Page 7 of Winter's Waltz
Ha!Just like a lord to fret over the way someone spoke. Everything she knew, she had taught herself. Growing up in the rookeries hadn’t afforded her the chance to speak fancy.Hell, she was damned lucky she was still alive after the way she and Gavin had lived in their early years. After what her own mother had done. The old scar seemed to burn at the memory.
She pointed the tip of her blade at the scoundrel who had invaded her territory. “And if you want to live to see another day, you’ll get the hell out of my room.”
He shrugged. “Not much left to lose. Don’t think you’re likely to slay the brother of your brothers’ wives. The heir to the Duke of Linross, no less.”
He was right, the devil, which rather nettled. As did the heat prickling her skin and settling between her thighs. Her body was a traitor. That much was certain. Fortunately, she had become skilled at ignoring it.
It was her turn to shrug. “Eh. I would not have to kill you. I could maim you.”
But the action proved a mistake when it caused the bedclothes to drop to her waist. She was wearing an old linen shift, well-worn and soft. His gaze instantly dipped. Her nipples went hard. Her breasts felt heavy beneath the weight of that stare.
“So youdohave a bosom beneath those gentleman’s shirts and coats.” His grin became a smirk as his eyes flicked back to hers. “I will own, I had wondered.”
It required all the control she possessed to keep from clutching the counterpane to her chin like a frightened virgin. Instead, she remained still, giving him her most cutting look since she could not slice him like a cooked goose.
“Look again, and I’ll blacken both your eyes,” she warned.
“Afraid I will notice your nipples are hard, empress?” he goaded. “Too late for that, I am afraid. Your night rail is quite transparent.”
Her fingers tightened on the hilt of her blade. “The air is cold, and the fire has gone out,” she grumbled. “It has naught to do with you, Blunderbury.”
“Liar.”
The amusement fled his expression, and there was nothing about the room or about Gen that was chilled in that moment. The air was aflame.
She had to do something.
So she pressed the blade to his chest. Not with enough force to draw blood, but enough to show him she had no intention of allowing him to remain here another moment. “Out of my chamber, lordling.”
His tongue swept over his lower lip, and how she hated herself for following it. For wondering what that sensual aristocratic mouth would feel like against hers. Smooth, hot? Forceful or sweet? Gentle, tender, knowing? Awkward, unskilled, slippery?
Curse her mind for wondering. And curse it for also somehow knowing his kisses would never be the latter. Some gents kissed like fishes. Some like saints. The Marquess of Sundenbury, she could tell, kissed like a sinner.
She pressed harder with the blade.
Too hard.
The tip of her dagger pierced his shirt.
He howled and caught her wrist in a punishing grip. “Devil take it, woman. You drew my blood for the second time in as many days.”
“I did not,” she snapped. Typical cove, acting as if he had been dealt a mortal blow when she had not scarcely used enough pressure to…
Oh, hell.
A trickle of blood darkened the crisp whiteness of his shirt.
“You did,” he informed her, grim.
“You ought to have been wearing a waistcoat. If you had been properly dressed, my blade never would have caused you so much as a scratch.”
He moved swiftly, taking her by surprise, his fingers tightening on her wrist whilst the other hand plucked the dagger from her grasp. “That was hardly an apology, madam.”
He tossed her blade over his shoulder and it clattered to the floor.
Her indignation soared, and she seized it. Because if she was angry, she could not dwell on the impossible longing circling within her. A longing, she was sure, that had far more to do with the length of time that had passed since she had been attracted to a man than it did with the irresponsible lord before her.
“Why should I apologize?” she demanded. “You are the one going about invading my office and my bedchamber. I agreed to keep you here and out of trouble. But I never said you could make free with my territory or my person.”
