Dangerous (19 page)

She smiled, still bubbling with enthusiasm. “I expect you wish to analyze the results of our investigation tonight. We should make notes. Give me a moment and I’ll fetch my journal.”

“Later.” Sebastian’s eyes gleamed gold in the candlelight. “What I wish to discuss now is something of a much more personal nature.”

“Personal?”

“Yes.”

He took two steps toward her and pulled her into his arms. “Very personal.”

The soft knock on the door came just as Sebastian covered Prudence’s mouth with his own.

loody hell.” Sebastian broke off the kiss and turned his head toward the door. He had never looked more dangerous. “Who, in the name of the devil, thinks he can knock on your bedchamber door at this hour of the night?”

“I have no notion.” She frowned in concern as she saw the cold rage that had flared to life in Sebastian’s glittering gaze. “For heaven’s sake, calm yourself. It’s undoubtedly Lady Pembroke. Perhaps she is in need of assistance.”

“Not likely.” Sebastian swung around on his heel and started toward the door.

Alarmed by his menacing mood, Prudence grabbed for his arm and missed. “Sebastian, wait. You mustn’t answer my door.”

“You most certainly are not going to respond to that knock.”

“Think about what you are doing, my lord.” Prudence scurried after him. “This is not a logical, rational approach to the matter.”

“You’re wrong, Prue. It is a very logical tactic. My approach will be extremely effective in putting an end to future such late-night visits from whoever is out in the hall.”

“May I remind you, sir, that it will be exceedingly difficult to break off our engagement if people believe we have
been in the habit of sharing a bedchamber. The entire affair is going to be awkward enough as it is.”

There was another soft, inquiring knock on the door.

Sebastian slanted Prudence a derisive glance. “My dear, you do not know the meaning of awkward.”

Prudence had had enough. “This is nonsense. You are not thinking clearly. Obviously your masculine emotions are ruling your head.”

“Is that so?” Sebastian had his hand on the doorknob. “And precisely what would you have me do under these circumstances, Miss Merryweather?”

“The practical thing. Get into the wardrobe and stay there while I deal with this.”

He gave her a look of total disbelief. Then he jerked open the door.

Prudence was so annoyed with his high-handed behavior that the identity of her late-night visitor did not register for a few seconds. She gasped when she recognized Edward.

Lord Underbrink stood in the hall garbed in slippers and a dark blue dressing gown embroidered with his family crest. He did not immediately notice Sebastian because he was too busy checking the hall to the left to make certain it was still empty.

“Good evening, Underbrink,” Sebastian said in a voice that could have frozen hellfire. “For the sake of efficiency, we may as well skip the formalities. Let us go straight to the point. I shall have my seconds call on yours as soon as we return to London.”

“What?”
Edward jumped a good three inches. His head snapped around and he stared at Sebastian with mounting horror. “Damnation. Angelstone, my apologies. I appear to have knocked on the wrong door.”

“A brilliant observation. Definitely the wrong door.”

“It was all a mistake, I assure you,” Edward stuttered.

“A mistake for which you will pay dearly.”

“Now, see here,” Edward blustered, “you surely don’t
intend to call me out simply because I knocked on your door.”

“This is not my door” Sebastian said.

Edward affected blank confusion. “It’s not? But you are standing right there in the doorway. I fear I do not comprehend.”

“This is my fiancée’s door, Underbrink, and you damn well know it. I do not intend to discuss the matter now, however. I prefer to do so over pistols.”

Edward was stricken. “It was an honest mistake, I assure you. I was under the impression this was another lady’s door. An older woman. Married for years. Under the circumstances, I’m sure you’ll understand that I can hardly reveal her name, but it was definitely not Miss Merryweather.”

“Good night, Underbrink.”

Edward was clearly desperate. “Sir, you cannot mean to challenge me over this.”

“That is precisely what I mean to do.” Sebastian started to close the door.

Prudence put a restraining hand on Sebastian’s arm. “My lord, do stop causing all this commotion.” She smiled reassuringly at Edward. “I am certain Lord Underbrink intended no insult.”

“None at all.” Edward gave Prudence a grateful look. “Wrong door. That’s the problem. They all look confoundedly alike in this damn hall.”

“Yes, of course.” Prudence wondered fleetingly why she had not noticed until now how soft and ineffectual Edward was. “I can see how it would happen. There is certainly a great deal of activity in the hallway this evening, is there not? One wonders how any of the guests will get to sleep.”

Sebastian slanted her a warning glance. “Stay out of this, Prue.”

“No, I will not,” she said calmly. “Do stop trying to frighten Lord Underbrink. He made a mistake and he is very sorry.”

“He will be even more sorry by the time I am through with him,” Sebastian vowed.

Edward flinched. “My lord, I beg your pardon. I assure you this is all a grave misunderstanding.”

“There, you see, Angelstone? Underbrink has apologized.” Prudence smiled benignly at both men but fixed Sebastian with a determined look. “And you will kindly accept his apology before we attract undue attention.”

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Edward. “I shall deal with you later, Underbrink.”

“Angelstone, you’re being extremely unreasonable,” Underbrink said frantically.

“Yes, you are, Angelstone.” Prudence tugged futilely at his arm. “Now, do stop this nonsense at once.” She turned to Edward. “Good night, my lord. You may rest assured that this matter is finished. Angelstone is not going to call you out.”

Edward looked uncertain but hopeful. He stepped back and inclined his head with stiff formality. “Good night, Miss Merryweather. Again, I am very sorry to have disturbed you at this hour.”

“Think nothing of it. I seem to be up and about at odd hours with amazing frequency of late.” Prudence reached around Sebastian and gently closed the door.

Sebastian turned on her. He was still seething. “Do not ever dare to interfere like that again, i will not tolerate it.”

She eyed him warily, but she did not back down. “You were being unreasonable, my lord. And entirely illogical. Underbrink made a simple mistake.”

“The hell he did. He showed up at this particular door at this ungodly hour to see you.”

Prudence brushed that aside. “Why on earth would he want to do that?”

“Because he wants you, you naive little ninny. He didn’t take you three years ago and now he’s wondering what he missed.”

Prudence blushed. “Do not be an ass, my lord.”

He loomed over her. “I am looking at the facts.”

“You know nothing about the situation.”

“Your brother told me the entire tale,” Sebastian said.

“Did he?” That stopped Prudence for an instant. “Well, I assure you that whatever feeling Lord Underbrink may have had for me three years ago has long since vanished. He married another and that was the end of the matter.”

“It would appear not.” The glow of the candle cast the planes of Sebastian’s face in demonic lines. “At least not on his part. What about you, Prue? How do you feel about him after all this time?”

“I am certainly not in love with him, if that is what concerns you, my lord.” Prudence lifted her chin. “Although what business it is of yours, I cannot imagine.”

“It is most definitely my business.” Sebastian stalked across the room. “Furthermore, you needn’t act as if my interest in the matter is unusual or odd. We’re engaged, if you will recall.”

His cavalier attitude toward their relationship outraged Prudence. “You seem to be the one suffering from memory lapses lately. Or have you forgotten that our engagement is a sham?”

He wrapped one hand around the bedpost and looked at her with hooded, unreadable eyes. “I wish to speak to you about this engagement of ours. I have had enough of this foolishness.”

Dismay swept through her. “You wish to end it so soon, sir?” She floundered for a logical, rational reason that would forestall the inevitable. “What about our investigation?”

“Forget the damned investigation. I am beginning to think that if the matter were put to the test, I would finish a poor second to your interest in conducting investigations.”

“I did not mean to imply that you are not also quite interesting, my lord,” she said desperately. “Indeed, I have never met a more decidedly
interesting
man. I am quite persuaded
your intellect is of the highest order. I have been deeply impressed by your inquiring nature. And by your cleverness with locks.”

“Enough.”
He released the bedpost and came toward her with an air of grim intent.

“Sebastian? What are you about?”

“Why don’t you apply your intellect to that question, Miss Merryweather? I’m certain you will very quickly arrive at the answer.”

He caught hold of her and swung her up into his arms before she realized what he intended.

“Sebastian
.”

He tossed her lightly down onto the bed and sprawled on top of her, trapping her beneath his hard body. Prudence took a deep breath. The weight of him was indescribably exciting. She could feel the heat of him right through their combined layers of clothing.

She trembled a little as he carefully removed her spectacles and set them on the night table.

“Just once, Prue,” Sebastian said against her throat, “do you think you might concentrate on me instead of on the bloody investigation?”

“I have been concentrating on little else except you for the past several minutes.” She clutched at his shoulders and tried to focus on his implacable face. The jeweled fire in his eyes seared her. “What are you doing?”

“I am going to make love to you.” He reached down and stripped her slippers off her feet.

“Now? Tonight?”

“Yes. Now. Tonight.” He went to work on the buttons of her woolen gown.

A moment later she felt his fingers on the bare skin of her back. A tremor went through her as she realized how quickly he was working to undress her. In another minute or two he would have her bodice down to her waist. A deep, throbbing excitement awoke within her.

“Sebastian?”

“Hush, Prue.” He stopped her faint, questioning words with a fierce kiss that effectively robbed her of breath. She moaned and instinctively tightened her grasp on his broad shoulders. Sebastian lifted his head to look down at her. “We will talk later.”

He thrust his leg between hers, causing her skirts to tumble over his thigh. The startling intimacy of the action sent a wave of hot and cold chills through Prudence. Memories of the night in Mrs. Leacock’s bedchamber crashed through her once more.

With quick, urgent motions, Sebastian finished unfastening her bodice and tugged it downward.

“My sweet, Prue.” Sebastian’s voice was little more than a ragged whisper. He looked down at her breasts for a moment and then he reverently lowered his head and took one nipple between his teeth.

Prudence swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut against the exquisite sensations that washed over her. She felt as if she were floating in a warm river, gliding along in a current that was quickly gathering force and speed. Because of what she had learned that night in Mrs. Leacock’s bedchamber, Prudence knew that a magnificent waterfall lay ahead of her. She was suddenly impatient to reach it.

She arched herself against Sebastian’s stroking hand. He groaned thickly in response.

“This time I am going to be deep inside you when you find your release.” Sebastian looked down at her with blazing eyes. “I do not care if all the specters of hell put in an appearance around this bed.”

He levered himself slightly away from her and yanked off his shirt, breeches, and boots. When he turned to face her, he was naked.

Prudence gazed at him in startled wonder. She had never seen a man in such a state in her life. The candlelight
gleamed on his broad shoulders and highlighted the powerful contours of his hard, lean body.

Even without her spectacles she could see that he was heavily aroused. The size of his jutting staff was disconcerting. She was inexperienced, but logic told her that a man was little different than the males of other species. She had lived in the country all her life and was well aware of how animals mated.

She knew Sebastian intended to thrust his manhood into her. The notion was strangely exciting, but common sense and logic made her hesitate. He appeared very large to her inexperienced eyes.

Prudence looked up at him. “I had not realized there would be such a disparity in terms of size between us, my lord.”

Sebastian uttered a hoarse sound that was half laugh and half groan. “My sweet, logical Prudence. I have warned you that at times your intellect is something of a problem.”