The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie (26 page)

Her stiffness started to ease with Daniel’s arms around her. Violet thought of the kiss in the hall at the theatre, which had been intense but brought no panic.

She nodded, and Daniel kissed the tip of her nose. “Good,” he said.

Daniel left the bedroom doors open but led her back to the sofas in the sitting room. These weren’t the stiff horsehair sofas found in so many boardinghouses Violet had inhabited. They were long and elegant, with plush cushions, made for comfort. A tea table stood between them, waiting to serve.

“I can order up another feast,” Daniel said. “Or more champagne.”

Violet put her hand to her belly, the beads cool on her fingers. “Goodness, I think I’ve eaten my fill. And if I drink more champagne, I might fall asleep. Or become very silly.”

“Champagne is supposed to make you silly. It’s a silly drink. Whiskey has much more body. You’ll like the Mackenzie malt. Rich, deep, a nice mouthful.” Daniel traced her cheek. “Tell you what, love, I’ll order up pudding—or as they call it here, dessert. More strawberries.” Again his eyes held both a mischievous gleam and watchfulness.

Violet nodded. “I think I’d like that.”

Daniel winked, turned away, rang for a footman, and walked outside the room to meet him and give the order.

In a short time, another footman wheeled in a cart with a carafe of clear water and goblets, a bowl of cut strawberries, and another silver bowl kept warm over a tiny flame. Daniel handed the man a tip—Violet caught a glimpse of a large wad of banknotes—and the footman withdrew.

“I hope that isn’t cream,” Violet said, sitting down to dish out the strawberries. “Over a flame like that, it will be curdled.”

“Better.” Daniel sat down next to her. “Something the French excel at, leaving us poor Scots in the dust. The entire British Isles, in fact.” He lifted the silver dish’s cover. “Chocolate.”

Chapter 21

Daniel enjoyed watching Violet’s apprehensive look dissolve. He watched her become the real Violet—not the persona on the stage, or the harried drudge to her mother, or the woman broken by her past. She was simply Violet, who was interested in his machines, laughed at inane farces, and was unfolding in her first experience of desire.

The elegant dress brought out the blue of her eyes and the rich darkness of her hair. Violet should always be dressed in beautiful frocks and have nothing more to worry about than what opera she’d watch or how many kisses she’d let her lover steal. Her beauty should have been the stuff of legend, not hidden away in hired houses or behind costumes.

Daniel poured out the water. He took a sip as did Violet, enjoying the clean taste after the overly sweet champagne.

“Like this.” Daniel speared a cut strawberry with one of the tiny forks on the tray, dipped the strawberry into the bowl of glistening, warm chocolate, and lifted the result to Violet’s lips.

Violet leaned forward and tentatively bit down on the berry, then she closed her eyes in rapture. “Oh,” she said after she’d swallowed. “Oh my.”

“I don’t know how the French and the Swiss can make chocolate that’s smooth as silk and tasty enough to drown in, but I won’t worry,” Daniel said. “I’ll just eat it and be happy.”

Violet licked a drop of chocolate from her lower lip. “I’ve never been able to afford chocolate like this. It’s heavenly.”

“Aye, who wants a heaven with streets paved in gold? I’d rather have rivers of chocolate. And whiskey. An even better combination. Coupled with the taste of a good cigar.”

“You’re decadent.”

“I’ve taught myself about the finer things. Uncle Mac taught me plenty too. He’s quite the hedonist.”

Violet looked interested, as she always did when Daniel talked about his family. “Are your other uncles hedonists too?”

“Not so much hedonists as intensely focused. Dad’s focus is horses. Ian—mathematics, Beth, and his children—not in that order. With Hart it’s—well, making the world jump to do whatever he wants it to. Uncle Hart was very much the sensualist, though, in his younger days. Had his own private house with women to cater to his every pleasure. I do mean every pleasure. Now that he’s with Eleanor, he’s given up the house, but he hasn’t stopped being a sensualist. At least, in deep privacy, with Eleanor—which he thinks is so secret. The way she blushes, though, I know their time together becomes plenty interesting.”

Violet looked surprised. “But he’s a duke.”

Daniel laughed. “And they should all be stuffed shirts? Uncle Hart is a master of pleasure. He could be the ultimate hedonist if he chose. I tried to get him to tell me some of his secrets, but he sent me off, so I had to learn them myself.”

He speared another strawberry, dipped it in chocolate, and let the chocolate run in a ribbon back into the bowl.

Violet’s gaze went to the dripping chocolate, her lips parting as Daniel lifted the fork to her. The room was already warm, and Violet leaning forward in pursuit of the strawberry made Daniel break into a sweat.
God help me.

Violet closed her mouth around the strawberry, her eyes drifting shut. She finished the strawberry, a drop of chocolate falling to her chin. “I’ll get chocolate all over this frock if I continue.”

She reached for a napkin, but Daniel leaned forward and licked her chin clean. “I can think of a way to remedy that.” He let his smile grow as hedonistic as Mac’s ever did. “Take off the gown.”

Violet started. Her gloved hand went to the décolletage, over which her plump bosom swelled.

For a moment, Daniel thought she would refuse—and well she should—then she breathed a laugh. “Perhaps I had too much champagne, but I think it a good idea.”

Daniel hid his relief. “I think so too. For me as much as for you.”

Without giving her time to change her mind, Daniel shrugged off his frock coat, then his waistcoat. With the room so heated by the large coal stove, it was a relief to take off the outer layers.

“I’ll need help with the buttons again,” Violet said, her look shy.

No trouble. Daniel’s breathing was unsteady as Violet turned and presented her back to him. Daniel slid next to her on the sofa and undid the buttons, one by one.

Her bare back came into view above the corset. Daniel ran his hand across her skin. Soft, smooth. He kissed it.

Violet had stripped off the gloves, and now pushed down the front of the gown as she stood up. With great care, she slid out of the skirt and bodice and laid the gown on the other sofa, along with the gloves.

She sat down again in her corset and petticoats, her shoulders and arms bare, and looked at Daniel. “You might get your shirt dirty as well.”

“Aye.” Daniel unfastened his collar and the shirt, pulling them off, then got out of his undershirt as well. He liked the way Violet’s gaze flicked to his chest then to the tattoo on his arm.

Violet’s look was still shy, but she forked up a strawberry, covered it in chocolate, and offered it to Daniel. Daniel licked the thread of chocolate that spilled down from it, then drew the berry into his mouth. He smiled at Violet as he chewed, tasting sweet, bright strawberry and smooth, rich chocolate.

“My turn.” Daniel prepared another strawberry, but he held it away as Violet reached for it with her mouth. He let the chocolate snake across her collarbone before he tucked the strawberry between her lips.

As she feasted on the strawberry, Daniel leaned down and licked her collarbone clean.

Chocolate and Violet. A wonderful combination. He felt the swallow in her throat, and kissed it.

When he looked up at her, she was smiling, her eyes relaxed. She’d plucked up another strawberry with her fork while he’d savored her, and now she loaded it with chocolate. She held the fork over Daniel and let chocolate swirl deliberately over his bare shoulders.

The chocolate was warm and tickled. “Oh yes?” Daniel asked when Violet sat back and ate the strawberry herself. “And what are you going to do about that?” He pointed at the wavy line of chocolate.

Violet hesitated a moment, not looking at him, then she very slowly leaned to him. She stilled for a long time, her breath brushing his skin, before she completed the move and touched her tongue to the chocolate.

Daniel smothered a groan. He let his hand come up to the back of her neck, his body tightening as Violet licked across his shoulder.

With any other woman, Daniel would end the playing at once, lay her down on the carpet, get rid of the rest of their clothes, and consummate what they’d started.

But no other woman was Violet. The story she’d told him last night had made Daniel furious but also made him understand how fragile she was. He didn’t want to frighten her away, destroying what little trust he’d already gained from her. But proceeding slowly was fine. If it took Daniel the rest of his life to seduce her, so be it.

Violet raised her head, chocolate on her mouth. Daniel kissed it off, slowly imbibing the sweet chocolate from her plump, warm lips.

“My turn,” he said.

Daniel took his time drawing a curlicue design across her chest, giving her a slow smile as he let the chocolate dip between her breasts. He fed Violet the strawberry before he gently lowered her to the sofa and started savoring her.

Violet’s hand came up to land on his shoulder, fingers tight. Then her fingers relaxed, as though she’d thought to stop him then determined to enjoy what he did. Daniel slowly kissed her breast, sucking a little to rid it of chocolate, leaving a tiny mark behind,
his
mark.

Beautiful, sweet Violet. He’d never met anyone like her. He was falling in love with her, and he didn’t even know her last name.

Daniel raised his head and kissed her mouth. He tasted the strawberries on her tongue, the dark tang of chocolate. The kiss was unhurried, exploring.

Violet was sensuality itself, in her white linen corset against the blue of the sofa, her breasts rising over the corset, her hair coming down, her blue eyes dark in the dimly lit room.

“
She walks in beauty, like the night
,” Daniel said.

“We’re not walking, we’re lying on the sofa.” Violet’s smile spoke of a night of drinking champagne. “And we are being very naughty.”

“Oh, are we?” Daniel traced her lips, which bore a faint ring of chocolate. “I think we could be even naughtier.”

“So do I.”

Violet’s smile was inviting, but Daniel saw the flicker of fear return to her eyes. She’d built a wall to keep her panic at bay, and he saw the worry in her that the wall would crumble at the slightest touch.

“Violet.” Daniel rested his crossed arms on her breasts. “When you’re not afraid of me—truly not afraid—you tell me. All right?”

Violet drew a sharp breath, but she nodded.

Daniel touched her cheek. “Remember what I told you? You need slow goodness, not to rush. You and me, we have all the time in the world.”

He saw her skeptical little frown and pressed his finger to her lips, stilling her answer. “Even if you don’t believe me,
I
believe me,” he said. “You and I will tear apart this town. In the meantime . . .” Daniel sat up again and reached for the bowl of chocolate. “I plan to get you very messy.” He took the spoon from the bowl and let a huge dollop of chocolate fall on her chest.

Violet squealed, then laughed. She put her hand into the bowl, scooped up chocolate onto her fingers, and smeared it across his pectorals.

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Och, if that’s the way you want to play it . . .” He grabbed the chocolate bowl, discarded the spoon, and started smearing chocolate on her with his hands.

They tumbled from the couch the short distance to the rug, then they were touching, licking the chocolate from each other’s bodies. Daniel reached up and brought the chocolate down to them. He swept it across her lips then kissed her again, slowly, sweetly. Chocolate and Violet all mixed up.

She looked surprised when he put the chocolate right on her tongue, then softened as Daniel took it from her in a long kiss. He suckled her tongue, and Violet wrapped her arms around him to kiss him back. Violet was laughing and beautiful, and Daniel determined to slide his mouth over every bit of her exposed skin.

They continued to play until the chocolate was gone, and the night of champagne and sleeplessness began to catch up to Violet. In the early morning, Daniel carried her to the bedroom, she limp in his arms and showing no protest. He laid her on his bed, covered her up, and came down next to her, prepared to enjoy another hour of sleep with this wonderful woman.

Violet woke to sunshine and to Daniel sprawled next to her, his bare chest and arms stained with chocolate.

She smiled as he drew a breath in a long, soft snore. Another night of touching, kissing, enjoying, and Violet had not felt any fear.

But it was morning now, and her mother would be waking, wondering where Violet was. Violet needed to go home, to again become the dutiful daughter, the one who decided how they would all hold together.

As though he knew she watched him, Daniel cracked open his eyes. He looked at her a moment then he groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Damned champagne. Pure whiskey doesn’t leave me with this head.”