Page 24 of The Devil's Bargain
“Yes?” She paused in her work, looking down at him. “Is something wrong?”
“You know exactly what you’re doing.” His gaze blazed up at her. “And you know exactly what will happen when you finish untying me.”
She bit her lip, pretending to consider. “Perhaps I should leave you bound a little longer then.” Her fingers traced the rope without untying it. “Since you’re making such delicious threats.”
“They’re not threats.” His voice dropped to that silken purr that made her shiver. “They’re promises. And you’re only making it worse for yourself, my brilliant vixen.”
“Worse?” She raised an eyebrow, her fingers working the knot with deliberate slowness. “Or better?”
As the rope fell away, his hand shot up to tangle in her hair, holding her in place above him. “That depends entirely on your perspective. Are you ready to surrender your advantage?”
“I never surrender,” she breathed.
Before she could say more, he pulled her down and captured her lips with his. The kiss was electric—demanding yet reverent, as if he meant to possess her and worship her all at once. Caroline gasped against his mouth, and he took advantage, deepening the kiss until she melted against him.
His free hand untied the remaining knot and slid down her back, pulling her closer as his mouth explored hers with devastating thoroughness. She hadn’t known a kiss could feel like this, like drowning and burning at once, like every nerve ending had come alive. When his teeth grazed her bottom lip, she couldn’t suppress a soft moan.
“My brilliant Caroline,” he murmured against her mouth. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
The raw need in his voice sent heat pooling in her belly. But even as she surrendered to his kiss, her strategic mind didn’t desert her entirely. This was power too—having this ruthless man trembling with desire beneath her.
With tremendous effort, she pulled back, placing a finger against his lips when he tried to follow. “I believe that’s enough negotiation for one night.”
His eyes blazed. “You can’t mean that.”
She sat up, adjusting her nightgown with deliberate precision. “I never mix business with pleasure, Mr Elmstone.” The returnto formality made him growl low in his throat. “At least... not until all contracts are signed.”
“You wicked creature.” He propped himself up on his elbows, his shirt still open, hair delightfully mussed. “You planned this all along, didn’t you?”
She stood, smoothing her night rail. “A lady never reveals her strategies. Though I will say, I look forward to our future... negotiations.”
His chuckle sounded like despair. He lay back on the bed, rubbing his face with both hands.
She paused at the door to her dressing room. Her eyes longingly raked over his dishevelled form one last time. “My men will see you out. You may use the front door, unless you prefer the servants’ stairs.”
His laugh was equal parts frustration and admiration. “Well played. But remember...” His voice dropped to a low rumble. “Next time, I won’t be so easily bound.”
“Next time?” She arched an eyebrow. “Rather optimistic, Mr Elmstone.”
“Devlin,” he corrected softly. “And yes, next time. We both know this is far from over.”
Caroline slipped through the door, but not before allowing herself one last lingering look. “Good night... Devlin.”
She closed the door on his hungry gaze, her heart thundering in her chest. Only when she was safely in her dressing room did she press her fingers to her lips, which were still tingling from his kiss.
12
Desperate Measures
Devlin stared at the fire, the telegram clutched in his hand. His fingers tightened on the paper as guilt warred with necessity. He had never considered himself a cruel man, but in business, sentiment had no place. Or at least, that’s what he’d always believed before Caroline Thurlow had upended his carefully ordered world.
The thought of her face when she received his ultimatum made his chest tighten uncomfortably. She would hate him for this. Perhaps irreparably. The tentative trust they’d built, those moments when her eyes sparkled with something dangerously close to affection... all of it would shatter.
Yet what choice did he have? Caroline Thurlow had forced his hand, and despite the growing ache in his chest at the thought of losing whatever was building between them, he would use every weapon at his disposal.
The stakes were too high for anything less. His empire, his legacy, his philanthropic dream hung in the balance. And he was not a man accustomed to losing. Nor was he a man who was ever deprived of the woman he desired. Even if securing itmeant destroying his chance at something he hadn’t even known he wanted until she’d shown him what it meant to meet one’s match in both mind and spirit.
As he donned his coat and hat, preparing to venture out into the cold London night, Devlin felt a twinge of regret. In another life, under different circumstances, he might have courted her, offered for her.
