Dare to be Mine (16 page)

"I knew you would be
incredible," Daniel said moments later, breaking the comfortable silence.
"From the moment I laid eyes on you in that decadent nightgown."

A self-conscious smile tugged at her
lips. She was not used to flowery compliments from a man. “I fear I must be
quite inept compared to all the experienced women I have heard about."

Daniel knew not whether to grin or groan
at the observation he had heard countless times by women wanting, hoping to
feel they'd made a lasting impression in his mind over and above all the other
women he'd lain with.

CHAPTER ">
"You are anything but inept,
Elyssa," Daniel replied as his fingers slowly crept up her thigh. He
smiled at the shuddering breath she drew in, was delighted that he was the only
man to ever bring her to satisfaction.

A timid smile graced her lips until she
abruptly remembered her mother and how she must be worrying. Confiding her
distress to Daniel, he told Elyssa he'd had a message sent already to set her
parents' minds at ease. Had told them that his host, Lord Blake Edmonton, had
insisted on Elyssa remaining overnight after a late night dinner.

“It was the best I could do on a
moment's notice. I only meant to keep your parents from having the authorities
come after me for kidnapping I assure you I will return you to your family
after we have eaten breakfast.”

Daniel went downstairs and was gone for
quite some time.
Talking with his friend, Blake, no doubt.
Roughly a half hour later Daniel brought up a tray full of
eggs, fruit, and bread dripping with butter.
Elyssa was flattered that
the notorious rake, known for having women do his every bidding, and that by
their own choice and not his, was humbly serving her breakfast and pouring her
hot tea.

Elyssa was loath to eat the last of her
food, for it meant leaving Daniel. Possibly forever, for all that he seemed
confident they would be together. Of course, not once had he mentioned that
ominous word of
marriage,
and that most likely because
Daniel's idea of being together meant keeping her as mistress. And hating
herself for her slacking morals, Elyssa feared that did Daniel press her, she
would be unable to deny him that sinful plea.

An hour later Daniel
was seeing Elyssa off.
He left her breathless with a
heated kiss full of promise, of hope, just before ordering his driver to see
her back safely to her parents' home. He apologized for not making the ride
back with her but confided that he planned to pack his things at once and head
back to Greystone. Unaware of how he meant to straighten things out for them,
Daniel knew only that the sooner he confronted Percy about the situation, the
better.

Elyssa begged Daniel not to confide
their unplanned tryst, at which Daniel replied he had no wish to be murdered in
his own home. He would attempt to reach Percy's practical side regarding his
farce of a marriage to Elyssa. He would ask Percy to consider annulling the
marriage. It would be a start.

"Hopefully when you return in a day
or two, everything will be such a thingg">CHAPTER looking brighter for us, darling.” A tear trickled
down Elyssa's cheek as she returned Daniel's wave, the sight of him growing
faint as the carriage moved farther and farther away. An overwhelming rush of
hopelessness assailed her and Elyssa prayed that everything would work out
right. It seemed so futile, though, to actually give hope that Percy would
acquiesce without a scandal ensuing. Already, only several minutes without
Daniel's presence, it seemed a ridiculous thought that they could actually pull
it off.
A sadness
crept into Elyssa's expression and
she had to force a grand display of innocence and happiness once the driver
opened the door at her parents' residence.

She despised herself for having to lie
to her family, but proceeded nonetheless to regale them with details of the
Edmonton mansion, for all that she'd seen nothing but the inside of a grand
bedroom.

Elyssa spent the remainder of the day
talking with her sister and playing with their younger brothers. A brief
lecture from her mother later that evening as Elyssa readied for bed left her
denying her mother's prying questions in regard to any feelings for the young
Lord Fredrickson. It was clear from the look on her mother’s face that she did
not believe Elyssa, for the young duke was infamously exciting, and her mother
knew firsthand the dangers of falling in love with someone so unpredictable. “I
love your father, dear, but the path has not been an easy one these many years.
Dashing men may bring excitement, but there are unexpected problems along the
way, and I don’t want that for you.”

The next day Percy's carriage arrived
mid-afternoon and Elyssa took her time packing her belongings, for although she
longed to see Daniel again, the reality of returning to the loneliness of
Greystone, to a husband that already despised her, painted a bleak picture. Her
life would be absolutely unbearable if Daniel managed to further alienate her
from Percy's graces, and suddenly Elyssa regretted her rash actions with
Daniel. Surely she would be made to pay for her weakness.

Her father kissed Elyssa on the cheek
after she'd hugged the rest of the family goodbye, and hinted that she ask
Percy for a stipend on their behalf, confiding that their finances weren't
looking too favorable presently. Her mother’s expression silently suggested
Elyssa remember her warning about carefree men. Forcing a halfhearted smile,
Elyssa tried to ignore the ache her father’s request caused to her heart. She
told her father she would ask Percy, though Elyssa knew that would be the last
thing she'd be doing if he had any inkling about her feelings for Daniel.

Elyssa had taken so long packing her
things that it was nearly dark when the carriage pulled up to Greystone's
imposing presence. Her heart was nearly beating out of her chest at the
speculation of what might have already taken place between Percy and Daniel in
her absence.

Her fingers shook as she reached out to
open the front door, almost feeling as if she ought to be knocking, no matter
that it was her own home. She had always felt like an intruder, truth
be
known, and now she felt undeserving of calling the fine
mansion her home.

As the last of her bags were brought in,
Elyssa's eyes lit up at the sight of Daniel approaching. Where she had just
been hopeless and lonely, the handsome rogue walking toward her with a sensual
heat in his hooded gaze, made her desperate to be in his arms again. Her
breathing instantly became shallow, and Elyssa was grateful no servants were
about. For it was certain they would see the telltale signs of love on her
face. She longed to run into his arms and kiss him with abandon, but knew she
must refrain from any and all emotion where Daniel was concerned.

Daniel barely managed to suppress a
satisfied smile at seeing Elyssa, though he was helpless to restrain the look
of adoration in his eyes as he reached her. "Lady Fredrickson," he
warmly greeted, "it is good to see you back home where you belong."

Whispering a dictate that Elyssa follow
him, Daniel turned and headed toward the study. Glancing about furtively,
Elyssa followed, all the while fearing to see Percy's appearance or hear his
footsteps following, but she and Daniel remained the only ones about. Perhaps
Percy was already abed for the night, for if Daniel was leading her to the
study, where Percy spent most of his evenings, then he must be absent.

Seconds after Daniel disappeared into
the dark study, Elyssa entered, barely able to see anything, for no candles
were lit. She gasped aloud at the sound of the door closing behind her, hearing
the turn of a key in the lock. She turned and met with a solid wall of chest.

Daniel slowly backed Elyssa up against
the wall, his mouth covering hers lazily. The erotic touch of his fingers
invading her coat to seek the roundness of a breast left Elyssa feeling
weak-kneed and she whimpered as her hands helplessly clutched at his arms. He
managed to pull her coat halfway off before his hand greedily returned to her
bare skin beneath the expensive gown.

His other arm pulled her leg up against
his side and he yanked Elyssa so close she could feel his hardness jutting
against her thigh. He continued his wickedly sweet kisses, his tongue thrusting
boldly toward the back of her throat as her leg instinctively wrapped about his
waist. Daniel was near to taking her right then and there. With utmost
difficulty, Daniel forced himself to stop before he was beyond all reasoning.
Their breathing labored, Daniel finally spoke.

“I have be such a thingg">CHAPTER en looking forward to this
since I last saw you.” He was pleased to hear the shuddering indrawn breath.
Knew that she was as vulnerable toward him as he was for her.
"I cannot wait to be inside you again,” he mouthed against her ear, his
fingers making their way over her breasts. His expert touches teased her,
slowly sliding downward over her body. “I have missed you so and it has
scarcely been more than a day,” he whispered.

The shadowed sight of his face nearing
hers, the titillating feel of his fingers brushing downward, until his hand
came to cradle that most intimate part of her, sent a trembling within to her
very core. She was embarrassingly ready for him, and she hoped Daniel didn’t
find her inexperience unappealing. It was blissful agony, this dark encounter
with the man of her dreams.

Forbidden desire, to be
sure.
Elyssa struggled to keep her hands to herself, to
deny them both the pleasure of her fingers caressing his bare flesh, for it was
utter madness to be in such a dangerous predicament within the walls of
Greystone.

Daniel grabbed her hand and boldly,
slowly, pulled it down over his chest, her fingers flexing at the touch of him.
He
shuddered
a sigh at the feel of her soft hand
claiming him as her own. It had not been his intention to go this far, to start
this tortuously intoxicating pursuit, but Daniel was having the most damnable
time trying to control his desires.

This was
not the place
nor
time, however, and cursing softly, he claimed Elyssa's mouth in a
scorching kiss before removing her hand from his body to quell the seductive
torment he'd foolishly started. He entwined his fingers with Elyssa's and held
them up against the wall on either side of her as his kisses began to slow.

Elyssa barely remained standing, her
breathing coming in short gasps at the unexpected onslaught. How was she to
ever get over Daniel when being alone with him for mere moments left her
abandoning all decency and
virtue.
She would have let
him have his way with her on the very floor if Daniel had but asked, everything
else be damned.

Forcing the shaky words, for Elyssa
dared not encourage another kiss or touch, she breathlessly asked, "Did
you talk to Percy?"

Raking his fingers through his hair,
Daniel replied, "We talked a bit yesterday although I have yet to see him
today since breakfast."

for a split secondg">CHAPTER
"And?
What happened?"
came
the fearful question.

"I told my father I know your
identity, that
I tracked you down in London. He was furious,
of course. Accused me of seeking to badger you and said he would see me
punished if I had caused you undue duress." Taking a step even closer to
Elyssa, his soft words caressed her entire body as his fingers tangled in her
long tresses. His grasp on her hair was tight, his lips against her mouth as he
wickedly asked,
"
I trust I haven't caused you any
undue duress, Lady Fredrickson?"

Her voice soft and unsteady, Elyssa
replied, "You have done nothing but, sir, since I ever first ran into
you." Daniel chuckled at the fond accusation, his lips covering her mouth
in a steamy kiss.

"I carefully approached him on the
subject of an annulment. The old man nearly had apoplexy, insinuating that an
annulment would be physically impossible. I, of course, could not divulge the
fact that I was lucky enough to discover he is lying."

"Daniel, it is dangerous to pursue
this. I could not bear it if anything happened to you."

An amused sound of feigned offense
escaped Daniel's lips and he teasingly replied, "Such as my father blowing
my brains out?"

"Daniel, do not speak such
things!" she cried.

"I have no cause to worry about
him," Daniel said, his voice clipped and suddenly aggravated. His ominous
words sending a shiver down Elyssa's spine, he whispered harshly, "You
shall be mine.
One way or another."

Daniel went to the door and listened for
any sound before opening it a crack. Seeing no one about, Daniel instructed
Elyssa to go upstairs to her bedroom. The next morning she should go down to
breakfast as if nothing was wrong. He made Elyssa promise aloud that she would
not give up on him. That she would continue to believe in her love for him, and
have faith that things would work out.

"For you, Daniel.
her dark tresses ed to ">CHAPTER I shall believe and hope because of you." She didn't voice aloud her fears
that when all was said and done, he would eventually leave her side for the
next woman that happened to catch his eye. Daniel's reputation was infamous and
although he seemed genuinely taken with Elyssa, she feared it was just a
temporary dalliance, and that she would one day be left alone in misery without
him.