Cat and Mouse (10 page)

“I find that hard to believe—and not just because of the feigned indifference behind your words.”

The silence that fell between them vibrated with life. The thoughts in her mind must have been whirring at an alarming rate.

Max placed a hand on her shoulder. “Where are your parents?”

Katrina swallowed. Her barely audible voice seeped out, “Dead.”

“For how long?”

“Long enough,” she breathed.

He pulled her to him, and much to his relief, she permitted the embrace. Her shoulders shook silently. She may have been weeping in his arms, but he couldn’t be sure as she uttered not a single sound. His heart went out to the poor girl. She was alone and afraid, whether she’d admit it or not. The fact that she’d survived the streets of London was a testament to her strength—a characteristic unheard of in a good many society women. Not that her fortitude was a flaw, but Max had the means, not to mention the desire, to fix every wrong thing in her life. Perhaps this was the very reason he’d followed her, been obsessed with her since he’d come across her in his study.

Conversationally, he had no idea where to go from here. “I’m sorry about your friend, Mr Lock.”

Regardless of how good his strong arms felt around her, Katrina pulled away and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. “I can’t believe he’s gone.” She hated mourning. Hated the crying that accompanied it. The helpless pain was more than she could bear—even when her wretched father had died it’d felt as if she’d never find joy again.

“Was he very dear to you?”

Katrina nodded. “He was.” She sniffed daintily.

The room fell silent once again, which applied a numbing whitewash over her sadness. She truly wasn’t interested in Maxwell’s opinions of her friends and, with certainty, didn’t wish to be questioned about every move she made by some man—even one so pleasing to look upon. She’d mastered a continued existence in the last few months without asking people’s permission. But then again, how long would she last without Jimmy’s help? He’d been her salvation a time or two and now…

“Do sit down, Miss Katrina, and we can talk about it.”

Her gaze met his. “I’ll sit, but please note that I am disinclined to discuss my private life with you.”

“Why? Do you have something to hide?”

Katrina’s bitter laugh wheezed from her throat in a single pant. “Look around you. The people with whom I associate wouldn’t exactly appreciate my frank disclosure.”

“I don’t want to know about them, I want to know about
you
.”

He did sound sincere, but something in the back of her mind held her willingness to participate at bay. “I don’t report to anyone regarding my life.”

“Nevertheless—”

“No. I refuse to concede. Why don’t you just retire for the evening?” She waved towards the bed. “And forget about garnering any information because you will fail.” She made for the door, but he scooped her up off the floor.

She tried to free herself. “What madness—? Let me down!” She scraped her fingers at his shirtsleeves but to no avail. In a flash he’d pulled her down to the bed. Instinct caused her to draw her legs and arms into a foetal ball. Holding tight to her limbs, she felt him stretch out behind her.

“Relax, mouse. You have nothing to fear from me.”

“I’ve heard that too many times to count—and stop calling me
mouse
.”

“You are a mouse.”

She flipped over so that she was nose to nose with him. “I am not a mouse. I don’t even remotely
look
like a mouse.” The volume of her voice rose to drive the point home. “So stop calling me
mouse
this instant!”
Insufferable man
.

To her amazement, Maxwell reached out and kissed her on the nose.

“Ack!” She pushed herself to a seated position and scrubbed at the offended spot with the back of her hand. “What did you do that for?”

“I think that for the duration of my stay, every time you disagree with me I’m going to kiss you.” He grinned up at her from the bed pillow.

She averted her gaze from his sensual lips that curled up so invitingly at the corners and his appealing dimples that dented his skin beneath each prominent cheekbone. “Why don’t you save your games for someone who enjoys your kisses?” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, intent on leaving the room altogether, but froze at his next words.

“What, you don’t think you’ll get any pleasure from kissing me?”

She stiffened her spine at his impertinent comment. “Certainly not,” she shot over her shoulder. The fact was, she’d probably lose herself entirely while in his intimate embrace, but it was certainly not something one wove into polite conversation. Or any conversation, for that matter.

“Hm. Then I think I’ll kiss you each time you lie to me as well.”

She turned to glare at him.
He couldn’t be serious
. “That wasn’t a lie.”

“Indeed it was.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Tell me then. How can you be so sure if you like my kisses or not?”

“Well, the kiss you just slapped onto the end of my nose wasn’t exactly a lark.”

“I didn’t specify where I’d kiss you.”

Katrina drew an indignant breath through her nostrils. “You. Go. Too. Far.” She rose halfway to remove herself from the bed when, from behind, his arm caught her around the waist.

“Release me!” Suddenly she was face down on his lap, her corseted stomach pressing into his thighs. This scenario was all too familiar.

“On second thought, I think I’ll give you a swat each time you lie.”

“Are you insane?” She tried to wiggle away, but he held her steady. It seemed like mere hours ago that she was in this exact same position with that man who—

She felt a scraping at her heels as he divested her of each shoe. “What is your last name?”

“I—I refuse to answer! Ha! That’s not a lie, either.”

Maxwell flipped up the fabric of her gown. “No.”
Whap
! “But your remark does qualify as a disagreement.”

Katrina yelped when the hit landed. However, when his palm lingered where the slight pain remained, a sensual warmth spread from her stomach to her limbs at the intimate touch.

No
.
This couldn’t be happening again
— “Don’t,” she choked out and tried to push herself up from the submissive position.

“Then answer the question.”

He smoothed his hand over her posterior only to follow up with a loud snap in the very middle of her bottom. With a loud exhalation of breath, her eyelids fluttered closed and she stilled, her heartbeat thudding loudly in her ears. Heaven help her, but Katrina wanted him to do it again.

“Your last name if you please.”

She pressed her lips together.

Whap
!
Whap
!

A low moan whispered in the back of her throat as he drew tickling tracks over the deepening sting. She became aware of just how much pleasure she found in his wicked game the instant her bottom tilted ever so slightly as if in search of more.

“Harwood,” she whimpered.

Maxwell strummed the pads of his fingers over her backside. “Good girl.” He slid his hand between her legs.

She sucked a breath of air through her teeth and her back arched of its own accord. She hadn’t meant to make such a show, but she felt an urgent need to give his fingers better access to her body. Her reward came when he found her clitoris. He pressed circles into it a few times then drew back just enough to sweep at her soaked, cotton-covered opening.

“My God you are wet,” he murmured then continued as if they were having a civilised conversation. “Where were you born?”

Katrina managed to shake her head.

He drew his hand away and she braced herself for the next blow.

Whap
!
Whap
!
Whap
!

“Ah—Wales!” she panted.

“Good. Open for me.”

Her body obeyed instantly.

“Yes,” he hissed. “So receptive to my touch.” He dragged the palm of his hand from back to front, teasing her. Exciting her. Her breath rushed in and out from between her lips in soft pants.

“Why are you here with these thieves?”

Katrina didn’t want to talk. She wanted him to lay her out on the bed and stroke her properly.

Whap
!

“Please,” she whimpered.

Whap
!
Whap
!

“Ran out of money,” she rasped.

Whap
! “I didn’t hear you.”

“God,” she panted. “I ran out of money,” she said louder. “I had nowhere else to go. Mr Brenner found me and took me in.”

He rewarded her by lightly dragging his fingertips over where he’d swatted her. “Good girl. You’ve had enough punishment. For now.”

Maxwell pressed his fingers between her trembling thighs. It felt like Heaven.

Katrina’s mind spun in twisted harmony with the pain-pleasure of his naughty ministrations. She floated in a pocket of still, warm air, unconcerned with the world around her.

“Now to worship you,” he said just above a whisper. He turned her over and positioned her bottom on the edge of the bed, and removed her drawers and stockings. She barely heard what he’d said when suddenly he pressed his lips and tongue to her already wet flesh.

What in the—?

Maxwell moaned and the question shifted from a demand to rhetorical as it faded from her consciousness like a mist.

There was nothing in her memory equivalent to the feeling of his mouth on her pussy. The world tilted and the muscles in her legs tensed. Air rushed into her lungs as she anticipated the sweet culmination that was so close she felt as though she were balancing on a balustrade.

“Come for me,” he murmured and lapped rhythmically at her clitoris with quick, hard flicks of his tongue.

She sang her ecstasy so loud she was sure she’d hurt his ears. Keeping her poised upon the euphoric crest, he eventually lessened his movements and she floated back to earth.

He nuzzled her mound and inhaled through his nose. “God, your taste… Your scent.” She could hear the rapture in his voice and for the first time in her life she felt beautiful. Her boneless body seemed to dissolve into the mattress. Involuntarily, her eyes rolled to a close and she and this glorious man lay there in that position, for several bliss-filled minutes.

Maxwell Courtland
. She sighed to herself.

She sat bolt upright and shoved his head from her lap.
What the hell had she just done
?

Chapter Eleven

“What’s wrong?” Still engulfed in a musky fog—and with a cockstand as hard as an iron hitching post pressed into the waistband of his trousers—Max gritted his teeth and sat up next to Katrina.

“You can’t just walk in here and—and
seduce
me like that!” she exclaimed as she tried to cover her legs with her skirts.

Her face was flushed, her eyelids heavy. Her short hair reached out like dozens of feathery tentacles. She was as mad as a hornet and as cute as a daisy.

“It’s a little late for that declaration, don’t you think?”

“How typical to question me in such a way after what you did.”

Max couldn’t help but grin. “Would you have preferred flowers and a calling card?”

Katrina lifted her chin. “Perhaps.”

Another evasion of the truth, but he’d let it lie for now. “Admit it. You enjoyed what I did to your body.” It didn’t matter how she answered. He already knew. The evidence still moistened his lips and clung to his senses.

“You are base. I don’t have to listen to this. I am going back to my own cot,
without
you. And there’s not room for two, so don’t even think about following me.” She began to scoot off the bed.

“I’m not going to let you leave this room, Katrina.” Max closed his arm around her waist. He pulled her back against his front and held on tight.

She was right, he admitted silently. He hadn’t exactly treated her with the respect she deserved. But then again, his instincts had already informed him that she wasn’t the type to desire an indifferent, hands-off courtship.

“Release me. I am not some sort of toy.”

“True.” A rush of electricity surged through his body. He buried his nose in the back of her hair and inhaled.
The real toys would have to wait until later
.

“I said let go of me.”

His answer came in the form of his other hand, which he slipped around her middle to completely encircle her. “I promise not to take any more liberties with you tonight if you stay with me until the sun rises.” He didn’t allow her to answer, but continued speaking. “What time is it? Nearing four, I would imagine.”

“Why? Why should I stay with you? You’re not exactly a shining example of a host, you know.”

He chuckled.
Right again
.

“If you don’t answer me—” she warned.

“You
will
remain here with me for the rest of the night. Now you have my answer.”

“Bully,” she murmured.

Max smiled.

Well, this bed
was
much more comfortable than her small cot. And at least Maxwell didn’t do what Brenner did to her. Brenner had awkwardly kissed her with his cold, wet lips, unceremoniously stripped her of her clothes, taught her the names of body parts that polite society never brought up and poked her between the legs until his prick broke through her maidenhead. Then he came on her belly and told her what that meant as well—an orgasm. He told her she hadn’t had one because she didn’t know how. For all the world, she couldn’t understand what all the uproar over coupling was about. It was irritating, uncomfortable and rather brief—the latter she’d been thankful for while she stomached Brenner’s company.

At least she thought so until Maxwell introduced her to pleasures that suited her far better than what Brenner had to offer.

However, this sort of thing should never again happen between her and Maxwell. There could be nothing between them. His associations with the upper crust of society, of which she was sure he had, only proved her theory. Besides, she wasn’t some sort of trollop who panted after men, for heaven’s sake—even men who knew what she wanted before she knew she wanted it.

The recollection of Maxwell’s mouth between her legs invaded her thoughts and Katrina relaxed against him. In lieu of almost every one of her already few options being taken from her, and regardless of her wanton abandon this evening, she felt Maxwell was, at the very least, on her side. She claimed friendship with his sister, after all—that alone should secure an alliance with him, provided it returned to a more
abstinent
state—and he overlooked her chosen profession.