Lillian's Light Horseman (17 page)

“Miss Hamilton appears to be enjoying herself. That
is
nice. It would be good for her to meet some eligible men in the area.”

William glared down at her. “She’s not here to meet eligible men.”

She shrugged daintily and stepped a little closer to him. “Even so, it appears that she’s found some agreeable male company.”

He prayed for the dance number to be over quickly so that he could take his leave of Margaret gracefully and go in search of Lillian. Watching her dance with another man and seeing that man make her laugh so freely made him feel murderous. He knew it was unreasonable but he was powerless to stop the feeling. He kept an eye on them and when he saw the man wrap his arm tighter about her waist, he clenched his jaw so tightly that he feared he would break a tooth.

The irony of the song that the band was playing was not lost on him and served only to deepen his black mood. Finally, the last strains of
When I Lost You
faded away and he was able to take his leave politely of Margaret.

“Thank you for the dance.” He bowed curtly and kissed her hand before stepping off the floor to go in search of Lillian. He didn’t miss Margaret’s little huff of irritation but he had no time for indulging her temper. He was suddenly desperate to ensure that Lillian was safe and well and back by his side.

* * * *

Lillian watched the couples dancing and marveled at how different this country ball was from the balls she’d attended back in England. In England, people enjoyed learning popular new dance styles that had obviously not reached the Australian outback yet. Watching the couples on the dance floor now comforted her. There was something reassuring in seeing that the traditional dances were not lost.

She was enjoying the company of Mr. Stratham. He was charming and made her laugh but he didn’t have the dizzying effect on her that William did. He didn’t make her breath hitch nor did her stomach bottom out whenever she looked at him. But he was very pleasing to talk to and served to help her forget that William had spent so little time by her side and more time in the company of Margaret Dawson. To add to her distress, she couldn’t help thinking that William and Miss Dawson made a handsome couple, and she’d make a very good match for him. The young woman obviously had feelings for William and George Dawson seemed to like and respect him.

She was sipping on a glass of punch and listening with half an ear to the gentleman by her side when she spotted William striding toward her. He didn’t look happy and she couldn’t understand what he’d have to be annoyed about. She suspected it was because she was in the company of a strange gentleman but William was hardly in a position to cast aspersions.

She sighed and readied herself for a repeat of the behavior that he had displayed at the picnic earlier that day.

He drew level with her. “Where have you been?” he demanded.

“I’ve been dancing, like you, and Mr. Stratham here has been keeping me company,” she responded mildly.

A loud clearing of a throat drew her attention back to Mr. Stratham, who had drawn himself taller and squared his shoulders. If she weren’t so worried about how his actions would be perceived by William, she’d have smiled at his bid to appear more foreboding.

William’s glare swung from her face to settle menacingly on Mr. Stratham. “Can I help you?” he snarled at the man who quailed slightly under his intense gaze.

“Not at all. I was merely keeping Miss Hamilton company after she did the honor of dancing with me,” Mr. Stratham explained coolly. “And you are?”

“Responsible for her,” William snapped.

Lillian gaped and struggled to swallow a sip of punch.
What is he thinking?
Of course, he’d been spouting about her belonging to him and she knew that he disagreed with her associating with strange gentlemen, but this took the cake! As far as she was concerned, William’s responsibility toward her started and ended with her position as his children’s governess. He’d never given her any indication to think otherwise and William throwing his weight around at social functions was exasperating and tedious.

She was just about to rebut his absurd declaration, when, like a vulture sensing an easy meal, Mary Simpson swooped in.

“William,” she purred. “You must dance with me.”

Lillian looked the woman over and noted that her cheeks had been re-rouged and her lips were coated in an alarming shade of bright red lipstick. The woman really was a brazen hussy. As if to prove her assessment, the woman boldly brushed her substantial breasts against William’s arm and cast a sly look in Lillian’s direction.

Yes, Mary Simpson knew exactly what she was doing and had chosen her moment to interrupt them perfectly.

Lillian cast her gaze toward William and didn’t miss the slight grimace of distaste that crossed his features at Mary’s blatant attention, but Lillian had had enough. She’d endured too much from William’s want-to-be paramours and she was determined not to let anything else interfere with her sensibilities that evening. She was feeling decidedly delicate and she wanted nothing more than to be away from William and his lady friends.

“Yes, go and dance, William,” Lillian encouraged sweetly, holding her arm out to Mr. Stratham. “I’m sure Mr. Stratham won’t mind joining me for a stroll. It’s quite warm in here and I’m in need of some air.”

“I’d be delighted,” the young man responded, politely taking her elbow and steering her toward the balcony doors.

She knew William would be furious with her, but she was in no mood to indulge his petty issues.

She’d made it halfway across the room when she felt an iron-like grip on her wrist before she was yanked from her position beside Mr. Stratham, spun around and pulled into a solid chest. She looked up into the cold, hard eyes of William as he towered over her—a seething mass of angry male.

He lowered his head to hers. “You will
not
be taking a stroll with anyone but me,” he said coolly, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her forcefully onto the dance floor.

Lillian had no opportunity to register a complaint as she was swept into William’s arms and whirled into a fast-paced waltz. She didn’t miss the surprised looks on the faces of the people close by at William’s dominant, somewhat aggressive, manner.

He tightened his hold and turned her expertly on the dance floor. When Lillian looked up into his face, she could still see the anger glinting in his hazel eyes.

“What did you say to your Mary Simpson? She can’t have been too happy at being so unceremoniously disregarded,” Lillian commented mildly.

William scowled down at her. “For the last time, she’s not mine and I didn’t say anything. I was in too much of a hurry stopping
you
from taking
another
stroll with a strange man.”

Lillian laughed. “I’m sure that my virtue is no longer an issue, William. You took care of that.”

“Don’t say things like that,” he snapped. “Do you know how happy and relieved I am that no man has had you before me?” His voice softened and he lowered his head to hers. “To me, you are everything that is virtuous and good. And you’re all
mine
—in every way.”

Lillian flushed and her heart rate stuttered at his possessive words. When he said things like that, she could almost believe that he wanted more from their relationship, but she also worried that too much had changed in ten years. A deep anger for her father burned within her and if she took hold of it too tightly, she knew she’d be in danger of becoming bitter and twisted. No, she needed to move on and try to rectify the wrongs perpetrated by her father all those years ago.

She relaxed and let William lead her around the floor. It felt good to be in his arms. He was an excellent dancer—smooth and confident—and he’d make anyone he danced with look proficient and graceful.

She was feeling marginally better when the final strains of the music died away and William led her from the dance floor.

Chapter Twenty

Lillian awoke slowly. She was being jostled from side to side, her cheek resting against a hard chest. William’s spicy aftershave enveloped her and she breathed deeply, inhaling his familiar scent.

She wasn’t sure what was going on. She recalled arriving home, where she had stumbled wearily to her room, washed quickly, changed into her nightgown and collapsed into bed.

“William?” she muttered sleepily, lifting her head to look around.

“Hush, sweetheart.” He cupped her head and pushed gently so her cheek rested back against his chest. “I’m taking you to my room. I can’t be without you for one more night.”

At his words, her insides clenched in anticipation and her weariness fled. She should oppose him and, in fact, she’d done just that when they’d arrived home. Lillian had deliberately wished William a curt goodnight before she’d retired to her room. She’d still been angry with him over the events that had transpired at the ball. But it now appeared that he’d decided to take matters into his own hands and she knew that she wouldn’t stop him—his power over her body was too great for her to resist.

William strode through his open bedroom door, kicking it closed then locking it behind him. She marveled at the ease with which he managed it while still keeping her clutched in his arms. He walked to the bed and deposited her gently on the covers.

“I know you’re upset with me, Lilly, and I hate that.” William sat next to her. He caressed her cheek and gazed down into her face, the soft light from the bedside lantern casting his features in shadows. “I can’t sleep knowing that I’ve distressed you. I need to make things right between us. I know that I’m being selfish, but I can’t help it. I’m going crazy with my need to be inside you again.”

Lillian shuddered and her mouth went dry. She couldn’t believe how much she wanted and needed that herself. At the mere thought of it, her sex grew wet and swollen and she locked her legs together, squirming, trying to relieve the sensation.

Then something else he’d said to her earlier sprang into her mind. “You said that we couldn’t do that again.”

He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Yes, I did say that, but I also just admitted that I’m selfish where you’re concerned.”

He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “I can’t think straight through my need for you. We’ll be careful.”

Lillian studied him. “Can’t have me getting pregnant,” she said. “What would you do then?”

He glared at her. “Don’t be sarcastic, it doesn’t suit you. Anyway, of course I’d look after you. What do you take me for? I’ve already made it quite clear that I feel responsible for you.”

She raised her eyebrows at his last remark but decided not to pursue it. She’d be lying if she said that she didn’t want him and anyway, she suspected he was very aware of how he affected her. She put her churlish attitude down to her arduous day dealing with William’s forward lady friends.

“I’d love to see you growing round and lush with my baby,” he said quietly as he caressed her face. “But I would hate to see it out of wedlock.”

Lillian melted at his words then went cold and sulky at his last statement.
He could rectify the wedlock issue in a moment
.

William stood then stooped to remove his shoes and socks. Straightening, he locked eyes with hers and she watched him untie his bow tie then unbutton his dress shirt. She relished the chiseled muscles of his chest and abdomen as he slowly revealed them to her. He shrugged his shirt off his shoulders, undid his trousers then pushed them and his briefs down his firm thighs. She gasped as his huge erection sprang free and bobbed in front of him, the tip reaching to his navel. She’d forgotten how big he was and a shiver of unease ran through her.

She ran her gaze up his body and met his amused expression.

“You stretch to fit me, my love. Remember?”

She nodded and scooted to a sitting position. She couldn’t resist—she had to touch him. She swept her hands across his sculpted chest before brushing them down his sides and tracing the defined V on his abdomen.

He hissed and sucked in a breath at her touch, his stomach muscles rippling deliciously at the movement.

“How do you get muscles like these?” she whispered in awe, sweeping her hands across his tanned skin.

“All the work I do on the property. Shearing sheep, riding, mustering, manual labor.” He shrugged and smiled. “I also box.” He looked down to watch her stroking his stomach and groaned.

“I need you naked. Arms up,” he demanded.

She raised her arms above her head. William stepped toward her and grasped the hem of her nightgown then pulled it over her head in one smooth movement.

As her nude form was revealed, she rushed to cross her arms over her breasts.

“Don’t,” he said softly. “I want to see you.”

Slowly, she lowered her arms. He stepped back to study her.

He gazed hungrily at her bare flesh. “You have the prettiest breasts, so full and pert. Do you see what I see, Lilly? Look at how small and pink your nipples are, just begging me to suck them.”

She gasped and colored at his language but didn’t turn her head away. She was mesmerized by his reverent gaze and the longing in his eyes.

“Feel how they pucker and pebble at my words?” He arched an eyebrow and brushed a thumb over one then the other.

She moaned and thrust her breasts toward him.

“Lie down,” he instructed and climbed onto the bed next to her.

She shuffled back and lay down, anticipation heating her blood and making her breathing erratic.

He settled his body between her legs. “Just relax, sweetheart,” he mumbled against her skin as he swept his lips across her cleavage, then his hot mouth found a nipple and he sucked, hard. With one hand, he found her other nipple and rolled the taut bud between his thumb and finger.

Lillian groaned and arched her back, inviting to him to take more. He bit down on her nipple then soothed it with the flat of his tongue. The sharp sensation sent a hot current searing from her breast to the sweet spot between her thighs, making her cry out and tremble beneath him.