chausses and one boot. The silence was heavy around the fire’s staccato chant, and Simone’s eyes seemed to burn across his skin.
He cleared his throat. “How fare thee, Lady Simone?”
“As well as can be expected, I suppose,” she said, her voice low and wary. “’Twould seem you’ve lost some of your clothing since last I saw you.”
He was sure she’d meant it as a flip retort, but as Nick let his gaze roam over her bare shoulder, a fire was stoked in his belly. “As have you,” he replied, and couldn’t help but chuckle at the wild blush that colored her face.
He began to slowly approach the bed, but his seductive advance was hampered by the awkward hitch in his stride, thanks to his missing footwear. He cursed softly as he kicked off the remaining boot. He had composed himself by the time he stood over the bed, forcing Simone to raise her face to meet his gaze.
“’Tis time for you to claim your prize, my lady,” he said, and began to untie his chausses, his eyes never leaving hers.
“My prize?” she whispered. Her tongue flicked out over her full bottom lip, and her eyes dared a peek at his busied hands.
“Yea, your reward for your very well-executed plan.” Nick’s temper flared for an instant as he recalled Simone’s neat scheme to win him, but his anger was a mere flicker compared to the burning want he felt.
A frown creased Simone’s fine brow, and she looked away as Nick let his chausses fall around his ankles. He picked up a corner of the fur and climbed into bed, his hand shooting out to ensnare Simone’s arm when she would have skittered to the far side of the mattress.
“Nay, milady—do not flee,” he cajoled. The skin beneath his hand was warm and smooth, like sun-kissed silk, and his fingers met themselves around her slight bones. “I see no reason why we both should not profit from your good fortune.”
Nick was not expecting the slap that left his already tender lip throbbing. Fury ripped through him so that he seized her with both hands, dragging her to him, her bare breasts flattened against his chest. Simone was no longer meek and nervous but glared daggers into him.
“That is for humiliating me before my father and Lord Halbrook,” she said. “And if you are my prize, then I would argue that the nature of my fortune is quite otherwise.”
“Do not toy with me, Simone,” Nick warned, his eyes roaming her face. He could feel the heat of her soft belly against his skin, and his loins responded despite his anger. “We are both full-grown. I know that you schemed with your father to discover us on the balcony, and your neat speech on how you were content to marry an old nanny goat will do you no good now. Better you admit your deception so that we might proceed in this marriage with some semblance of good will.”
“Rot in Hell, you pompous, selfish jackass,” she hissed, shoving away from him.
Nick let her go, partially out of shock at being called selfish for the second time that day. Simone took the opportunity to scoot off the edge of the bed, dragging a fur around her body and forcing Nick to scramble to cover his nudity.
She spun on him. “Pray tell why I would desire to marry the likes of you,” she demanded, looking at him from head to toe as if he were a pile of fresh dung. “No woman would hope to become the wife of a raging womanizer who, on each unfortunate instance of our meeting, has reeked of drink and who entertained not one but a pair of prostitutes on his wedding day! In this very room!” Simone flung out an arm, sputtered, then stomped her foot. “In this very bed!”
“They weren’t prostitutes,” Nick said, somewhat taken aback at her knowledge of his activities. His erection shriveled.
One of her delicate eyebrows arched.
Nick stuttered. “Well, I didn’t pay them.” He, too, stood, dragging a fur about him and mirroring Simone’s pose across the bed. “How did you learn of that, any matter?”
“Lady Haith thought I should know.”
Nick growled, marveling at the size of his sister-in-law’s mouth. “’Twas before we were wed. As you can plainly see, you are the only woman in my suite now.”
“So you will no longer partake of strange women now that we are wed?” she challenged.
“Most likely none stranger than you.” Nick nearly laughed aloud when Simone’s eyes narrowed. “Yea, I’ve heard the rumors—how could I have not?” He edged around the foot of the bed, causing Simone to retreat. “So, is it true? Are you mad?” he asked, reaching for her.
She jerked away, but not quickly enough. He pulled her closer, trailed a finger along the ridge of her collarbone. The woman was irresistible. Already, his ire was fading. “Tell me, Lady Simone,” he whispered, “shall I be forced to restrain you?”
“I’m not mad,” she replied, and Nick could clearly see the gooseflesh his touch raised.
“Then let us both throw off this insanity that plagues us,” he said, allowing his fur to drop to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her lightly and dropped his mouth to her shoulder. “My desire for you led me to that balcony that fateful eve and, for all your innocent protests, I believe you desire me as well.”
He tasted her warm skin with his tongue, felt her shiver. “Deny it, then,” he dared. “Tell me you do not want me. Mayhap you now regret making me your prey, but it cannot be undone. Let us seek a little pleasure in each other.” His mouth moved to her neck. “I still find you very, very beautiful, Simone.”
He heard her sigh, felt her yielding to him, but only for a moment. A freezing chill raced up his spine, and Simone went stiff. Nick raised his head and peered down at her, confused.
“Simone?”
Chapter 6
“He certainly is hairy, is he not, Sister?”
Simone felt as if she had been languishing in a deep, warm pool under Nicholas’s damnable kisses, and Didier’s voice was like a bucket of icy water, tossed in just for spite.
Her eyes darted beyond the baron’s wide shoulders, searching the chamber’s darkened corners for the imp. Her view was hampered by the massive male body before her, prompting Simone to lean slightly to the side in his embrace.
Still, she did not spy Didier.
The baron’s arms tightened and he cocked his head, forcing Simone to look at him. She was surprised by the concern in his azure eyes.
“Did you hear something?” he asked.
Simone blinked. “Yea—hmmm…I thought I did.”
The sleepy grin returned to his face. “’Tis merely nerves, I’d wager. I hear naught.” He drew her close once more, and Simone could feel his heat even through the thick fur. He moved her closer to the bed. “Allow me to put you at ease.”
Nicholas sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled her to stand between his knees. Simone’s heart fluttered as her curiosity about Didier’s whereabouts warred with her awareness of the baron’s nude proximity. The man was impossibly arrogant, and still she ached for him to kiss her, to touch her again.
But
