Page 16 of Enchanted by the Lyon (The Lyon’s Den Connected World #93)

A low moan of pleasure left her as she followed this man’s lead while he kissed her senseless.

How many times had she dreamed of his kisses?

How many nights had she laid awake wishing she could be in his arms?

He certainly didn’t disappoint the fantasies she had held dear inside her head.

Her heart was beating so fast she swore everyone at the Lyon’s Den would be able to hear what this man was doing to her.

And still, he continued to kiss her as though he was starving, and she was the only person who could satisfy his hunger.

Something shattering outside in the hallway broke the spell Lucius had woven around her as he quickly broke off their kiss.

But still he continued to hold her and began trailing his mouth down her neck, leaving an invisible scorch mark on her skin she would never be able to erase.

It was though he was branding her as his and again, she didn’t mind.

“I want you, Cassandra,” he murmured while she made every attempt to gather her wits about her.

She wanted him, too, but something in the back of her mind needed to know his intentions.

Were they honorable or was he only thinking of a simple tryst to while away the night?

The disappointment of such an outcome became overwhelming.

She would have to admit that her friends were right and he wasn’t the marrying type.

God forbid if he only wanted one thing from her.

She couldn’t be his mistress. Not when she wanted to be his wife!

Those thoughts were enough to bring her back to her senses.

In fact, it was as if someone threw a bucket of ice water on her.

She stepped away from him and she was sure that his face mirrored the confusion she felt as well.

Such an emotion couldn’t be helped but she would in no way let him take advantage of her, all because there was more to a relationship than sexual gratification.

There was caring. Sharing. And even love.

That’s what she wanted, and she would accept nothing less.

After all and for whatever reason—destiny or fate—she knew she loved him .

She took a deep breath to voice her thoughts aloud.

“You said you wanted ‘more’. What did you mean by that?” she asked while hoping she wouldn’t regret asking this question. He frowned and tried to bring her back into his embrace. He failed, of course, because she needed to know his thoughts. “Answer me, my lord.”

“From our kiss, I would think it would be obvious,” he said, finally just reaching for her hand. She allowed it, even though he hadn’t answered her question completely.

“Perhaps you can make your intentions clear, Lord Blackthorn, so there is no misunderstanding between us,” she said, her heart falling as she knew she might not like the answer he gave.

He dropped her hand and stepped back from her before running his hand across the nape of his neck.

“I know I promised Saxton I would let you be, but I cannot keep myself from wanting you,” he confessed, before a small smile lit his features.

She supposed he expected his charming demeanor to work magic to destroy the defenses that were suddenly raised about her.

For a few seconds, she had hope he had changed his mind about marriage.

And then his next words caused her world to crash down around her. “I want you to become my mistress.”

She should have been shocked. She was hardly surprised given his reputation.

“Your mistress …” was all she could manage to get out.

She turned away from him, hoping her tears wouldn’t begin leaking from her eyes.

She couldn’t let him see how his words affected her since she hated the fact that he was truly her biggest weakness.

“Yes, of course. I couldn’t offer you anything else, Cassandra,” he replied. He had come up behind her and now turned her to face him. He reached up and slid his thumb across her cheek as one lone tear was wiped away to prove her distress.

“I suppose such an offer for someone like me should be appreciated, my lord, but I must decline,” she whispered before tearing herself away from his side and heading toward the door.

“But I thought you might be amicable to such an arrangement.”

“And you were wrong!” she fumed before she whirled around to face him. “Nothing has changed from our previous conversations that I am looking to marry , my lord, not put my reputation back into the gutter.”

“But our kiss tells me otherwise,” he interjected with a scowl.

“That kiss was a mistake, and I will never allow it to happen again,” she said angrily.

“We are not a mistake, Cassandra.”

“There is no we . There never will be a we . I am not interested in your bed, my lord, I’m interested in your heart.”

He lifted a brow in a sardonic smirk. “Many women have claimed to want my heart but I’ve learned what they really want is my fortune, and my title.

I’m not about to hand that over to any woman.

” He shrugged. “But I’d be happy to share my company.

And my… body.” His smirk became a wicked grin. His usual, flirty grin.

Cassandra felt overcome by anger, and the thought he could so easily overcome her objections.

A sound emerged from her that was part-growl, part-shriek.

“You will not change my mind, Lord Blackthorn. Whatever this is between us…” She waved her hand back and forth between them when he again stepped forward, “is and was a muddled mess and will not continue.”

“I do not for a moment consider what is happening between us as a mistake as you just implied, Cassandra.”

“If you think of me only as your latest conquest, then yes, Lucius, it is,” she said sharply as she reached for the handle of the door.

But then she turned back one last time to gaze upon the man for whom she had held such an infatuation for so long.

Perhaps it was time to let the fantasy she had of him in her head end and move on with someone who she might find a common accord. Valentine, for example.

Or maybe for her, love had no part in her future.

“You are more than just a conquest,” he stated, and she swore she heard a hint of sincerity in his tone. Yet, maybe, that was again just wishful thinking on her part.

“And maybe I should have listened to the advice I was given where you are concerned, my lord,” she said softly. “It might have saved my heart from being broken.” Again.

She gave him no time to consider her confession as she opened and quickly closed the door behind her.

She hadn’t meant to spill how much he had hurt her.

The words just came rushing out before she could hold herself in check.

She took a moment to ensure her mask was still in place before she returned to the main room of the Lyon’s Den.

Somehow, she thought it should look different now.

She certainly felt altered from whom she was, in this room, only moments ago.

She entered the crowded room and paused, unsure where to go and even if she wanted to stay. The enjoyment of the ball had left her. Now all she wanted to do was leave. Or hide in a corner and sob.

Leaving was probably the best option, she told herself, as she started toward the foyer.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Mrs. Vaughn?” a woman’s voice said from behind her.

Cassandra turned to see Mrs. Dove-Lyon, who lifted her veil slightly to take a sip of her champagne.

She heaved a heavy sigh. “I believe I’ve made a mistake where Lord Blackthorn is concerned. You were right,” she began, trying not to allow her voice to crack.

“I generally am, where matters of the heart are concerned,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon answered.

“He will not make me a suitable husband,” Cassandra added, her gaze moving of its own accord to the man who only just now returned to the room. She felt her face grow hot and took hold of the fan dangling from her wrist to wave it in front of her flushed face and perhaps block her view.

The woman before her remained silent and it was anyone’s guess what she was thinking behind that veil.

She finally spoke. “We shall see how the coming weeks proceed. In either case, I have already made a deal with Lord Blackthorn, and you will need to come to an amicable arrangement so he might find the answers to correct your past. Whether you like it or not, both of you will be seeing a lot of one another.”

Cassandra’s heart plummeted. “But—”

“In the meantime, I believe you will continue to enjoy the company of Lord Carrington,” she declared as she raised her hand, crooked her finger, and the gentleman she just mentioned began to move through the crowd in their direction.

“He is amicable, and is as handsome as Lord Blackthorn to my eyes. With that, I bid you to enjoy your evening, Mrs. Vaughn. We shall chat soon.”

Cassandra watched Mrs. Dove-Lyon take her leave. Lord Carrington quickly took her place.

“Shall we dance, Mrs. Vaughn?” he asked, holding out his hand for her to take.

She spotted Lucius watching her intently before she plastered a fake smile upon her lips. Knowing there was no limit on the number of dances allowed to a lady here at the Lyon’s Den, she knew her answer. “I would be delighted, my lord.”

The rest of the evening passed in a blur.

Cassandra vowed to herself that she would enjoy the remainder of the night.

But it was the watchful eyes of Lucius Ford that caused her facade to crack.

She felt… broken . And while Valentine Pierce was a suitable candidate as only an escort to many of Society’s upcoming events, Cassandra hardened her heart to him, and to all men.

It was going to take a lifetime to ever allow love back into that broken part of her again.