and he had no intention of changing that now. He was well
aware of the contrast she presented to the rouged and
besatined strumpets surrounding her. It had taken only one
glance to permanently engrave it on his memory. In spite of
the fiery sensuality that was so much a part of her, there was
also a simplicity, a pristine quality about Silver that set her
worlds apart from the company at the table. „It’s that hideous
schoolgirl uniform. I’ll have one of the women send her a
gown to wear tomorrow night.“
„It’s not the – “
„Stop it!“ Silvers voice rang out with bell-like clarity,
instantly capturing the attention of everyone at the table.
„What the devil,“ Nicholas muttered, already halfway out
of his seat.
Silver was standing, glaring down at Bassinger. She
reached for a cooled bottle of wine from a copper bucket
carried by a passing servant. „You don’t listen well. I told you
to stop.“ She held the bottle over the man’s head. „Now!“
The rich red wine poured over Bassinger’s head, streaming
in rivulets down his cheeks, matting his dark hair, and turning
the gray streaks threading it to pale pink. He sat frozen in
disbelief.
Laughter exploded from the other guests at the table,
soaring around Bassinger with a stinging mockery that caused
his pale cheeks to flush with color.
Silver set the empty bottle down on the table. „Now, don’t
do it again.“
Bassinger was pop-eyed with rage and seemed to have
trouble forcing the words from his throat. „You… you…“
Valentin started to his feet. „He’ll kill her.“
„The hell he will.“ Nicholas pushed back his chair and was
striding around the table. In three paces he was beside Silver,
jerking her chair out of the way and grasping her by the elbow.
„I believe it’s time we retired for the evening, my dear. What a
pity. Such a pleasant dinner, don’t you agree, Bassinger?“
He began to propel Silver firmly away from the table and
down the long, carpeted expanse of the saloon. „Don’t fight
me,“ he said in a fierce undertone. „I’m in no mood to kill
Bassinger at the moment. I had something else entirely
planned for tonight.“
„I don’t intend to fight you. Why should I? I don’t mind
leaving the table. I’d already finished dinner.“
He blinked. „You’d already finished…“ He suddenly began
to laugh. He slowly shook his head, his eyes still sparkling
with humor. „Do you usually finish your meals by anointing a
gentleman’s head with fine wine?“
„He wasn’t a nice man,“ she said simply. „He was afraid to
vent his anger on me so he was being cruel to that poor woman
on the other side of him.“
„Cruel?“
„He was pinching her thigh beneath the table.“
His gaze searched her face. „Men often fondle women.
Perhaps she enjoyed it.“
She shook her head. „He was hurting her, but she was too
frightened to stop him. I could see it in her face.“ She
shrugged impatiently. „Stupid woman. She should have been
the one to pour the wine on his head.“
Nicholas opened the door to the stateroom and stood aside
to let her precede him. „You call her stupid, yet you drew
Bassinger’s anger against yourself to protect her.“
Silver entered the cabin. „She was afraid. Sometimes it’s
not easy for women to stand up to men.“ She whirled to face
him. „But he hurt her. Why would he want to hurt her?“
„Some men find it gratifying.“ Nicholas closed the door
and locked it behind him. „I don’t understand it either.“ He
turned to look at her. „Beautiful things should be treated
gently, with the most exquisite care.“
Silver felt suddenly breathless. „Women are not things.“
He bowed slightly. „I stand corrected.“
„But you don’t believe it. You think women are weak and
puny. You think we’re nothing.“
„I’m not such a fool. I believe some women have great
strength.“ He smiled crookedly. „Perhaps the reason men try to
keep women weak is that we know their strength is often used
to subordinate and destroy us.“
„Destroy?“ She shook her head. „I don’t wish to destroy
anyone. I want only to be left alone to go my own way.“
„Impossible.“ His voice was velvet soft. „You’re not a
woman any man would be willing to leave alone. Haven’t you
realized that yet?“
The air in the stateroom was too close, and she couldn’t
breathe. No, the fault was with her, her chest was so tight. She
abruptly turned away. „Sweet words, but you don’t mean
them. You just wish to lure me into fornicating with you.“
„I mean them,“ he said gravely. „But the other is also true.
I’ve never denied my intentions. And I’ve never lied to you.“
No, he had always told her the truth, she thought, even
when a lie would have served him better. It was a realization
that disconcerted her. Honesty was the virtue she admired
above all others, and she didn’t want to admit even to herself
that Nicholas possessed that quality. „Go away. I’m tired.
Good night.“
He chuckled. „You’re nothing if not direct.“ His smile held
an entrancing sweetness. „Aren’t you going to undress for me
again?“
„No.“
He lifted a brow. „Why not? Don’t you want to see me
suffer? Are you softening by any chance, Silver?“
Her gaze rose swiftly to meet his. „I’m not softening. I just
want you to leave.“
„And I will leave.“ He moved across the room and stood
before her. „As soon as I tuck you into bed.“ He reached up
and began to slowly unbutton her shirtwaist. „I told you I
intended to act as lady’s maid, remember? Surely you’re not
afraid?“
„I’m not afraid.“ Silver lowered her gaze to his swift,
clever fingers unfastening her blouse. His knuckles were
lightly grazing her breast with every move, and that light touch
was causing a most peculiar sensation. Her breasts felt as if
they were swelling, tautening more with each passing second.
She moistened her lips with her tongue. „I don’t fear anything
you can do to me, but I don’t need your help.“
„I think you are afraid,“ he taunted softly, pausing to look
at her. „Or you’d be willing to let me have my way in this.“
She drew a deep breath and then lifted one shoulder in a
half shrug. „Go ahead. It means nothing.“ She tried to keep all
expression from her voice. „Be quick about it. I wish to go to
bed.“
„Very quick.“ His fingers left the half-unbuttoned
shirtwaist and with two swift movements stripped away her
waist-length jacket and tossed it aside. „You see, I obey your
every command.“ He finished unbuttoning her shirtwaist and
pushed it down over her shoulders and then slipped it off
entirely. „Much faster than you would do it yourself.“ His
fingers deftly untied the satin ribbons of her bodice and
pushed the straps of her camisole from her shoulders. „Let me
see, this was the way you did it last night, wasn’t it?“ His gaze
was fastened on the thin muslin clinging to the tips of her
breasts. „But there’s something different, isn’t there?“
She could feel the furnace heat of his body reaching out to
touch her like a burning brand. She took a deep breath and the
male scent of him surrounded her in a sensual haze. „I see
nothing… different.“
„Perhaps I’m mistaken.“ He slid the camisole down, down,