Steam Guardians 01 - A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious (9 page)

Keep her ignorant was more like it.

She pulled the wet fabric over her head. For just a moment she felt wicked, but she dropped the chemise over the far edge of the tub and stepped back under the flowing water. Illuminists had no need for foolishness, and she was going to embrace their ways. Cleaning her body would certainly be more efficient without clothing on. It was logical. Still, she felt exposed but reached for the soap bar to begin bathing.

Darius Lawley would just have to become accustomed to her being in his world, she decided, because she wasn’t going back to her father’s house.

You
might
be
the
one
regretting
that…

She tried to scoff at her thoughts but failed because there was no way to hide how much the man affected her and how quickly she responded. Would she become brazen now? Her father had always warned her that would happen if she didn’t fear his iron hand. He wasn’t the only one preaching damnation for young women who weren’t kept under close scrutiny.

But would it be such a terrible fate? Darius’s face came to mind, and a tiny shiver rippled across her skin. Her memory produced a perfect recollection of the way he liked to cup her neck while kissing her, and her nipples hardened. Without corset or chemise to hide her breasts, she looked down and smiled at the way her body responded—to Darius.

Wanton. Brazen. Maybe she was, but somehow she couldn’t accept that she’d fallen from grace. No shame nipped at her, only an urge to seek out the source of her fascination.

***

There was no fire kindled in the bedroom she was shown to, but it was comfortably warm. In fact, there wasn’t really a hearth but some unfamiliar machine. With the lack of fire, the entire house smelled so much nicer. There weren’t smoke wisps lingering in the corners. She could definitely grow accustomed to the lack of coal dust.

On one wall was a large box with a pipe that ended in what looked like a sound funnel for a phonograph player with a brass tank beneath it. On either side of the box were two levers, sticking straight out. These levers were larger, and when she raised them, there was a hiss as water boiled inside the tank. Several rows of a dozen short pistons began to move, white puffs of steam escaping from the sides of the device. She heard air being sucked in through a grate at the base of the pipe, and then warm air began blowing out of the funnel end. She laughed with glee as it hit her face and warmed her chilled nose.

“You have an intelligent mind, Janette.”

She turned to discover Darius watching her from the doorway. She was stunned but also noticed how breathless she felt. It was almost as if she’d stepped into a dream where it was perfectly permissible to be alone in a bedroom with a man who wasn’t her husband.

“I knocked,” he said, “but you were distracted. Not that I blame you. I forget how many conveniences my home has compared to the one you were raised in.”

The tone of his voice was just as heated as the air, and it sent a tingle of awareness through her body.

“This is phenomenal. I could wash my hair every night without fear of catching a chill.”

He watched her for a long moment. She could see regret shimmering there, and she raised her chin in defiance of his judgment.

“It’s cost you a great deal to experience it. There isn’t any way to confirm how many know you’re a Pure Spirit now, Janette.”

“Don’t use my name if your intention is to placate me.” She hugged her arms close, realizing she was holding a conversation with him in nothing but a chemise and dressing robe. “Or warn me.”

“You’re past the stage of warning,” he admitted.

“I’m sure you believe I’m in shock and too frightened to think clearly, but I assure you, I am not.” Her unbound hair was beginning to dry and float in a soft cloud, and she noticed his gaze on it.

Did
he
like
what
he
saw?

Now she was thinking in an emotional way, one that promised to lead her into temptation.

“Am I to stay here tonight?”

The question was a desperate attempt to return to polite, safe conversation. She needed to forget she was alone with him and how many times she’d thought about his kiss since that moment in the garden.

“Yes, you’re my responsibility for the time being. Unless you were going to demand I return you to your father.”

Darius watched her with a measure of satisfaction. It was dark and touched off another ripple of sensation inside her. But there was also a clear challenge in his tone.

She squared her shoulders. “I am very appreciative of your hospitality.”

He frowned. “I told you before; I have little interest in polite ladies of society, so kindly spare me your attempts to coddle me.”

The reprimand in his voice stung, irritating her because she was fed up with being found lacking.

“So I should not be polite?” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t believe that is the case among Illuminists. You are attempting to prod me into acting as you expect me to. Something you’ve done before, why?”

“What I think is you have arrived at a crossroads, and it is unsettling you. Rightfully so. But my world is one where you can be sure you’ll have to back up everything you say you are. Females do not make their way simply because they are women. You’ll be expected to make sense. Logical sense.”

He abandoned his lazy stance in the doorway and closed the distance between them. There was such purpose in the way he moved that she retreated without thinking and ended up against the wall.

Darius didn’t stop when she collided with the solid barrier but kept coming until he propped one of his hands on the smooth surface next to her face. She was fully aware of him, just as she had been the night before. Her senses felt keener, every detail impacting her more dramatically.

He cupped her chin, raising her face so their gazes met.

“You are a Pure Spirit, which means you could become one of us. But understand one thing: join my world, and I won’t consider you off-limits any longer. Show me that stubborn determination, and be assured I will happily test your nerve. My polished manners are for business matters only.”

“I see.”

Something flickered in his eyes that sent a shaft of anticipation through her—some promise lurked there that was everything she’d ever wondered about but had been told was uncivilized.

“No, you don’t, Janette. You understand nothing about my nature.”

Her pride reared its head. “I understand you are more truthful than any gentleman caller my father approved of. They said pretty things while their eyes were full of the same things I see in yours.” And he was using her first name easily now, something that should have bothered her, yet it felt very right. “I believe I prefer your approach, Darius.”

He chuckled, but it was a dark, sinister sound. “Such a statement will have to be verified.”

He slid his fingers along her cheek, moving his hand to cup the side of her face as he angled his head to press his lips against hers. The kiss was just as intoxicating as the first had been. Only now she wasn’t so sure she wanted to resist. She craved his strength and the knowledge that he wasn’t forbidden to have unleashed something wild inside her. He took command of her mouth, moving her face so their mouths fit together. She didn’t let him do all the moving this time but tried to mimic his motions. She flattened her hands on his chest, spreading her fingers to feel more. There were ridges of muscle beneath his vest and shirt. She could feel the warmth of his skin and smell his scent as her breathing became rougher.

“Damn it, Janette.” He pulled away from her, his breathing as unsteady as hers. “You shouldn’t kiss me back.”

Her eyes widened. “But you can test my nerve by kissing me? That isn’t fair.”

“Fair?” He laughed, low and full of warning. “What makes you think there is anything fair about the position you find yourself in?”

“You’re making fun of me…again.” She shoved hard at his chest, but his hand slid back into her hair. He threaded his fingers through the half-dried mass and gripped it to hold her head prisoner.

“I’m warning you, Janette.”

“Which you have done every time we have met, and I am weary of your dislike of me. Why do you keep trying to encourage me to reject you?”

His lips thinned, but his eyes still showed her desire. “Because it would keep me from falling victim to your siren song.”

He kissed her again, his lips ensuring she didn’t have the chance to argue with him. Instead, she found herself battling to recall anything he’d said. All that seemed to matter was the sensation flowing from their kiss. It was the sweetest delight, clouding her thinking and awakening a need to fan the flames so they burned brighter.

Darius kissed her harder now, pressing until she opened her mouth; when she did, his tongue teased the delicate skin of her lower lip. A ripple of delight went down her body, followed by another when he thrust his tongue into her mouth. It was shocking but immensely intimate. She’d never been so close to another human, and there was a sense of belonging she’d never anticipated.

Darius pulled away, the hand tangled in her hair holding her in place. Hunger danced in his eyes, and she recognized it even if she’d never seen such aimed at her before. It was as if she’d cast aside childhood and become woman enough to see all the things hidden from the eyes of the innocent.

“Go to bed, now, before I forget myself further.”

He made a sound that struck her as disgusted before releasing her. She glared at his wide shoulders before dragging breath into her lungs.

“Well, if that happened, it would be because I decided I would, and not due to you strong-arming me.”

He turned in a flash, displaying some of the raw strength she’d noticed he possessed.

“Don’t challenge me. I’m having enough trouble resisting you.” His tone was hard with warning.

She should have remained silent. It would have been the wise thing to do, but instead, she propped her hands on her hips and faced off with him.

“Don’t threaten me, Darius Lawley. I’ve had quite enough of that today, thank you very much.”

Surprise covered his face, but not for long. Savage enjoyment flared up in his eyes, and it sent a spear of anticipation through her. He lifted a hand and curled a single finger in her direction.

“If you have the courage, come here.” His voice was almost hypnotic.

She
shouldn’t.

That bit of wisdom didn’t stick; it slipped out of her mind as her feet began moving. Her confidence increased as she closed the gap and noticed the way his attention was focused so intently on her. She touched him, flattening her hands on top of his chest, and shivered because she was so aware of him, of their reaction to each other. Something was brewing between them, like a storm that threatened to either destroy them or take them on the journey of a lifetime.

“I am not afraid of you, Darius. But I believe you are of me.”

He cupped the sides of her face, instantly taking control of their embrace. “Only because I know what happens when passion is spent.”

He kissed her again, but this time it was hard, demanding, and rough. A tiny wave of fear rippled through her, but it didn’t keep her from kissing him back. Hot need licked at her insides while his mouth demanded a response she was eager to provide. The kiss burned away every shred of thought, leaving her to enjoy the experience. But he lifted his head before she might sink further into the sensations, and it felt like they were being ripped apart.

“Consider why you trembled just then, Janette. The ride will be intense, but it will have to end eventually. Reality will be waiting, I assure you. The sun will rise, and consequences will be illuminated.”

His words echoed in her mind long after he left the room.

She sat down on the bed, feeling too full of mental dilemmas to sleep, but her body was at its limit, and she slumped over onto the pillows.

***

Darius poured himself a half glass of whiskey and tossed it back in one motion. The liquor burned a path down his throat, but it failed to chase the taste of Janette’s kiss away.

Damn it. He was a monster. So why hadn’t that frightened her?

He poured another measure but only stared at the amber fluid. He growled and turned his back on it. He wasn’t ready for fate to toy with him again. Not when it came to women. He liked the way the last few years had been, filled with duty and dedication.

Janette was a huge distraction—in fact, she was a catastrophic one. It had proved almost impossible to keep from calling on her after their garden walk, and the arrival of her friend had been too welcome for the severity of the circumstances.

Only a beast would find delight in hearing she had been taken into one of society’s clinics. But he had to admit he’d been excited by the prospect of rescuing Janette. The places were horror houses where sanity often slipped away as medical treatment drove the unfortunate victims mad.

Still, the rescue had been successful, and relief flowed through him. He sat down in a padded armchair, grateful to hear the soft steps above him that announced Janette was moving toward the bed.

Admittedly, he had been ungentlemanly and possibly even rough in his handling of her. But she was safe beneath his roof, and he was going to find a way to make sure she remained so.

Darius sat forward, dark thoughts drawing his attention away from his relief. Keeping Janette safe wasn’t going to be easy. Dr. Nerval had avoided being detected as a Helikeian for years, in spite of suspicions surrounding his clinic. Janette was the first witness who could expose him, but even with that, being a Helikeian wasn’t a crime in Britain.

Only the Illuminists knew the Helikeians for what they were—greedy men who would use the power of the Deep Earth Crystals to construct weapons, a habit repugnant to the Illuminists and everything the Order stood for. Theirs was a conflict that went back through thousands of years of Illuminist history, a conflict he’d devoted his life to ensuring the Helikeians didn’t win.