He looked every inch the proper, upright gentleman, but then he always did even when there was no need for formality. Only once had she seen him undone and that was the afternoon he made love to her so sweetly.
She tensed her jaw and steeled herself against those thoughts. They would do her no good at present.
“Colin,” she said softly.
His expression, which had been focused so intently on her, now went hard and bored. She remembered that look all too well. It was the same one that had been on his face when he’d told her she was to go to the country and not return.
“My lady,” he said, his tone as icy as his demeanor.
She hardened herself in response, pushing aside her initial thrill at seeing him and reminding herself that not only had he sent her away so callously, but also ignored her for half a year.
“You didn’t have to be so cruel to my sister’s butler,” she said, folding her arms as she glared at him. “You frightened the man half to death.”
Colin arched a brow. “I wanted to make certain my intentions were clear.”
“Well, you have done that in spades, my lord. As always, no one could possibly doubt your contempt for me. Now, what are you doing here?”
He took a step toward her and her heart stuttered. She hated herself for it. Hated herself for reacting to him at all.
“I could ask you the same thing, Jane,” he said in a low tone that was not at all gentle. “I thought I made myselfveryclear that you were to remain in the country.”
She shook her head. “Oh, you did, my lord. But Alicia and Charles had a baby. You know how close I am to my sister. I couldn’t stay away—Iwouldnot, no matter what orders and edicts you gave.”
His cheek twitched a little, but otherwise he remained impassive. “Perhaps you are right that I could not have expected you to stay away from your beloved sister at this happy time. Still, you could have let me know of your impending arrival.”
She caught her breath at his arrogance. He had been ignoring her heartfelt letters for months and now he acted as ifshehad failed in her communication?
She narrowed her eyes further. “You have not acted like a husband, Colin. Why in God’s name should I act as a wife?”
His jaw clenched and his entire body stiffened. His glare grew in intensity, sucking her into dark depths, dragging her to places she had convinced herself no longer existed. Perhaps they had never existed. And yet here she was, lost in his heat and his emotions and his obvious anger.
What she had done to deserve such censure, she still didn’t know.
“Rumors have begun,” he said after what seemed like an eternity had passed.
She let out a bark of displeasure. “Are you referring to theScandal Sheet?” she asked.
He nodded once. “You have heard of it.”
“Alicia showed me the paper when I arrived this morning. Surely you have enough discernment to see that it is drivel, Colin.”
“Drivel or not, it does affect how I am seen. I cannot allow my reputation to be damaged. So you are correct, Jane. It is time for me to start behaving as a husband would.”
She caught her breath. When he said that and his dark brown gaze flitted over her from head to foot, he almost looked like he…wanted her. Not that it was possible. Their one torrid joining had affected her, but clearly not done anything for him. He had walked away without so much as a backward glance while she woke sweating and aching, the covers tangled around her, her body pulsing with unfulfilled need.
“What do you mean?”
His gaze grew even darker and more intense. “Prepare your things, Jane. You shall move to my home today.”
Her mouth dropped open in absolute shock and she stared at him, unblinking, as she tried to decide if she was losing her mind or her hearing.
“What are you talking about?” She choked on the words, barely able to formulate them.
“You heard me,” he said softly.
She took a long step toward him and was hit by the spicy, warm smell of his skin. Her body began to tingle, but she shoved the reaction aside before it could overwhelm her and hissed, “You haven’t wanted me near you in six months.Thatfact had to have caused gossip aplenty. Why do you give a damn about it now?”
“It is one thing to have a wife who remains in the country,” he growled. “It is quite another to have her in the same city as I am and not living under my roof.”
