She jerked her face further away from his, not trusting him one bit. He had an unnerving effect on her at a distance. This close could be dangerous as it had been that night after they left White's.
"You're lying," he threatened with something very near tenderness.
"Oh, for heaven's sake! It's ridiculous anyway. It was only a simple bite, and you deserved it. I have great faith in your powers of recovery." Her eyes widened as she vividly remembered his powers of recovery when he'd made love to her.
Amusement curved the corners of Zach's mouth. "But I still intend to pay you back three times." When her hand again came up against his chest to block the contact of their bodies, he seized her hand.
Elyse closed her eyes. If he was going to do it, she was powerless to stop him, but she wouldn't cry out. She forced herself to concentrate on something else, anything, except the punishment that was to come. Then, she opened her eyes at the contact of his teeth against the soft flesh at the tips of her fingers as he tenderly nibbled a finger then the next, then a third that she could only describe as tender.
"I should have known," she whispered a little too breathlessly.
"Yes, you should have. I would never hurt you." Zach continued the sensual assault at her fingers, until she cried and snatched her hand away to safety.
"You, sir, are too bold."
"A minor point after what we shared."
She took a step back. "I think we should be joining the others."
"Are you forgetting? You've been banned from the party," Zach reminded her. "I believe you were ordered to change your clothes."
"I'm not concerned about the party."
That gray gaze fastened on her. "Why did you agree to the marriage? Surely not because of undying affection for Barrington."
He was a bold one! "I agreed because..." When she would have defended her decision to marry Jerrold, she realized how empty that would have sounded.
"Because of your grandmother's friendship with Lady Barrington?" he speculated.
"No, of course not!" she blurted. "I've known Jerrold for a long time. He comes from an impeccable family, and until this evening I thought he cared a great deal for me." She looked at him then. "I'm not in the habit of discussing my personal life with strangers."
"Your description of Jerrold reminds me of the qualities one might look for in a good hunting dog. And as for our being strangers... I think you would agree that we are not," he pointed out.
She knew what he meant. "Is that the reason you came here? To embarrass me?" She whirled around to leave, to go somewhere, anywhere but here.
His hand closed around her arm. She was so beautiful when she was angry. "That's not the reason." He glanced looked over her shoulder as music drifted to them from the room across the hall. Someone, probably Lady Winslow, had had the foresight to have the musicians begin playing to distract the guests from the confrontation with Barrington.
"Actually, I came to ask you to dance with me."
He was insane. She tried to pull from his grasp. "I certainly don't want to dance with you."
"I thought you might say that. But, you see, I understand you. You're not afraid of anyone or anything. A little gossip certainly won't stop a young woman who parades around in men's pants and rides astride… or steals into a men's club to sneak a peek at what goes on there. As long as they're talking about you, why don't you give them something to really talk about."
"Such as?" She couldn't resist the temptation. Jerrold's nastiness had had a terrible effect on her. In truth, she didn't give a damn about what anyone else thought, except for her grandmother.
"Such as dancing out here with me in the shadows," he suggested with a devilish smile.
"My reputation will be ruined, and Jerrold will be even angrier. I should go upstairs and change."
"Like a good little girl." There was a faintly mocking tone to his voice. "Barrington is already angry, in case you hadn't noticed, and as for your reputation," he placed his hand over his heart. "I cannot tell a lie." He leaned in close. "I have already ruined it. What have you to lose?"
She should have been furious with him. Instead, all she could do was laugh. He was being ridiculous, and he was right. That was the most maddening part of it all.
"If I dance with you, will you leave me alone?"
"You have my solemn vow," he pledged, that hand still over his heart.
"As a pirate?" She couldn't resist. "Not quite trustworthy."
