No, he was just being stubborn... wasn’t he? His feelings couldn’t change that fast. She had to find a way to get through to him. “What can I say, but I’m sorry. I made a mistake. It all happened so fast, I couldn’t think clearly. I had a plan—I thought I knew what I wanted—and when you came in and tried to change everything at the last minute, I made the wrong decision. I would do anything to take it back, but I can’t. All I can do is try to correct it and beg for your forgiveness.”
He stared at her emotionlessly. Mulishly. Not giving a blasted inch.
“Is there nothing I can do or say that will make you forgive me? Is your heart that hard? Will you allow pride and stubbornness to prevent you from taking what I’m offering?”
The hot flare of anger in his eyes was the first sign that he might not be as indifferent as he seemed. “What exactly are you offering, Elizabeth? Somehow I don’t see your brother welcoming me into the family. So are we to run off together? You can be damned sure if we do that there won’t be a knighthood or a barony—or anything else for that matter.”
Was he relenting? From his expression it was questionable, but at least he appeared to be considering it. She felt bold enough to move forward and place a tentative palm on his chest. “That doesn’t matter.”
His jaw clenched. “It does to me.”
Good gracious, the logic of male pride utterly escaped her. First he wanted her to take him with nothing, and now that he had something, he wouldn’t take her without it? She prayed for patience. “I will make Jamie understand.”
He made a sharp sound of disbelief. “How do you intend to do that?”
“By making sure it’s too late for him to do anything about it.”
It didn’t take him long to realize what she meant. “Hell, no, Elizabeth. I won’t do it. Not like that.”
She took one look at his expression and knew he meant it. At times, honor and nobility could be decidedly inconvenient.
She sighed, realizing she had no other choice. She winced a little at the thought though. Good gracious, could she really do this? Desperate times... desperate measures.
Removing her hand from his chest, she stood back and began to work the ties of her gown.
If her hands weren’t shaking, she would have appreciated the nervous way he was eyeing her.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
She’d never seen him look so shocked; obviously, she’d surprised him. To put it mildly. “Taking off my clothes,” she answered matter-of-factly.
“W-why?”
Sputtering was a good thing, wasn’t it? “I’d rather hoped that would be obvious, but I’m trying to seduce you. And since you said you wanted to see me standing before you naked, I thought that was a good way to start.” She paused for a moment, letting her eyes slide down to the heavy bulge between his legs. “You also said something about having my mouth on you, but I’m afraid I may require some instruction for that.”
Holy hell. Whatever else Thom had been about to say flew out of his mind. It was replaced by an image of Lady Elizabeth Douglas on her knees before him—naked—pleasuring him with her mouth. The surge of lust was so hot and heavy, the yearning so intense, it was a hard image to dislodge.
But he did so. Forcibly. And maybe with a little bit of a groan.
She heard it—damn it—and it emboldened her movements, which had been anxious and fumbling, with newfound purpose. Her surcotte dropped into a pool of velvet at her feet before he could get a hand on her wrist.
“Stop it,” he demanded angrily. “It won’t work. You aren’t going to change my mind. I don’t want you.” She looked down at the proof to the contrary, which was too damned big and hard to hide. His jaw clamped down like a vise. “Not like this.”
“You can have it your way next time.”
His teeth were literally grinding at all the images that flooded his head. “That is not what I meant, damn it.”
“I’m not going to wait for someone else’s permission, Thom. Are you going to let my brother decide your future?” He stiffened, as no doubt was her intention. She knew how much the thought of that would grate.Don’t touch.Don’t reach too high. Remember your place. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and as this seems to be the best way to guarantee it, I’m not going to let anything stand in the way. Your honor will be intact. You aren’t seducing me, I’m seducing you.”
“That doesn’t make any difference, Ella, and you bloody well know it!”
She tugged her wrist from his hold and resumed her task as if he hadn’t spoken.
He should stop her, damn it. He couldn’t let her manipulate him like this. He didn’t love her anymore. She’d hurt him for the last time. He didn’t want—
Ah, hell. Her cotte followed the surcotte to the floor, and his mouth went dry. It felt as if most of the blood in his body had drained to his feet as well.
Want was all he felt.
