One Night Scandal (16 page)
“What did she tell you?” Jennette said as she entered the room with an angry swish of silk.
Nicholas turned around and smiled at the woman he once thought he loved. In truth, he would always love her, just not as he once had. Something had changed in him since meeting Sophie.
“I believe she thinks you and I have had an illicit affair.”
Jennette threw her hands in the air. “Why would she think such a thing?”
Nicholas frowned. He’d wondered the same thing on the trip here. “I have no idea.”
“She told me that she overheard us talking in the garden the night of my party. We were discussing my condition but how did she make the leap to this being your baby.”
“Perhaps she didn’t stay for the entire discussion. Or for the part where your husband joined us.”
“I still don’t understand why that would make her jump to such an odd conclusion. You and I have never been anything but friends.”
Nicholas blew out a breath. Perhaps it was time to tell Jennette the truth. “Jennette, sit down with me,” he said, patting the cushion of the sofa.
“What is wrong, Nicholas? You looked a little apprehensive.” Jennette sat down next to him.
He took her hand in his. “Jennette, Sophie knows something about me that no one else knows. It’s the reason she believes what she overheard is true.”
Jennette’s black brows furrowed deeply. “What can she possibly know that I do not? I have known you forever.”
“When Sophie and I first met, she found a letter you had written me several years ago.” He paused, dreading this conversation but understanding he had to have it. The time had come to put his feelings for her in the past.
“And?”
“I had kept the letter because it reminded me so much of you. It was filled with your enthusiasm about the social season.”
Jennette shrugged slightly. “I don’t understand how her finding a letter like that would matter.”
“Because with her abilities, she was able to read my emotions on the letter.”
“Again, how does that relate to her wild assumptions?”
Nicholas sighed. “She knew that I was in love with you.”
Chapter 16
Nicholas had never wanted to run from a room as badly as he did at that moment. Heat scorched his cheeks so he turned his head away from her amazed stare. Telling Jennette had been a mistake. He felt it immediately as she pulled her hand out of his grip.
“Oh, Nicholas,” she said with a sigh.
“Jennette, it was years ago,” Nicholas said, finally turning back to face her. “Before Blackburn returned to your life.”
She gave him a slight smile. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How could I?” He rose and walked to the window. “You were Selby’s baby sister. I had known you since you were eight. How was I to explain that my feelings for you had changed from brotherly to something lascivious?”
“I thought we could talk about anything,” she whispered. “I had told you how I felt about every little thing that happened to me.”
He turned. “You never told me about Blackburn.”
“Touché. But that doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me.”
“After your betrothed died, I just didn’t think you would be interested in me. And truthfully, I didn’t have the courage.” Nicholas walked back to the sofa. “I was certain you didn’t feel the same way for me.”
Jennette stared at the rug. “You might have been right. I felt so guilty over John’s death.”
“Because you didn’t love him. You loved Blackburn.”
Jennette only nodded. “You are most likely right that even if you had confessed your affection for me, I would have turned you down.”
“Because you loved Blackburn,” Nicholas said again. As uncomfortable as this conversation was, it felt good to clear the air. While he would always love Jennette, since meeting Sophie, his feelings for her had changed.
“I suppose so.” She smiled slightly. “What are you going to do now?”
Nicholas leaned back against the cushion and shook his head. “I have no idea. How can I convince her that I don’t love you that way any longer?”
Jennette giggled. “You could tell her the truth.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tell Sophie you love
her
, not me.”
her
, not me.”
He closed his eyes in thought. Did he really love Sophie? Or was it just lust? He honestly didn’t know. He felt certain that if he married her, they could be happy. But was that enough? Was that love?
“It’s not that easy, Jennette.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“Make her see reason.” And the only way he could do that was to talk to her without her henchmen throwing him out of her house. His lips lifted slightly.
“Oh, I know that smile,” Jennette said. “What devious thoughts are you thinking?”
“Nothing at all.” At least nothing he could tell her about. Tonight he would get into Sophie’s house, one way or another.
Sophie placed her book on the table and then snuffed out the candles in the parlor. No matter how hard she’d tried, she could not concentrate on reading the entire day. After Jennette and Nicholas left, her thoughts had remained on them. Jennette had appeared very offended by Sophie’s insinuation of an affair.
She said good night to the footman on duty for the night and walked upstairs. Her mind buzzed with questions. Was it possible that she was wrong about Jennette? It seemed as if she seldom got anything right since her trip to Venice.
Maybe she had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
Entering her room, her maid assisted her with her clothing and into a nightgown. Instead of lying on her bed, Sophie paced the room examining the evidence in her mind. All she had was the knowledge that Nicholas loved Jennette and an overheard conversation regarding a baby.
Sophie stopped by the window as a cool breeze fluttered the marigold curtains. She glanced outside at the quiet street. She was right. Jennette had told Nicholas that it happened the night he returned from Venice. And that they both had had too much to drink.
She rested her head against the window frame. In the time she had known Nicholas, she had never seen him drink more than two glasses of any type of spirit. While Jennette could drink most men under the table.
The sound of a floorboard squeaking made her look back into the room just in time to see Nicholas before he clapped his hand over her mouth.
“Not a word. If you call for a footman, I will carry you out of here before they arrive. Then I will take you to my house until we have this discussion. Do you understand?”
Sophie swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. She had never heard him sound so furious. Nor so fierce. With a hand over her mouth, she had no choice but to nod.
Slowly he moved his hand away. She turned to face him and his ire. “Why are you here? And how did you get in?”
“You left a window open in the back of the house.”
“But how did you get upstairs without anyone noticing?” She moved away from the heat of his body before her thoughts went in a very bad direction.
“I have been in your house since eight. I just had to wait until your servants went to dinner and then I sneaked up here. Perhaps Somerton was right that you need more footmen.”
“Why are you here, Nicholas?” she demanded as her own anger escalated. He had no right to be here, invading her home as he did her thoughts.
“I told you this morning that our conversation was not finished.” Spying the key to her room on her nightstand, he grabbed it and then locked the door.
Now she was trapped in her bedroom with the one man she seemed unable to resist. “There is nothing left to discuss.”
He strode back across the room until he stood before her. Dressed completely in black, he appeared sinister and cold. “How could you think for one moment that I would have an affair with Jennette?”
She backed up a step until she was against one of the cherry posters of her bed. “It wasn’t that hard to determine. You love her. She is with child and very upset by it. I heard her tell you that it happened the night you returned from Venice. And that you both had had too much to drink.”
He folded his arms over his wide chest and smirked. “And that was all you heard?”
“That was enough!”
“No, that was enough for you to make the wrong conclusion. Had you stayed longer, you would have heard us talking about the fact that Jennette was only upset by her condition because her husband wanted to start improvements on the estates. He wanted more time between the children, and Jennette was concerned that he wouldn’t love this child as much as Christian.”
“That doesn’t explain how she said it happened the night you returned from Venice.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Jennette had invited me for dinner. She and Blackburn were both a little foxed by the time I left. I only had one glass of brandy.”
Sophie bit down on her lip as tears blinded her eyes. She should have trusted him. But how could she? Even after two months, she barely knew him. Still, she should have let him explain before jumping to conclusions.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She glanced back at him and her heart pounded madly in her chest. It dawned on her that all the time he’d been in the room she only wore a thin white nightgown. Her nipples hardened into peaks so tight they almost hurt.
He stood and approached her slowly. He lifted her chin with his warm hand. “The only woman I have been with since Venice is you,” he said softly. “The only woman I have wanted to be with since Venice is you.”
She felt horrible about how she treated him. She stared into his sensual brown eyes and was lost. Rising on her toes, she inclined her head toward him.
“If you kiss me now,” he whispered, “I will not leave your bed until morning.”
“Good,” she replied, before moving her lips over his.
As his velvety tongue touched hers, all the exciting sensations of being with Nicholas returned even stronger than before. Desire damped her folds as she attempted to push his jacket off his shoulders. He pushed her hands away and yanked off his jacket. In one swift movement, he slid her nightgown down until it fell at her feet.
Standing naked before him, she felt timid about the slight changes in her body that she could already see. Would he notice them too? He pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. His hands skimmed down her bare back until he cupped her derrière.
She worked at the buttons on his shirt, eager to feel his skin next to hers. He released a low growl before moving away from her.
“Lay down,” he commanded as he tore at his shirt.
Sophie did as he requested and then watched as he exposed more skin to her wanton gaze. With his chest bared, he sat down on the bed to yank off his boots. She couldn’t help but glide her hand up his muscled back as he worked at his boots. He turned toward her with such a deep smile her heart beat faster.
He stood and slid his trousers down his hips until his erection came into view. Her hands itched to touch him everywhere. Moving to her knees, she reached out to caress his chest until he hissed. She moved her hand lower until she reached his curly hair and penis. With a whispered caress, she touched him. She glanced up to see his eyes shutter as she slid her hand over the top of him. She moved closer and let her tongue circle the top of him.
“Oh, God, Sophie,” he muttered hoarsely.
Since he hadn’t told her to stop, she slipped him into her mouth. She brought him in and out of her mouth. The feel of fullness in her mouth excited her.
“Oh, stop,” he moaned. He pushed her back on the bed and covered her body with his. “Do you have any idea how much I want you right now?”
“Mmm,” she said as he kissed her neck. “I think I do.”
He trailed hot kisses down her neck until he reached her taut nipples. As his mouth enclosed over one, she tried not to wince. Her breasts had never been this sensitive. But as his tongue swept across her nipple the pain turned to exquisite pleasure.
Nicholas tickled his tongue down her belly and farther until he reached her clitoris. As his mouth found her sensitive nub, she bucked her hips. He could feel her muscles tightening as he stroked her. Slipping a finger into her wetness, his control weakened.
“Nicholas,” she moaned softly. “Now.”
He smiled against her soft thigh. “Anything you say, Sophie.”
Positioning himself over her, he entered her silky depths slowly. The desire he felt for her was unlike anything he had with other women. As he filled her completely, he wanted to stay there forever but her wet warmth was like a siren’s call to him. Stroking her, he watched her face as desire overtook her.
“Nicholas,” she whispered haltingly. She arched her back as her spasms rocked him.
Unable to control himself any longer, he let go to the sensation. His body shook with pleasure. Finally, he eased himself down on her.
“Sophie,” he said against her neck. He had done it again. Instead of withdrawing, he’d stayed inside of her. What was wrong with him that he lost control when she was near? This had never happened with another woman. Not even his mistresses. Only one time had he forgotten with Maggie.
Knowing he had to be hurting her, he moved off her to lie on the bed. He pulled her closer until her head rested on his chest.
“Sophie,” he said softly.
Her fingers splayed across his chest. “Yes?”
“We really should talk.”
Her hand stopped its gentle caress. “And what topic would you like to discuss?”
“Shall we start with your father?” he asked and then pushed a few black tendrils off her forehead.
She shook her head. “No. That is a topic best left closed.”
“I already figured it out.”
She rose up and then looked down at him. Her face lined with agony. “You could not possibly know.”
“My curiosity was raised by Somerton’s overprotective attitude toward you. He appeared to be acting like an older brother.”
“I already told you that Somerton is a longtime friend.”
He smiled at her. “Yes, you did. But you should never have told me you knew Mrs. Griffon,” he said, drawing a finger down her jaw.
“She never would have told you who my father was!”
Nicholas caressed her cheek with his palm. “It wasn’t hard to determine. She had only worked for one employer before coming into my house. So if you hadn’t told me that she had been your teacher, I would have continued to assume she had only been Lady Genna’s governess.”
She lay back against the pillows and covered her face with her hands. “How could I have been so foolish?”
Slowly he removed her hands from her face. “You weren’t being foolish. You were pleased that I had such a wonderful governess for my daughter. You wanted to be certain I knew she was excellent.”
“He is going to be furious,” she cried. “I might even lose my home!”
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