Seducing the Ruthless Rogue (14 page)

She savored the feel of his rough hand cupping her cheek.
 
Unable to look away, she watched as his head tilted then moved towards her.
 
They watched each other as he brushed gentle kisses along her lips.

“It is going to be so much better than last time.
 
Close your eyes.
 
Feel,” he breathed against her tingling lips.

She found herself complying with his order.
 
The brushing of his firm lips against her full ones began again.
 
He teased, moving from one corner to the other.
 
When he pulled away, she found herself pushing away from the door, trying to follow him.

“Say my name,” he whispered in her ear, capturing her earlobe in his lips.

“Director McKenzie,” she sighed.

“No.
 
Mack,” he corrected.

“Not proper,” she argued.
 
She yelped when he gently bit the same lobe with his teeth, then laved it with his tongue, soothing the sharp sting.

“Neither is this,” he countered.
 
“Say my name,” he dared.

“McKenzie.”

He nipped her lower lip, then gently kissed it.
 
“Mack,” he growled.

“Mack,” she acquiesced.
 
Things changed in that moment for Cassie.
 
When Mack returned to her mouth there was no more teasing and nibbling.
 
He plundered her mouth as a pirate would a ship, taking what he wanted.
 
Then Cassie found herself dueling with his tongue, parrying and charging.
 
Her hands moved upward, her black gloves wrapped around his neck, and tunneled in his short dark hair.
 
She felt his arms move around her, pulling her against his hard, firm body.
 
Her breasts were crushed against the hardness of his chest causing them to tingle with awareness.
 

He pulled away, and she whimpered at the loss of his caressing mouth.
 
Then she felt his lips dropping kisses on her closed eyes, her nose, and her swollen lips.
 
He trailed gentle kisses along her jaw and then down the straining tendons of her delicate neck.
 
Mack laved the spot where her neck and shoulder met, causing her to shiver in excitement.

“And that, Cassie darlin’, is lesson one.”

“Lesson one?” she asked dumbfounded.

“Aye,” he replied, dropping a clinging kiss to her lips.

Cassie blinked her eyes, clearing them of their romantic haze.
 
She studied the man in front of her.
 
He looked confident, cocky.
 
Anger raced through her veins, pushing out any lustful twinges that remained.
 
She vaguely felt his thumb caressing her cheek.
 
He was coming towards her for another kiss.
 
Cassie slipped her hands down to his chest and pushed hard, but he was strong, and she was still trapped against him.
 
She recalled how easily she felled him when she had struck him in the ribs that first time.
 
Taking no chances, she brought back her hands and slammed them into both sets of ribs, not wanting to risk missing his tender area.

He gasped and she felt his grip slacken.
 
She slipped free.

“How dare you?!” she confronted him.
 
“I am not some toy for you to play with.
 
When I want to be seduced it will be by the man of my choice, and more likely than not, my husband.
 
I will see you in the morning,
Director McKenzie
.”

“You aren’t going anywhere without me,” he grunted and reached out for her arm.

“I really didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice,” she calmly replied.
 
Cassie lifted her hand in the air and brought it down just where his neck joined his shoulder.
 
When he had kissed her there, tremors had raced through her body.
 
When her hand made contact with that same spot, it caused him to hit the floor, unconscious.
 
“Sleep well, Mack,” she whispered before slipping out of the study.

A half hour later, Cassie slipped into her window, not caring if she was seen by Mack’s guards or not.
 
She pushed down the window, locked it, and flicked the curtain into place.
 
The room fell dark.
 
The smell of rain filled the room, and she inhaled deeply, letting it soothe her senses.
 
Cassie pulled off her clothes and dropped them on the floor in a heap, then slipped between her bedsheets, nude.
 
Her skin felt sensitized and overheated.
 
Her lips still tingled and felt swollen.

Cassie flipped over onto her stomach and punched the pillow into shape.
 
Then she flopped over once more, her cheek cradled on the pillow.
 
Anger still coursed through her at his arrogant attitude.
 
What is the matter with you?
her inner self demanded.
 
He practically treated you like a harlot.

“I know,” she moaned softly.
 
“But those few moments, those few kisses, they were indescribable.”
 
She tossed and turned for a while longer before she finally gave up trying to sleep.
 
Cassie stood and crossed the room.
 
She pulled on her nightgown and robe, grabbed her portfolio and left the room for the study.
 
After lighting a lamp, she sat at the desk and rewrote the scene she had torn to shreds earlier.
 
When Cassie arrived at the pivotal scene and had to describe the man once again, the only image that came to mind was Mack, and she found her body heating up once more.

***

Cassie twisted her hair into a tidy knot when a knock sounded on the front door and echoed into her bedroom.
 
All of a sudden her hands began to tremble and her hair slipped free and tumbled down her back.
 
She braced her hands on the dresser and looked into the mirror.
 
“Get yourself together,” she scolded.

She vigorously twisted her hair once more and viciously jabbed pins in it to hold it in place.
 
There was a knock on her door.
 
“Coming,” she called out.

“Director McKenzie here,” Chang said, sounding subdued.

“I’ll be right there.”
 
Even though she had apologized, she knew Chang’s feeling were still hurt at her callousness.

“Bring the hourglass and note,” Mack barked the order from downstairs.

“Did I hear a please with that, Director McKenzie?” she called back.

“If you did, perhaps I should have my hearing checked.”

“Stubborn, irritating Scotsman,” she muttered under her breath.
 
She slammed her hat on her head and jabbed a hat pin in, drawing blood on the first attempt.
 
“Do not let him get to you,” she coached.
 
Once more she put the pin into her hat, this time with success.
 
Cassie picked up her reticule, note, and hourglass then left the room.
 
“Here, Director McKenzie,” she slammed the note and hourglass into his chest.
 
Their hands touched briefly sending sparks up her arms.
 
When he took the items, she jerked her gloves on silently cursing herself for not doing it earlier.

“Don’t you ever wear anything besides that old dress or those black pant suits?”

“That,
Director McKenzie
, is none of your concern.”
 
She watched him read the note and then turn the hourglass every way possible.
 
He studied one of the bases intently.

“What is it?” she asked.
 

“None of your concern,” he threw back at her.

“I hate you,” she muttered.

“I know that to be not true,” he chuckled.

“How dare you bring that up?
 
You rotten, despicable, ruthless…”

“Yes?” he prodded.

“Rogue!”

“Is that the best you can do?” He clucked his tongue.
 
“Shall we get your father back or would you prefer to play this current game you are engaging me in?”

“Let’s find my father,” she forced the words out.

“After you,” he held out his arm for her to leave the house first.
 
“Mr. Chang, I will be bringing both Sir Graham and Miss Graham back this afternoon.
 
Ready his room.”

“Yes, Director McKenzie,” the smaller man bowed repeatedly, his face lighting up.

While Mack waved two of his men over and gave them each separate directions, Cassie spoke quietly to Chang.
 

“Chang, please deliver the package on the desk for me first.”

“Yes, Missy Cassie.”
 

She climbed into the waiting hack.
 
She watched the two guards quickly mount their horses and ride in opposite directions.
 

“Now we can leave,” he joined her in the hack.
 
“You don’t look as if you slept very well last night,” he observed as the carriage lurched into motion.

“I slept fine.
 
I think the better question is how did you sleep?” she snidely asked.

“Amazing.”
 
He wickedly grinned at her.
 
“Went to sleep just like that,” he said and snapped his fingers.

She ignored him and looked out the window.
 

“You deserve to be dressed in satins and silks and adorned with jewels,” he said.

“Not as long as there are starving women and children that could benefit from the money instead,” she argued. “Where are we going?”

“The Horseguards.”

“The War Office?”

“Yes.”

They traveled the rest of the way in silence.
 
Cassie attempted to piece together the puzzle.
 
She looked at the hourglass that Mack twisted in his hand.
 
Why could she not think of him as anything other than Mack now?
 
She reached across and jerked the hourglass out of his hand.
 
She looked at first one end and then the other before she spied the initials engraved.
 
A P in the center with a B and an E on either side. The letters were lavish.
 
What did this mean?
 

There were two men in Mack’s office with the last name that began with P.
 
Mr. Preston, the kindly secretary was one.
 
Had he been responsible for the disappearance of her father?
 
He seemed so very kind and understanding when she arrived at the office every Monday.
 
Then there was Director Presley.
 
He seemed a nice man.
 
In fact, she thought him very fatherly.
 
Surely it could not be him.

“Satisfied?” Mack queried, holding out his hand.

She placed the hourglass back in his hand.
 
“Not really.
 
Who do you suspect, Mr. Preston or Director Presley?”

“I believe I’ll let you wait and see,” he smugly responded and settled into the corner.

“I have a right to know,” she demanded.

He only responded by smiling, irritating her greatly.

Chapter 8

The carriage rattled to a stop, and Cassie started to spring free until Mack’s outstretched arm stopped her.

“The gentleman always assists the lady.”

“I’m sorry, but is there a gentleman present?” she coyly asked.

“One of these days, Cassie darlin’, that sharp tongue of yours is going to get you into more trouble than you can cope with.”

“I doubt that, but on the off chance that it does, I will be sure to seek counsel from someone other than you,
Director McKenzie
.”

“We’ll see,” he purred, his brogue rolling over her body like a gentle caress.
 
“Miss Graham?”
 
He was standing on the ground, holding his hand up to her.

“Thank you,” she said, cursing the huskiness that had entered her voice.
 
She placed her hand in his and stepped lightly from the carriage.

“My pleasure,” he grinned.
 
“Now shall we find out where your father is?”

“Yes,” she brought herself back under control and followed Mack as he entered the building.
 
As she walked behind him, she found herself eyeing the broad sweep of his shoulders and the way his jacket showcased the strength of his back and the narrowness of his hips.
 
Then they were climbing the stairs and his posterior was at eye level.
 
His breeches were form fitting, and…

“Enjoying the view?” he asked over his shoulder.

“You are disgusting and highly inappropriate,” she hissed.

“Aye, but why are ye breathin’ faster?”