Devlin slammed the door in his face.
CHAPTER TWELVE
VIRGINIA ALMOST WEPT.
She no longer felt eighteen, never mind that she was a woman now—the little girl she’d once been had returned, bewildered and hurt. She lay in bed, desperately trying to understand what had just happened. She had just let Devlin O’Neill make love to her. She had let the man who had abducted her and who was holding her prisoner make love to her, and it had been everything she had expected and more. But he had walked out a moment ago as if their lovemaking meant nothing to him.
She refused to cry. Instead she tried to understand him, she tried to make excuses for him. It was late. He was tired. For all she knew, the act exhausted men. Tomorrow he would really smile at her, and he would pull her aside to kiss her and hold her and tell her that he was falling in love.
Virginia moaned. She sat up, absolutely ill with dread. Who was she fooling? She didn’t even know the stranger whom she had allowed such complete possession of her body. And what she did know of him did not allow much hope. He was a brave man, but he was also hard and cold. He had just left her bed without a single affectionate gesture or word. And last night he’d been with a different woman.What had she done?
Why had she enticed him into her bed? Virginia knew very well that she had seduced him, never mind how inexperienced she was. Now she simply failed to understand how she could have done such a thing. He was her captor, a man with an iron heart, if any.But dear God, it had been more than wonderful, it had been right.Yet she was so shaken now, so confused, at once sick and desperate and even afraid. Never had she felt so lost and alone.
If only he had said something kind to her before he’d so abruptly left.
If only he had kissed or held her, if only there had been one sweet caress.
If only…
And finally, a single tear slipped down her cheek.
Angrily she brushed it away. She was a strong woman and she would not cry over something she had so wanted! Besides, maybe tomorrow he would really smile at her, and that would be enough. One smile to show her that he did care, just a little, after all.
Virginia realized that she was terrified to face him again.
She was terrified that he would not be kind, or worse, that he would be indifferent.
Virginia turned onto her back again. In the morass of her confusion and fear, only one thing was clear. She should go home. If she went home, everything would be all right again. Wouldn’t it?
But she didn’t even know if she still had a home, and if she somehow did leave Ireland, what about Devlin O’Neill?
She closed her eyes. What if she never saw him again?
Too late, Virginia realized that she could not bear the notion.
VIRGINIA WAS NOT SURPRISEDto find her door unlocked, with no one standing in the hall outside. She glanced down the deserted corridor, straining to hear. Yesterday he’d put Connor on duty outside her door. Clearly her punishment was over, but then, it should be, after what had happened last night.
It was noon. She had not been able to sleep until dawn and had overslept as a result. Carefully dressed in a high-necked gray gown, Virginia went downstairs, filled with tension, so nervous she felt sick. Were they lovers now?Was she Devlin O’Neill’s lover?
What would he say and do when they first came face-to-face after all that they had done last night, all that they had shared?
Virginia was terrified of their first encounter. She reminded herself to look him in the eye, smile cheerfully and greet him as if nothing had happened—as if she was not scared to death of what he might say and do. She reminded herself that she must carefully feel him out without giving him a clue as to her own feelings. Because if he was not pleasant, she did not want him to know how much she was affected by their lovemaking. She did not want him to guess the extent of her feelings. In fact, she herself was afraid to admit what might be in her heart.
The house was silent, as if nobody was present. Virginia glanced into the dining room and saw that the breakfast buffet had long since been removed. She was very hungry, but she would ignore it.
His study was down the hall. Virginia’s steps quickened until she had to remind herself not to run, to slow down, tobreathe.To her surprise, the study door was wide open and the room was empty.
Dismayed, she stared at the huge desk where she had seen him working. Then she started into the adjacent salon, but that was empty, too. She hurried to the French doors that let onto the brick terrace and stared at the sweeping lawns. She saw a horse and rider approaching.
Virginia left the house quickly, choosing to do so by way of the terrace. Her heart raced with an anticipation she could not hold at bay. Clouds scudded across the sky and she knew it would be a fine day for sailing. She could almost hear him saying so. She smiled, imagining him on the quarterdeck of theDefiance.
The rider had yet to come close enough for her to make him out. She paused before the stables, waiting nervously, wringing her hands. Then she caught a glimpse of gray and white from the corner of her eye and she glanced into the barn. To her surprise, she saw his gray stallion was in his stall.
If he hadn’t gone riding, where was he? Her heart beat like a jungle drum now. Perhaps he had taken a different horse, she thought, suddenly worried and not quite knowing why. Virginia came out of the barn and she faltered. It was Sean who was dismounting in the courtyard, not Devlin.
She managed to take a steadying breath and plant a smile on her face before approaching. “Good day, Sean,” she said brightly.
“Good afternoon,” he said, not glancing at her. He handed the chestnut to a young groom. “Walk him until he’s cool, Brian, then a nice hot bran will do.”
