no use to you as a gown after I ripped it off you.“ He reached
for his white shirt. „Sit up.“
She obediently sat up and put her arms in the sleeves as he
held his shirt for her. „Why do I have to put on clothes when
you don’t?“
„Because I don’t pose the same temptation.“ He rapidly
buttoned the shirt. „I haven’t the slightest doubt I’ll be taking
this off you very soon, but there are a few questions I want to
put to you first.“
He was wrong, she thought dreamily, he posed a temptation
that was almost irresistible now that she knew what pleasure
he could give her. „I’ve made a decision.“
„Indeed?“
„I’ve decided I like doing what we just did better than
smelling woodsmoke or eating raspberries or tasting
honeysuckle.“ She smiled. „Better than anything.“
His lips tightened. „You seem to have no apprehensions
about yielding your virginity.“
„I didn’t yield it. I gave it. I chose to do so, and you gave
me much pleasure.“ She smiled. „Thank you.“
He stared at her incredulously. „You’re speaking as if I’d
just given you a handful of those raspberries. I deflowered you,
dammit!“
„I told you I liked it far better than raspberries,“ she said,
her eyes twinkling. „I regret I’m not duly dismayed.“
„Why should I expect anything else?“ he asked caustically.
„Perhaps Apaches are as casual about discarding their virginity
as they are their clothing.“
„No, virginity is just as revered among the Apaches as it is
among the whites. Why do you think my mother was forced to
leave her tribe when she lay with Boyd Delaney? There was
shame upon her head.“ She gazed at him curiously. „Why are
you so angry? You told me this was what you wanted from me
from the very first moment we met. Now you have what you
want and you’re still not content.“
„Because you were a virgin, dammit.“ He grated the words
out through set teeth. „You weren’t supposed to be a virgin.
The reports I received said you were lying with one of those
damn circus performers. The knife thrower, I think.“
„Sebastien? He is my friend; all the people of the circus are
my friends. Except Monteith, the man who owns the circus. I
would not have him for a friend.“
„I don’t give a damn about your friends at the moment. I
want to know about your lovers. The Randall Investigative
Agency told me – “
„They are obviously fools.“ She shrugged. „You should
have hired Pinkerton.“
„I agree. For some reason they wouldn’t accept my
retainer.“
„If you told them you wanted to find Dominic, it’s not
surprising. Dominic pays them very well to protect Elspeth.
They would not have wanted to lose his business.“
„Protect Elspeth?“ He sat back on his heels. „Why – “ He
stopped and drew a deep breath. „Later. I’m not interested in
anything right now but why the Delaneys allow you to
frequent brothels and run around unprotected when you are – “
he stopped to change the word – „ were as untouched as any of
those schoolgirls at Mrs. Alford’s nunnery. They should have
guarded you from – “
„Men like you?“ she finished calmly.
His dark eyes flashed. „I’m no thief. I don’t rob virtuous
women of their purity. How was I to know you were
untouched? You talk of whorehouses and bare your body with
a boldness I’ve seldom seen from any woman.“
„You did not rob me. Why are you so upset?“
He stared at her in frustration. „Damnation, because you’re
not!“
She threw back her head and laughed. „You wish me to
weep and wail? Why should I? I enjoyed what you did to me.“
„I know you did,“ he muttered. „I’ve never known a
woman so responsive. You were…“ A firebird soaring,
passionate, beautiful. „Why didn’t you fight me? A woman’s
life can be ruined by letting herself be seduced.“
„You didn’t seduce me.“ She gazed at him with a touch of
impatience. „Why do you keep saying that? It was my choice
to lie with you tonight, and I will be the one who walks away.“
„Walk away?“ His eyes widened in shock. „What in hell
are you talking about?“
„Men fornicate with women and leave them with no more
thought than if they were flowers they had picked by the
roadside. Why should women not do the same?“
„Because that’s not the way of the world. Because women
don’t – “ he broke off. Womenkind in general might not, but
Silver was capable of anything. A sudden searing jealousy tore
through him. „I find I don’t like the idea of being discarded so
summarily, and I most certainly won’t permit you to go about
picking other ‘flowers’ by the wayside.“
„I didn’t say I wished to fornicate with other men,“ Silver
said. „You’re the first man I’ve desired in that way. Perhaps I
will not find another who pleases me.“
„I don’t believe I’ll risk the chance of your discovering
one.“ My God, the woman was talking about leaving him!
Possessiveness, jealousy, outrage, and an odd hurt invaded
him. „Now that I’ve shown you how much you enjoy it. I’m
sure you’ll want to indulge your appetite to the fullest. You’re
the most passionate woman I’ve ever had, and I have no
intention of letting you permit any other man to satisfy you.“
„Permit?“ Silver asked with dangerous softness.
„You’ll return with me to St. Petersburg. I’ll take very good
care of you. I’ll buy you a fine house and jewels fit for an
empress.“ He paused. „But you’ll belong to no man but me.“
„Or?“ she asked curiously. „What if I took a lover?“
He smiled. „I would take great pleasure in emasculating
him and then quite probably I would kill him.“
He meant it, Silver realized, gazing at him in bewilderment.
There was no question that he would eliminate any man she
permitted in her bed. Yes, Nicholas would be as possessive of
his mistress as he would his wife. Fierce pain, as intense as it
was unexpected, seared her. Why should she feel like this,
when she had known there was no question of Nicholas
offering her more than this arrangement? Men did not offer
half-breeds marriage. „I don’t want your fine house or your
jewels. I won’t be your mistress, Nicholas.“
„Oh, but you will.“ His smile deepened. „You may not
want a house and jewels, but I can give you something you do
want very much.“ He began to unbutton the shirt he had so
recently fastened. „Something you like better than woodsmoke
or honeysuckle.“ He pushed aside the edges of the shirt to
gaze at her. „Or even raspberries.“
Silver felt a flood of heat wash over her, igniting a tingling
between her thighs. His eyes were caressing her, moving over
her with possessiveness and desire, lingering on her breasts
and then moving down to the soft hair guarding her
womanhood. The muscles of her stomach clenched and she
suddenly couldn’t breathe.
His gaze didn’t lift as he continued softly, „You have a
splendid appetite, Silver, and I’ll keep you well fed and
purring. You want me right now, don’t you?“
Silver moistened her lips with her tongue. „Yes.“
„Then come here and let me pleasure you.“
She moved the few inches to where he sat, her gaze on the
magnificent rigidity of his manhood. Beautiful. Everything
about him was beautiful, his face, his body, and most of all the
radiantly sensual expression lighting his face.
His hand slowly began petting her. A shiver of excitement