Page 18 of Her Wicked Longing
When he reached the door, he found it unlocked. He burst inside, not knowing what to expect, and was surprised to find a silk-wallpapered corridor with gilded lamps that resembled the rest of the house. There were doors along either side, which probably contained entertaining rooms. Most of the bedrooms wereupstairs.
“My lord?” a woman asked as she exited a chamber next to him. Her partially exposed bosom and painted face were meant to enhance her looks, but theyfailed.
“I’m looking for a woman, this high.” He held his hand up to his chest, showing the other woman how short Audrey was. “She’s wearing a blue cambric gown and has dark hair anddarkeyes.”
“She’s with Rufus, the first door on the left,” the woman whispered huskily. He ignored her openinvitation.
He stomped past her. “Thank you.” When he reached the door, it was partially open. The voices were soft murmurs, but he knew if he opened the door, he’d hear better. Jonathan braced himself for a fight as he nudged the door with his boot hard enough that it swung open. He saw a tall man leaning over a couch, and Audrey’s slippered feet were visible between the man’s parted thighs. The man had cornered her against the couch. His words filled Jonathan with ablindingrage.
“It has been ages since I’ve tasted a young, pretty peachlikeyou.”
Curling his hands into fists, Jonathan took one step intotheroom.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a whilelonger.”
The man, Rufus, spun, his eyes widening. “My lord?” He stepped sideways, avoiding blocking Audrey from Jonathan’s view.Smart man. If Rufus had tried to stay between him and Audrey, Jonathan would have laid him out with one goodpunch.
“The lady does not require your services,” Jonathan informed him. “So get the bloody hell out of this room before I throwyouout.”
Rufus shot one last glance at Audrey before hebolted.
“Mr. St. Laurent!” Audrey leapt up from the couch, a honeyed fire lighting her brown eyes as she came toe to toe with him. “Howdareyou follow me. Howdareyou interrupt my privateengagement!”
“Private engagement? You are not going to be needing anyserviceshere. Do youunderstand?”
Audrey raised her reticule and whacked him soundly on theshoulder.
“Oomph!” He winced. What did she have inside the damned glitterylittlebag?
“Get out of my way. I’m going to find the madam and have you thrown out.” She started to march past him like a feisty army general, but he caught her by the waist. Before she could stop him, he tossed her over his shoulder and left the room. If she wanted lessons in seduction, she was going to be schooled by him and nooneelse.
Chapter3
Audrey’s breathburst from her lungs as Jonathan climbed the central stairs leading up to the other rooms in the Midnight Garden. He stopped only once, to demand a bedchamber, while Audrey shrieked until he smacked her arse with one hand. The blow hadn’t hurt, but the message it sent was clear—she was no longer in charge. Normally, a loss of control would terrify her, but with Jonathan, it heated her blood. It made her feelfaint.
Probably because you’re hanging upside down, you silly fool.She refused to let her body betray her, not when she had vowed to stop finding Jonathanattractive.
He opened the door to the bedroom and slid the lock into place with a frightening finality before he set her down on the bed. Audrey’s breath came easier. She would recover from being carried around like a sack of potatoes. Her artfully styled hair had started to come undone, and she pulled a few pins out of her messy locks and tossed them to the floor infrustration.
“Why didn’t you just take me home?” she demanded, refusing to look at him as she peered at her reflection in the full-length mirror across the room. Her hair was notsalvageable.
Jonathan laughed harshly. “First, tell meexactlywhy you are here. Do you have any idea how furious your brother would be if he found you at abrothel?”
She shrugged. “He has much more on his mind now than me. He and Anne are expecting. He doesn’t have time to worry about me anymore, and you shouldn’t either. No one appointed you my guardian, so stop playing the part. He already likes you, all of them do, so you need not protect me to be in their good graces.” She slid off the bed and approached themirror.
Her body flushed with heat as he stepped up behind her. He was so tall compared to her. When she met his gaze in the mirror, she saw the infamous St. Laurent temper lurking there. It was not the sort of temper that made one fear for one’s safety. When he was angry, like his older brother, he expelled his fury through sensual domination. Like kissing her to silence her protestations. Audrey truly feared this—not because she didn’t want him to dominate her like that, but because she would like it far too much, and it would rob her of her goodsense.
“Audrey.” The roughness of his usually silky voice made her tremble. She raised her chindefiantly.
“Take me home. Idon’t care.” But she did. He might have already ruined her plans to meet withEvangeline.
“You do care,” Jonathan said, his tone softening. “You have hungers and desires like a man, and it must be very frustrating to have no one to learn from.” His green eyes were piercing, seeing right through her bravado. How could he know that was exactly how she felt? Trapped by her own desires, with no way to learn how to enjoy herself because of the restrictions society put on women when it came to passion? Her future husband would’ve shown her, but she couldn’t marry just anyone. She wanted a love match and had hoped thatthis manwould want her. But hedidn’t.
“No other man will teach you.” The fierce determination in his eyes made her want to scream infrustration.
“Just because you do not want me, that doesn’t mean you can simply lock me away in a tower to die a spinster!” She started to turn around, fully intending to smack him, but he suddenly moved. He slid one arm around her waist, holding her captive and pressing her back to his chest. His other hand gripped her throat, not hard, but the possessive hold sent a riotous shiver of dark longing through her. His palm rubbed gently along her neck as he pressed his lips to the shell ofherear.
“I never once said I didn’t want you. I want you too much…that’s exactly the problem. That servant was right. You are sweet as a peach, and I’ve dreamt of a thousand ways I would take you.” The devilish whisper in her ear made her blood pound so hard it felt like adullroar.
