As he was using his discarded shirt to clean up the aftereffects of his orgasm and tucked himself away, he said quite clearly, “Did you enjoy the show?”
Elwood’s headwas still buzzing with the force of his release, but only because he had been imagining that the enchanting Miss Newton was lurking about somewhere. He wasn’t completely convinced that she was here when he’d walked into the room, but as he started to test his theory, he attuned his hearing to any unusual noises. He heard it the moment he’d released his cock. She might not have realized that she had gasped, but he had.
Using his own fantasies, as well as the knowledge that she was watching him, it was enough to send him over the edge without much effort. As he basked in the pleasure that followed, he couldn’t resist calling out. He should have probably gotten dressed and left the room, acting as though he hadn’t sensed her presence, but it was too tempting to let her know her observance hadn’t been discounted.
And he was genuinely curious to know if she’d enjoyed his performance.
The wardrobe doors flung open and Miss Newton came flying out. Her cheeks were high with color and she clutched something against her chest as she rushed toward the door. It was obvious that she intended to make a quick escape.
That, he couldn’t allow. He wasn’t about to act as though this episode hadn’t just taken place.
He set himself to rights, rushing to catch her arm just as she was about to cross the threshold. He slammed the door shut andspun her around, trapping her against the hard wood and an arm on each side of her. “My dear, Miss Newton. It seems that you have been somewhere you shouldn’t have. At the very least, you could have told me you were here so you could have joined in.”
She refused to meet his steady gaze. Instead, her green eyes fluttered as they darted about the room—lighting everywhere but on him. “I need to… go.”
He reached out and gently stroked the side of her jaw. “I know what you really need,” he whispered.
Her eyes closed. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded, although she lacked the proper conviction.
“WhatamI doing?”
She swallowed. “Making me want you.”
He smiled. At least she was being honest. “How is that a bad thing?”
Finally, those green eyes met his. “How can you say that? There is no future in an affair between us. When it’s over, you shall go your merry way, but what of me?”
“I know how to prevent children, if that is what you fear.”
She shook her head. “What of love? The danger you might pose to my heart?”
He had to snort. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those romantic dreamers? I thought you had more sense than to be drawn into the world of poetry and prose.”
As if to remind him who was in charge, she lifted her chin a determined notch. “Not everyone is as cold hearted as you, my lord. Some of us desire emotion and adoration.”
“Are you quite sure, my sweet Meliah?” he purred. The hand that had touched her face so delicately moved downward to trace her collarbone and then along the neckline of her bodice. He made sure to take his time when he reached the rounded tops of her breasts. For his efforts he was rewarded with a sharp intakeof breath, similar to what he’d heard on the other side of the wardrobe door.
Immediately, his cock stirred.
“If you would just allow me the chance to prove how satisfying it could be between us, you would learn that fighting the inevitable?—”
The items in her grasp fluttered to the floor. Disengaged from his flirtations, Elwood glanced down. That was when he realized the mistake he’d made. Clenching his jaw, he bent down and wordlessly gathered the items and calmly held them out to her. “It seems you dropped something.”
She accepted the paper, quill, and sealed inkpot just as serenely. “Thank you.”
“If you needed any writing implements, you could have just asked me, rather than acting the theif behind my back.”
She had the good grace to turn slightly pale. “I…didn’t realize…”
“Your subterfuge would suggest otherwise.” For some reason, her actions felt more like a betrayal than he wanted to admit. For women he’d treated in the same fashion in the past, he wondered if this numb acceptance is what they had felt. With a frown, he stepped away and presented his back to her. “Forgive me for stopping you from your work since it is your only reason for being here.”
The was a brief pause, as if she might have been trying to think of what to say, and then he heard the door close softly on her departure.
Deciding that he needed another drink, he walked over to the sideboard and poured himself a brandy. He told himself it shouldn’t matter whether or not she was there for a single cause, but it still bruised his pride that she was still intent on that single purpose.
He moved to the window and glanced outside at the rain that had begun to fall in earnest, although he didn’t recall seeing a single drop.
CHAPTER 9
