The Seduction of Sebastian St. James (23 page)

She froze. He didn’t know if words would make anything better, or if he merely should pray she would be too tired to remember.

“You—you don’t want me?”

How could she even think that?

“I do, Emma. You know I do.” He pulled at her hands and gently ran them down his torso and even lower until her innocent eyes widened. “Can you not feel the way my body responds to your every move? I ache for you like I’ve never ached for anyone in my life. But I won’t have you this way. I want all of you, not a piece of you because you’re hurt, but everything.”

Abruptly Emma pulled away to the farthest edge of the bed. He could hear her muffled sobs echo through the room.

Rejection never felt good, and he felt like an absolute cad that he had even given in for those briefest of moments. But he intended to marry her, and he didn’t want a shadow of doubt hanging over what should be the happiest moment of her life.

****

To say that Sebastian didn’t sleep a wink would be a gross understatement. He had in fact woken up so early he had to wait for the blacksmith to awaken as well. It wasn’t odd to have a ceremony performed by a blacksmith instead of a vicar, though he hoped the blacksmith could point him in the direction of a vicar. He didn’t want Emma to have to say her vows over the anvil. But considering the innkeeper said nobody would be awake at this horrid hour, his best bet was to have a conversation with the blacksmith, who would surely be awake this early.

An hour went by before the light in the blacksmith’s was lit. Sebastian didn’t waste a moment knocking on the door and pleading his case.

Arrangements were made within the hour, and he whistled the entire way back to the inn. Only to stop dead in his tracks as he watched Emma plead with Rawlings to take her home.

Rawlings, poor chap, looked caught between telling her the truth that she was, in fact, going home not as Emma Gates, but as the Duchess of Tempest and just plain running in the other direction.

Coward.

“Emma, what has you out so early? I thought you’d still be sleeping.”

She refused to make eye contact, only bit her lip and kept her eyes focused on Rawlings, who chose this moment to kick a rock and look up to the sky. Poor chap.

“Rawlings, if you’ll just excu—” Sebastian didn’t even get the rest of the sentence out before Rawlings had tipped his hat and turned on his heel toward the inn.

Emma’s face followed Rawlings’ retreating form, her fists clenched, and as much as Sebastian would love to see her unleash all that pent up anger on an unsuspecting Rawlings, he had better plans.

“Shall we?” Extending his arm, he waited in vain for her to take it.

Instead she fell into step beside him with her arms crossed.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Emma looked up at him with a fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “For what?”

“For a great many things, but most of all, for letting you down when you needed me the most. For being a coward when I made you believe I wasn’t falling in love with you, and most of all, for waiting until now to tell you how desperately I need you. Will you marry me?”

****

As far as proposals went, it had to be one of the better ones Emma had ever heard. And yet, she doubted him. No, that wasn’t true. She doubted herself, doubted that he would in fact love her—all of her, including her soiled reputation.

“You don’t understand, Sebastian. I can’t marry you, for reasons you yourself displayed ever so plainly to me upon our first meeting. You desire a woman of consequence, someone without stain or blemish, and that is all I will bring you. A stain. A blemish. Nothing but heartache and a reputation that will forever be attached to your family’s good name. So, no. For as much as I love you, I could never do that to you.”

She pulled away but was crushed by the heavy weight of his arms. And then he was kissing her. She tried to fight, to push him away as her heart shattered into a million pieces inside. To kiss her, to give her one last taste was the cruelest of tricks.

“Emma,” he said against her lips. “I know, Emma. I know everything.”

The fight left, replaced by anger, and then confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Rawlings. He told me everything. I make my offer of marriage knowing full well who I attach myself to. Miss Emma Gates, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, honest, adventurous though it might be the death of me and give me gray hair. And dare I say quite possibly the most delicious dancer I’ve ever known? Emma, I want you, all of you. Reputation and all.”

“Truly?”

Sebastian growled as he pulled her in, kissing her hard on the mouth. “If you say no, I’ll come after you. I’ll never stop. I may even ruin my own reputation in the process.”

“You wouldn’t!” Squirming in his arms, she laughed. “I love you.”

He stilled and then tilted his head toward hers. “And I you. Does that mean yes, sweet Emma?”

Tears pooled in her eyes as she nodded. “Yes, I will marry you.”

“Perfect. Let’s be on our way then.” Tugging at her arm, he pulled her down the street.

“Sebastian?” Looking around, Emma thought it was possibly a trick. Did he truly mean now?

“Oh yes, left that part out, my apologies. We’re getting married now. I already have the vicar waiting, Rawlings will be present, good fellow he is. Did you know he thought I was playing with your heartstrings?”

So Rawlings had truly been trying to protect her as well as win her as his own bride. It left her wondering what he would do now. He seemed happy enough though as stubborn as ever, not letting her leave the inn until Sebastian returned.

Emma felt like she was walking on clouds. Each step she took with Sebastian seemed to get faster until finally she felt like running. The only thing that kept her at a normal pace was years of training on how a lady should present herself in public.

In the back of her mind, she wondered how much her reputation would harm Sebastian, but the fact he loved her despite it was enough to push it even further into her mind.

Because in less than an hour, she would be his wife.

Chapter Twenty-six

Sebastian had half a mind to pay the vicar to merely sign the marriage certificate so he could be Emma’s husband and have the whole situation done with. He craved her, needed her, and was tired of waiting.

As the vicar finally pronounced them man and wife, Sebastian, unable to control himself any longer, pulled Emma into his arms and kissed her soundly on the mouth in front of God and Rawlings.

Rawlings snickered and turned away. Sebastian lifted his eyes as Rawlings waited at the door. The man tipped his hat and was off. He had only stayed to be a witness in case there needed to be one and now he was gone.

The friendship once so tattered and broken had begun to heal, just one more thing Sebastian was thankful for.

It was too late for them to travel back so soon, and Sebastian wanted a night with his new duchess before he was to meet the faces of the
ton
and that of his grandmother, though he knew she would be pleased. He had already told her of his intentions.

Although he still couldn’t figure out why the woman had winked and patted him on the back as if she had anything to do with it.

Sebastian watched in fascination as his bride walked ahead of him into their bedroom. The innkeeper had managed to find them a larger room, and Sebastian had also arranged for a bottle of wine as well as a bath for his bride.

He wasn’t thinking Emma would necessarily need a bath, but knew it might comfort her before the night ahead. He didn’t pretend to know how women’s minds worked, he merely knew it would be better for her to relax.

Closing the door behind him, he walked toward Emma, telling himself repeatedly he needed to take things slow, when all he wanted to do was rip her dress in half and devour her.

Romance, she deserved to be treasured, cherished. Stifling the array of curses that managed to make their way to his lips, he watched as Emma began taking off her bonnet, the pins in her hair and then—

“Sebastian?”

Clearing his throat, he answered, “Yes?”

“Could you help me? I can’t manage the buttons on my dress.”

Innocent? Hardly. The coy smile on her lips was telling enough, the minx. Approaching her, he pulled at her shoulders to turn her around, all the while telling himself to breath in and out.

As his fingers brushed the buttons lining the back of her dress, he had to pause in order to keep himself from taking out a knife and cutting it off of her. One button and then two, he had to keep repeating how many she had, lest he continue to be tempted beyond what he could bear. After all, his wife needed his assistance, and this was now something he could help her with.

Once the last button was reached, he cleared his throat and watched in utter horror as she let it drop to the floor.

“And the corset as well,” his wife purred.

“Of course,” he croaked.

If she was going to continue to taunt him, one bottle of wine would not be enough while he waited for her to bathe.

His hands reached again to the corset. Loosening the stays, he found himself utterly fascinated that he was so aroused. Never had undressing a lady once appealed to him. It was all about what happened underneath the clothes. But watching as his wife undressed, as he helped her, had to be the most sensual experience of his life.

When the last part of the corset was loosened, he waited. If the room wasn’t still so chilly, he’d be sweating. He would lose his mind if this woman continued to torture him.

Words failed to come. Open-mouthed, he watched Emma strip down to her chemise and turn to him. Part of his mind told him he should twist away, the other yelled at him to attack his wife. After all, she was his, wasn’t she? And why in tarnation did she feel the need to put him through such utter torture?

“I think I shall take a bath now, Sebastian.” Emma smiled.

Sebastian cursed and then nodded his head in approval.

“Will you help me with my stockings?”

Sebastian fought to keep his rising irritation and arousal under control. “Is there anything else you shall need my help with, or would you rather I summon one of the ladies from downstairs?”

“Oh no, I think you shall sufficiently be able to strip me of my remaining clothes and help me bathe.”

Putting his hands on his hips, he looked away. Then ran his fingers through his hair, leaving one hand curiously behind his neck. “You want me to help you bathe? Are you mad?”

Emma lifted her eyebrow in teasing before putting her leg on the chair next to him and pulling up her chemise. The woman was trying to kill him. Up the chemise went until her entire thigh was exposed, slowly, she rolled down her stockings then flashed him a glance. “This is what you get for making me think you didn’t care.” Dropping her leg, she shifted and lifted the other to the chair, repeating with her other stocking. “And this is what you get for not telling me you love me.”

And then she was in front of him. In a whisper she said, “And this is what you get for rejecting me last night. Though I know why you did it, I had no idea what you were planning today. So, punish you I will, until you’re begging me to stop. Now, Sebastian, would you check the temperature of the bath?”

He wasn’t sure how he found himself within the next minute doing exactly that, except he hadn’t discovered the words to fight her, not when she had so many elegant points and not when she was touching parts of her body he ached to kiss.

“It’s a little hot, Emma, would you—“

He couldn’t finish his sentence as his eyes fell on Emma. The water nymph was standing directly in front of him, sans clothes, only a smile on her beautiful face. “Thank you, husband.” She stood up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. He kept his arms firmly planted next to his body. Not because he didn’t want to grab her and have his way with her, but because he was so utterly paralyzed by her brazenness, her beauty, and frankly by the fact that she had so magnificently stumped him.

Using his body as an anchor, she lifted her delicate foot into the tub, then the other. Like a man in a trance, he watched until her entire body was covered in the hot water. Her hand was extended toward him. Thinking she was asking to be touched, he reached out, but she cleared her throat and pointed to the soap.

“Right.” He sighed

“Thank you, my sly little fox.”

Shaking his head, he was about to take his leave. Meaning he was just about ready to go drink the entire contents of the wine bottle when she cleared her throat again and then in a light beautiful voice asked, “Aren’t you going to help me?”

Of course, and then I’ll drop dead because, if she touches me one more time without doing anything, my body will cease all normal functioning.

“Yes, let me just…I’ll just take off my jacket, shall I?”

“And your shoes, don’t forget your shoes, Sebastian.”

Perplexed, he took off his shoes.

“And your cravat, you can take that off as well.”