He strode toward her then, breaking the unseen barrier he’dbuilt between them. “It’s no longer the same between us now.”
“I saw how you touched her,” she countered, not wanting topress the issue for fear of what he might reveal and how deeply it would hurt,yet unable to keep her tongue still. “It was very familiar.” She hated thehitch in her voice.
“I can’t deny what has already come to pass.” He stoppedbefore her, his scent wafting over her and rendering her heart even weaker thanit already was. “You know she and I were once very close.”
“A very old and very dear friend,” she repeated his wordsfrom Lady Needham’s ball, unable to keep the bitterness from her tone. “Shebroke your heart. It was her choice to end things, not yours. And now she’sback as if she was never gone at all.”
He searched her eyes. “All that you’ve said is true.”
A sharp pang of pain sliced through her heart. She spun onher heel, unable to face him for a moment longer. Did he not understand howmuch this killed her inside? She felt as if she were a delicate flower that hadjust been crushed beneath an unforgiving boot. “Please be kind enough to carryon your affair elsewhere. I cannot live beneath the same roof knowing you’remaking love to her.” She pressed a hand to her lips as she stopped before thewindow, staring without seeing into the gardens below. Humiliating tearspricked her eyes and she furiously blinked, refusing to allow them to fall.
Simon had followed her. He settled a hand upon her waist,branding her even through the layers of her linen and silk. “Look at me.”
“No,” she denied, afraid she would embarrass herselffurther. It was bad enough that he didn’t care for her, but she feared she’dbeen falling in love with him. Her heart couldn’t withstand much more hurt.
“Maggie, please.” He gripped her with both hands then,forcibly turning her. “Look at me.”
She bit her lip and stared at the floor. “Get out of thischamber. I’m begging you. Leave me what little pride I have.”
He caught her chin and tipped it up so that she had nochoice but to meet his gaze. “I promised you a month, and I intend to keep thatpromise.”
If he sought to reassure her, he was failing miserably. Shewas confused by him. He touched her as if he cared and yet he had touched LadyBillingsley in the same manner. What did he want? She couldn’t tell. Perhaps itwould be best to give him his freedom. After all, when had promises ever trulymattered between the two of them?
She knew as well as he that they had not. He would neverhave touched her if he’d known who she was that evening at Lady Needham’s. He’dnever intended to make her his wife. After all, he had always loved another.
Maggie was numb. “I release you. You only have a fortnightremaining. I won’t hold you to it.”
“Damn you, I don’t want to be released. Why are you pushingme away?” His voice was a low, velvety growl.
She stared. “I can’t watch you with her. It hurts too much.”
“I don’t want her,” he said, cupping her face in his palm.“I want you.”
She was too afraid to believe him. “For how long? The nextfew days? The next few hours? Wanting is not enough any longer.”
“I don’t know.” He sounded as frustrated and lost as shefelt. “I never desired a wife, damn you.”
His words stung. “Then you should never have married me.”
“That’s not what I meant to say.” He paused, running a handthrough his hair yet again. “I had to marry you to save the estates from ruin.My father left me with quite a burden of debt when he died and finally I wasforced to act. I married you because I had no other choice.”
This was not particularly news to her. She crossed her armsin a defensive posture. “I knew that, Simon. I’m no fool. I may have initiallythought differently, but it became apparent. People do talk, after all. Iunderstand that you hated me because of that, but what I don’t understand iswhy I must be punished for something over which I had no control.”
“I’m not punishing you. I’m trying to explain that I’mgiving you as bloody much of myself as I can.” He dragged her against his hardchest. “A mere month ago, you never entered my thoughts, and now you’re all Ican damn well think about.”
His admission moved her despite herself. She could clearlysee that he was wrestling with his attraction to her. Very likely, had theynever crossed paths behind the safety of anonymity as Lady Needham’s, she neverwould have broken down the wall he kept around himself. But they had, and sheliked to think that the passion they’d shared since that fateful night meant asmuch to him as it did to her.
“I can’t stay away from you,” he murmured, his gaze loweringto her lips.
“Then don’t.” If only their lives were that unencumbered.But they were helplessly mired in a world more interested in money than love. Aworld more interested in the cut of a coat than the contents of a heart.
But Simon didn’t seem about to allow her to wallow in herheavy thoughts. He was looking at her as if he wanted to consume her. Suddenly,thoughts of their unwanted visitor flitted from her mind, paling in comparisonto the raw hunger she saw reflected on his face. A swift stab of heat coursedthrough her. There was only one thing she could do. She stood on her tiptoesand pressed a kiss to his sculpted mouth.
He growled and angled his lips over hers, deepening the kisswith his tongue. His hands went to her bodice, tearing open the tiny line offabric-covered buttons down the front. She didn’t care if they tore the entiredress into shreds. She was as desperate as he, every bit as ravenous for him.She fumbled to help him pull it open to her corset cover.
He broke the kiss. “Damn it, you’ve got to stop wearing somany bloody undergarments,” he grumbled. “Getting you naked shouldn’t takelonger than completing an eight-course meal.”
She grinned at him, swatting his hands away to undo thefastenings on her corset cover as well. She managed to undo the first few hooksand eyes before he lost patience once more, pulling it apart to reveal herchemise. He pulled that thin scrap of linen down and bowed his head to suck anipple into his hot, wet mouth.
