Forever My Love (Historical Romance) (18 page)

"What is my reward?" he asked guardedly.

Excitement throbbed throughout her body. "That will be determined if, and when, you win."

He stared at her. "You are daring, and I like that in a woman." He bowed to the woman opposite him and then turned back to Royal. "Do I get any hints?"

"Of course." She was thoughtful for a moment. "The first hint is—let me see, you do know me, Colonel. We have met on at least two occasions."

The music had stopped, and he guided her away from the crowd. "How can it be that we have met before, mystery lady? I would never forget someone like you."

"Nevertheless, you know me... quite well."

He had never been so intrigued by a woman before. She was beguiling, beautiful, mysterious. He found himself wanting to learn everything about her. "I don't know what game you are playing, but I will willingly play with you all the same."

She noticed for the first time that they were attracting everyone's attention, and she felt embarrassed. "Would it be possible for us to leave?" she asked hurriedly before she lost her courage.

Damon was immediately suspicious. What trap was being laid for him? This woman was obviously of good breeding and superior education. Someone with her beauty would not have to seek male companionship; she most probably had to discourage admirers. He decided to humor her—for the time being.

"Where would you like to go?" he asked, wondering how far she was willing to play her game.

"I am unfamiliar with Charles Town since I have never been here before. Perhaps you know of a place where we could be alone, Colonel?"

Excitement coursed through his body. He was losing his ability to reason. No woman had ever affected him as she did. His gaze drifted down to her smooth shoulders and her long creamy neck. "We could go to my quarters. It's a small cottage near the waterfront, and we will not be disturbed there." He expected her to refuse his outrageous suggestion.

"Could we leave now?"

Without another word, he took her elbow and escorted her across the floor. When the butler held out her cape, Damon placed it around her shoulders. As they stood side by side on the steps, he was aware only of her. He had not noticed that the fog now shrouded the landscape, impeding the view, making it impossible to see any distance.

When his carriage drew up, Damon helped the lovely vision inside and seated himself across from her so he could study her more clearly in the swaying lantern light.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

Royal made a pretense of working her fingers into her white kid gloves. "I have issued you a challenge, and you have accepted."

"Yes, but you have failed to tell me what you will gain if I lose."

She raised her eyes to his. "It's very simple. I will ask a favor of you, and you will grant it."

"Ah, I see. It becomes clear."

"Then you know who I am?"

"Madam, I have never seen you before tonight. I believe I know your game, however. You will swear that I met you at some ball or party, and I will be unable to deny it for fear of offending you."

She looked at him innocently. "Why do you think I would do that?"

"Because," he said dryly, "women are always doing that to me."

Royal's smile was provocative. "No, Colonel, when I finally admit to you who I am, you will realize I am not pretending when I say we have met before."

"Let me see," he said, still doubtful of her motives. "Oh, yes, I have also had this one tried on me before. You have a brother"— he looked at her inquiringly—"or perhaps a lover, who would like to be promoted to a higher rank. You foolishly believe if you... beguile me, I will recommend him."

"Colonel," she said softly, "would you have me believe that women only approach you to gain rank for their brothers, or their lovers?"

Damon frowned. She was an intriguing woman with a clever mind. It was not too late to stop this game, and he knew he should. She could mean trouble for him, but that would not deter him. He had to know who she was and what she wanted of him. He would play this game to the end.

"Tell me what favor you want from me should you win."

"You will learn that when I win."

The clopping of the horses' hooves was muted by the fog. Riding with Damon in the closed carriage, Royal could almost believe no one else existed but the two of them. The lantern swayed back and forth, sometimes casting Damon's face in shadows.

Suddenly, in a move that took Royal by surprise, he reached out and pulled her across his lap. "I can tell if I ever kissed you," he said rakishly. "I never forget a kiss—if it is memorable." His gaze touched her lips. "If I had kissed you, it would have been memorable."

Before Royal could protest, his mouth covered hers. She pushed against him, twisting and turning, trying to escape his grasp. This was not part of her plan. What was he doing?

Damon's hands were rough as he caught the back of her head and stilled her movement. When she became aware of the heat of his mouth, all the fight went out of her. His lips were demanding a response from her—his tongue circled her lips, and she thought she would faint from want of air. Her head was reeling, and her heart pounded—she did not want him to stop.

Just when she thought she would swoon, he released her, and she fell back against the seat, her heart racing.

"I have never kissed you before," he said with assurance. "Nor, I'll wager, has any man. You are not as worldly as you would have me believe."

"I have been kissed," she said, her voice coming out in a breathless whisper, her chest heaving with indignation.

He laughed in amusement. "Yes, perhaps you have. Perhaps your innocence is all part of your game."

She stared at him, wondering how he could react so calmly to a kiss that had the blood racing through her body. When Preston had kissed her, she had not responded like this.

Feeling somehow disloyal to Preston, and remembering the reason for her mission, Royal turned her head away from Damon's inquiring eyes. "You still have not guessed my identity, Colonel Routhland."

"You said you would give me until sunup, and that is a good six hours yet."

"Yes, until sunup," she agreed. "Then I shall ask my favor of you. Do you give me your word that you will honor my request?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "If it is within my power to grant your wish, I shall certainly do so."

"Oh, it will be, Colonel. You can be assured of that."

18

Dearest Papa,

Why am I having these feelings for Damon? When I think of him, I tremble, my heart beats faster, and I feel weak all over. What can be happening to me?

The carriage came to a halt, and Damon helped Royal alight, then led her to the door of a small cottage.

Once they were inside, Damon's aide came forward to take his cape. Since he was accustomed to having his colonel entertain attractive women in his quarters, Corporal Thomas was well trained. He did not look at the colonel's companion or acknowledge her presence.

Damon handed Thomas his greatcoat. "I won't be needing you tonight, Corporal. You may go."

With a formal nod, the aide withdrew.

When Royal and Damon were alone, he turned to find her hovering near the door. He could sense a nervousness in her. Although she tried to hide it, he did not miss the light of uncertainty in her eyes. Aware that he was now in control of the situation, he went to her and took her cape.

"You will find it more agreeable near the fire," he suggested, "for there is a nip in the air tonight."

Royal moved woodenly to the crackling fire, holding out her trembling hands to the flame. Apprehensively she looked about the orderly room. The furnishings consisted of two chairs, a desk piled high with documents, and a bed in the corner—she looked away from the bed quickly.

Damon came forward to tower over her. "Are you comfortable?" he asked.

Royal thought she might be more comfortable if she could put some distance between them; his nearness was too disturbing to her peace of mind. She decided to open the conversation with pointless chatter. Perhaps that would allow her time to gather her courage.

"Seeing the amount of correspondence on your desk, I would venture to guess that you miss Mr. Bartholomew's efficiency," she remarked, voicing the first thing that came to mind.

He stared at her in astonishment. "How can you know so much about me? Who are you?" His eyes narrowed. "More important, why are you here?"

Royal dropped down on a chair because her legs were ready to buckle. "I will not satisfy your curiosity," she murmured. "You'll have to find those answers for yourself."

He leaned against the mantel, casting a long shadow across her face. Royal was reminded of another time, another place, when he had stood thus. She had been a lost child then, with no one to turn to but him. Her whole world had tilted, and this man had righted it for her. Would he do the same for her now? she wondered.

Damon's eyes took on a rakish glow. "Just how much will I discover about you tonight? How far are you willing to go with this game?"

It was as if he could read her innermost thoughts as he stared at her with impassioned golden eyes.

"I... as far as necessary."

He swooped down and clasped her shoulders, pulling her to her feet. "Take care that you do not arouse in me that which you may be unwilling to satisfy."

She tried to look away from him. "You mistake my reason for coming here. I want merely to—"

"The time for playing games is over." His fingers bit into her flesh. "It is not hard for me to guess that you are fresh off a ship from England. I don't know what you want from me, but if you have been given to believe that I will betray my country's secrets to a beautiful woman, you have been badly misled."

She met his gaze with a haughty glare of her own. "If you think I am here to ask that you betray the Colonies, you are wrong."

His eyes narrowed. "I was right, however, that you have come from England. Only an Englishwoman would be so arrogant as to refer to my country as the 'Colonies' rather than America."

"I will not deny that I have come from England. I will even tell you that I landed only this last week. But, Colonel, I will remind you of our bargain. It is not yet daylight, and you have still to discover my identity."

A wicked smile touched his lips. "Let me think." His long fingers drifted down her slender neck, and he toyed with the pearl necklace nestled in the hollow of her throat. "I am trying to recall all the English ladies I have been... shall we say"—he groped for the right word—“acquainted with. You are not one of them."

Insulted, she pushed his hand away. "We both know we have not been... on intimate terms."

Undaunted, he traced the outline of her lips. "No," he answered in a soft, penetrating whisper. "Not... yet. But when a woman seeks a man out, what else is he to think?"

She glanced at the clock on the mantel. How would she be able to withstand him the three hours remaining until sunrise? "You are wrong in what you are thinking, Colonel. I am not... have never..."

He took her arm and pulled her against him. "We both know why you're here. If you come to a man's room alone, you are bound to give him notions, and you should be willing to take the consequences. But you know that, don't you? You knew that when you agreed to come here."

She thought of Preston. "I... am willing to do what I must, Colonel Routhland. But shouldn't you be trying to guess who I am?" she said, trying to distract him.

Damon shook his head to clear it. He was not certain if she was experienced or an innocent. If she was experienced, she was a hell of a good actress, pretending innocence. "So, the game continues."

He moved over to his desk, picked up a glass, and filled it from a decanter of wine. "Perhaps a drink to fortify us for what is to come?"

She hesitantly accepted the glass and watched him take a sip from his own before taking a sip herself. Her first taste of strong spirits burned a trail down her throat and brought stinging tears to her eyes. Damon laughed in amusement when she coughed to catch her breath.

"That settles one of my questions. You are not a heavy drinker. Perhaps you are just out of the schoolroom, though I hope that is not the case. I have never been accused of seducing schoolgirls."

His assessment had come too close to the truth. With defiance in her eyes, she deliberately raised the glass and downed a large gulp. This time the warmth spread through her body, and she began to feel giddy. Full of false bravado, she said, "Let the contest continue, Colonel. You may ask your questions, and I will answer them honestly."

He took her glass and placed it on the desk, then returned to her. "Shall we be seated?"

She dropped down in the chair he had indicated, and he sat opposite. "Let me see, mystery lady. We have already established that you have but recently come from England."

"That is correct."

"Is it fair for me to assume that you have been in my country before?"

"You can assume that." She tilted her face up to him. "In the past, I was here for a long period of time."

His eyes swept her face, and somewhere buried in his subconscious was a vague memory of sad blue eyes like hers. "I could not have been well acquainted with you." He shook his head. "I am not so addle-brained that I would ever forget you."

She thought of Damon's relationship with her aunt Arabella. "Let us say you were more acquainted with a female relative of mine than you were with me."

"Good Lord," he cried in mock horror. "Don't tell me I was intimate with your sister, and please don't tell me it was your mother—or even both."

She smiled. "Surely you give yourself too much credit, Colonel."

He leaned forward. "Are you a spy for the British? Remember you promised to answer with honesty."

"I am not a spy."

"Did someone send you with the intention of gaining information from me?"

"I am here because you have helped me in the past—I am hoping you will do so again."

He looked perplexed as he said, "I want to know everything about you. What color is your hair beneath that powder? Can anyone's eyes really be as blue as yours? What are your thought—whom do you favor in this war? Do I excite you as you excite me?"

Royal had never had a man say these things to her before, and she was trembling inside to the vibrations of his deep voice. She could remember when her fondest girlhood dream had been to grow up to be beautiful so Damon would notice her. Now her wish had come true, if she judged his reaction correctly.

Pretending a sophistication she did not feel, Royal gazed at him through a veil of thick lashes. "You once knew the color of my hair. It has not changed."

With a sudden motion, Damon stood up, unbuttoned his coat, and moved away from her. "It looks to be a long night. Do you mind if I make myself comfortable?"

"No, not at all."

He draped his coat over the back of a chair. Royal's eyes followed his lithe movements, noticing his lean, muscled body. His long legs fit snugly inside the uniform trousers. The ruffle at the wrist of his stark white shirt fell across strong, sun-browned hands. Unable to look into his eyes, she stared instead at the high shine of his knee-length boots.

He was making her forget her reason for being there. She must not lose sight of her objective.

Damon stood over her, willing her to look at him. When she did, he smiled. "I have decided that you have all the advantages. It's only fair if I make the contest more equal. Is that agreeable with you?"

She nodded. "As you wish, Colonel."

He pulled her to her feet and rested his hand on her shoulder. "We have never kissed before?"

The liquor had loosened her tongue and encouraged her to speak daringly. "With the exception of the kiss in your carriage—no.

"Of course, I was not counting that kiss."

He removed her gloves one by one, his eyes looking into hers all the while. He then dipped his head and pulled her to him. "Perhaps... another kiss to revive my memory."

She did not pull away when his mouth settled at the corner of hers, and he whispered: "A taste of heaven, mystery lady. You do sorely tempt me."

She felt the room spinning and held on to his shirtfront to keep her balance.

His lips hovered inches from hers, and his breath fanned her face. "If it was your intention to make me a mindless slave, you may have succeeded in that. Never have I desired a woman as I desire you at this moment."

She closed her eyes, loving the feel of his hard body pressed against hers. "Perhaps this was my intention all along," she admitted in a throaty voice.

Then she pulled away from him. "Can we strike a bargain, Colonel?"

His voice came out in a harsh whisper. "At this moment, you can ask what you want of me, and I shall grant it."

"Will you promise to help me?"

He pressed her face between his two hands and made her look at him. "No more games. It is time for truth. What do you want of me?"

Daringly she parted her lips, and innocent as she was, she could not help but know that she was tempting this man almost beyond endurance. "We will talk of that later, Colonel."

With a smothered moan, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bed. Royal's mind was whirling, but still she did not realize the danger. She laughed lightly. "Am I to be tucked in like a child, Colonel?"

Damon set her on her feet. "You are no child," he told her, his glance moving down her bodice to her narrow waist. "No, certainly no child."

She was not concerned when he began unlacing the back of her gown, because she had no fear of him. What harm would it do to entice him further? she thought. She would stop him before he went too far.

Somewhere inside, a voice cautioned her that she was not acting rationally, but she ignored the warning.

With practiced hands, Damon had her gown unlaced and pushed off her shoulders before she realized it. She shook her head and backed away when his hands went to her stays. "You go too fast," she said, wishing she had not drunk the spirits because her judgment was clouding. In reality, she did not want him to stop. She wanted him to touch her, to show her what it meant to be a woman, but it was wrong.

She was lifted in strong arms and placed on the bed. Nothing but her thin chemise stood between her naked flesh and his burning glance. She tried to remember Preston, but golden eyes were holding her prisoner. "I had not expected—"

He dropped down beside her, his eyes sweeping her face, her shoulders, the swell of her breasts above the thin fabric. "What did you expect?" he asked gruffly. "If you want me to stop, there is still time."

But already his magic hand was drifting down her neck to play with the blue ribbon that would unfasten her chemise. When she made no attempt to stop him, he pulled the ribbon and the material fell aside, revealing her satiny breasts.

Royal whimpered with unleashed longing as his hand moved to stroke her swollen breasts. She ached from his gentle touch, yet she knew she should stop him. Instead her arms moved as if she had no control over them to slide around his shoulders, and her fingers twined through his hair. She had the feeling she was drifting, floating, living in a fanciful dream world.

Now his golden eyes were burning into hers. Passion blazed inside Damon like fire to dry wood. There was no turning back now. Bending forward, he buried his face against her silken breasts, drinking in the intoxicating scent of her perfume. "What are you doing to me?" he asked in a last moment of sanity.