sly you are. She’s not sleeping in your room.”
Cain felt a pain behind his left eye. “And suddenly it’s 1996.”
“That girl is here under my roof and my protection,” his father retorted. “You’re not taking advantage.”
“She’s an adult. Strangely enough, so am I.” Cain glanced over to where Madeline had finished her brandy and, after a nudge from his mother, picked up a second. It was very odd. His mother didn’t like anyone. She’d despised his ex-wife with a passion, but she was all over Madeline like a bad rash. His mother had a sweet tooth, and the truffles Madeline had brought with her were probably little more than cocaine to an addict like Elspeth Goldsmith.
“No funny business, Nathaniel,” his father warned him.
Rolling his eyes, he marched over to Madeline and his mother. “Bed time.”
Madeline choked on the brandy. “I…what?”
“It’s rather late. We should sort a room for you.”
Elspeth put her hands up. “Oh, God, you must think I’m a terrible hostess. Nathaniel, you know where the linens are. What do you prefer? Nightgowns or pyjamas?”
Madeline seemed stumped. “I didn’t bring anything with me.”
“Nathaniel, you settle Madeline in the Rose Room. I’m going to get her some nightwear.”
Fair enough. Cain caught Madeline by the hand and lifted her in his arms with ease. Light, little thing. “I can’t stay here!” she whispered. “I didn’t realise the time. I can get a cab and get the last train.”
Cain’s arms tightened around her. “You know full well that’s not happening. You’re staying here, and that’s the end of it.”
The Rose Room was adjacent to the one Cain had been camped out in for the last month. Convenient. It was the main guest bedroom, kitted with Green & Spring toiletries and fluffy towels. Cain gently placed Madeline down in the room and opened the nearest door. “Bathroom.” He crossed the other side. “My room.”
Madeline folded her arms. “What are you going to do if I push that chest of drawers in front of the door?”
He thought for a moment. “I think I’ve got grenades somewhere. I won’t need them, though,” he said over her laughter.
The smile faded from her face. There was the panic again. Slowly, he reached out and brushed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. “You never look like that after I kiss you.”
“Aren’t kisses meant to be safe?”
That tickled him. “Nothing about you and me is safe.”
A brief knock at the door was followed by his mother breezing into the room. “Are you happy, dear? I’ve brought you this nightgown. It’s Egyptian cotton, just like the bed sheets. And these pyjamas. They are flannel, but it does get a bit chilly in this room at night. Nathaniel Cain, you can take yourself to your own room.”
Elspeth gave Madeline a kiss on each cheek. “Sleep well.”
“Thank you. Goodnight.”
Cain leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. “Sweet dreams.”
The look she sent him after that kiss... She was not sleeping in that bed by herself tonight. No way, no how.
Chapter Eight
Madeline was wide awake. She’d washed her face, cleaned her teeth, and tugged on the cotton nightgown. It still had the price tag on, and Madeline’s eyebrows nearly shot off to space. No one needed to spend several hundred pounds on a nightgown. The bed was huge and the sheets were brushed silk-soft. And yet she was wide awake. After all the food and the wine — white, rosé and red — and the brandy she was wide awake. Because Cain had caught her with a gaze that seared her with promise.
I’m coming to your bed, and I dare anyone to stop me . Old houses tended to creak and move. She focused on those sounds, as everything else was deathly quiet. How did anyone sleep in this tomb? The connecting door creaked open and a topless Cain slipped through the crack. Madeline lost her breath. Holy God, he was so beautiful.
“Fucking freezing,” he whispered, diving
Cain felt a pain behind his left eye. “And suddenly it’s 1996.”
“That girl is here under my roof and my protection,” his father retorted. “You’re not taking advantage.”
“She’s an adult. Strangely enough, so am I.” Cain glanced over to where Madeline had finished her brandy and, after a nudge from his mother, picked up a second. It was very odd. His mother didn’t like anyone. She’d despised his ex-wife with a passion, but she was all over Madeline like a bad rash. His mother had a sweet tooth, and the truffles Madeline had brought with her were probably little more than cocaine to an addict like Elspeth Goldsmith.
“No funny business, Nathaniel,” his father warned him.
Rolling his eyes, he marched over to Madeline and his mother. “Bed time.”
Madeline choked on the brandy. “I…what?”
“It’s rather late. We should sort a room for you.”
Elspeth put her hands up. “Oh, God, you must think I’m a terrible hostess. Nathaniel, you know where the linens are. What do you prefer? Nightgowns or pyjamas?”
Madeline seemed stumped. “I didn’t bring anything with me.”
“Nathaniel, you settle Madeline in the Rose Room. I’m going to get her some nightwear.”
Fair enough. Cain caught Madeline by the hand and lifted her in his arms with ease. Light, little thing. “I can’t stay here!” she whispered. “I didn’t realise the time. I can get a cab and get the last train.”
Cain’s arms tightened around her. “You know full well that’s not happening. You’re staying here, and that’s the end of it.”
The Rose Room was adjacent to the one Cain had been camped out in for the last month. Convenient. It was the main guest bedroom, kitted with Green & Spring toiletries and fluffy towels. Cain gently placed Madeline down in the room and opened the nearest door. “Bathroom.” He crossed the other side. “My room.”
Madeline folded her arms. “What are you going to do if I push that chest of drawers in front of the door?”
He thought for a moment. “I think I’ve got grenades somewhere. I won’t need them, though,” he said over her laughter.
The smile faded from her face. There was the panic again. Slowly, he reached out and brushed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. “You never look like that after I kiss you.”
“Aren’t kisses meant to be safe?”
That tickled him. “Nothing about you and me is safe.”
A brief knock at the door was followed by his mother breezing into the room. “Are you happy, dear? I’ve brought you this nightgown. It’s Egyptian cotton, just like the bed sheets. And these pyjamas. They are flannel, but it does get a bit chilly in this room at night. Nathaniel Cain, you can take yourself to your own room.”
Elspeth gave Madeline a kiss on each cheek. “Sleep well.”
“Thank you. Goodnight.”
Cain leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. “Sweet dreams.”
The look she sent him after that kiss... She was not sleeping in that bed by herself tonight. No way, no how.
Chapter Eight
Madeline was wide awake. She’d washed her face, cleaned her teeth, and tugged on the cotton nightgown. It still had the price tag on, and Madeline’s eyebrows nearly shot off to space. No one needed to spend several hundred pounds on a nightgown. The bed was huge and the sheets were brushed silk-soft. And yet she was wide awake. After all the food and the wine — white, rosé and red — and the brandy she was wide awake. Because Cain had caught her with a gaze that seared her with promise.
I’m coming to your bed, and I dare anyone to stop me . Old houses tended to creak and move. She focused on those sounds, as everything else was deathly quiet. How did anyone sleep in this tomb? The connecting door creaked open and a topless Cain slipped through the crack. Madeline lost her breath. Holy God, he was so beautiful.
“Fucking freezing,” he whispered, diving
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