“No!”
Not waiting to hear anything more, she stepped out of his arms mid-turn and walked away, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the dance floor.Whispers and giggles followed her as she worked her way through the crowd and out of the ballroom until she was nearly running down the stairs to the foyer below.
Within seconds, she was out the front doors of the Belgrave Square townhouse, hearing the dismayed cries of the footman trailing behind her and across the street into the park before she stopped to catch her breath.The voices and music from the ball faded away until all she could hear was the blood pounding in her veins.Blissful darkness surrounded her, hiding the tears that splashed onto her cheeks...reminding her of another night when Harry Brudenall had sent her running into the darkness with her tears warring with her anger.
* * *
“What on earth are youdoing?”Aylesbury asked harshly as he caught up with her and caught Fiona’s arm to pull her to a halt.“You cannot simply abandon your dance partner in the middle of a waltz like a...”
“Spoiled brat?”she finished for him, refusing to look at him as she dashed away any evidence of tears with the back of her hand.“It is what you always thought of me, is it not?Why should tonight be any different?”
“I only called you such when you acted like one,” he returned more evenly.“Now come back inside.”
“Why?So you cancourtme some more?”She had to wring every drop of resolve she possessed in her heart to summon such scorn to her voice.“I don’t want you to court me.I don’t want any of this.I just want to go back home to Glen Cairn and...”
His lips covered hers in a swift, hard kiss.
“What are you doing?”
Aylesbury caught her tightly in his arms, forcing her to either tilt her head back or bury her face in his cravat.His face was just inches away when she looked up, his lips hovering over hers.“Seems the best way to shut you up.”
Then his lips were on hers once more, tenderly this time seeking pleasure, not punishment.Exploration, not ravishment.Helpless against the tender onslaught, Fiona clung dizzily to his broad shoulders as the passion of her temper gave way to heated desire.
His mouth left hers, leaving her gasping for air as his lips moved across her cheek to the sensitive flesh behind her ear.“Yes, my love.”
Then, his lips captured hers once more.
It took a moment for his words to reach her through the haze of passion fogging her, a moment longer for her to truly hear them.But when she finally did, they pounded in her mind much as he had her blood pounding in her veins.
My love.My love.My love.
Except that she wasn’t.Despite his nonsense about courting her now, there was a past between them that Fiona found impossible to forget.Refused to forget lest Harry break her heart all over again.
She feebly wedged her arms between them, and he immediately dropped his hold on her.He would force his company upon her, but she knew he wasn’t the sort to force physical contact.Even knowing that it took a few seconds more for her to break the contact of their lips.
“No.”The weakly voiced protest emerged as more of a breathless sigh when she finally did, even if it was only to tilt her head to the side.He took advantage, raking his teeth lightly down her neck.
“Are you sure?”His breath warmed her, sending a shiver of delight down her spine when he cupped her bottom with one hand and pressed the hard length of his desire against her.
Her head swam once more, but Fiona refused to surrender to the pure carnal hunger that thrilled her body.“Stop it,” she cried breathlessly as she struggled against him, and again, his hold loosened without protest.“What are you doing?I told you before that you had your chance years ago.Your time is past.”
“My love, our time is just beginning.Why can’t you see that?”
“I am not your love.Stop calling me that,” she demanded, stepping back and holding a hand up between them to halt his pursuit.“I told you, didn’t I?Didn’t I tell you that you’d had your chance?That you would not get another?”
“Words said in anger,” Aylesbury reminded.“At a time when we both said things we regret.Things have changed.”
“No, they haven’t,” she insisted.“Nothing’s changed.”
“Everything has changed.Fiona, I want to marry you.”
Her mouth gaped in surprise.He’d said he was courting her, but somehow, she hadn’t connected the dots from courting to marriage.Her contrary heart soared with pleasure, but rage irrationally followed.How dare he?Now?
“Marry me?How can you possibly say that?Ten minutes ago, you were merely courting me.”
“Didn’t want to frighten you off.”
“Well, you have.”
