A Scarlet Bride (8 page)

She stood by a potted palm tree on the edge of the dance floor next to her aunt. Purposefully, he strode toward his prey, vowing she was not going to get away this time. For this woman to fall for his deception would require
all his
seductive prowess, but he had every confidence she would be his after tonight.

Her
bluegreen
gown shimmered in the glow from the lamps. The lace of her dress dipped to expose the creamy whiteness of her breasts, the cloth fitting snugly down to her small waist. The urge to run his hands down the satin fabric clinging to her curves curled his fists. Soon, very soon, he would have his fill and then some.

She turned as he approached, her lips turned up slightly. Heat pooled in his lower anatomy. The woman's smile had the ability to make his blood quicken faster than any of his previous paramours. Damn, but he could not remember a time he had been so enthralled with a woman. Not since Georgiana.

He bowed low over her hand, pressing his lips against her gloves. As he
raised
up slowly, her green eyes sparkled like emeralds, staring at him speculatively.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked, his eyes noting the diamonds that hung around her neck. Light reflected from the stones, drawing his gaze to her bosom. He longed to taste where the necklace lay.

She tilted her head and gazed at him a long moment before considering her answer, her aunt gently nudging her with her hand. Finally, Alexandra answered, "Yes, thank you."

Clasping her hand, he led her out onto the dance floor. Though he longed to pull her close and feel her trembling body against his, he knew she would not respond in kind, so he resisted.

She turned her head sideways and gave him a coquettish grin. "You seem perplexed tonight, Mr. Manning."

He smiled and nodded his head. What could he say? He was baffled that one kiss had made her more skittish than a newborn colt. She was mysterious and different from any woman he had ever experienced, and he wanted to know more of her. "If I seem that way, it's only because a certain young woman is leading me on a merry chase. A chase she seems to be enjoying."

Alexandra smiled,
then
clucked with her tongue. "Who would do such a thing to a gentleman like yourself?
A gentleman known for his generosity of time and experience with the ladies."

His brows raised and he shrugged.
"Most of which gossip has overblown to the point it is fiction, not fact, Mrs. Thurston."

Her smile disappeared. "Scandal can be deadly, can it not?"

"Yes. That's why I choose not to listen to idle prattle,
except
, of course, when it's about you."

"Most of which is fiction, not fact."

He threw back his head and laughed.
"Using my own words against me.
You're a mean woman, Mrs. Thurston."

"No. I am a practical woman." She took a deep breath. "And because I'm a practical woman, I must tell you that further association with you is not in my best interest."

Stunned, Connor managed to keep his feet moving without stepping all over her toes."Why? Are you afraid, Mrs. Thurston?
Afraid of the feelings that one kiss evoked?"

She stiffened in his arms.
"Of course not.
Your kiss did not affect me in any way."

Connor remarked, "Forgive me for being blunt, but you're
lying
."

Like a soldier prepared for battle, she drew her shoulders back. "I am not."

"Then why did you insist I take you home that day?"

She gave him a blank look. "It was getting late. It was time for me to go."

"So you're going to end our courtship before it has a chance to get started."

"Courtship?"
Alexandra shrugged. "I never had any intention of letting anything develop between us."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "I think for the first time, you felt the spark that can happen between a man and the right woman. And you're frightened."

Her mouth thinned. "That is absolutely ridiculous. There's only one reason you're attempting to court me."

"And that is?"

She appeared flustered. "You know a lady never responds to that kind of question."

"Maybe not, but I wanted to see if you would." He paused, his hand tightening on her waist. "Admit you enjoyed our kiss the other day, just as much as I did."

Connor watched with amusement as a blush spread across her face, tingeing her cheeks with a rosy color.

"Mr. Manning, I do believe your ego is talking. Whether or not I was affected does not matter. I'm asking you not to pursue me anymore."

"I can't keep away," he whispered close to her ear.

"You will gain nothing," she blurted out.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Depends on which side of the fence you're on." His voice became even lower. "I'm going to intensify my endeavors with a very open display of how much I want you."

Alexandra
swallowed,
her green eyes large. Frightened, she turned her lush, inviting lips down in a frown. "You are wasting your time."

He grinned. "I have all the time in the world for you. And you'll soon learn
,
I can be a very stubborn man."

She ran her tongue nervously across her lips. "And I am an equally stubborn woman."

He nodded to her, acknowledging the gauntlet she had thrown down. "May the most obstinate person
win.
"

Alexandra was angry enough she could easily have pulled out a gun and shot Connor Manning in the middle of the
Sloanes
' ballroom. All night they had been playing a game of cat and mouse, with him showing up at her elbow every time she turned around. He had followed her back and forth across the room, even being so bold as to cut in the few times she had danced with other men. Every time he'd left her, she'd felt flushed and feverish.

The man disturbed her and people were beginning to notice. Already there was much speculation about the two of them. If he continued, she would just have her aunt's carriage brought around and leave early. The carriage could always return later for her father, aunt, and uncle.

Yet, she was surprised when she had so wantonly let Connor kiss her at the picnic, and he had not pressed his suit. Gordon certainly would have, and would never have let her get away with just kissing him. He would have tried even more, especially since they were alone. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of what Gordon would have attempted, and she pushed the thought out of her mind.

She watched from the edge of the dance floor as Connor stood head and shoulders above everyone else in the room, and she couldn't help but notice his black evening suit made him look dashing. The man was danger with a capital D. D for dazzling, as well. He was intriguing, with a quick wit that, for some reason, seemed to attract her like no other man before him. And not only had his kiss affected her the other day, she'd thought of nothing else for the last week.

The memory of Connor's lips against hers had frightened her into reminding herself of her purpose for coming back to America. Her primary focus had to be getting even with Gordon, and since the outing with Connor to the gardens, she'd been unable to concentrate. Her lack of diligence had affected her writing. Her editor expected the final draft of her second book to be in his hands within the next two months, and she was behind schedule.

Somehow she must get her mind back on Gordon and her revenge, and off of the bluest eyes this side of the Atlantic.

Before she stepped out onto the verandah to take a breath of fresh air, she took one last glance at the man who had put a new spin on her world. She watched as he twirled his dance partner on the floor, appearing to be totally engrossed in her chatter.

With a sigh of relief Alexandra hurried outdoors. Somehow she had to get control of her traitorous body or be pursued relentlessly by this man. And to be honest, the consequences of his endless courting frightened her. Her experience with men was rather limited and the memories were not pleasant.

For some reason he seemed to touch her on an elemental level and evoke responses she had never felt before. Responses Gordon had never aroused.
Responses that left her dizzy with possibilities.

The night air caressed her skin, like the lover she'd once dreamed of but never met. For some inexplicable reason, thoughts of Connor always seemed to be accompanied by pervading warmth.

Maybe her memory had played tricks on her, and her reaction when they kissed in the garden was just an overstimulation of too much nature. Or maybe the years of being secluded had done their damage and she was simply insane. Or maybe she was as wicked as society claimed and she could not control the shameless side of her that wanted him to kiss her again.

She stepped across the porch, walking deeper into the shadows, and rubbed her hands against the bare skin of her arms. What was wrong with her? Since she had met Connor, her body seemed to have awakened from a long sleep, leaving her restless, her thoughts sensual.

At the creak of the door opening, she jerked her head around, only to meet the eyes of the man in her thoughts. Connor, the man she so desperately wanted to escape.

Her hand went to her throat as Connor walked towards her through the shadows of the night, his every step determined. His blue eyes gleamed in the darkness like a feral hunter who knew exactly what he wanted. And he wanted her.

Alexandra took a step backward and felt the railing at her back. "Why did you follow me out here?"

"You know why."

The air seemed sultry and laden with unspoken desires that coursed through her blood, pounding with the rhythm of her heart. His eyes touched her, leaving her hot with need, shivery with anticipation.

She knew what was about to happen, and her body awaited his touch. He reached out, clasping her hand, pulling her into the shadows with him. A warm buzz seemed to travel up her skin at his nearness.

"We shouldn't be out here alone," she said, removing her hands from his.

"Nobody knows but us."

"I'm going back in." She made a move to leave and he reached out to stop her. His touch sent warning bells echoing through her mind.

"Not before I show you that my kiss affects you as much as yours tortures me," he whispered softly in the darkness.

His words aroused tumultuous feelings, and she swallowed, trying to regain control. "You're not the Casanova you think you are."

Connor chuckled. "You're the one comparing me to him. I only wish to show you how it could be between us."

"The way it was with dozens of other women you've had?"

"You flatter me," he said, his voice strong in the night. "With you it's different. You've set my blood afire, almost from the moment I saw you. I ache with the need to touch you."

Alexandra took a deep breath, his words conjuring up images of tangled sheets and sweltering nights, of lovers whispering words of enticement and pleasure. Images she had only dreamed of, but never experienced. Images she had once longed for.

She tried to control her uneven breathing. "You must say these words to all the women you chase."

Connor took a step closer, pulling her in tightly against his body. "I choose women I don't have to chase.
Women who know exactly what to expect from me.
You're not my usual style and I'm glad."

Alexandra couldn't help but think about the way he fit so snugly against her. The way his legs were lost in the swirls of her skirt, his hips touching hers, brought visions of his manhood nestled against her lower stomach.

And God help her, her body cried for more.

Time seemed suspended as she watched his lips descend upon her own. Warm and supple, his mouth caressed hers, the taste of brandy lingering on his tongue. Her knees felt weak, and she fought the urge to wrap her arms around Connor and pull him closer.

She tried to resist the spell he seemed to weave around her, his lips leaving her body clamoring for more. She had to show him his kisses didn't affect her. She had to prove to herself this man was just like any other.

But he wasn't.

This was dangerous. If they were to be caught, this could be deadly to her reputation. Yet, she couldn't break away from him. She didn't want to leave the sanctity of his arms just yet.

He increased his assault upon her lips, his tongue gently coaxing her until she opened her mouth to receive more. Blood surged through her veins, pounding until she feared he could hear the sound as he pummeled her tender mouth.

The will to resist was ebbing from her, changing and reshaping into an energy she had never experienced. With sudden surrender, her arms wound their way around him, pulling him firmly against her breasts. She could not resist the pleasure she found in his arms any more than she could deny herself air. For he was filling her with nourishment she had long denied herself.

Suddenly his lips left hers and she knew she wanted them back. Instead his mouth caressed her neck, sending warm tingles all the way to her toes. His lips trailed down her throat and shoulders, until he reached her bosom. She felt the warmth of his kiss, at the tops of her breasts. She arched her back, wanting more, needing to give him even more access, anything to continue his delicious assault.