Chapter Seven
Mayhap Blade wassuffering from ennui.
Or in need of quim.
It had been a long time since he had last bedded a woman—months, in fact. Lady Penhurst, and that had ended in infamy. He hadn’t the time or desire to seek out another. Then, he had been cast away to the monkery.
Yes, the countryside was making him spoony. There were no diversions worth a damn. The legitimate half of the Winter family thought it pleasant to light the yule log and sneak about beneath the mistletoe. The height of their drawing room revelry was games. But after hoodman blind, Blade refused to be lured into playing shoe the wild mare or snapdragon.
He shuddered now to think of it.
And he persuaded himself all those reasons explained why he was following Lady Felicity to the false ruins. His half sister Pru had told him about the ruins that morning at breakfast. She had also mentioned—unintentionally, he was sure—that Lady Felicity had expressed a desire to visit them following her morning meal. Pru had also relayed that the ruins possessed a cozy fire tended to by servants at regular intervals.
Which meant that if he made haste and followed Lady Felicity quickly enough, he could have her alone. Again. And mayhap have the chance to persuade her with a kiss the way he would have done the day before, had not his cursed siblings interrupted him.
Lady Felicity ducked into the ruins, closing the door at her back.
Blade moved faster, his long-legged strides eating up the distance between them with ease. He made certain no one else was behind him on the path—why he cared was curious, because he had never given a damn about propriety before—and then he slipped inside the ruins as well.
She was nowhere to be found in the main hall. Bemused, he tried the first door he came upon.
Success.
Her back had been to him. She stood before the merrily crackling fire in the heart of the small sitting room, hands outstretched for warmth. The false ruins were a fifteen-minute walk from the main house, and in the day’s unseasonable winter chill, Blade was cold as well.
She whirled about at the creak of the door, pressing a hand over her heart. “Mr. Winter! Did you follow me here?”
Yes.
“No,” he lied, sauntering forward, moving toward her. “Didyoufollowmehere?”
She blinked. “That hardly makes sense. I was first to arrive.”
“I was already here when I heard a door opening and closing.” He shrugged, allowing that bit of fiction to settle where it would. “I thought to investigate, and imagine my surprise to find you here.”
He was not about to admit to following her, damn it.
Her eyes narrowed. “I most certainly did not follow you, Mr. Winter. Indeed, I am endeavoring to stay far away from you, as proximity has proven quite dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” He stopped before her, shedding his gloves, coat, and hat. He dropped them to the floor. “If by dangerous, you mean delicious, then I agree, love.”
There it was again, that exquisite pink on her cheeks.
A woman innocent enough to flush—now there was a luxury he could not deny himself. She was so damned virginal and sheltered. He wanted to ruin her. To bring her to her knees. To steal a modicum of that innocence for himself. To devour her.
Christ, had he ever wanted a woman more?
The answer was painfully obvious—a decisive no.
“I meant what I said, sir,” she insisted, shoulders going back in a defiant pose. “Being near you is dangerous.”
“To your virtue? Mayhap.” He grinned. “But I promise you that you will not regret it. Not for a moment.”
Her lips parted. “Mr. Winter!”
But though she scolded him and pretended she was outraged, he knew better. He could still hear her sultry moan when he had sucked her nipples. He could have lifted her gown, touched her, and he would have found her wet. He could have stroked her until she spent, and he suspected she knew the truth of it as well as he did. Their connection was undeniable.
“Do not pretend to be scandalized, Lady Felicity. We both know you enjoyed yourself in my arms.” He plucked the hat from her head, dropping it to the floor along with his shed outer garments. “We both know you want more.”
