Page 7 of Enchanted by the Lyon (The Lyon’s Den Connected World #93)

C assandra stared at her reflection in the mirror as her maid Fanny performed the finishing touches on her hair. Nodding her approval, Cassandra stood and retrieved her reticule from a nearby table.

“I’m so late,” she complained while rushing toward the door.

“You’ll be fine, milady,” Fanny answered while quickly placing a shawl around Cassandra’s shoulders. “The marchioness hasn’t gone down to the front parlor as of yet.”

“Are you certain? I’d hate to keep her waiting,” Cassandra replied opening her bedroom door.

“Yes. I checked with her maid before attending you. I promise you’ll be sitting in the front room finishing a cup of tea before she finally joins you,” Fanny said with a small smile.

Relieved she wouldn’t keep her friend waiting, Cassandra made her way down the long hallway, barely take notice of the paintings of Vincent’s ancestors gracing the walls.

But as she was descending the stairway, she couldn’t help but notice the large portrait on the wall of her friend and her husband.

They made a striking pair and the artist who had commissioned the piece had brilliantly captured the love felt between them.

Cassandra could only hope to be so blessed one day to find the love they shared.

She was about to enter the parlor when she came to a sudden halt and her breath caught in her throat.

There stood the gentleman of her dreams by the window with the sun streaming down upon him.

Dressed in riding boots and breeches, he was clearly here to meet Vincent for an afternoon ride. Her heart began racing when he turned.

He appeared startled but then a slow smile crept up at the corners of his lips. Lips she had fantasied about for months. Ones that woke her from heated dreams, craving his actual touch.

“Mrs. Vaughn. What a pleasant surprise.” He gave a bow before he began crossing the room to stand before her.

“Lord Blackthorn,” she answered, dropping into a curtsey. “I’m sorry if I intruded.”

“Not at all. I’m here to meet Saxton for a ride in the park,” he said. Then he appeared to assess her attire. “You look lovely this afternoon, Mrs. Vaughn.”

She was slightly caught off guard with his compliment, but she certainly couldn’t miss his appreciative gaze. “Thank you, my lord.”

“Are you here for an outing with the marchioness?” He held out his hand and she placed hers in his palm.

A thrill shot up her arm, through her heart, and then settled in the place between her thighs.

It pulsed when he leaned forward to kiss the air between her skin and his mouth.

She was almost disappointed that she didn’t feel the warmth of those delectable, dreamy lips.

“We’re to head to The Oxford Street Book Palace and Tea Rooms,” she finally managed to answer. Was he aware she was now living here? Probably not, she reasoned, given she had only moved a few of her belongings in yesterday.

“A lovely day for an outing of any kind,” he murmured softly, and his tone went right through her like a bolt of white-hot lightning. It made her shiver—but not with a chill. “How could I ever forget you are friends with Saxton’s wife?”

Cassandra realized her mind had gone quite blank. Oh dear. And he’d asked a question! She needed to keep her wits about her, or she’d sound like a buffoon if he continued to rattle her mind. “For years now, much as you yourself have been acquainted with the marquis, I assume.”

“Since our days in Oxford,” he said off-handedly, but she could in no way miss his appreciative gaze sweeping over her body from head to toe.

It gave her the impression that his thoughts were not completely on their conversation about their friends, either.

Instead, she mused, they were specifically about her.

Cassandra swore his green eyes darkened to the shade of a forest right after the rain.

He stepped closer and once again she scented his cologne.

She breathed deeply to fully enjoy it as she remembered her carriage ride to the Lyon’s Den and smelling his scent that lingered on her gloves for the first time.

Bergamot! That was the something else she hadn’t been able to place and the citrus scent with floral and spicy undertones was intoxicating.

She began to wonder if Mrs. Dove-Lyon was already pushing him in her direction.

It was a lovely notion to her plans to find a husband but she still remained on edge.

She had become distracted staring into his eyes and realized she had not responded to his comment. “True friends are hard to come by. I cherish those who have remained by my side over the years and I assume you feel the same with your friendship with the marquis.”

“Indeed,” her replied kindly before returning to the subject of their outings. “Are you looking for any book in particular at the bookshop?”

“Not necessarily,” she mused while continuing to study him. “Do you have recommendations?”

“A fair few, I would say. Though I am not sure if they would be to your liking.”

“You might be surprised what books I enjoy, Lord Blackthorn.” She felt a blush bloom on her cheeks as she looked into his amused eyes and the smile widening on his lips.

Her heart once again betrayed her responses to the man who unknowingly continued to pull at her emotions.

Yet, maybe he was fully aware what he was doing.

“Would I, indeed?” he said in a tender slow drawl as he cocked his head to one side. “Most ladies of my acquaintance are raving about Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice . Have you read it?”

“Not yet.”

“It was published several years ago and comes highly recommended. You might enjoy it as did I,” he declared with another appreciative look at her.

“I did not take you for being interested in a romantic novel, my lord.”

His eye took on a mischievous glint causing her pulse to elevate.

“As you also just mentioned, you, too, might be surprised by what literary tomes I enjoy.” He paused briefly before continuing with a laugh.

“But I tease you… it was a bet among one of my friends who thought I couldn’t make it past the first chapter. ”

Cassandra took a step back, hoping that he hadn’t noticed the heightened color of her face, but by his look, she knew he had.

“I enjoy the classics,” she rushed reaching for the fan dangling from her wrist and waving it slowly, so as not to appear flustered with him.

She knew she was failing. Lucius, on the other hand, was enjoying this.

“Nothing like a good story and a cup of tea on a nice day like this. But tell me, Mrs. Vaughn, what is your favorite book?” he asked politely.

She wavered momentarily on revealing one of her favorites. If anyone other than Lucius had asked, she might have given a different response. “ The Fortunes

And all that’s best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellowed to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.’

“ She Walks in Beauty ,” she murmured as she felt captured by his gaze.

“Much like yourself, Mrs. Vaughn… Cassandra,” he replied in a husky voice that sent shivers racing through her body. Hearing her name pass his lips was almost her undoing again.

There could be no mistaking his flirtatious nature dispelling any thoughts of a marriage between them and covering her with a heavy blanket of disappointment.

She quickly realized she had fallen into his trap far too easily since her emotions were too raw where Lucius was concerned.

She had to remember he already had a mistress waiting for him.

If she wasn’t careful, she might just fall prey to such an arrangement and not a marriage that was her ultimate goal.

She held back the anger that threatened to overwhelm her and bit back words she might regret if she let this situation continue.

“Lord Blackthorn—”

“Call me Lucius,” he replied with a wicked grin.

“Why would I call you by your given name? And for that matter, I did not give you permission to call me by mine,” she huffed hoping she didn’t come off like a shrew.

“Friends tend to call each other by their given names…” he said with a shrug.

“I was not aware that one conversation made us friends , my lord.”

“It could be the start of wonderful friendship. After all, your friends are married to my friends. We are bound to run in the same circles in the future,” he answered with another smirk making her assume he was thinking of another sort of relationship with her than mere friendship.

Snapping open the fan again, she waved the device in front of her to cool her flaming face and to stop herself from slapping the charming smile from his handsome face.

The arrogant cad! “I believe, Lord Blackthorn, that you are still in an arrangement with another lady,” she said in as icy a voice as she could manage.

He gave a light laugh. “I am not asking you to take her place, Cassandra. I merely suggested a friendship form between us.” Something shifted in his gaze as he watched her that still sent thrills over her skin, in spite of herself.

When she snapped her fan shut, he reached over, and with one of his fingers traced her cheek. “Just lovely.”

She stepped back and watched as a frown marred his brow. Obviously, this man wasn’t used to being rejected. Well. This would be the first lesson he would learn about her and most likely it would be one of many.

“Lord Blackthorn… just because I have lived in a part of town that is known to men such as yourself for housing many of Society’s mistresses doesn’t mean I am interested in any form of a relationship with you—or any other man, for that matter.

” The last thing she wanted was for him to think of her as only his latest conquest. Now she strode around him to put some distance between them.

It didn’t take him long before he was once again too close for her to ignore him.

“You’re angry with me…” he stated the obvious.

“Clearly!” His close proximity made her struggle to breathe and she shook herself out of her angry thoughts.

No, she wasn’t angry. Instead a wash of being let down by his character flowed over her.

He could be so much more. She knew it deep inside and decided to voice her thoughts aloud.

“Perhaps anger isn’t the correct emotion I am feeling toward you. It’s more like disappointment.”

A frown formed across his brow. “That is somehow even worse, my lady. I would not wish for you to think ill of me,” he urged, reaching for her hand.

She yanked her quaking fingers from his grasp. “Then you should look at me with a little more respect. I am not interested in becoming your latest… plaything , my lord,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Call me Lucius,” he insisted again, instead of listening to what she was attempting to convey.

“Have you not heard a word I’ve just said?”

“I’m trying to change your mind since I seem to have failed your expectations of my character and my intentions,” he said with a teasing wink. “I only suggested we become friends… Anything more… well…”

Friends? Anything more? His entire demeanor more than told her what his words were saying as to his desire to become more than friends. If she was wrong, she was a bad judge of men and she’d had her fair share of disastrous relationships in her past.

A frustrated sound that was very unladylike erupted from her lips before she remembered this was the man she had been drawn to for months.

Did she honestly expect him to meet her and fall madly in love with her at first sight?

Not likely, and she best change her methods if she wanted to keep his attention for more than a brief liaison.

She plastered what she hoped was a becoming smile upon her fact.

Not because the gesture was out of happiness but because she felt like she needed to smile in order to keep him interested.

His cocky expression told her that he thought she—like the women before her—would agree to whatever he suggested.

No. Guess again, my lord. She would quickly squash such a notion.

“Then you needs must figure out better tactics, my lord, because whatever you’ve used in the past will never work on me. ”

A laugh left him. “That sounds like a challenge.”

He really was a rake. “Call it whatever you’d like but you can forget anything between us of a frivolous nature if that is your true goal and intention,” she retorted, lifting her chin in defiance though inwardly she had to admit she was impressed with his determination.

“I look forward to seeing just how far you’re willing to go to remain indifferent to my charms,” he said, grinning like the rogue he was.

A devil of her own prodded her to grin at him in challenge.

She wasn’t about to give in easily no matter how handsome he was, or how charming he managed to be when he flirted.

“Then as I suggested, Lord Blackthorn, you’d best better your approaches to win over a lady.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you really are losing your game,” she declared, turning on her heels when she heard Moriah calling her name from the foyer.

From the parlor, his laughter echoed in the air, following her as she walked and Moriah sent her a questioning gaze.

Cassandra ignored it. She was too annoyed.

That insufferable lout didn’t know the first thing about wooing a woman and was too used to getting whatever he wanted with a wink, a roguish grin, and a wave of his hand.

Now, more than ever, she looked forward to playing a game where the house was stacked in her favor. Lucius Ford would never know what was in store for him. Let the games to winning over his heart begin!