Page 4 of A Virgin to Trap the Earl of Thornhill
Surprise momentarily shook him, but it was quickly replaced by a resurgence of his anger. His privacy had been violated. His sanctuary was infiltrated by a scheming seductress who sought to trap him in an unwanted marriage. It was unacceptable.
“A charming sentiment,” he sneered, the edges of his voice as cold as the stone walls surrounding them. “But given your current disarray, I am disinclined to believe you.”
“Believe what you will, My Lord,” she shot back, her voice laced with defiance. “But I will not be browbeaten by your unwarranted accusations.”
“You are the one who infringed upon my solitude,” he fired back, the hostility between them crackling like sparks in the air. He took a menacing step toward her, closing the gap between them.
A flinch, almost imperceptible, betrayed her momentary apprehension. Yet, she did not cower or retreat. Her chin rose higher, her gaze not wavering from his. “I was unaware this was your sanctuary, My Lord,” she retorted, her words laced with a hint of defiance.
“Truly?” The word was drenched in venom as he stepped closer, imposing his physicality on her. “Then why are you here, Miss…?” He let the question hang in the air, baiting her.
“Eris,” she bit out. “Eris Saffron.”
“Well, Miss Eris, do enlighten me.” His voice held an icy edge, a challenge swirling in his gaze. “Why have you sought the solace of my study, unfastened your corset, and sprawled yourself across my chaise?”
It was intriguing, watching her grapple with her retort, her lips pressing into a thin line. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper of resistance against his accusations. “I simply desired solitude, My Lord. I understand it may be a difficult concept for your ego to accept, but not all women are pining for your attention.”
Her audacity was shocking, stoking the fire in his belly. And even amidst his growing anger, he felt an undeniable pull toward her — toward this defiant woman who stood tall against his wrath. Perhaps his mother’s plot had a silver lining after all.
He stalked forward, his gaze drinking at the sight of her flustered beauty, his lips twitching into a provocative smile. “You have overstepped, Miss Eris. You should leave.”
His words seemed to strike a nerve. “Your behavior is shameful and ungentlemanlike,” she retorted, her eyes narrowed. “The late Earl himself would be…”
In an instant, he was before her, his hands clasping her slender arms, pulling her closer. “Never speak of my father,” he growled, his voice a low threat. “Or you will live to regret it.”
But Eris Saffron was not easily intimidated. She stared back at him, her eyes a blazing blue. “And what will you do?”
His reply was not verbal but physical. His mouth crashed against hers, his arms pulling her against him. He tasted the surprise on her lips, a fleeting moment before she succumbed to him, her hands instinctively clinging to the lapels of his coat.
The world fell away as he kissed her. The smell of her, like fresh spring flowers and womanly warmth, consumed him. The soft whimper she emitted was drowned by the pounding of his own heart. The sweet surrender of her body against his was a heady sensation, stirring desires he had been trying to suppress.
As abruptly as it had begun, he pushed her away, her gasp echoing through the silence of the study. “What are you doing?” she stammered, her chest heaving.
“You asked,” he replied coolly, stepping back, the ghost of her taste still lingering on his lips. “Cross me again, and I will ruin you. For real.”
His final threat hung in the air as he stepped aside, gesturing toward the door. The scandalized look on her face was the last he saw before she turned on her heel and fled, the door swinging shut behind her. The echo of the closing door seemed to applaud the dramatic end of their heated encounter.
* * *
The wall felt cool against Eris’ heated skin as she tried to catch her breath, her fingers brushing against her lips where his had just been. A strange shiver ran through her, bringing a flutter to her belly she was not accustomed to. She pushed the sensation away, focusing instead on the cold stone beneath her touch.
“Why on earth would the Earl kiss me?”she thought to herself, a whirl of confusion and indignation. She was meant to seduce him, not the other way around, and certainly not with such abruptness. His touch had been electrifying, but the words he left her with were chilling. A ruinous threat wrapped in a handsome smile. Was this the man her parents wanted her to ensnare?
The physical pull was undeniable, but her mind screamed at her to stay away. Every rational bone in her body told her to resist, but the irrational part of her, the part that was still tingling from his touch, yearned for more. She shook her head, trying to dispel the dangerous thoughts.
“Miss Eris!” The voice echoed down the corridor, breaking her out of her thoughts. It was Nanette, her lady’s maid, rushing toward her, her eyes wide with concern. “There you are! What happened to you?”
Eris blinked at Nanette, the question hanging in the air between them like a specter. What indeed. “I…” she faltered then looked down at her half-undone stays and her disheveled hair in the reflection of a nearby mirror. “I need to change.”
Nanette nodded vigorously, helping Eris to her feet. “Yes, yes, quickly now,” she ushered Eris up the grand staircase and toward her bedchamber. “You cannot be seen like this.”
As they ascended, Eris’ mind returned to the Earl’s hard gaze, his brash words, and his all-too-confusing actions. An internal struggle brewed within her. She had a duty to her family, but she also yearned for something else — something genuine. If William, the Earl of Thornhill, was to be her future, she had much to consider.
Nanette helped Eris out of her gown, chattering excitedly as she bustled about the room. “There are so many ladies in attendance, Miss Eris, and such elegant ones at that. But if I do say so myself, none of them hold a candle to you.”
Eris tried to smile at her maid’s words, but it felt stiff and unnatural. As Nanette combed through her unruly curls, she listened with half an ear, her mind still consumed by her encounter with the Earl. His gaze, the intensity of his touch, the passion in his kiss… it was all too much to process.
She could still feel the imprint of his hands on her skin, could still taste him on her lips. And even though she yearned to push the memory away, it kept flooding back, filling her with confusion she had never known. Was this what Lily had felt? Was this the dangerous allure that had led her sister astray? She shuddered at the thought.
