Page 7 of The Lord who Seduced Me
This night, he knew he was going to go insane if he had to watch one more man leer at his woman.
He walked up the stairs and rang the bell for his butler. The man came running and Cabe asked for the bath, and the food.
He was hungry, and he needed his strength. After bathing, Cabe dressed in all black, from his knee-high Hessians, to his cravat.
He wanted no color. Needed none in his clothing. All he needed was his bright Rose. She was the only color he needed.
Cabe combed his hair back out of his face and put some pomade in it to keep it there. Then he made certain his jaw was clean shaven.
He had kissed Rose before, and her skin was so delicate and soft that it showed where his whiskers had rubbed.
He loved that mark on her, but also knew that she probably did not.
Besides, if she had marks from his beard, someone would see and start talking. Not the good kind of talk and he did not want anything to hurt Rose.
Walking down the stairs, Cabe’s butler had his carriage waiting and ready to go.
Cabe hated going to these balls, and before Rose, he had barely gone. But now that he was the Earl, Cabe knew he needed to show his face.
It had been far too long, and though he heard the whispers, the gossip and the sneers of what people said about him, he did not care.
He sat back and let the driver take him to his destination. After a time, they slowed and Cabe opened the door himself and got out.
He could see the crush of people ready to go into the ball and since he was taller than most, was able to see Rose and her family.
She looked beautiful this night, and Cabe hated it. And he loved it. She wore a long dark cloak over her dress, and Cabe longed to see the actual color.
He watched as they were announced, and he growled when Rose took her cloak off. She was wearing a dark pink gown that looked like it was sewn on to her bountiful curves. Or that she had been poured into it.
It showed off her bountiful breasts, and her tiny waist to perfection. Her hair was curled and hung down in long ringlets while some were pinned in different places with tiny diamonds.
She looked divine, and once again, he hated seeing her like this. He did not hate her beauty, nor her but God have mercy seeing her looking like the goddess she was, hurt him deep inside. He wanted nothing more than to take what belonged to him.
More than one man turned to watch her walk in, and one man actually did a double take.
Cabe watched all this, and when Rose was brought to the dance floor by the first man, he stood in the shadows, and watched her face as the man stared down her dress.
The neckline was daring, and lower than normal for a debutant. He saw red as the man’s eyes lingered on her breasts for longer than necessary. Those were his breasts, and damn it, he hated that another man was staring at what should be his.
He watched her as they moved about the dance floor and he could see in her face that she was not thrilled about being there and that she looked bored.
When the dance ended, Rose excused herself to get a glass of refreshments, and Cabe pounced.
He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the nearest unoccupied room. Knowing that they most likely would not be seen while he did so.
Rose looked like she was in shock and did not know what to say or do.
He shut the door behind them and locked it. Then he stood in front of it, his body braced against the wood.
Rose pulled out of his grasp and glared up at him. “Lord James! What do you think you are doing? How dare you? You have no right to touch me like that.”
Cabe growled at her, his voice deeper than normal. “How dare I take my woman when she is dressed like that? I have every right Rose.”
Rose gasped in outrage, “My dress is the latest style. It is not anything that you need to concern yourself over. I am not married, and I can wear what I want. My mother and I went over the latest fashions, and she never saw anything wrong with my dress. Besides that, I am not your anything.”
Cabe snarled. “That is where you are wrong Rose. You have been mine from the moment I saw you, and you will always be mine.”
Rose put her hands on her hips. “Is that so? You have a funny way of showing how you feel Cabe. More often than not you are ignoring me unless I am dancing with another. Forgive me if I don’t believe you or your words.”
