now she could breathe. She would wait for the rest of them to leave the table, then sneak up to her chambers. One more minute at the dining room table would have done her in.
Just when she was beginning to regain her composure, she heard the door open. She felt him, sensed him. She grasped the railing for support then willed herself to face him. His voice shot tremors through her body.
“ Do you always leave the table rudely without being excused?
She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the sensations flooding over her, stunned at the sight of him. Standing in the moonlight, he was even more beautiful than she had allowed herself to remember. She forced her voice to be strong, cool. “Do you?”
Her knees buckled when he smiled at her. “No, your aunt rather reluctantly excused me.”
He moved closer to her and his smile widened, “I see we have something in common besides a penchant for barns.” Holding up his hand to stop her protest, he added, “You appear to dislike dinner parties as much as I do.”
She gave her head a vehement shake.
“ We have nothing in common!”
Holding her gaze, he dug his cigarette case out of his vest pocket and took out a cigarette. In the flare of the match she saw the gleam in his dark emerald eyes. She watched enraptured as he lit the cigarette and puffed on it. Shaking off her stupor, she snapped, “Why are you here?”
He moved closer. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore his powerful smell. The scent of sandalwood melded with the sweet pungent aroma of his Turkish cigarettes. But the smell that made her knees shake and her stomach clench was a woodsy, wild smell that was totally male.
His smile was soft, seductive. “Because I wanted to do a little more investigation, test the connection between us.”
She shook her head in disagreement and moved down the railing to put space between them. Trying to break the spell of the moment, she said, “Can I ask you a question”
He nodded.
“ Please have the decency to answer.”
He shrugged and gave her an ironic grin. “Of course. Decency has always been my strong suit.”
She ignored his joke and squeezed her eyes shut to avoid the twinkle in his. “Why are you here?”
“ I answered your question, Princess. But I’ll say it again. I want to see what’s beneath that prickly façade you wrap around yourself. I’ve been wondering. How far below the surface of this gorgeous woman in her outrageous red dress is that dirty little urchin I met in the barn?”
She trembled and couldn’t keep her voice from shaking. “If you had any manners what-so-ever you wouldn’t mention what happened in the barn.”
He grinned. “That’s another connection we have, Princess. Neither one of us seems to care much about good manners.”
She stammered. “I…I’m not a princess.”
He reached out and stroked her cheek, smiling when she jumped back.
“ Ah, but you are. We’ve established that you are not a little girl and you sure as hell aren’t a boy.” Raking his eyes over her dress, he said, “No you are indeed a woman.’’ His voice dropped, became huskier. “It’s more than that. It’s about your spirit, your spunk. Nope, a princess. That’s what you are. A regal little tyrant that has me questioning everything I thought I knew about women. Hmm, yes. Princess. That’s what I will call you from now on.”
She felt his power, his seductive pull. She knew if she didn’t leave now she wouldn’t be able to resist him. She would be no better than Molly or any of the other countless women who succumbed to his charms.
She drew herself up as tall she could and forced herself to be strong. Tossing her head, she moved away from him and headed to the doorway. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “You won’t be calling me anything from now on because I don’t intend ever to see you again.”
He leaned back against the railing and took a drag off of his cigarette. His voice was low, with a touch of
Just when she was beginning to regain her composure, she heard the door open. She felt him, sensed him. She grasped the railing for support then willed herself to face him. His voice shot tremors through her body.
“ Do you always leave the table rudely without being excused?
She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the sensations flooding over her, stunned at the sight of him. Standing in the moonlight, he was even more beautiful than she had allowed herself to remember. She forced her voice to be strong, cool. “Do you?”
Her knees buckled when he smiled at her. “No, your aunt rather reluctantly excused me.”
He moved closer to her and his smile widened, “I see we have something in common besides a penchant for barns.” Holding up his hand to stop her protest, he added, “You appear to dislike dinner parties as much as I do.”
She gave her head a vehement shake.
“ We have nothing in common!”
Holding her gaze, he dug his cigarette case out of his vest pocket and took out a cigarette. In the flare of the match she saw the gleam in his dark emerald eyes. She watched enraptured as he lit the cigarette and puffed on it. Shaking off her stupor, she snapped, “Why are you here?”
He moved closer. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore his powerful smell. The scent of sandalwood melded with the sweet pungent aroma of his Turkish cigarettes. But the smell that made her knees shake and her stomach clench was a woodsy, wild smell that was totally male.
His smile was soft, seductive. “Because I wanted to do a little more investigation, test the connection between us.”
She shook her head in disagreement and moved down the railing to put space between them. Trying to break the spell of the moment, she said, “Can I ask you a question”
He nodded.
“ Please have the decency to answer.”
He shrugged and gave her an ironic grin. “Of course. Decency has always been my strong suit.”
She ignored his joke and squeezed her eyes shut to avoid the twinkle in his. “Why are you here?”
“ I answered your question, Princess. But I’ll say it again. I want to see what’s beneath that prickly façade you wrap around yourself. I’ve been wondering. How far below the surface of this gorgeous woman in her outrageous red dress is that dirty little urchin I met in the barn?”
She trembled and couldn’t keep her voice from shaking. “If you had any manners what-so-ever you wouldn’t mention what happened in the barn.”
He grinned. “That’s another connection we have, Princess. Neither one of us seems to care much about good manners.”
She stammered. “I…I’m not a princess.”
He reached out and stroked her cheek, smiling when she jumped back.
“ Ah, but you are. We’ve established that you are not a little girl and you sure as hell aren’t a boy.” Raking his eyes over her dress, he said, “No you are indeed a woman.’’ His voice dropped, became huskier. “It’s more than that. It’s about your spirit, your spunk. Nope, a princess. That’s what you are. A regal little tyrant that has me questioning everything I thought I knew about women. Hmm, yes. Princess. That’s what I will call you from now on.”
She felt his power, his seductive pull. She knew if she didn’t leave now she wouldn’t be able to resist him. She would be no better than Molly or any of the other countless women who succumbed to his charms.
She drew herself up as tall she could and forced herself to be strong. Tossing her head, she moved away from him and headed to the doorway. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “You won’t be calling me anything from now on because I don’t intend ever to see you again.”
He leaned back against the railing and took a drag off of his cigarette. His voice was low, with a touch of
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