’s shocking.“
She lowered her voice to a whisper. „I did scrub my face
and brush my hair.“
Valentin’s laugh rang out. „A touch of vanity at last.“ He
offered her his arm. „Since we’re obviously kindred spirits,