Simmer All Night (30 page)

Christina sniffed with disdain, then stood and glided over to her chili pot where she gave the mixture a thorough stir. "So what was this mysterious errand of yours, Cole? Why did you leave so suddenly?"

He shrugged. "As it was I had business to take care of, and I wanted to get it done as soon as possible."

"What business?"

"We'll get to that later. First I want to know about these plans you've made with Bennet. Tell me about this Anglo-Texan Society."

"Well." Christina tossed a disgruntled look over her shoulder. "News does travel fast here in England. What happened? Did Lana meet you at Hartsworth's front door to tell on me?"

"No. I haven't seen the lovely bride-to-be since my return. As a matter of fact, I was with Melton when Bennet's invitation to this barbecue you've cooked up arrived."

"Melton?" She jerked the spoon from the chili, sending red drops splattering against the white marble mantel. "You were with Melton? You went to London?"

"Yes." Cole couldn't help but grin when a blend of outrage and envy tracked across her face. "It's an amazing city. I've done my share of traveling, but I've never seen a city quite like that one. Why, we think the missions of San Antonio are old because they were built in the last century. That was just yesterday when compared to someplace like Westminster Abbey."

"Never mind the travelogue. Tell me about Lord Melton. Why did you rush off to see him? Did you learn something at the ball before you left? Did he have the Declaration? Did you get it?"

"Slow down, Bug. Give me a chance to answer." Cole sauntered over to the fireplace where he lifted a poker and began stirring the fire. He considered her questions and chose his answers carefully. Only a fool would tell her he went to see Melton in order to wrap up this Declaration search as quickly as possible so they could head back to Texas as soon as the marriage vows were said. Cole was no fool. At
least, most of the time I'm
not.

He ignored her first couple of questions and addressed the last two. "Melton's grandfather somehow ended up with stacks of documents out of the Texas Embassy in London. While going through the papers following his grandfather's death, Melton developed an interest in the history linking Britain and the Republic of Texas."

"Cole," Chrissy warned, impatience glinting in her eyes. "What about the Declaration?"

"He doesn't have it."

"Oh." She frowned.

"But he knows who does."

"Oh?" Her brows winged upward.

Distracted by the way her blouse slipped off one shoulder. Cole didn't respond. She poked his bare chest with her index finger. "You are making me angry."

You're driving me insane.
He gave his head a little shake and reined in his thoughts. "How is it that you always manage to stir things up? If it's not a pot of chili, it's a plot of one sort or another, or..." his gaze slid to the swell of her breast visible above her gaping blouse "...me. You stir me, Chrissy. In ways I've never been stirred before. You make me hungry."

For a long moment, she went still. Something flashed through her eyes, an emotion he couldn't put a name to, but one that made him glad he'd given voice to the words in his heart. Then she smiled a slow, womanly, gird-your-loins-fella-'cause-I'm-fixin'-to-make-you-pay lifting of lips, and he wondered just what he'd let himself in for.

"Shall I feed you?" she asked, her voice a breathy purr.

Cole blinked. "Oh, yeah. Please." If he had a tail, he'd have wagged it.

She laughed. Placing a finger against her own mouth, she kissed it, then set it against his chest at the spot she'd poked moments before. Cole glanced down, fully expecting to see steam rising. Right along with the rest of him.

"Sit down then, sir, and I'll see to satisfying your appetite."

Christina had a glint of mischief in her eyes that warned Cole she had a trick tucked beneath that enticing black ribbon decorating her sleeve. However, she tempted him with a prize spectacular enough to risk the gamble, so he moved quickly to do as she bid. Grabbing a few pillows off a nearby settee he stretched out in front of the crackling fire, his eyes never leaving her as she removed a bowl from the plate warmer and lifted the lid off the Dutch oven.

The aroma of peppers and spice swirled around them as she filled the bowl with chili. Then, kneeling beside him, she dipped a spoon into the steaming bowl and lifted it toward his mouth. The soft laugh that escaped her made him reconsider the risk.

"Wait just one minute," Cole said, reaching out and grabbing her delicate wrist. "I recognize that look in your eyes."

Her tongue drew an enticing circle around her lips. "I don't understand."

Cole narrowed his eyes and stared deeply into hers. "It's the same look you wore when you liked to have killed me with that habenero pepper. It's your Chili Queen look and I don't trust it."

She answered with an impish smile. "Now, Cole. This isn't a hot pepper, it's my chili."

"Well, I hear you've been fiddling with the recipe."

She wrinkled her nose. "Excuse me, but why would I 'fiddle' with the recipe that won me the title of Queen of the Chili Queens of San Antonio?"

Because her kneeling position placed his head at the perfect angle to peer down her blouse, Cole became momentarily distracted. "What's a scorched tongue mean in the big scheme of things, anyway?" he murmured.

"Oh, you big baby." Chrissy lifted the spoon to her own mouth, blew gently on it, then ate the spoonful of chili. "Mmm... just perfect, if I say so myself."

Again, she licked her lips, and Cole clenched his teeth to hold back the groan.

She dipped the spoon into the bowl a second time, then held it up to her mouth. As she blew a stream of air over the steaming chili, her gaze met and held Cole's. An aching need pulsed through him. She put such promise into her look that it was all he could do not to fling the spoon away and lay her flat. But Christina was a woman with a purpose, he knew, so he made a supreme effort to rein in his impatience.

"You said you were hungry, Cole?"

A low rumble of agreement grated from his throat.

"Here, then, have a bite."

As she directed the spoon toward him, Cole instinctively opened his mouth. The chili never made it there, however, because Chrissy deliberately fumbled the spoon and the warm red concoction spilled onto his chest. "Oh dear," she breathed. "I'm so sorry. Let me clean you up."

She pushed him down onto his back, then leaning over, she licked up the chili.

Cole sucked in a harsh, uneven breath. "Wicked. Woman, you are such a tease."

She glanced up. "Oh, I'm not teasing. I'm always very, very serious about my chili." Lowering her head again, she took his nipple between her teeth and nipped at him, then used her tongue to lave away the slight twinge of pain. While doing that, she dipped her finger into the bowl. "See?" she said, holding her chili-slick finger up to his mouth. "Taste it."

The woman was a natural seductress, and the slender thread by which Cole held on to his patience stretched to its limit, but didn't break.
Two can play at this game, Lady Bug.
He sucked her finger into his mouth. Flavor exploded on his tongue and he watched her, making promises of his own, until he elicited a shudder she couldn't hide.
Ah, victory.
"Mmm..." he murmured, finally releasing her finger. "So good."

Christina, being Christina, fought back. She dipped her finger into the bowl of chili, then licked it, slowly, base to tip and all the way around before drawing it into her mouth and sucking it clean. "Of course. I am Queen of the Chili Queens, after all."

Cole thought he might expire on the spot. He rasped out, "The Chili Queen of England."

"And you are my subject."

"No, honey." He shook his head slowly. "I'm pretty sure I'm your slave."

She straddled him, then grabbed hold of his wrists and pinned him down. "Then tell me where the darned Declaration is."

Cole was well and truly trapped. Not that he couldn't free himself as easy as cutting warm butter, but her position had her breasts dangling right there within reach of his tongue. He didn't have the heart to move.

"You're a wicked woman, Chrissy Delaney." He sighed out a breath aimed right at a nipple. "Bennet has it."

Her tip puckered and hardened and Cole blew a second breath just for good measure. She trembled ever so slightly, and dragging his gaze up to her face, Cole watched her waver between conversation and surrender. Got
caught in your own trap, didn't you, darlin'? Guess you've learned the road to seduction runs both ways.

Then she released his wrists and sat up.

Dammit, Morgan, you spoke too soon.

"Bennet," she repeated as she rolled off of him and sat at his side. "That's wonderful. It's perfect. I've made arrangements to—"

"I know all about your
arrangements,"
Cole interrupted, disappointment in her choice adding a dry bite to his tone. "I know you meant well, Bug, but you've stirred up a recipe for trouble with this Anglo-Texan notion of yours."

"What do you mean trouble? Lord Bennet is excited about it. An event like this will provide the perfect opportunity for him to show us the missing Declaration."

"Then what?" He lifted his hand and started playing with the end of the black ribbon that dangled from her sleeve.

"What do you mean?"

"How do you plan to get from seeing the Declaration to taking it home?"

Her spine stiffened. "I'm not going home. I'm sending it back to Texas with you."

Cole opened his mouth to argue, then reconsidered. "Let's focus on the first problem, shall we? How do you plan to get Bennet to give you one of his most prized possessions?"

Cole could tell by the way Chrissy dipped her chin and turned her head away that she didn't like that dose of reality. "We don't know it is one of his most prized possessions. Maybe all we'll need to do is ask for it."

"And maybe when the sun rises in the west tomorrow morning I'll climb out of bed and put on a dress."

She scowled at him. "Grandfather is willing to provide me a substantial amount of money. Bennet might sell it to us."

"And your brother will don a bustle and take the stage name Paradise Devine while he tours the country in Dr. J. L. Lighthall's gilded chariot singing operatic arias."

The picture he painted coaxed a grin from her, which in turn lightened Cole's mood. He rolled onto his side, propped his elbow on the floor and rested his head in his hand. "Let's back up a bit, why don't we? Tell me what your plan was when you posed the idea for this club."

While she took a moment to organize her thoughts, he tried to squelch his desire to pull her against him and pose a few ideas of his own.

Chrissy smoothed a wrinkle from her skirt as she said, "My original thought was to lure Lord Melton to Harpur Priory so we could question him about the Declaration along with Bennet. Then when Lord Bennet mentioned a number of other Englishmen who have expressed interest in Texas, I thought it might save time to bring them all together in case our information was wrong and neither Bennet nor Melton had the document. Then we could question the likely suspects without having to travel all around the country. Since Bennet told me not all these men were the house party type, I thought we needed a different approach to entice the men to come. The Anglo-Texan Society just popped into my mind, and it felt right."

She explained to him how she'd proposed the idea to Bennet and his enthusiastic response, particularly to the notion of being president of the group. She finished by saying, "What do you have against it, Cole? Why do you say I've stirred up trouble?"

"Ah, honey. I have to admit it sounds like a darn good plan. Too bad you didn't hear what Melton had to say about Bennet and his obsession."

"Obsession?"

"Yes." Cole sat up and tugged around the pillows so they supported his back. Then, lifting the bowl of cooling chili from the floor, he raised a spoonful and took a bite. A delicious blend of flavor and spice exploded in his mouth. "You honestly do make a mighty fine bowl of Texas Red, Bug."

"Cole." She rolled her eyes with impatience. "Tell me what Melton said."

After taking two more quick bites of chili, Cole continued his tale. "Once I explained my reason for making the trip, Melton was happy to share what he knew about Bennet and his Texas collection. He confirmed that Harpur Priory boasts a so-called Texas Room where you'll see the type of items you'd expect to find in a museum exhibit. Old newspapers, battlefield memorabilia, everyday items like cook pots and tools brought to Texas by early settlers. And animals. Apparently ol' Bennet has a weakness for taxidermy. Sounds like he has ten times the number of trophies as your grandfather."

"Ugh." Chrissy shuddered.

"I tend to agree with you on that. Hunting is one thing, but setting a bunch of stuffed animals around the house isn't my idea of decorating. Anyway, Melton says the highlight of the collection is none other than a copy of the Republic of Texas's Declaration of Independence. However, he also said our chance of getting it away from Bennet is slim to none."

"Why?"

"Because Melton made a considerable effort to buy a number of different items in Bennet's possession— things like unpublished diaries, old maps." Cole paused significantly before adding, "The Declaration."

"Bennet refused?"

"Flat out and forever. Turned down every offer Melton made, and he put forth some fine ones. Seems that once Bennet gets hold of something, he never lets it go. Which, I must say, is one reason I'd like you to stay away from Harpur Priory."

As the mulish look he recognized so well spread across her face, she folded her arms and shook her head. "Cole, I have to go. I made plans..."

"I know. I know. I'd have to hog-tie you to keep you away, and even then I'm not certain it'd work." He ate another spoonful of chili, then added, "And I must confess that part of me considers your plan about this Anglo-Texan Society inspired."

She nodded, accepting her due. "It is a good idea and I don't see why you think I've 'stirred up trouble' with it."