open door. She towed him to the opposite end of the room and to the hearth. Only then did she speak. "What the bloomin' hell are you doing?"
"Having tea," he said. His first surprise had worn off. He grinned. "And yourself?"
"Damn it, Collis!"
Her eyes flashed green fire. He badly, abruptly wanted to kiss her, but her stubborn chin was raised high. She'd likely smack him right back, and this was neither the time nor the place for him to get into a wrestling match with his tempting nemesis.
Then he froze, realization striking hard. She
was
in the house. First.
Damn.
She didn't smile, but the tiny quirk of the corner of her mouth was all the more riveting for it. "I've been here since before dawn," she said. "You've been here for perhaps… two minutes?"
He couldn't answer her. His jaw seemed cemented with dismay, which only grew worse when her gaze softened.
"Collis, don't take it hard." She leaned forward in sudden eagerness, which eased her grasp on his arm somewhat. "Oy, that means I've won and you must obey!"
Rose's breath caught as Collis stepped closer, using his height to loom over her. He had the additional advantage of being deadly attractive. It truly wasn't fair.
Nothing new there. Besides, this round she had the upper hand. So she merely cocked her head at him and waited for him to back away once more. To her surprise, the irritated flair in his gray eyes suddenly shifted to something equally hot and far more threatening.
Collis was having a bit of trouble remembering why he was riled when all he could think of was the scent of her hair. His body remembered the feel of her beneath him all too well, having been reminded in his dreams last night. Supple, energetic bundle that she was… would she be a lively partner? Would they pass hours away in happy animal coupling? Or would she be chill and slow to warm, only to explode at his hands at last?
He stepped closer, then again. His fingers came up to trace the neckline of her maid's livery, only allowing the tips to touch the silken skin just below. Her eyes flickered away from his, then back. Her hand came up to cover his, but instead of pushing it away, she slid it a few inches down and pressed his palm over the mound of her small, full breast.
The shock of her beneath his hand sent Collis into a full second of immobility. She filled his palm with yielding, satisfying woman. God, he wanted her so much—
"No, sor, playse!" she cried out abruptly, her common accent shrill and panicked. "Oi'm a good girl, Oi am!"
Collis snatched his hand back and stepped away from her in shock. She ducked under his arm and recoiled a few steps, holding the empty tea tray protectively before her face and emitting small terrified sobs.
A light laugh came from behind Collis. He turned to see Louis Wadsworth in the doorway with a tolerant grin on his face. "Well, Tremayne, one can't fault you for speed from the gate! I can see I won't be able to let you alone for a minute."
Collis forced a lazy smile to his face. "Sorry, Wadsworth. Forgot myself."
Louis shrugged. "No matter. Will you be long then?"
Collis managed not to snarl at the man's careless attitude toward his dependent. "If you don't mind, I'll be all done in a moment." Louis grinned again and left, pointedly closing the door behind him.
Collis turned to Rose. "What kind of master knowingly leaves a young woman alone with a man with evil on his mind?"
She dropped her fearful pose and sighed. "You really are naïve, Collis. Why should he object, when he has a long history of accosting his own dependents?"
"What?"
"Hush. He'll hear you. Now, hold this." She plunked the tray into his hands. Then she pulled her cap askew, tugged several strands of hair down over her face, unbuttoned the top three buttons of her dress behind her neck, and pulled the neckline of her uniform to twist slightly over her breasts. Collis pulled his attention away from those breasts with difficulty. He knew why she'd done what she
"Having tea," he said. His first surprise had worn off. He grinned. "And yourself?"
"Damn it, Collis!"
Her eyes flashed green fire. He badly, abruptly wanted to kiss her, but her stubborn chin was raised high. She'd likely smack him right back, and this was neither the time nor the place for him to get into a wrestling match with his tempting nemesis.
Then he froze, realization striking hard. She
was
in the house. First.
Damn.
She didn't smile, but the tiny quirk of the corner of her mouth was all the more riveting for it. "I've been here since before dawn," she said. "You've been here for perhaps… two minutes?"
He couldn't answer her. His jaw seemed cemented with dismay, which only grew worse when her gaze softened.
"Collis, don't take it hard." She leaned forward in sudden eagerness, which eased her grasp on his arm somewhat. "Oy, that means I've won and you must obey!"
Rose's breath caught as Collis stepped closer, using his height to loom over her. He had the additional advantage of being deadly attractive. It truly wasn't fair.
Nothing new there. Besides, this round she had the upper hand. So she merely cocked her head at him and waited for him to back away once more. To her surprise, the irritated flair in his gray eyes suddenly shifted to something equally hot and far more threatening.
Collis was having a bit of trouble remembering why he was riled when all he could think of was the scent of her hair. His body remembered the feel of her beneath him all too well, having been reminded in his dreams last night. Supple, energetic bundle that she was… would she be a lively partner? Would they pass hours away in happy animal coupling? Or would she be chill and slow to warm, only to explode at his hands at last?
He stepped closer, then again. His fingers came up to trace the neckline of her maid's livery, only allowing the tips to touch the silken skin just below. Her eyes flickered away from his, then back. Her hand came up to cover his, but instead of pushing it away, she slid it a few inches down and pressed his palm over the mound of her small, full breast.
The shock of her beneath his hand sent Collis into a full second of immobility. She filled his palm with yielding, satisfying woman. God, he wanted her so much—
"No, sor, playse!" she cried out abruptly, her common accent shrill and panicked. "Oi'm a good girl, Oi am!"
Collis snatched his hand back and stepped away from her in shock. She ducked under his arm and recoiled a few steps, holding the empty tea tray protectively before her face and emitting small terrified sobs.
A light laugh came from behind Collis. He turned to see Louis Wadsworth in the doorway with a tolerant grin on his face. "Well, Tremayne, one can't fault you for speed from the gate! I can see I won't be able to let you alone for a minute."
Collis forced a lazy smile to his face. "Sorry, Wadsworth. Forgot myself."
Louis shrugged. "No matter. Will you be long then?"
Collis managed not to snarl at the man's careless attitude toward his dependent. "If you don't mind, I'll be all done in a moment." Louis grinned again and left, pointedly closing the door behind him.
Collis turned to Rose. "What kind of master knowingly leaves a young woman alone with a man with evil on his mind?"
She dropped her fearful pose and sighed. "You really are naïve, Collis. Why should he object, when he has a long history of accosting his own dependents?"
"What?"
"Hush. He'll hear you. Now, hold this." She plunked the tray into his hands. Then she pulled her cap askew, tugged several strands of hair down over her face, unbuttoned the top three buttons of her dress behind her neck, and pulled the neckline of her uniform to twist slightly over her breasts. Collis pulled his attention away from those breasts with difficulty. He knew why she'd done what she
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