This randy fellow would not be appeased,
His appetites grew but could not be pleased.
Sadly unsated,
He miscalculated,
The dangerous outcome of being teased.
A quick intake of breath–something much like a gasp–had him opening his eyes to find Miss Potter staring straight at him. He sat up, because pretending he wasn’t there was no longer an option.
“Miss Potter,” he said, doing his best to sound surprised. Which was bloody difficult when she was standing closer than before. Especially since the light from her lamp washed away her nightgown completely, leaving nothing but soft feminine curves.
“Oh dear,” she murmured, her eyes wide and stricken and…something else…
Aware.
He thanked the Lord he remained shrouded in darkness so she wouldn’t see his expression too well or the inappropriate effect she was having on him. Because since she was standing, he had to do so too, which meant a certain part of him would become embarrassingly visible if any more light spilled his way.
“What are you doing here?” he tried to ask by way of continuing to pretend he’d awoken to find her there.
“I, er, I could not sleep, so I decided to come down and find a book.”
“Very good.”
A moment of silence fell between them, and then she asked, “How about you?”
“Hmm?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Trying to sleep,” he said. “Radcliff suggested it might be better if you and I did not occupy the same floor at night.”
“Oh.” She clutched the book she’d selected against her chest. “Then I should leave. This…” She waved her hand in an awkward way. “I’m so sorry to have intruded.”
“You needn’t worry. I do not plan on mentioning it to anyone, though I would advise you to wear a dressing gown when venturing beyond your bedchamber in the future. That nightgown you’re wearing…” He allowed his gaze to travel over the length of her body. “It reveals a lot more than you’d wish to know.”
A sharp breath was her only response before she turned on her heel and practically ran. He knew he’d behaved like a cad, but he also believed in honesty. If the woman thought there was nothing wrong with what she’d been wearing, he’d hopefully taught her otherwise. Because if a lesser man had seen her in such a state of dishabille, she would likely have been on her back in a second, with her scandalous nightgown hitched up around her waist.
As it was, Bryce had pushed back the urge to approach her and to seduce her, not because she would have resisted–he was starting to sense she might be more open to such an advance than even she was aware–but because he still liked to think of himself as an honorable man. Even if his thoughts did belong in the gutter.
* * *
Pantingfrom the exertion of racing up a long flight of stairs and darting through a hallway, Eve leapt inside the sanctuary of her bedchamber, shutting the door behind her and locking it for good measure.
Good Lord!
Heart pounding, she crossed the floor to the mirror with hesitant steps, paused while she gathered her courage, and then raised the oil lamp so she would see whathehad seen. A hot shiver raked her skin as she took in the image she presented. It hadn’t occurred to her that her nightgown might be see-through, but aided by the light from the lamp, it most certainly was. And the worst part was she was totally and completely, undeniably naked underneath, which meant he had seen… Dear God, Lord Ravenworth had seen… Swallowing, she set the lamp on her nightstand and turned down the light before climbing back into bed.
Her heart still beat a frantic rhythm. So she drew a calming breath and allowed herself to think back on the incident. He’d been in the dark, so she hadn’t noticed him until she’d prepared to leave. And although he’d been silhouetted against the shadows, she’d known he’d been without his jacket. That knowledge alone had been enough to make liquid heat pool in the deepest part of her belly.
But then he’d told her what he’d seen and she’d fled. The knowledge had stirred a fire within her, and in that moment, she had been terrified. Which now made her thump her fist against her mattress. The earl was no gentleman to say such things to a woman. He was a scoundrel, and she could not afford to lose the chance she had of securing her future on account of him.
Which meant it was just as well she would leave his home and go to Amberly Hall tomorrow. Her only hope was of Margaret not questioning her explanation about a coach delay on account of the weather. Because if she did, Eve feared she might stand to lose an important friendship. And she was not prepared to do so for a man she’d met that same afternoon.
But when she descended to breakfast the following morning intent on facing her host with resolve, her decision to quit his company was swiftly expelled the moment she entered the dining room and met his gaze.
He stood and moved to pull out her chair. “I fear you must stay here at least one more day,” he told her. “It snowed heavily last night. The horses will not be able to make their way through it, never mind a carriage.”
