Page 15 of A Scandal Before Christmas
It was easy to slip away unnoticed from the salon, easy to find the deserted west hall and hide along the deep shadows of the corridor. And very easy to convince herself this was a colossal mistake.
Once out of Theodore’s orbit, the swirling thoughts inside her head calmed. She could think clearly. Rationally. She risked scandal with her actions, and she would be wise to hurry along to her room before someone discovered her lurking along the darkened halls and demanded an explanation.
Then she saw it. A kissing bough overhead, one of ten anchored down the hallway. She stared at it for a long moment, considering its presence. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as her anger, slow to awaken, was roused to such a point that an outlet was necessary.
There were so many of the blasted things in the house. A multitude. They’d grown in number since just yesterday.There was only one reason for so many…
A pair of heavily carved dark oak chairs rested against the wall on either side of an equally heavy Elizabethan style buffet chest. Lauren dragged one of the chairs to the middle of the hall and scrambled atop it. By stretching one arm up and holding on to the carved chair back, balanced high on her tiptoes, she could just barely reach the edge of the offending decoration. Once she had it within her grasp, she ripped it free of its moorings so that it fell to the floor.
That task complete, she carefully hopped down, scraping the chair along the plush carpeting to the next bough. It would take some time to remove all ten of the things. How many could she do before Theodore arrived?
She bit back a muffled scream of alarm when a masculine arm hooked her waist
“What do you think you are doing?” Theodore’s eyes glittered in the dim light. He held a bowl of lemon ice in his free hand while effortlessly keeping her captive with the other. “Redecorating?”
He’d scared at least five years off her life, but Lauren couldn’t let him know that. “Why on earth did I agree to meet you—”
His gaze darted to the bundle of mistletoe laying on the floor and back to her. “You don’t know why you agreed?”
She cringed a little; the upward tip of her chin haughty. “No.”
“You know why, Lauren.” Theodore’s grin was slow and wicked.
Lauren’s mouth dropped open at his calm, matter-of-fact statement. Before she could voice a horrified denial, Theodore’s hand tightened on her upper arm. Tugging her into step beside him, he led her to a huge inset of floor to ceiling windows.
The alcove appeared specifically designed for intimate encounters. Deep and spacious, several persons could stand behind the thick curtains and remain undetected from those passing by. Theodore pushed Lauren against the nook’s inside wall where the drape of the curtains hid their bodies from view. Streaming through the glass panes, the full moon reflected off the fresh snowfall. It illuminated the space with the brightness of candlelight.
For reasons Lauren couldn’t understand, the bowl of lemon ice still sat palmed in Theodore’s large hand, balanced there as he considered her with a slightly furrowed brow.
“I asked you a question yesterday at the pond, and I ask the same question now. Do you still trust me?”
Lauren shook her head to the contrary. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him precisely why.
“Understandable. So, I will give you a truth in the hopes of changing your mind,” he said in a low voice. “But you shall remain very still for me while you listen. No matter what I do. Agreed?”
Curiosity got the better of Lauren. What might this devil admit to? What secret would he reveal? What would he do to her?
A jerky nod of her head indicated her acquiescence.
“Good girl.”
His half-smile and those two words sent an unwanted flush of pleasure cascading throughout her body. As she watched, Theodore dipped the spoon into the bowl, brought the dessert to his own mouth, and swallowed. Then, as if in slow motion, he leaned forward until his lips brushed Lauren’s.
The sweet tanginess of lemon transferred from him to her. When she inhaled with surprise, he immediately took advantage, his tongue sweeping past the barrier of her teeth and plunging deep.
Lauren moaned, a small sound of distressed arousal escaping her throat that made Theodore draw back. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead against hers, took a deep breath, and let it out in a small woosh.
“I hated what our fathers did to us, Lauren. Hated it. And I hated deceiving you.”
Chapter 9
Lauren’s heart seized with the ring of truth in his words. Still, she remained silent.
“For months, my father and yours manipulated our future. Although, once I laid eyes on you, mine was entwined with yours regardless of their plans. It still is, Lauren. Don’t you believe that?”
Theodore placed a forefinger beneath her chin and tipped until she had no choice but to look into his eyes. He contemplated her, his expression so serious it left her feeling splintered and yet, somehow complete. “They wanted us together. But the only thing that matters is us and what we want. I know what I want, Lauren. Do you? Do you know what you want?”
She couldn’t answer, not when everything in the little alcove was topsy-turvy and the blood in her veins beat in time with the cadence of his voice. If not for the wall against her back, she would have swayed in an unsteady rhythm of desire and uncertainty.
