Page 137 of Storm of Bells
The door flew open. Mr Rikkard Ambrosemarched into the room and his arctic gaze swept the chamber,looking for me—in vain.
Did I mention I had been waiting behind thedoor?
Sliding out from behind my hiding place, Isidled towards him—and pounced! My arms wrapped around his neckand, pulling the startled business magnate down and around, I threwmyself at him, claiming his lips and the rest of him as mine.
‘You!’ The growl against my lips was anaccusation and adulation in one. ‘You are impossible! Who elsewould invite three ladies of the night to their wedding?’
I consider the question. ‘A reluctant bridein an arranged marriage with a knack for inventive preventivemeasures?’
‘You…!’ Grabbing hold of me, he whirled mearound until my back was to the room—and to the bed. Slowly, hestarted advancing towards me, pushing me back. ‘Have you any ideawhat you have done?’
‘Err…invited my friends to my wedding?’
‘You,’ he whispered, steadily pushing me backfarther and father, his eyes glittering, ‘have invited threenotorious…females to a house filled almost exclusively withunmarried men!’
‘Oh. Um. I hadn’t viewed the situation fromthat perspect—’
Another step towards the bed. ‘And let’s notforget the few dozen unmarried young ladies whom you also invited,and who would like nothing better than to snatch up one of theaforementioned unmarried men and are prepared to wage war on anyonegetting in their way?’
‘Ah. Good point. I hadn’t really consideredthat.’
‘Not considered that? How could younot consider that? Nothing could be worse than this! This placewill be a madhouse!’
I did my best to beam up at him. ‘In otherwords, it’ll be the dream home I’ve always imagined.’ I reached upto slide my arms around his neck. ‘Isn’t this fabulous?’
‘That, Miss Linton, would not be the way Iwould describe the current situation.’ Big, fat icicles hung fromhis voice, threatening to fall and spear anyone who dared walkbelow them. ‘Oh, and one other matter…’
I cleared my throat. ‘Y-yes?’
His eyesglittered, and I got the queasy feeling that one of theaforementioned icicles was dangling over my head. Now I knew howthat poor old Damocles[29]fellow must have felt.
‘Did I mention that most of theaforementioned young men, according to my intelligence on thesubject, are for some reason former suitors of a certain young ladyI know?’ His hand reached up to capture my face, knuckles strokingacross my cheek. A threat. A promise. And so much more.
I took another step back—and my heels bumpedagainst the bed. ‘You don’t say. A certain young lady? Do I knowher?’
‘Who knows? But one thing is certain.’ Hiseyes blazed with arctic cold. ‘I do. Intimately.’
My eyes bored into his, unblinking. ‘Notintimately enough.’
And then my hands were in his hair, pullinghim roughly towards me, taking what was mine, moulding myselfagainst him. I could feel his stone-hard body stiffen againstme.
‘What are you doing, Miss Linton?’
‘Showing my love for my husband-to-be, ofcourse,’ I breathed, slipping my hands into his back pockets. Hm.No keys. Such a pity. I supposed I would have to keep going. ‘Whatelse would I be doing?’
He opened his mouth to reply—and I promptlyused the opportunity, sealing it with a scorching kiss of theFrench variety.Vive la France!
‘Do you disagree, Sir?’ I whispered. ‘Do youthink you know me intimately enough?’
Tearing himself away, he stared down at mewith a ferocity in his eyes that made my bones feel liquid.
‘“Enough” is not part of my vocabulary, MissLinton.’
‘Mine neither.’ Grabbing him by the lapels, Iwhirled us around and pushed. And somehow, incredibly, the man whohad stood upright all his life even if the whole world crashed downon his shoulders, the man who had fought his way through povertyand exile on his own two feet, fell at the soft push.
I smirked down at him. ‘You fell? Just fromthat little push from me?’
‘No.’ Reaching up, he cupped my face. ‘Ididn’t fall from you. I fell for you.’
