“I only am when I am strongly provoked.”
“Are you blaming me now?”
He glanced over his shoulder. She had set herself to rights and now buttoned her pelisse.
“I am not blaming anyone.” He turned and took her face in his hands. He bent and kissed her lips. “Not you, and not myself. I am saying that desire for you provoked me more than is customary. I lost my head.”
Dark eyes gazed up at him with amusement and naked skepticism. “What pretty words. You do have a talented tongue, milord.”
As soon as she said it she realized the allusion she made. Her expression fell in horror.
He lifted her off the table and onto her feet. She looked at the table. “Shouldn’t we call for soap and water?”
“The servants will take care of that.”
She glanced to the door. “They know? Or do you make use of this table for such things frequently?”
“They wash and polish the table every morning, long before anyone who uses it wakens.”
“That is good to know.”
He took her hands in his. He suffered all this talk of practical things because he knew she inched closer to embarrassment again. He could see the way her eyes avoided his, and how she forced the most bland expression.
“I will be warning the footmen to be alert, lest anyone try to enter this house. You must promise to wait in the house until I come in the morning, Padua.”
She nodded. “I cannot remain here forever, though. I need to let chambers and do other things that require I be abroad in town.”
“We will discuss that tomorrow. For now, stay here.”
He released her and turned to leave. To his delight she fell into step with him. They walked silently through the house to the reception hall.
Damn it, he owed her more... more something. A shelter for her pride, at least, if the next hours brought regrets.
“I must apologize for my bad behavior.” He hoped it did not sound as insincere as it felt. He was not one whit sorry. Rather part of his mind speculated on what he had forgone, and how to rectify the omissions.
She made a small, reflective smile. “I think you were a rung or two lower in the pit of hell than bad. If I were not still recovering, the thought of what we—” A deep flush rose on her face.
“The fault is all mine. I importuned you. It was inexcusable of me.” Oh, how it all tripped out, sounding so damnedcorrect. He still burned for her. He had notdescended far into hell at all while she lay in abandon on that table, but he would dwell in its depths tonight.
She looked in his eyes. Her brow puckered. “It was impetuous, as I said. On both our parts. I am sure you agree that we must be more temperate in the future, if we are going to have any dealings with each other at all.”
He bent to kiss her hand. “That would be wise.”And impossible.“I will go now, and see you in the morning.”
***
Padua made her way to her chamber. Her girl arrived and prepared her for bed. When she was alone again, she tried to pull herself out of the haze that had surrounded her since Ives had shattered her awareness into a thousand sparkling pieces.
Their conversation afterward repeated in her mind. She had to laugh at herself. A man had almost ravished her, had seen her worse than naked, had almost done a very wicked thing to her, and she could only quiz him about the condition of the table that had served as her bed? She laughed until tears flowed.Oh, you are a very sophisticated woman, Padua. This aristocrat has not seen the likes of you before!
The rest of their conversation had her sober in a snap. The apology. The attempt to take the blame. He had to say that. Did he mean any of it? Or did he really think he had gone to a great deal of trouble and had little to show for his efforts?
They could never do that again. They could neverdo anything like it. She was not that kind of woman. Surely he was not the kind of man who lured women to their fall either.
Or was he? Either he had few scruples in such matters, or she truly had overwhelmed his better nature and provoked impetuous behavior.
Had she?
What an odd notion.
