Christ! He knew with certainty who lay in the bed next to him and it both frightened him and thrilled him. So many times he had wanted to touch her hair and feel its texture and this time he did. He moved his fingers along the edges of the strands and felt the silken texture. Then he moved a curl between his fingers and ached to smell it.
How had this happened? He could only guess that Sophie had chosen this room first and the sleepy butler had not been awake enough to realize that Sebastian was walking into a powder keg. She sighed again in her sleep and moved onto her back as he moved his hand away.
He turned onto his side, fist under his chin to support himself, and admired her sleeping profile. One creamy shoulder was exposed as her chemise had slipped in sleep. He watched her easy breathing and her small hand flung out. The small fingers and nails were so close that he could reach out and put his palm into hers. No. He knew only too well how truly dangerous this was. Not only that he was innocent, but that the house would be waking soon.
If he was caught here, there would be so many questions with very few answers and none of them would be good. No one would believe him that nothing had happened. Hell, he wouldn’t have believed it if the story had been told to him. He couldn’t risk it. More than that, he didn’t want to risk her reputation. If one person saw him, it would be over.
He racked his brain and closed his eyes. He was rock-hard, which didn’t help the situation. It was so frustrating but he would move slowly, dress, and leave. Simple. He let several seconds tick by before he made a slow movement to ease off the bed.
He heard a quick intake of breath and knew she was awake. Fuck. Too late.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
She didn’t even believe her own eyes. She had been having a lovely dream. She, Lizette, Germaine and Madame Necker were walking along the river. It was a dreamy day with clouds but not cold, and with a sun that was not too bright. It was only when her Grandmother called her to tea by the river’s edge that she left her friends.
She had wanted to stay but didn’t want to disappoint her grandmother. She left to take tea when she had been stopped by the Comte de Buffon. She had never met him so she only knew him when he introduced himself.
“We are all animals, my dear. We have needs that must be met. Even you,” he said, then walked away.
Sophie stood looking after him for what seemed like hours before her grandmother called her again. Needs. What needs? Then she had woken up. She stretched lightly and then realized she was not alone. She turned to look and blinked once. Then she widened her eyes as sleep left her.
Sebastian saw her widened eyes and frightened look. Damn! “No, Sophie.”
He knew she was about to scream. It was a natural reaction. He couldn’t allow that. She would bring the whole house down upon them. He did the only thing he could think to do. In a swift movement he was fully on top of her, placing his hand over her mouth.
Sophie felt the crush of his weight on top of her and his hand covering her mouth. Insufferable bastard! She had been asleep, lying in a complete state of bliss, when he had come into her room to do what exactly? And now he dared quiet her?
Sophie shook her head to have him let her go, arching into him unwittingly. He refused to release her. She tried to grab at his forearms but he was much too strong for her.
“Sophie, think! Don’t scream. You’ll bring the whole house here. You’ll be ruined.” His brown eyes met her hazel ones and slowly he removed his hand.
“Did you think about that when you came here for your little seduction?” she hissed quietly. However, she knew he was right. If she screamed, everyone would come running. Her father would be ashamed, and her grandmother? She felt certain her grandmother might faint first and then beat her.
Sebastian smiled and settled onto his forearms. “This isn’t how it looks.” He had a lopsided grin on his face and Sophie had an irresistible urge to smack it off of him.
Sophie rolled her eyes and placed her hands on his forearms to push at him to move when she turned pink. “Oh my God, you’re naked!” She closed her eyes in horror.
Sebastian would have laughed if he didn’t realize that for all her education and intelligence, she was still an innocent, young virgin.
“I sleep unclothed, yes,” he agreed.
“Get off me!” she hissed each word at him.
He didn’t know why he did what he did. Maybe it was the moment in this beautiful country chateau away from everything, or perhaps it was her blatant refusal of not wanting to have anything to do with him, coupled with the fact that she always wanted to believe the worst in him. But suddenly he wanted her so badly. He would never take her virginity. That would be a crime he couldn’t commit. But he wanted to taste her. He wanted to feel her completely against him, almost naked, with the soft, thin chemise revealing more than it concealed.