Lilac Temptress (39 page)

Drake could feel Sierra’s defiance,
through her expressive, rebellious glare.

“
Angry is not the word for
it. No, I am actually infuriated with them. Ben especially.” Drake
glowered, full of tension. “However, being infuriated will do me no
good. After all, as you have just learned, Ben has known me since I
was a babe and Thomas—talking to him is not unlike speaking to an
impenetrable brick wall, at least for me.” Drake wondered just how
it was that she held so much power over a man that even the
toughest of them, like Thomas, could snicker like a child. “There
will be no satisfaction in reproaching them at all,” Drake
huffed.

Sierra wore her bravest face, unsure
of what to say or do next.

“
Oh, come now. Don’t be
timid. Do tell. Have you learned all that you’ve wanted to know of
me?” Drake questioned indignantly. He didn’t know why he had asked
her that. The words just slipped out. Did he want her to remain
interested in him? Or did he simply want to be the one to watch her
eyes light like a mischievous child let in on a secret? His mind
exploded with all the questions swimming in his head, leaving him
in a state of unsettling confusion.

“
I wasn’t conversing
with them to try to rummage through your life, if that is what you
mean. I... I...” Sierra couldn’t find the words she wanted to say
because she
had
been interested in knowing about Drake. She wanted to learn
all there was to know, she admitted to herself. Her bad luck with
finding work made Rosaline’s proposition sound more tempting; the
very question of whether or not she should pursue Drake started to
plague her mind.

She really had nothing to lose if she
decided to help Rosaline, except of course her self-respect, would
he reject her. And she had left Jadesville, risking everything on
his promise to help her. But at this moment Drake was being quite
difficult, and she could only watch his narrowing eyes grow more
impatient.

“
Don’t try to justify
yourself. From this day forward you are not to leave these premises
without my consent,” Drake declared tenaciously, feeling a bit
satisfied with himself.

“
You are being irrational
and quite frankly, very rude. I don’t need your permission. I will
come and go as I please. I am a full-grown woman!” Sierra snapped
back.

“
You are
my
guest and this
is
my
home,
my
servants and
my
possessions! And you
will do as I say!” Drake raised his voice trying to regain control
of his rampaging emotions.

Sierra twisted her mouth into a sneer.
“You are being completely unreasonable! You are behaving like a
spoiled child! You cannot hold me here against my will,” she held
her ground, steadfast.

“
Against your will?
I’m only protecting you from yourself! You do not know
my
city,” he said
defensively, with eyes that seemed to emanate blue
electricity.

“
I will do as I please!”
Sierra taunted.

“
No you will not, woman! I
will not have you disobey me!” Drake shouted with mounting
frustration. Sierra was truly trying his patience. Everything he
told her was for her own good. Why couldn’t she see that? He only
wanted to keep her safe. She knew nothing about the dangers
traveling along the River Road could bring. And though he had
promised he would not try to control her life, he wasn’t going to
jeopardize her safety either.

“
Come with me!” Drake
reached for her, squeezed her arm and pulled her along.

“
Where are we going?”
Sierra yelled as Drake manhandled her out of the
cottage.

“
We are going to dinner!
Where else for God’s sake?”

“
Let go of me Drake or I
swear I’ll—”

“
You’ll do what, Sierra?
Hit me again?”

Sierra raised her free hand and
slapped him as hard as she could manage.

Fire ignited in Drake that
Sierra had never seen before. He was livid and she was actually
frightened by it. However, she did not feel sorry that she had
slapped him. He deserved it, she thought. He was getting married
and he had kept his relationship with Isadora a secret from her.
Every time she looked at him she was reminded of his
betrayal.
But it wasn’t really
betrayal,
a little voice whispered in her
ear.

Choosing to ignore her rational self,
she yelled, “It is a fitting punishment!”

“
If it would make you feel
any better, hit me again,” Drake retorted, his voice heavy and
challenging as he released her arm. He knew that he shouldn’t have
encouraged her, but he also knew that she had every right to do
it.

Malice boiled within Sierra as she
lifted her hand, but halted it in mid air; every muscle tensed in
her body to her horror while she balled her fingers into an angry
fist. Viciously, she struck out at Drake—connecting a mighty blow
to his jaw.

Drake shifted backwards, losing his
balance as the powerhouse contained in her womanly frame caught him
off guard. He reflexively put his hand to his face, his jaw ablaze
with pain. “Are you satisfied now?” he sneered as he cast his
heated glare at her, his voice devoid of all kindness.

“
As a matter of fact, I
am.” Sierra snapped, breathing heavily and returning his menacing
stare with one of her own, as the pain in her hand that struck him
diminished.

“
Good. Now resist me
no more Sierra, and come with me now—please,” Drake implored,
trying in vain to manage the ferocity and raw emotion that still
choked him.
This woman will surely make me
go mad.
No woman had ever elicited such
feeling from him or had such an effect on him, he realized. Hell no
woman had ever tested him to such limits.

Sierra detected the conflict in his
eyes. He looked like a man who was adrift, in search of guidance.
Without further hesitation she ceased her resistance, and followed
him through the cottage doors, offering the night sky a hidden
smile. She was satisfied with giving him his due.

Chapter 17

Sierra did her best to avoid direct
eye contact with Isadora, who sat across from her at the dinner
table. Regardless she could still feel Isadora’s sharp eyes
piercing her. Ignoring Isadora, Sierra quietly sipped water from
her crystal glass and occasionally smiled at Kyle, sitting beside
her, and Rosaline who sat across from him, both of whom she
suspected felt equally uncomfortable, given their lack of
conversation while waiting for Drake to join them.

“
What keeps him?” Isadora
growled, staring at the grandfather clock that leaned against the
far wall. She moved her attention to the dinning room entrance, and
when Drake finally entered and approached his seat at the head of
the table, she gasped at his appearance. “What in God’s name
happened to your face?”

Rosaline stared at Drake equally
horrified while Sierra struggled to hide her reaction as a pang of
guilt tightened her chest.

A purplish blue-black tinted Drake’s
jaw, which had swelled considerably since she had last seen him,
Sierra thought.

“
An accident, don’t fret.
It looks worse than it is,” Drake said indifferently, trying to put
his guests at ease. “Jeanette will see to it after dinner,” he
continued coolly, sparing a brief, accusatory glance at Sierra, who
cast her eyes down, before turning back to face the others in the
room.

The wordless exchange between Drake
and Sierra did not go unnoticed by Isadora, leaving her to doubt
the authenticity of Drake’s words. And suspecting that any further
interrogation of Drake would prove fruitless, Isadora decided to
steer the conversation toward their upcoming nuptials.

“
I hope that you heal
quickly. The wedding is only a few weeks away,” Isadora said, a
little too shrilly while attempting to hide her frustration. A
black-and-blue groomsman was not the image she wanted to present to
Society or have immortalized in the Society pages for all of those
not lucky enough to attend. And here Drake sat looking at her
unresponsive and seemingly without care, and she worked with great
effort to restrain from screaming.
I will
not let Drake ruin this day for me
, she
thought, with growing displeasure.

“
Drake, you really should
have Jeanette take a look at you immediately,” Rosaline expressed
her concern. “That is quite some injury.”

“
Speak no more of it,”
Drake said, trying to quiet her. He didn’t care to be the center of
attention. He just wanted to have dinner, return to his quarters,
collapse into his bed, and hope that deep slumber could obliterate
the day.

Sierra, for her part, remained silent
while eating and tried to assuage her own guilt with thoughts of
Drake’s deservedness.

Tensions through dinner remained high
with Rosaline speaking up every now and then to recount her day out
riding with Kyle—who ate silently as he eyed Sierra, Isadora,
Drake, and then back to Sierra again.

Hoping to divert her attention from
Drake’s expanding jawline, Sierra reached absently for the large
bowl of creamed shrimp but felt the tug of the dish away from her.
Lifting her eyes she met Isadora’s icy stare.

“
I had this first,” Isadora
snarled.

Sierra refused to relent, tired of
feeling like a victim, but Isadora’s hold proved just as
formidable.

“
Let go!” Isadora
shrieked.

“
I do not take orders from
you!” Sierra yelled back and redoubled her effort to snare the bowl
from Isadora’s death grip. She’d be damned if she let this
puffed-up woman turn her into a sniveling coward.

Drake balked at the scene unfolding
before him, and just as he’d decided to put an end to their
juvenile behavior, their sturdy hold on the bowl loosened; tipping
it in his direction, it went flying into the air, smacking him
straight and centered on his chest. Warm shrimp covered in rich
creamy garlic sauce oozed down his torso, into his lap. He sat
flabbergasted.

Isadora and Sierra rapidly jumped up,
each reaching out to assist Drake, and in their haste, knocked over
a pitcher of hot cider, which spilled unceremoniously onto Drake’s
thighs.

Rosaline’s eyes grew large while
witnessing what was left of her brother’s bruised face turn bright
red. She glanced at Kyle—grimacing and ready to intervene. “Kyle,”
she whispered, diverting his attention—making a silent plea with a
head gesture that he should not get involved.

“
You clumsy ninny!” Isadora
screamed with resentment.

Sierra narrowed her eyes into a
scowl.

Isadora clenched her hands as if she
were ready to strike.

Sierra stepped away from Drake, ready
to defend herself.

“
Ladies, I am not amused.
You both are behaving like children,” Drake chastised, before
rising to his feet, and demanding, “Each of you, take your seats
and finish your meal. I will leave before either of you do any more
damage. Excuse me,” he said, exhaling heavily before promptly
exiting the room.

“
I think I have lost my
appetite!” Isadora fumed while glaring at Sierra, before turning
and storming out of the room, leaving Sierra to scowl at her
back.

“
Dare I even ask what just
happened here?” Kyle spoke to Sierra, utterly confused.

“
I don’t know. I honestly
don’t know.” Sierra appeared shaken, while sliding back into her
chair.

“
I think I do,” Rosaline
volunteered. “You have decided to take me up on my
offer.”

“
What offer?” Kyle asked.
“Sierra, what is she talking about?”

“
Never mind, Kyle. You
would not understand,” Sierra answered quickly.

Kyle eyed the women with heavy
suspicion. “What are you two plotting? Oh forget it. I will never
understand you unreasonable females,” Kyle grunted, before rising
from the table, striding out of the room.

Sierra and Rosaline just sat there,
staring at one another, awe-struck over the events that had just
played out.

Rosaline suddenly burst into frenzied
laughter—she absolutely had never witnessed such a delicious
disaster. And her laughter became infectious.

Sierra joined in, thinking that she
might split open the seams of her dress, she laughed so
spiritedly.

After a moment, Rosaline collected
herself, and gently dabbed the corners of her watery eyes with a
gold-embroidered napkin, while Sierra calmed herself, taking a few
sips of wine.

“
Sierra, I’ve been waiting
to show you something, but you have been missing all day. I sent a
few servants into the city with explicit instructions, though I had
wanted us to go together to shop for the items,” she added. “Come
with me. There are many surprises upstairs awaiting you.” Rosaline
beamed.

* * *

“
Rosaline, you didn’t,”
Sierra said aghast, after they reached the top of the stairs and
entered Rosaline’s bedchamber.