Yawning, she descended the great stairs to her aunt’s breakfast table, eyes swollen with sleeplessness. A mere twelve hours ago she had received the news of Nicholas’s scandalous past, and then met Nicholas’s dear son. It was a tragic situation; but the real tragedy was Duncan no longer had a mother to look after him, and poor Nicholas looked like he didn’t know whether to run from the child or hug him.
Nicholas hadn’t said much to her last night after Duncan went to bed. He kissed her hand and thanked her again, making her knees weak at his tender touch. He said he would call on her today which was enough to drag her out of bed at this ungodly hour instead of sleeping until noon.
She felt vulnerable and feared that everyone around her could see how unsure she was about everything. Her hands shook as she sat down at the table and grabbed her tea cup. Her aunt cleared her throat but didn’t look up from her tea until Sara finished a piece of hard toast.
“My dear, Nicholas is waiting for you in the study,” her aunt said rather awkwardly.
Sara knew he would be calling on her today, but it was extremely early for him to be showing up at her home. Normally a gentleman waited until noon. She had risen early because she had to gather her thoughts. She excused herself and hurried into the study to find Nicholas lying on the loveseat with his eyes closed. He looked like an angel; too bad there was something of a devil present as well. However, if she had to admit it to herself, she very much liked both personalities, when they were kept in balance.
She sauntered over to the couch and nudged his foot. A sound very much like a snore escaped him, but he didn’t move. Irritated, she pushed him harder, nearly losing her own balance in the process. Unfortunately for Nicholas, he was already off balance from leaning back on the loveseat and promptly went tumbling to the floor. Mumbling an oath, he brought his hands out just in time to catch himself.
“Oh no, have you fallen?”
He shot her an irritated look and gathered himself back into his seat. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you never to wake a sleeping man?”
“Of course, I merely thought I was waking a bear, my mistake.” She curtsied and flashed him a smile.
“I want to know who you are,” he said with eyes piercing into hers. The teasing was officially over. Her stomach did a few flip flops before she rose and faced the fireplace.
“Not lies, Sai, the truth. This is your first season, yet you are one and twenty. Nobody has heard of you, and I know nothing of your origin. Are you orphaned?”
Her laugh was hollow. “I wish.”
“What a terribly confusing thing to say.” His breath was hot on her neck, and she realized he was standing directly behind her. “Do you have brothers or sisters? Is your family rich or poor?”
She nodded but then shook it as if she was confused herself. Then Sara turned to face him. “I guess I owe you this much, considering what I know about you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and possessively pulled Sara into his embrace. “I was thinking that exact same thing.” He walked away and pulled the cord. “Which is why I arranged a picnic for us on my estate. We will go riding, eat, drink wine, play with Duncan—if he’s had his nap—and you will tell me all about yourself, Sai, including why you are really in London.”
Alarm enveloped her suddenly. How much could she really tell him? She would, of course, tell him of her life, but nothing of the way her parents treated her. It would only upset him and cause him to pity her, and pity was the last thing she wanted from him, of all people.
She managed a brief smile as she took his arm. “Are we to leave immediately?”
“Of course, the carriage is already waiting.”
A man who knows what he wants. Now if only that would include her.
Nicholas helped her into the carriage, but not without her noticing how much his hands lingered across her hips. She bit her lip to keep from saying anything that would cause him to question her feelings for him. This day was about sharing part of herself with him, not about confessing undying love and devotion.
Nicholas joined her in the carriage and patted the seat next to him. She pretended to be dismayed he would assume she would sit next to him in such close quarters. He merely waited, eyebrow raised, for her to move, knowing full well she had every intention of moving close to him. Once she sat down, the entire carriage became like a small airless room. The tension between them was astonishingly penetrating, causing her feel the need to fan herself, never mind that it was a rather cool morning.
“No need to be nervous, Sai,” Nicholas commented smoothly. “I give my word, I won’t touch you. You need not fear that the beast will emerge and steal away your innocence.” He winked at her, but it did not set her any more at ease. If anything, it proved to her that not only did he notice the tension between them, but he also understood he had little control when it came to their bodies touching—and the kissing. Control wasn’t even a word in the dictionary when they were kissing.