The Temptation of a Gentleman (17 page)

With a little hop, he stood on the ledge and jumped inside the warm room. He pulled the window shut with a tiny click, then turned to look around Marion’s chamber.

“Marion,” he hissed into the dark as his eyes adjusted to the dwindling firelight. “Marion?”

Finally he saw her and his breath hitched in his throat. She lay on the bed, her dark hair tumbling out of her bun onto the pillows. She was still dressed, a fact Noah didn’t know whether to be grateful for or disappointed by.

The firelight danced across her face, making her look softer in her relaxed state, more fragile than when she stood toe to toe with him in a game of playful verbal sparring.

He crept closer to the bed. If she woke up when he came back into the room, she might cry out. Worse yet, she could close her door after he’d gone and end up locking him in the house.

“Marion?”

He sat down on the edge of the bed. Being so close to her, especially in a place where he could easily have her, easily show her how much he wanted her, was proving more difficult than he’d imagined.

“Marion, wake up sweetheart.”

As he repeated her name, he reached his hand out to touch her face. God, her skin was soft. With a sigh, she turned into his palm and rubbed her cheek against his fingers. Hot blood rushed through his body, and he immediately grew hard at her innocent response.

He wanted this woman more than he’d ever wanted any woman in all his thirty-two years. He wanted to pull her up into his arms and rain kisses down on her until she begged him for more. He wanted to peel off her clothes and touch her entire body until she shivered in release. The intensity of his feelings was overpowering.

Instead, he simply stared at her, memorizing every curve of her face and body. Soon enough she would be gone. He wondered if he would suffer the way he’d seen opium addicts suffer. Marion was certainly like a drug pumping through his system.

He shook his head as he forced himself to withdraw his hand from her cheek. “Marion!”

He was pleased when her eyelids began to flutter. He leaned forward, preparing to cover her mouth if she screamed in fright at finding him in her room. Instead, she opened her eyes with a small stretch and a smile.

“Noah,” she sighed with a yawn. “I knew you’d come for me.”

Now it wasn’t just desire that he felt clenching at his body, but that strange emotion he still had no name for. Her blind belief that he’d somehow save her was something he’d never expected to find at Woodbury, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. In his line of work he’d always played the rogue, not the hero. He was finding the hero a pleasant fit.

“I’m here, my sleepy lady,” he whispered. “And now I’ll go downstairs and tend to my business. Leave your door open a crack so I may return when I’m through. I should be no more than half an hour.”

She lowered her voice. “If someone hears you moving around downstairs and I’m with you, I can more easily explain my presence while you slip away,” she reasoned but her voice faltered.

Marion suddenly realized Noah was leaning on the edge of her bed. It was an intensely intimate position, something more fitting to a lover than a partner or friend.

His face twisted at her reasoning and he seemed to be considering her plan, but then he shook his head. “You’ve never worked with me. No one will hear me.”

She drew in a breath at his utter confidence. Over-confidence, she would say.

“I’m coming. There’s no time to argue.”

Noah’s mouth thinned into a hard line she’d never seen, and a fire came into his eyes that she was sure had frightened hardened criminals before. It did nothing for her except cause a little ache in the very pit of her stomach.

“Fine, Miss Marion.” With a low growl he rose from the bed and offered her a hand. “But don’t hinder me.”

She stifled her grin at his serious face. If she was going to have to live in Josiah Lucas’s house and endure his leering looks, the least Noah could do was allow her to help him apprehend the man. And convincing him was less difficult than she’d imagined.

Marion huddled closer to his back as she tried to ignore the heat coming from him. She watched as he cracked the door, pressing his ear to the space he’d made and straining to hear even the faintest sound. When he seemed satisfied, he peered out, looking left and right several times. Then, with a nod in her direction, he grasped her hand and began to lead her down the hall.

Every nerve ending in Marion’s fingers came to life at his warm touch. Though the gesture was innocent enough, it sent heat flashing through her like lightning, touching every tender part of her until she was filled with it. She barely breathed as he led her silently through the hallway and down the stairs toward Lucas’s office.

They entered the dark room together. Noah sighed as he shut the door behind them. Moonlight was the only illumination in the room for the moment, and in it she saw his face clearly outlined. He turned and it was as if he suddenly remembered she was there.

“Well, that’s part of the job done,” he whispered, still clinging to her hand.

“Yes.”

She glanced down at their intertwined fingers with a smile. Somehow their hands fit, despite how much bigger his were than hers. He followed her gaze, then let go of her to light a candle and bring a soft glow to the room.

“We’ll have to work quickly.” Marion could hear the slight choke to his voice. “Getting caught at this juncture could be devastating.”

She nodded. “What are we looking for?”

“
You
…” he said with emphasis, “Aren’t looking for anything. Hold the candle for me so I can see.” He handed her the smoldering tallow stick.

She followed him to the desk where he began sorting through papers one by one. She was amazed by how quickly he could glance over a sheet and decide if it was worthwhile or not. In no time he’d cleared everything on the desk top, returned the papers to their original position and shifted his attention to the desk drawers.

“I was glad to know my message got to you.” He looked up at her briefly with a small smile. “I worried it might put you in danger.”

She started at his words. By the way he seemed singularly dedicated to his search, she’d thought he’d all but forgotten her presence.

“No. It reached me fine. Sally seems to be a reliable friend.” She paused, thinking about the fact that the maid knew of their tryst. “Er…”

“She read your note. Apparently she’s worried for my safety. I’m sure she only did it out of protectiveness.” With a grimace, she explored Noah’s angry face, worried about the expression in his eyes.

“Damn.” His voice went up a level in the quiet room. “If she breathes a word about this to Lucas or to anyone else…”

Marion shook her head. After the bargain she and Sally had struck, she couldn’t believe the young woman wouldn’t keep her word. “She won’t.”

For a long moment he said nothing else and she could tell he was mulling over what she’d said. Finally, he looked at her again.

“Perhaps we can use her to our advantage,” he said, rubbing his brow. “After all, she’s aided you in doing something wrong.”

Marion’s mouth fall open in surprise. “No! I won’t
use
her. She gave me her word she won’t tell, and that’s enough for me.”

His frown lengthened. “It shouldn’t be. You don’t know that this woman isn’t a spy for Lucas sent to find out all your moves and report back to him.”

She laughed. “That’s ridiculous, Noah. Where do you come up with these ideas?”

He glared at her. “From years of experience you do not have the benefit of. Sometimes using people is a necessary evil.”

Marion felt as if she’d been slapped. Was this the same man who’d kissed her, awakened her heart? And if he explained away using her maid, did he also explain away using Marion for his own gain. Suddenly things seemed much clearer to her.

Noah’s face darkened and his eyes flashed blue fire. “I’m not using you, Marion,” he said, his voice dangerously soft. “In fact, I would say you’re using me. You came to me, remember? You asked me for
my
help.”

She turned away. “And you only agreed to help me if I would assist you with your case. But I wonder, when will you do as you agreed and make me appear ruined in front of my father? My time is running out.”

She shivered as she ticked off the days in her mind. In only a short week, Lucas would come and try to make his claim on her body.

She spun to face Noah with tears pricking her eyes. “You know I’m weak to you. What if you’re only using that weakness to get what you want?”

“I told you I’d protect you and I shall.”

The anger in Noah’s eyes faded slowly. With a few steps he was just in front of her. He reached out his fingers to brush them along the curve of her jaw, sending a quick, intense thrill through her entire body.

“And as for your weakness… it’s one we share.”

With a quiet groan he brought his mouth down on hers. Without hesitation, she gripped her fists around the lapels of his jacket and returned the kiss with as much passion as he gave. Their mouths merged, tongues parrying until both were breathless. Finally, Noah pushed her back gently. He looked at her with eyes glazed by desire.

“You see?” His voice was rough as he took two steps away.

For a moment, silence hung between them as Marion tried to regain her composure and find her voice. Before she could do either, the clock in the hallway began to gong, ringing off the time. At three strikes, it stopped.

“And now I’ve stayed too long and found nothing. At least nothing of great use.” He held out his hand to her. Marion thought it trembled, but when she looked again it was firm. “Come, I’ll exit through your window.”

She blew out the candle before putting her fingers in his. Again, a feeling of safety filled her as he began to lead her back up the staircase toward her room. A foreign feeling, a feeling of coming home. It was so strong it nearly knocked her from her feet. She was happy when they reached her chamber and he released her.

“I’m sorry you didn’t find anything.” She closed the door behind her and leaned back against the wood.

“It’s not your fault,” he said with a sigh as he returned to her window to open it.

She almost pointed out that she’d been a distraction, but didn’t. It was painfully obvious he already knew what a diversion she’d been and still was.

“Well, goodnight.”

“Wait!” In a few light steps, she hurried to the window. Noah already had one muscular leg out on the ledge, but turned back to her with questioning eyes.

“Yes?”

Marion looked at him, so handsome, so much everything she’d ever wanted, and would ever want. She ached for the fact that she could never have him. With that regret in her heart, she leaned forward, cupped his strong jaw in both her hands, and kissed him.

This time it was Noah’s turn to be surprised, and hers to be in control. She enjoyed the juxtaposition of their usual roles. Pulling him closer, she deepened the kiss, darting the tip of her tongue between his lips as he had done to her. To her surprise, Noah uttered a deep, guttural moan and clutched her closer to him. His arms came around her waist like a vice to crush her against his chest. For a moment she lost all sense of time and place. The only thing that existed or mattered was the two of them and the small world they created in each other’s arms.

But the moment passed. Noah was in danger if he stayed in her room, so against her own desires, she pushed back away from his chest and the heavenly prison of his arms. He blinked a few times to clear his eyes as he stared into her face, searching for… something. She didn’t know what.

“I know you aren’t using me.” With trembling hands, she reached out to run her fingers along the harsh curve of his jaw. “Go safely.”

Noah wrinkled his brow and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. Then he hesitated with a shake of his dark head.

“Goodnight.”

Turning away from her, he took a short jump to the nearest tree limb and disappeared from sight. She took a few steps to close the window and saw that he had already made it down the tall tree and was hurrying to a circle of trees where Phantom awaited his return. At the edge of the circle, Noah turned back. When he saw her waving from her window, he flashed her a grin, then disappeared.

She dipped her head with a sigh. The situation was only spiraling out of control with each passing day. With each moment she spent with Noah, she wanted him even more. And she couldn’t have him.

She was surprised that fact hurt more than any betrayal from her father ever had.

Chapter Fourteen

Marion swore as she made another crooked stitch on a piece of cloth that already looked like she’d run it through a wash ringer. Though she didn’t enjoy it as much as sketching, normally she had no problems making a pattern work, but today she was completely incompetent. She’d tried to convince herself it was only because of lack of sleep the past few nights. In her heart she knew it was so much more.