Page 50

The maid snatched up her dress turned and scuttled out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. Regina glared at him silently before turning away a second time and walking over to the dresser. The next time he swore he would yank her right back.

“I don’t know what I expected. I knew you wouldn’t understand.” She began pulling the golden hair clips out of her hair until the thick braid fell down her back in a sleek rope.

Was that what this was about? Was she truly more concerned about keeping her title than his wellbeing?

His gut churned with acid as he stared at her.

Lush, beautiful and as cold as the gold she had draped herself in.

“I understand well enough. I thought that you actually gave a damn about me, but it turns out the thing you are worried about the most is the fucking title that put us here to begin with.”

She removed her pearl necklace and earrings before meeting his gaze in the mirror. “Don’t you dare. The title has always been a means to an end, and you bloody well know it. We are here because I am trying to protect my family. If you die before I have an heir what am I supposed to do?”

“It is truly galling that I’ve been running around London trying to protect your life and when you found out all you care about is your position in society instead of my safety. My death doesn’t bother so much as my dying at the wrong time.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course it is not the only issue at hand but your negligence in this could and would have far reaching effects.”

“I’ll be sure not to inconvenience you.”

“It would be appreciated. You are a baron now Leo—”

“Don’t remind me,” he growled.

“You are not a private detective anymore. There are more people relying on you than just your mother.”

The audacity of this girl condescending to him as if he were some mud lark she plucked out of the fucking Thames. “I am aware.”

“Then act like it and conserve your interests to matters which are within your sphere.”

“You are within my fucking sphere!”

“Not if you are dead you jackass!” she screamed, and he froze watching as the dam holding back her tears broke.

“My whole life, my happiness, my position, my ability to protect my family all of it depends upon you staying alive. If you die then all of this is for nothing. I am left behind again with nothing all over again. Why don’t you understand that? ”

“Rajani I was doing this for you.”

“Then why wouldn’t you tell me? Why would you keep something like this from me.

That madman wants your head and you all but made me his accomplice by allowing me to bring you here.

How am I supposed to live with myself if you die because I wanted to return to London when we could have stayed well and safe elsewhere?

You would put that on my head?” She swiped angrily at the tears streaming down her face.

“You cannot die. You cannot make all this happen, make all these promises and then leave me alone.”

“I never left you.” He insisted, but it sounded weak, even to him.

“You say that, but if you saw me as a partner, as your equal you would never have left me out of your plans. You would never have made me party to your enemies’ plans.

You would never have treated me like this.

You let me flounder in the dark like a dangerous, convenient idiot and said nothing.

I don’t know what you feel for me, but whatever it is, it is not love.

It cannot be.” She turned away from him again, defeat all over her face.

“Will you go back to your rooms. I don’t want you here tonight. ”

He would walk over hot coals for her, but he couldn’t leave her any more than he could let her walk away again, not when she was doubting how he felt about her. If he left those thoughts would fester into something unsalvageable.

“I can’t do that.”

“You’ve been doing a wonderful job of it so far. What? No fun when it’s actually what I’d like?” She started to walk away but he grabbed her arms to stop her, holding her in place.

“Let go of me,” she hissed.

“I thought you wanted an heir as soon as possible.”

Her elbow came back sharply into his ribs. He took the blow then pulled her closer wrapping his arms around her furiously wriggling body. “You’re lucky I don’t want your scalp.”

“I never wanted to hurt you,” he whispered against her hair, “and I don’t want to spend a night away from you.”

“If only I cared what you wanted.” She threw the words over her shoulder but she wasn’t wriggling half as much as before.

“What about what you want?” He breathed her in and saw the goose bumps flare up all over her skin pressing her half-dressed body between his and the bed.

“I want your absence,” she replied but she had gone still. Did she even realize she had leaned her head against his chest?

He gripped her arms and turned her around keeping his hands on her waist. He wanted her close, and he would fight to keep her just here, in his arms. “Do you?”

She glared up at him mutinously, through angry tears.

Her mouth trembled and she looked away shaking her head.

She wasn’t struggling but he couldn’t tell why exactly.

Was it because she refused to fight him?

Did she want to stay there? Was she passively accepting it until he gave up?

Was it really over so soon now that she believed him to be a liability to her ambitions?

His grip on her tightened without him realizing it.

Her eyes returned to his for a moment of uncertainty.

He felt when her body gave way, saw the frustration and desire in her eyes when they flicked down to his mouth.

Then her mouth was on his and her hands were fisted in his hair so hard it hurt, her mouth clinging to his.

If she meant her aggression to dissuade him it had the opposite effect.

He was rock hard in seconds. If she was after a rough romp in the sheets he could deliver that and all.

It shouldn’t have mattered to him. He should have pushed her away and asked the question he wanted to.

Namely if his only value to her was as a boon to her cause.

But she smelled so damn good, and her firm lush warm body was arching into him, begging for more of his touch, more of him.

Before this night was over he’d make sure she understood that it was him she needed.

Him and nothing else. He kissed her back gripping the back of her head pulling her up against him.

He should have known his Regina was never one to surrender anything by force or cede a point without a debate.

She squirmed against him trying to get closer.

When he lifted her up onto the mattress she jerked at his remaining clothes, ripping his shirt, scraping her nails against his skin.

He ground his stiffening sex against hers and her strong shapely legs came up around his hips, pulling him closer, forcing a groan out of him.

She held him in place rocking her hips against him moaning into his mouth.

He needed to get back control of the situation.

He was trying to prove a point to her, that there was more to him than a title, that he meant more to her than security, but with every moan and sigh all he wanted to do was surrender to the heat between them.

He hated arguing with her, hated how lonely it felt especially with those gunshots ringing in his head.

He wanted to punish her for doubting him, for ignoring the importance of what he was doing for both of them.

He wanted to sink into her and hold her close until there was nothing left between them, not even breath.

She was still wearing her stays. He couldn’t hold onto her lush curves the way he wanted to, but it left her full breasts high and wonderfully accessible.

He jerked her head back and fastened his mouth to the curve of her neck and the slopes of her shoulders before burying his face in the soft mounds of her breasts.

She moaned again, arching into him and holding his face to her body as he slid his hands between them to cup her firmly between her legs.

Through the slit his fingers found her soaking wet and eager.

Her head fell back with a desperate cry and her dark eyes drifted shut.

He kept waiting for her to fight him and instead she kept pulling him closer, gripping his shoulder weakly and her groin churning against his hand.

He wanted her to beg him as she had made him want to beg. To ask.

“Tell me you need me,” he whispered rubbing her clit, feeling her jerk against him with every pass, a rapturous frown on her beautiful face.

“Leo—” she broke off on a gasp, shivering as he curled his fingers inside her. She leaned up for his mouth and he pulled away. “What?”

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“You need me.”

“You already know.”

He drove his fingers in deeper and she hissed, her back arching as her fingers tightened convulsively on his shoulders. “Please.”

“Tell me and I’ll give you what you want.”

Something in her gaze shifted, as if she’d seen the hurt and fear he was trying to hide. Her hand slid up to rest on his cheek, “I need you Leo,” she whispered. “Please.”

He kissed her hard and deep, hating the sting of tears in his eyes, the feeling that he was somehow left begging her for something she should have given him already.

When he finally slid inside her, one thrust sending him hip deep she gasped, her legs tightening around him as her sex clenched down pulling him deeper.

Driven by need, by a desperate urge to claim the rest of her, he picked up his pace, thrusting deep and hard.

She just held him closer, pressing her cheek to him claiming more of him with every moan, every gasp, every ripple of her hot wet sex around his until all he could think about was how incomparable she was.

All he could feel was the pleasure ripping up his spine, forcing the air out of his lungs.

All he could hear was her moans, her breathless entreaties and praises telling him everything he’d wanted to hear until the telltale ripples of her pending climax began curling his toes into the rug in a desperate bid to hold out.

Her nails bit into his skin as she came calling out his name.

He buried his face in her damp shoulder and panted fighting the draw of her with every fiber of his being.

When she finally went limp against him, he tightened his grip on her and climbed up onto the bed.

She lay pliant under him, watching him with heavy lidded eyes as he unhooked her stays.

She shivered as his hands moved over her soft stomach, cupping her breasts through her chemise, teasing her nipples.

When he lowered his body over hers she wrapped her arms around his neck, welcoming him again. Denying him nothing.