“I want to address what happened last night. I want to apolog—”
Susanna put a finger to his lips. “Don’t. I shall be very cross with you if you apologize.”
“But—” His lips moved against her finger.
“Miles.” She removed her finger. “I don’t want you to regret coming into the room last night because everything that followed was amazing and erotic and exactly what I needed.”
“I can’t help but feel as though I took advantage of you. Acting on my own carnal impulses with an innocent. If your father knew he would put a hole through me with his pistol and I wouldn’t blame him.”
Susanna crossed her arms and huffed. “Men and their ideas about what is right and wrong for all of womankind. Don’t I get a say about with whom I share my body?”
Miles’s mouth opened and closed but no response came. Susanna twisted, grabbed his face with both hands, and kissed him. The only way to get through to him would be with actions not words. She would use this attraction between them to make him realize he couldn’t live without her. She pressed her lips to his firmly until she felt him melt, his lips softened and he kissed her back. She licked teasingly at one corner of his mouth and he groaned. His arms encircled her waist as his tongue tangled with hers. Susanna threaded her fingers in his hair and tugged sharply.
“Isn’t this worth exploring? Will you let me seduce you?” she murmured against his mouth.
“Dear God, woman, you already have.” His lips gentled. He nibbled at her bottom lip placing small kisses one after another in between nips. His hand came up to cup her cheek, almost as if to hold her in place as he explored her mouth with lips and tongue and teeth. Susanna closed her eyes letting his kisses seep into her like warm honey. Gone was the urgency to consume him, replaced by this slow seduction of her senses. The scent of cloves surrounded her, his thumb brushed against her cheek, his lips firm and warm slid against hers inviting her to respond in kind.
“Miles,” she breathed his name.
“Hmmm?”
“Perhaps we could explore this further this week. While we are on holiday.”
He pulled back abruptly. “Are you asking to have an affair just while we are on holiday? Will you go home and marry the Scot after warming my bed all week?”
His furious tone slapped her in the face. That wasn’t what she had meant at all. She didn’t want to only warm his bed. She wished to warm his heart. “I g-guess I thought we might enjoy each other’s company while we had the opportunity. I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“You have no idea what I want then.” Miles closed his eyes briefly. “Listen, I do not want to argue.” He ran the back of his fingers down the side of her cheek. “I saw you have your book with you. Will you read to me?”
Susanna nodded. She had said the wrong thing. Blast her mouth. Why did she feel the need to express every thought she had? Glancing over at him she saw Miles suck in a deep breath and straighten in his posture. His gaze stayed firmly forward as he stared out the front window. What a clumsy start to her plan to seduce him. With a small sigh she reached for her book.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Several hours later,the sound of horses’ hooves at a gallop clattered outside. Startled, Susanna looked out as three riders rode up next to the carriage. Stuart Kinrade’s face appeared at the window and her heart thundered in her chest. No, she must be mistaken. He was in London performing at Astley’s.
“It’s her. Stop the carriage!” A gun shot rang out.
Two riders flanked the horses pulling the chaise. One pointed a pistol at the postilion. The horses slowed. Miles leaned forward and his hand felt along under the seat. “Highwaymen,” he spit out.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he pushed her legs over to search under the seat behind her skirts.
“Hoping there is a pistol stashed underneath here. Damn it!” He faced her. “Listen to me. Do not get out of this chaise no matter what. Stay inside.”
The carriage door was flung open and a pistol pointed in at them. “Get out,” a voice shouted.
Miles gave her a stern look then stepped outside. He held his hands up in front of him. “We will give you whatever money you require. There is no need to involve the lady.”
He was shoved roughly and disappeared from her view behind the chaise. Through the front window she saw one of the men pull the postilion off his horse and push him to the ground. He tied the man’s hands behind his back with a length of rope before striding to the back of the chaise.
Then Stuart appeared in the open doorway. “Oh, the lady is very much involved. She is what we came for you see.” He held out his hand.
Susanna slid as far back as she could. “What are you doing Stuart?” she whispered furiously. Behind the chaise men grunted and swore, then there was the unmistakable slap of a fist against flesh as though someone had been struck. Stuart glanced back. “Oh dear, Susanna he is a fierce one. Do come out before we are forced to shoot him.”
“You wouldn’t. You are no murderer, Stuart.” Her voice wavered. Stuart’s eyes burned bright with madness. She had never seen such a deranged expression as he waved the pistol around.
“Perhaps, but my colleagues are not so worried about things like that. Exactly the reason I hired them. Now come out or your precious marquess gets a bullet in the head.”
She wouldn’t let Miles be harmed by her mistakes. And Stuart Kinrade was her worst mistake yet. Susanna slid across the seat but she refused to touch his hand, and instead jumped down unaided. He roughly grasped her upper arm. “Did you think you could get away from me?”
