Only…she wasn’t embarrassed by seeing him half-nude. Oh, her eyes had gone right to his scars—how could he have missed that?—but instead of the revulsion he was used to seeing, or the pity, as strangers examined the burn marks on his face…instead, he saw interest. Intrigue. She’d seen his naked chest and had studied his scars, but he’d seen desire in the way her blue eyes had widened and in the way her lips had parted.
And he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
Feeling vindictive, he held her gaze for a long moment, watching the blush creep up her cheeks as she realized they were standing beside one another—virtual strangers, and him half-dressed, without even a waistcoat—viewing embroidered depictions of athletic sexual congress.
“The next panel is even better,” he murmured.
She sucked in a breath and tore her gaze away from his, hurrying to step over to the next shelf where a well-meaning relative had secured the naughtiest of the ancient needlework carefully behind glass.
It had been Lyon’s favorite as a lad, and he’d made certain to show them to his younger brothers when the time had been right. Da had also enjoyed them, as had generations of other young, aroused male Oliphants.
“Goodness,” she breathed, as she peered at the new depictions. “There are more than four legs in that embrace. Is that— What is that woman doing to him? I cannot tell if it is torture or not.”
“It’s called fellatio,” he said in a dry tone.
Maybe it was the scientific term, but when she glanced over at him, her lips were twitching, and her cheeks were aflame. “Oral stimulation performed upon the penis?”
Ah, she was being scientific as well. Nodding somberly, he intoned, “She put his cock in her mouth.”
The noise which came from her lips might’ve been a snort, or an aborted laugh, but she raised her fingertips to cover them as she turned back to the embroidery. “And the other woman? What is she doing?”
“Forcing him to suck on her tits, looks like.”
Good God, had he really just said that out loud? To alady?
“Hmm. So itistorture then, eh?”
Of course, said lady was standing with him, alone, peering interestedly at pornography, so perhaps it wasn’t all that strange.
And this time, he was almost certain the noise she made was a sort of strangled moan.
Excellent. Perhaps, eventually, he might make her uncomfortable enough she’d go away. Go away and spread stories about how the Beast of the Oliphants reallywasas beastly as claimed, and also a complete arse, who insisted on scandalizing poor helpless women in his study.
Except…she wasn’t helpless, was she? She was armed with a biting wit, and a touch which could bring him to his knees if he allowed it.
And she wasn’t exactly scandalized.
In fact, her eyes were sparkling merrily as she turned to him, the lamp lifted between them.
“Well, this is some of the best-preserved needlework from the medieval period I have ever seen. The details are remarkable enough to indicate the woman who made this was a real artist.” Her lips curled up further on one side, making her seem even more approachable. “But I think it is safe to say I will not be able to include much, ifany, of Nessa Oliphant’s work in my book! Perhaps eventually adifferentsort of book could be published…”
She chuckled, and before he could agree that was necessary, she continued, saying, “I wouldlovethe chance to see the family trees you spoke of. Would that be possible? If Ican find a way to include a rendition of one of her pieces—perhaps the tamer of the embraces—I would like to know how she was related to the family.”
He was already shaking his head, already stepping back, away from her. “Impossible. The research takes up entire books and is too large and delicate to be moved.”
“You said they were in the library. I am sure I will only need an hour or two, and I will wear protective gloves?—”
“Nay.” He bit out the denial, the request making his stomach roil once more. “Nay, nae one goes in the library except me.”
“But—”
“Nay.”
When she flinched, he realized he’d yelled and silently cursed himself. But at least she’d gotten the message and pressed her lips tightly together.
But remembering the way she’d convinced him to change his mind last time, he stepped back again, even more out of her reach. He would not allow his resolve to falter just because she touched him.
No matter how good it had felt.
