classical piece. She knew very little about music in general. However, she was moved by the grand sound coming from the fingers of an otherwise reserved and polite young lady.
But it wasn’t long before the vexing brigand’s stare took its hold on her senses again, and she found herself feeling his presence more than she was listening to the music.
Slowly the man advanced, his footfalls steady.
She bristled.
He took an empty seat behind her. The rest of the guests were seated closer to the piano, so she and James were alone in the shadows near the back of the room.
He moved his black leather boot. He softly bumped her chair leg, making her twitch. The music faded from her mind. She sensed only Black Hawk, the dark heat coming from his robust form.
He leaned forward.
Sophia twisted her ankles.
“She plays well.”
James whispered the words against her naked throat, stirring the fine hairs there to arousing life.
Sophia suppressed a chill and maintained her eyes forward. She fixed them firmly on the young woman playing the piano. “She does.”
The soft tickle of warm breath caressed the knob of bone at the base of her skull. “Has the earl proposed to you yet?”
Her heart was booming in her breast. “No, we’ve yet to be alone together.”
“Hmm.”
The soft whistle of air kissed her sensitive skin, and she parted her lips in a quiet gasp of ecstasy.
“There are too many of us here…I wonder why?” he said in a smoldering voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, what makes you think the earl is interested in you…and not one of the other eligible females? After all, he didn’t invite any other males to the party. I was offered a spontaneous invitation, remember? Perhaps the earl is selecting a bride from among his sister’s friends…all three of them.”
James moved off.
Sophia quickly looked at the earl. He was seated next to Anastasia…and the chit was whispering into his ear.
Sophia’s head throbbed. The pounding music, the lingering heat from James, the startling image of the earl and Anastasia all muddled together in her mind, confusing her senses.
Was Anastasia looking to snag the earl, too? Sophia was certain Imogen wasn’t interested in Lord Baine. However, Anastasia had lofty ambitions. And yet she was just a child! Seventeen? Eighteen, maybe?
Sophia watched as the earl smiled at Anastasia.
Was Maximilian interested in the girl?
The prospect seemed outrageous…and yet Anastasia had breeding, royal blood. She was young, but not too young to be married. She was handsome, too…and pretty girls with a good family name wed all the time. Anastasia would make any man a fine wife.
Sophia pressed her palm against her breast to steady her rampant heartbeats. She had come too far to lose the earl now. Anastasia might have a sound pedigree, she might make Maximilian smile with her sharp tongue, but she was still a child. And the earl was a man at thirty-two…and Sophia knew how to seduce a man.
Chapter 7
S ophia inhaled the heavy scent of the woods. The fresh foliage and blooming wildflowers filled the air with the comforting breath of nature. Together with the trilling birds and the cool shade of leaves, it was an ideal place to stretch out and dream.
But she didn’t have time to engage in the pleasurable pastime. She strolled the dirt path beside the earl, Lady Lucas tagging behind them at a respectable distance.
“I must say…that is a stunning necklace, Miss Dawson.”
Sophia smiled. She touched the brilliant gems at her throat with her fingertips. The cold stones had no meaning for her. The sparkling rocks served only one purpose: to help make her the next Countess Baine. She would gladly trade every one of them for the earl’s hand in matrimony.
“Thank you, my lord. The necklace was a gift from my father. The diamonds are from India.”
She didn’t really know where the diamonds were from, but India was a nest of treasures. She suspected the exotic setting sounded charming to the earl. The
But it wasn’t long before the vexing brigand’s stare took its hold on her senses again, and she found herself feeling his presence more than she was listening to the music.
Slowly the man advanced, his footfalls steady.
She bristled.
He took an empty seat behind her. The rest of the guests were seated closer to the piano, so she and James were alone in the shadows near the back of the room.
He moved his black leather boot. He softly bumped her chair leg, making her twitch. The music faded from her mind. She sensed only Black Hawk, the dark heat coming from his robust form.
He leaned forward.
Sophia twisted her ankles.
“She plays well.”
James whispered the words against her naked throat, stirring the fine hairs there to arousing life.
Sophia suppressed a chill and maintained her eyes forward. She fixed them firmly on the young woman playing the piano. “She does.”
The soft tickle of warm breath caressed the knob of bone at the base of her skull. “Has the earl proposed to you yet?”
Her heart was booming in her breast. “No, we’ve yet to be alone together.”
“Hmm.”
The soft whistle of air kissed her sensitive skin, and she parted her lips in a quiet gasp of ecstasy.
“There are too many of us here…I wonder why?” he said in a smoldering voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, what makes you think the earl is interested in you…and not one of the other eligible females? After all, he didn’t invite any other males to the party. I was offered a spontaneous invitation, remember? Perhaps the earl is selecting a bride from among his sister’s friends…all three of them.”
James moved off.
Sophia quickly looked at the earl. He was seated next to Anastasia…and the chit was whispering into his ear.
Sophia’s head throbbed. The pounding music, the lingering heat from James, the startling image of the earl and Anastasia all muddled together in her mind, confusing her senses.
Was Anastasia looking to snag the earl, too? Sophia was certain Imogen wasn’t interested in Lord Baine. However, Anastasia had lofty ambitions. And yet she was just a child! Seventeen? Eighteen, maybe?
Sophia watched as the earl smiled at Anastasia.
Was Maximilian interested in the girl?
The prospect seemed outrageous…and yet Anastasia had breeding, royal blood. She was young, but not too young to be married. She was handsome, too…and pretty girls with a good family name wed all the time. Anastasia would make any man a fine wife.
Sophia pressed her palm against her breast to steady her rampant heartbeats. She had come too far to lose the earl now. Anastasia might have a sound pedigree, she might make Maximilian smile with her sharp tongue, but she was still a child. And the earl was a man at thirty-two…and Sophia knew how to seduce a man.
Chapter 7
S ophia inhaled the heavy scent of the woods. The fresh foliage and blooming wildflowers filled the air with the comforting breath of nature. Together with the trilling birds and the cool shade of leaves, it was an ideal place to stretch out and dream.
But she didn’t have time to engage in the pleasurable pastime. She strolled the dirt path beside the earl, Lady Lucas tagging behind them at a respectable distance.
“I must say…that is a stunning necklace, Miss Dawson.”
Sophia smiled. She touched the brilliant gems at her throat with her fingertips. The cold stones had no meaning for her. The sparkling rocks served only one purpose: to help make her the next Countess Baine. She would gladly trade every one of them for the earl’s hand in matrimony.
“Thank you, my lord. The necklace was a gift from my father. The diamonds are from India.”
She didn’t really know where the diamonds were from, but India was a nest of treasures. She suspected the exotic setting sounded charming to the earl. The
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