went through her as she felt the warm hardness of his palm.
„There are many ways I can please your body. Do you like
this?“
She nodded jerkily.
His fingers moved down and found what he sought. His
thumb began a circular, pressing movement.
Her eyes widened. „Nicholas!“ She arched toward him, her
muscles contracting in agonizing pleasure. „It’s – “
„You like it?“
Hot shudders were shaking her body and she gazed up at
him almost blindly. „Yes. Oh, yes. So much.“
„I can see you do.“ His gaze was narrowed on her flushed
face. „It’s such a little thing and so easy to do. I could do it in
the carriage on the way to a ball or behind the bushes in a
garden. All you would have to do is lift your skirts and part
your legs and say ‘Nicholas, pleasure me.’ “
She was panting, her head thrown back, her throat arched
as waves of pleasure cascaded over her.
„I would never say no,“ he whispered. „Because I love to
see your face like this. Do you know how beautiful you are?“
She didn’t answer; she couldn’t answer.
„Of course, it might be dangerous to do it in too public a
place because I’m quite sure this would follow.“ He suddenly
lifted her onto his lap, sheathing his manhood within her in
one swift plunge. Arranging her legs around his hips, he gazed
into her face. „And you would let me. You couldn’t help
yourself.“ He flexed slowly, pressing her so close she could
feel the gentle prickle of his hair against her womanhood.
„Any more than I could stop myself from doing it.“ His hands
cupped her buttocks and squeezed gently. His head bent and
she felt his tongue on her nipples.
„Move, please!“
„Soon.“ He held her firmly against him, nibbling at her
engorged breasts. „I’m trying to make you understand
something, Silver.“ He bit gently. One hand reached between
them and his thumb touched, pressed, rotated while his fingers
teased her like hot fluttering butterflies.
She cried out. „It’s… too… much.“
He froze, his fingers stilling their excitation. „Yes, it is,“ he
said thickly. With one quick movement he fell backward and
then rolled over until he was astride her. He plunged wildly,
almost brutally, in a fever of passion. The pace was
unbearable. Silver was lost in heat and desire. Then it was
over, exploding with the same fiery force as before.
His breath was coming in gasps as he looked down at her.
„You see,“ he said, meeting her eyes. „This is what we’ll have
together, and you cannot deny you want it.“ He bent down and
gently kissed her lips. „Can you, Silver? And this is only the
beginning; it gets better and better until it’s a fever in your
blood. I intend to make sure you never recover from that
fever.“
But what of him? Silver thought with sudden jolt of pain.
She had no doubt that he could enslave her senses with this
physical pleasure, but would she have the same power over
him? What if he tired of her? Men tired easily of women’s
bodies, but she had never known lust before meeting Nicholas.
What if she were one of those foolish women who could not
know lust without love? And if she became his mistress, she
would almost certainly bear his illegitimate children. She
would bring the same shame and hurt to her child as her
mother had brought to her. The thought sent a wild thrill of
panic through her.
He moved off her and then lay down beside her, pulling her
into his arms. „You’ll come with me to Russia.“ His voice was
soft, coaxing. „Say it, Silver.“
Perhaps she was already starting to love him, she thought
frantically. The signs had been there, but she had refused to
read them. No, she must not love him.
„Say it. Silver.“ His long, graceful hand gently stroked her
hair.
She reached desperately for something, anything to break
the spell. „Will you stop looking for Dominic if I go with
you?“
He stiffened against her. „You’re bargaining? No, Silver,
that’s not negotiable.“
„Then there’s no reason for me to go to Russia.“ She tried
to keep her voice careless and unconcerned. „My life is here
and I have things to do with it.“
He was silent for a long moment. „It appears I must
increase my efforts at persuading you.“ His lips brushed her
temple. „It’s fortunate that I have time and intimacy on my
side, isn’t it? And when at last we get back to St. Louis to see
if Dominic has taken the bait, I think you may change your
mind.“
„You’re still not going to let me go?“
His arms tightened around her. „No, did you expect me
to?“
„No, I didn’t expect this to make any difference. I know
you regard the taking of a woman as unimportant.“
Then why did he feel as if he had been lifted and torn from
everything he had ever known? he wondered. Why was he
experiencing anger, tenderness, and bewilderment now, when
he had never felt these emotions toward any other woman?
„Very wise,“ he said. „Then you won’t be disappointed to
know you’re still a prisoner.“
„And you won’t be disappointed to know that I have no
intention of staying a prisoner.“ She nestled nearer, her eyes
closing. „Nothing has really changed.“
His hand stroked her hair with exquisite gentleness. „No,
nothing has really changed.“
She was nearly asleep when she remembered something.
„Your scars… I dug my fingernails in your back. I didn’t hurt
you?“
„The scars are old. They no longer bring me pain.“
No, she thought drowsily, it wasn’t the scars on the outside
that brought the lasting pain….
„Wake up, Silver.“ Nicholas was kneeling beside her,
pulling her into a sitting position. He slipped her arms into the
sleeves of his shirt and rapidly buttoned it. „Lord, you spoke
truth when you said you slept soundly.“
„Why do I have to wake up?“ she asked, yawning.
„It’s dawn and a boat has been launched from the Rose. I
believe we’re about to be rescued.“ He stood up and began
dressing quickly. „I realize you probably have no objections to
being found nude, but I find I have a distinct aversion to the
thought of any man except me seeing you unclothed.“ He
frowned. „Though that shirt is scarcely modest. It doesn’t even
cover your knees.“
She blinked sleepily. „Sorry.“
He suddenly chuckled as he finished fastening his trousers.
„I believe I may enjoy waking you from a sound sleep under
other circumstances. You’re amazingly docile on awakening.“
She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and looked
out at the river. A rowboat was drawing near to the shore and
she was able to identify Valentin and Mikhail manning the
oars of the craft.
She stood up and walked down to the bank. She waved and
called cheerfully, „Good morning. Do you have a bucket in the
boat?“
The prow of the boat bumped against the shore and
Valentin jumped out on the moss-covered bank. „Just a bailing
bucket.“
„That will do.“ She turned to Nicholas. „Will you…“
He sighed. „I should have known you’d wake up hungry.
Can’t you wait until we get back to the Rose?“
„Of course, but this is for later.“
Mikhail and Valentin gazed at Nicholas blankly as he
crossed to the boat to fetch the bucket.
„What are you going to do?“ Valentin asked.
„Raspberries,“ Nicholas answered succinctly. „Stay with
her.“ He disappeared into the shrubbery.
„Raspberries?“ Valentin repeated.
Silver nodded. „Huge, wonderful raspberries. We’ll have