She turned her face away, breaking the seemingly endlesskiss. When she would have disentangled herself from his embrace, he held herfast with the hand that still clung to her waist. He pressed his cheek to hers,his whiskers a not entirely unwanted abrasion on her skin. His nose sank intoher hair just behind her ear as he inhaled deeply of her scent. She tried notto notice that he held her as if she were the last possession he had on earth.
“I need you,” he murmured into her ear, his breath hot, hislips grazing the delicate shell. “You haven’t any idea just how much.”
Maggie squeezed her eyes shut against the tears thatthreatened to fall. So many emotions coursed through her that she couldn’t makesense of what she felt, what she ought to be feeling. Her heart was decidedlyat war with her mind. “I cannot do this,” she managed to say.
“You can.” The hand that had undone her coiffure slid to thenape of her neck, gently caressing. “I won’t lose you, not now.”
“You already have,” she argued, hating herself for sayingthe words, wishing she could recall them the moment they’d been spoken. But itwas necessary, wasn’t it? She had to force him away, keep him at a safedistance while she rediscovered her defenses.
He drew his head back and looked down at her, pinning herwith his gaze. “I haven’t, Maggie. I can feel it in your response to me.”
She wished he wasn’t so perceptive. “I will always treasurethe time we shared, but it’s over now and can never be again.”
“Look in my eyes and tell me that you feel nothing for me,”he demanded, unrelenting in his quest to win the battle if not the war.
She couldn’t. He knew it. Her gaze went past his shoulder, focusingon the oversize desk on the far side of the room. “Please release me.”
He surprised her by doing as she asked, removing his embraceand stepping away from her. She felt the absence of his touch immediately.“I’ll release you for today. But not for forever. You’re mine, and I’m bloodywell going to win you back.”
Wrapping her arms protectively around herself, she turned toflee the room. She couldn’t remain in his presence a moment longer, for if shedid, she feared she would lose herself to him all over again. And surely thatwould be the greatest mistake she’d ever make, even if resisting him wouldprove nearly impossible.
Chapter Ten
Well, good sweet Christ. He was going to have to court hiswife. Simon hadn’t anticipated that. He had expected—foolishly, heacknowledged—a warm homecoming, a happy wife who threw her arms about him andtook him promptly to bed. Instead, he’d been met with a rigid spitfire whorefused to bend even after he’d kissed the bloody hell out of her.
She hadn’t been unmoved, of course. He’d felt it in herresponse to him, the way her body had melted ever so slightly into his. He hadseen her determination wavering in her eyes. But she had remained firm in herresolve to keep him at a distance. In the end, she’d walked out of Nell’sstudy, slamming the door at her back and leaving him in her dust with nothingmore than a hard cock and a battered heart.
But he certainly wasn’t defeated. His gracious hostess hadgiven him a chamber, and he’d had a bath and change of clothes. Admittedly, heshould have seen to the two latter items before striding into Nell’s drawingroom in a frenzy of fury. But he had been desperate, his mind whirling with theimplications of Maggie leaving Denver House for Nell’s den of iniquity, and he hadn’tstopped to think about the vagaries of polite society. It had been foolishnessfueled by a lack of sleep, he realized. He’d been stupid and cruel to her, assthat he was.
Now it was a new day, and he was prepared to undo his firstdisastrous attempt at winning back his wife. He stopped before her chamber doorand delivered a series of loud knocks. He’d learned from Nell that Maggie hadbeen hiding herself away from the company since his arrival the previous day.She hadn’t been to breakfast. It was time for her to emerge from her cocoon.
The door opened to reveal her lady’s maid’s plain, frowningvisage. “My lord?”
“Is Lady Sandhurst within?” he asked, trying not to allowhis irritation to show. He very much felt as if the woman were acting the partof a guard at the castle doors.
The maid blinked. “I’m afraid Lady Sandhurst isn’t receivingvisitors.”
Giving her a frown of his own, he caught the door in hishand lest she attempt to close it on him. “I’m afraid that I’m not a visitor.I’m her husband, and I require an audience with her at once.”
“I’m sorry, my lord.” The woman’s expression went fromdispleased to anxious. “She’s given me express instructions not to allow anyoneto enter.”
“Well, where the devil is she?” Christ, this was borderingon ridiculous. He didn’t appreciate being treated like a vagabond at his wife’sbloody chamber door.
“She’s at her bath,” the maid responded.
The simple sentence brought a host of sensual images tomind. Maggie sleek and glistening, her breasts bare, her glorious red hair downabout her creamy shoulders. He imagined her soaping herself with a cloth, hishand replacing hers, imagined rubbing her stiff nipples. Oh bloody hell. He wasgetting hard already. He forced his mind back to the moment.
“Excellent,” he snapped, putting his shoulder to the doorand creating enough leverage to push the unwanted female aside. He stepped overthe threshold and into Maggie’s chamber.
“But my lord—”
“Your services are no longer needed,” he interrupted hersmoothly. “Her ladyship shall ring if you’re required.”
He could tell the instant she knew she’d been thoroughlyrouted, for her eyes lowered to the floor and her face went ashen. She had beentorn between loyalty to her mistress and the knowledge that he was heremployer, he knew. He had won. She dipped into a curtsy. “Yes, my lord.”
Simon waited for her to hastily exit the chamber beforeturning to the closed door that undoubtedly led to a bathing chamber. And hisnaked wife. His cock twitched. He forced himself to rein in his desire for her.She needed time. Wooing. He had hurt her again, and he understood that. He damnwell couldn’t rush into the room, pull her warm, slippery body from the tub,bend her over, and sink deep inside her sweet cunny. No matter how much hewanted to.
No.
