Dangerous Joy (23 page)

She didn't want to leave him, but she ran over to the washstand and returned with a towel. Then, watching his face, she used her hand again.

He kept his eyes on her as long as he could, speaking mysteries she couldn't understand except at the deepest levels of her soul, where such things are real. His grip on her legs would leave bruises, but she didn't mind the pain.

She almost reveled in it.

He arched, raising her as if she were riding.

She forced him down again, fighting him, sensing how that excited him.

Knowing it excited her.

She ached, almost losing control and going with him on his journey.

When she saw his skin flush and dew with sweat, heat rushed along her own nerves, setting her skin atingle with a similar heat, her breathing as desperate as his.

It would be so easy to move a little, to take him into her ache...

But no. She had strength enough to resist that.

Remembering his touch on her, she slowed. He groaned, teeth gritted, gripping tighter at her thighs. "Now, now..."

She gave in to his pleas, but almost forgot the cloth. Then, she watched his slow return to self and sanity.

When his sated eyes opened, she teased, "Sure and I still can't see why people risk unwanted babies, for that was very interesting indeed."

"Interesting, was it?" He flipped her on her back and covered her. "You've forgotten all too soon what it's like to share that, mo chroi. And, for my sins, I'm honor-bound not to remind you."

But his kiss reminded her, and her body began to tell her, rather insistently, that fingers were not the real thing.

She pushed him away. "No!"

He froze. "What's the matter?"

"My body wants more."

He relaxed and kissed her again. "So does mine. But bodies can be ruled. Or appeased. Let me destroy a little more of your innocence..." And he slid his mouth down over her breasts and over her belly to between her legs.

"Oh no..."

He stopped. "No?"

She breathed deeply. "I don't know."

"Scream if you want me to stop," he said, laughter in his voice. The rub of his tongue over her most sensitive spot made her cry out aloud.

"Was that a scream?"

"Yes. No. No!"

"Two out of three wins."

Afterward, she coiled around him, wishing she could grow into him like ivy on oak. "I never knew..."

"Never knew what?" he asked, hand wandering over every curve.

"This. All of this." Then suddenly she was ashamed. "Miles," she whispered, "I don't think I can do that to you."

He pulled her closer. `A muirnin, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. And besides, I heard a clock strike two. Don't you think it's time for sleep?"

"I can't sleep here."

"Ah, but it's so sweet to lie in one another's arms. Stay a little while, love. I won't let you sleep too long."

So, wrung to limpness, Felicity let her heavy eyes close and slept warm in her lover's arms.

Miles stroked his beloved's lovely hair, feasting on her sleeping, trusting features, resolving to cherish her forever.

Despite herself.

How many days could he count on, though, before Dunsmore returned like a serpent to Eden to destroy everything?

At the thought of Dunsmore, Miles's hold tightened slightly on Felicity. At one time his concern had been to protect her from her own generosity. Now care was drowned by a possessive need to keep her for himself.

Perhaps his earlier motivations had been noble, but this wasn't noble at all. It was entirely selfish. He needed Felicity as he needed breath itself.

He waited as long as he dared, but when a clock struck four, he eased away from Felicity and put on his banjan. He took the damp towel and threw it on the fire, watching to see that it burned up. Then he gathered his beloved into his arms and carried her to her own room and her now-chilly bed.

Which meant he had to lie with her for a little while to help her warm it.

Where unfortunately, he fell asleep.

He was woken, thank heavens, not by a maid coming to rouse Felicity with chocolate, but by his mother.

It was no great mercy.

Aideen's eyes snapped anger. With a crook of her finger she drew him out of the bedroom and down the corridor to his, which by its disorder told a tale. "Think what would have happened if anyone else had caught you!"

"I fell asleep."

"That is not the issue, and you know it! How could you?"

He went to place some wood on the lingering glow. "I'm doing what I must to prevent her marrying Dunsmore."

"By getting her with child?"

"Not in last night's games."

"Miles, you must stop this. I'm the girl's chaperon."

"I've probably done as much as I can anyway."

She frowned even more. "Is that all it is? A cold-blooded attempt to turn her from Dunsmore?"

He felt the color rise in his cheeks. "No."

"Good," she said more moderately. "For if it were, I would not help you."

"Help me?"

"To get Felicity out of Ireland. While you've been playing your illicit games, I've been keeping an eye on matters. Ned Tooley returned from Scotland safe enough, but says Dunsmore found a boat to take him to Larne. This morning, my watcher at Loughcarrick reported his return home. We can expect him here today, I think."

"Damnation. I'd hoped to delay him longer."

"You failed. Now we have to act. Colum and I are going to visit Kilgoran Castle and take Kieran and Mrs. Edey with us. Dunsmore may follow us there, but he'll have little success snatching his son away from your uncle without offending him."

"You hate visiting the Castle."

His mother's reply was tart `In the midst of all this dramatic romance, I can afford to make a small sacrifice or two. It's likely Dunsmore will keep his eye on the main game-Felicity. Take her to Melton and he'll follow. What you and your Rogues do there is up to you, but you need to find a true solution to this problem, not just a patch. I'll keep the boy safe for a week or two."

Unready for this after a stormy, sleepless night, Miles ran his hands through his hair. "She'll never consent to going."

"That's hardly news. How did you ever intend to take her? Don't tell me, you hoped to seduce her into compliance. Miles, when will you learn? When resolved upon something, women have wills of iron, resistant to even the most devastating manly charms. Drug her and carry her off by force."

Miles stared at his mother in shock. "I can't do that."

"Then wait for her to run off with Dunsmore again."

At that moment, Gardeen uncurled on the bed and leapt down to twine around Miles's ankles, miaowing.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Miles asked irritably.

Aideen swooped down and grabbed the cat to hold it up in front of him. "Miles, this is a cat. She cannot be your guide. I, however, am your mother and can. I'm going to give Felicity a cup of chocolate that should keep her sleeping into the afternoon. What you do with the opportunity is up to you." She dumped Gardeen into his hands and left in an irritated swish of silk.

Miles stroked Gardeen until he realized he was waiting for some mystical sign from the cat. With a shake of his head he placed her back on the bed and rang for Hennigan.

When the man arrived, he told him to prepare for immediate departure for England.

Chapter Thirteen

Felicity awoke from vague tangled dreams of intimacy, a smile teasing at her lips. It was hardly surprising that the world seemed remarkably unsteady. Nor was it strange that after such a night her lids felt almost too heavy to raise.

She stretched, reveling in the sensation of her own body.

Then she realized that she had a headache.

Now that was strange.

In fact, though the memories were sweet, she did not feel particularly well. More as she had after experimenting once with her grandfather's port. Heavy, dull, and slightly sick.

Then she realized that the smell in the air was not the smell of her room.

Tar.

Salt.

Sea?

She forced her eyes open and found herself on a narrow bed in a tiny cabin on board a rolling ship.

Miles was standing, looking out a porthole. He turned, his expression wary.

Felicity squinted against the light digging into her eyes. "Where are we?" It came out as a croak, for her throat was horridly dry. "Why..."

"We're at sea," he said levelly, "heading for England. Would you like some water?" He moved toward a carafe held safely within a brass rail on the small round table.

"No!" But then Felicity stopped her instinctive rejection. She needed water, she needed clarity, and she needed time to think.

England?

He poured water into a glass, then raised her gently and helped her drink. Strength returned a little, though the headache was made worse by movement.

Or perhaps it was the sharp edges of the thoughts jangling within her skull.

When he would have settled her back onto the pillow, she fought free and sat up. "Take me back!"

"No.

"Miles, you can't do this. The week's not even up."

"Perhaps your parole still holds then."

"My parole? You must be demented! What of yours?"

He moved away to lean by the porthole again. "I never gave you any promises at all."

A moment's thought told her it was true. "Miles..."

He turned with a sigh. "Don't beg or threaten, Felicity. I'm taking you to Melton Mowbray where I intend to do my damndest to ensure that Rupert Dunsmore gets nowhere near you. If you want to extend your parole, you can travel in comfort. Otherwise, you'll go in whatever manner gets you there."

She lurched off the bed, then stopped with a hiss to clutch her pounding head. "Damn your black heart! What did you give me? "

"Nothing. It was my mother, and I don't know what she used."

Despite willpower, tears were leaking onto Felicity's cheeks. "Oh, God. Oh, God. What of Kieran?"

"He's as safe as can be," he said with the first gentleness she'd heard from him this day. "My mother has taken him to Kilgoran Castle. She'll do her best to keep him safe, and my mother's best is formidable."

Felicity stared at him, trying to make him appear the monster he was. "She can't refuse him to his father!"

"Is Dunsmore going to claim that she and Kilgoran have kidnapped him? Anyway, I believe he'll follow you." A glimmer of humor touched his bleak face. "Tooley says he suffers from seasickness."

That did give a spurt of satisfaction, but Felicity refused to be mellowed. "So Rupert's back already. And before you expected him. When did you find out, I wonder."

"This morning."

But something in his manner-perhaps an embarrassment-made Felicity distrust him. "I think not. I think you knew at least yesterday when you teased me into weakening. You needed another chance to charm me out of all reason so you could pull this foul trick upon me. It was all planned—"

"No. On my word—"

She spoke over him. "I will never let down my guard with you again, Miles Cavanagh. I swear it. It is war between us now." With satisfaction, she saw him wince. "I take back my parole. You will have no cooperation from me. None."

"Felicity..."

She stared into his gentle-seeming eyes. "None. Now I would like my privacy."

She thought he might argue on, but he nodded and left the room. As she sank back down onto the hard bed, she heard the key turn in the lock.

Grief hit her like a crashing wave, rolling her onto her back, arm over brimming eyes. Regardless of the letter of their agreement, he had betrayed her trust. He had used her just as Rupert had used her. He had betrayed her just as her grandfather had betrayed her.

She'd learned years ago that no man could be trusted. Why had she forgotten that hard-won lesson? They lied; they cheated; they took as God-given that they should run a woman's life.

Felicity was terrified for Kieran but, more than that, she was devastated by the way Miles had stolen her freedom and rendered her powerless before his will.

But Kieran must be her first concern.

She sat up and drank some more water, forcing herself to analyze the situation. Honesty made her admit that Miles's plan might work, for a while at least. Rupert would hesitate to take on the Earl of Kilgoran.

Yes, unless Miles had lied, Kieran was safe for the moment.

So what would Rupert do?

He'd fall into one of his livid rages, for a start. Warned off squeezing his tenants dry, hounded by duns, thwarted in his elopement, carried against his will to Scotland, then returning-seasick-only to find both Felicity and his son snatched out of reach.

It summoned a laugh, though it wasn't funny. He'd be in the kind of frigid rage when he was capable of anything as long as it did not require physical courage on his part. She wished she could send a warning to the whole of County Meath. Petty cruelties would happen unless he was in direct pursuit of her.