The Beloved Scoundrel (41 page)

They lay there, joined, in the pool of light, while shudder after shudder ripped through them.

“And you think you can give this up?” he asked in a low voice.

He was the one who would give her up, she thought sadly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

She thought he was going to protest, but after a moment he said, “Very well. I suppose I’m satisfied with my progress to date. I hope my services proved satisfactory?”

She moistened her lips. “Let me up. I want to go back to the fire.”

“In a moment.” He swung off her and then lifted her to a kneeling position in the brilliant circle of light. “I have another window I want you to remember.” He knelt facing her, took her hands, and looked into her eyes. “It is true, you know. I do love you. I love your body and your mind and your soul.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “I want all of them. I’m sorry I don’t have much to give in return. I’m selfish and arrogant, and Gregor will tell you that my soul is constantly in jeopardy.”

He had a great deal to give. He had wit and courage, intelligence and honesty. She wished desperately to reach out and gather everything he was to her, but she could not do it. The risk was too great.

She said nothing.

He shrugged. “I see that you agree with him.” He drew her into his arms. “It will do you no good. Fate is definitely on my side.” His hand stroked the back of head, and he slowly rocked her back and forth. “Why else would we have been brought together, if
not to belong forever? None of it would make any sense at all.”

She should not let him hold her like this. She had not expected tenderness. It was much harder to bear than passion, and would only make the parting harder.

She did not move. She could not give him up. Not yet.

Her arms tightened around him, and they knelt there until the last rays of the sun faded and the radiant circle slowly vanished from around them.

C
HAPTER
16

W
hy do they call you the Duke of Diamonds?” Jordan’s tongue gently traced the aureole around her nipple. “What brought that to mind?”

“I remembered something Dorothy said a long time ago.”

“And you’re just wondering now?”

“She said it had something to do with pouches of diamonds and women.… I think I didn’t want to know.”

“Then why are you questioning me?”

Because now she had a hunger to know everything about him, the bad and the good. She wanted to savor every aspect, every quality. She would have only memories later, and those memories must be of the complete man. “Tell me.”

“It was a long time ago,” he said impatiently. “I don’t practice such idiocies any longer.” He rubbed his cheek back and forth against her breast. “And it’s not for my wife’s ears.”

“But I’m not your wife.”

“You will be.”

She did not argue with him. She had no wish to spoil the moment. “I want to know.”

He raised his head. “You won’t like it.”

She looked at him from beneath her lashes and murmured teasingly, “It cannot be any worse than what I know of you already.”

He flinched. “What a comforting thought. However, I beg to disagree.” He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the palm. “There are details of my unsavory past that you don’t know and should not know.” He asked absently, “What on earth is that smell?”

She stiffened and tried to tug her hand away. “What smell?”

He sniffed her palm. “I noticed it before. It’s familiar, but I can’t quite place it.…”

“Horse,” she said quickly. “I told you that I had little chance to bathe on this journey.” She forced a smile. “And you should not be so ungentlemanly as to remark on it.” She had to distract him. “Or are you merely trying to avoid my question? I want to know about the Duke of Diamonds.”

He frowned. “By God, do you never give up?”

He had dropped her hand, but she must be quite sure the memory of that scent was blotted from his mind. Her jaw set, and she said, “Evidently everyone in the
ton
is familiar with the reason they call you that. I think it completely unfair you should know everything about me, and I—” She stopped as he made a gesture of surrender.

“It was only an absurd conceit. At the end of an evening of pleasure I’d leave a leather pouch of diamonds for the lady. The pouch would contain one diamond for every time she had pleased me.” He
looked away from her. “It aroused a certain competitiveness that intrigued me.”

He was not telling her everything. “Dorothy said there was something else … that they laughed when they spoke of it.”

“Dorothy should not have even discussed this with you.” He shrugged and then said curtly, “It was the places I left the pouch in that they found amusing.”

“The places—” Then she understood, and heat flooded her cheeks.

“I told you that you wouldn’t like it.”

“I don’t like it!” She sat up and reached for her cloak. “I find it wicked and depraved.” She jumped to her feet, flung the cloak about her, and strode toward the door. “As I find you.”

“For God’s sake, where are you going?”

“Away from you. There must be somewhere in this huge place where I can avoid seeing—”

“It was years ago. I was scarcely more than a boy.” He was on his feet, following her into the foyer. “Come back to the fire. You can’t go wandering around in this cold.”

“You were never a boy. You were born a wicked, lustful scoundrel who—”

“Why are you so angry?” He grabbed her by the shoulders. “I only told you what you asked of me.”

“I didn’t think—” She hadn’t thought it would hurt so much. She hadn’t thought the picture of that wild boy and his debaucheries would fill her with this anger and pain. She had been wrong. She did not want to know the complete Jordan Draken, if it meant she had to think of those women in his past. “It should not surprise you that I’m shocked at such an act.”

His eyes narrowed on her face. “It wasn’t shock.” He added softly, “Jealousy?”

She quickly shook her head.

“Why not? If you’d told me you’d had your own Duke of Diamonds, I’d have wanted to kill him … and you.” He took a step closer. “But then I have reason. I’ve already told you I love you.”

“You don’t—”

His lips covered hers, smothering the words, his tongue entering to joust and play. She was breathless when he finally lifted his head. “And I think you must feel a similar affection for me. Or something very near it.”

“No,” she whispered.

He smiled recklessly. “Then you must be feeling cheated. I can think of no other reason for this display. I shall have to rectify the omission immediately.”

“What do you— Jordan!”

He had picked her up and was carrying her toward the staircase.

“I want you under me,” he said hoarsely as he climbed the stairs. “As you were this afternoon, but with nothing between us.” He paused at the sixth step. “I believe this is right.”

“I don’t want this.”

He laid her on the steps and then straddled her. He impatiently pushed aside her cloak. She gasped as she felt flesh on flesh, hardness against softness.

“Then convince me, and you won’t have it.” His thumb and forefinger pulled gently on the tight curls surrounding her womanhood. “Convince me.”

A hot shudder went through her, and her breasts swelled.

The moonlight streaming through the long windows on the landing touched the crystal chandelier beyond his shoulder with icy radiance. Cold and heat. Darkness and fire. Dominance and submission. She tried to retrieve the anger that had faded into the shadows of sensuality. “I’m not one of those women to whom you gave those pouches. I won’t have you treating me—”

“Shh.” His fingers touched her lips, silencing her. “It will never be like that with you.” His eyes were suddenly glinting with mischief. “Though I may give you diamonds someday.” He felt her stiffen and bent forward to whisper in her ear. “There are two huge diamonds that my barrister keeps for me in London. They’re very beautiful with a clear, bold fire. Like you, Marianna.”

“I don’t want diamonds.”

“But you’ll want these.” He slipped two fingers deep within her. “Because we’ll put them here.”

She gasped and arched upward.

His fingers thrust slowly back and forth. “I like the idea of you wearing my diamonds, love.” A third finger joined the others, and the rhythm quickened. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying out. “I believe you’ll like it too. I hope you’ll wear them as you work, dine, ride, and walk. Every time you move, you’ll find they rub together and bring you a burst of pleasure.”

The erotic words were as inflaming as his fingers within her, stroking her to fever pitch. She was barely aware of him moving, adjusting her position. He smiled wickedly as he whispered, “And it will be my great privilege to remove them when we do this.”

He plunged deep, ramming her to the quick.

She cried out and reached out blindly for him. He lifted her legs about his hips and rode her with a passion that was almost brutal in intensity.

She was whimpering, her fingers clutching helplessly at his shoulders. The sensations were unbelievable. She thought she could bear no more, and then he gave her more and it was not enough. He was everything that was savagely male, and she was female accepting with equal primitive wildness.

When the explosion came, she convulsed, her scream echoing off the high arched ceiling.

His breath came in short, labored gasps as he lifted his head to look down at her. “I was too rough. Did I hurt you? Are you well?”

She was, except for a weakness that pervaded every limb and a feeling that the world had ended and been reborn. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“I had to make you see.” His hand gently stroked her cheek. “The Duke of Diamonds was a long time ago, another man. The only time I’ll resurrect him is for you, when it brings you pleasure.” His gaze held hers, willing her to believe. “It’s only for you now. Forever. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“But you still don’t trust me.” It was a statement, but she knew he wanted her to deny it.

In this moment she could almost trust him, almost believe he loved her.

Almost.

“I’m cold,” she whispered.

Hope faded from his expression, and he forced a smile. “And no wonder.” He moved off her and stood up. He pulled her to her feet and draped the cloak about her. “Come back to the fire.” He took
her hand and led her down the stairs. “I believe I said that before. I must admit I’m delighted you didn’t comply.”

She had the cloak, but he was totally nude. “You must be cold too.”

He shook his head. “I feel as if I’ll never be cold again.” He closed the door of the anteroom and led her to the rug before the fire. “Lie down. I’ll hold you until you go to sleep.”

As he had held her at Dalwynd. She had been so full of fear and resentment during those weeks that she had not appreciated those precious moments of intimacy. Well, she had tonight and would savor it to the full.

She cuddled close to him before the fire. She would not think of tomorrow. He was holding her with exquisite tenderness, and tonight she could pretend everything he said was true. She could pretend he loved her more than he wanted the Jedalar, that his passion was only for her.

And that there was a love that could last forever.

A
h, this is very good.”

Marianna drowsily opened her eyes to see Gregor standing in the doorway.

“For God’s sake, Gregor.” Jordan snatched the cloak from the floor next to them and covered Marianna. “Didn’t it occur to you to knock?”

“I was in a great hurry.” He beamed. “And there is no shame in this room. You are very beautiful together.” His smile faded. “And it is better I find you here than Nebrov.”

“Nebrov.” A cold chill went through Marianna as
she sat up and brushed her hair back from her face. “He’s here?”

“Not yet. Niko says he will be here within two hours.”

“How many?” Jordan asked.

“A hundred men, perhaps more. Riding hard.”

“Against twenty.” Jordan muttered an obscenity. “Did they know Niko saw them?”

Gregor shook his head.

“Then we can still surprise them.” Jordan began to hurriedly dress. “They’ll have to come through the hills as we did. There has to be a place where we can—”

“No,” Marianna said. “Bring him here.”

Jordan gave her an impatient glance. “What?”

“Bring him to me.”

“The devil I will.”

“You don’t have enough men to fight him.”

“That may not be so,” Gregor said. “One of our men is worth three of Nebrov’s.”

“That still leaves you outnumbered,” Marianna said. “Hide your men here in the palace and then go meet Nebrov and tell him you’ll bargain with him. Tell him if he’ll spare you and your men that you’ll surrender me and the Jedalar.” She held up her hand as Jordan started to protest. “Then bring him to me here. He can’t take his entire force into the palace. You’ll have a chance to defeat them.”

“Let us be very clear. I’m supposed to bring him to you?” Jordan asked carefully. “Do you have any idea how enraged he must be with you?”

“Of course I do. I also know he won’t kill me until he’s sure he knows where the tunnel is located,” she
said matter-of-factly. “And that will give us a chance to rid ourselves of him once and for all.”