Chapter
7
Knowing that Drake would appear with
the coming of nightfall, Elena felt a growing sense of excitement
as the shadows grew long. She was anxious to tell him about the odd
behavior of the cat, curious to hear what Drake’s reaction would
be.
But as she thought it over, she began
to wonder if she had imagined the whole incident. After all, how
could a cat’s tongue heal a scrape on her arm? But something had
happened, because there were no scratches on her arm, nothing to
show where the thorns had nicked her skin. There should have been
something there—a red line, a scab. Something. But her skin was
smooth and clear.
She was still pondering how the animal
had managed to get inside the castle when Smoke jumped off the sofa
and ran out of the room.
With a shake of her head, Elena went
down the stairs to the kitchen to prepare her evening meal,
something simple tonight. Just a tuna sandwich, a bowl of tomato
soup, and a glass of milk.
She was washing the dishes when Drake
strolled into the kitchen, his own steps as silent as those of the
cat.
“Good evening, my lady wife,” he
murmured.
“My lord,” she replied with a smile.
Living here, in the castle, it was easy to believe he was indeed
the lord of all he surveyed.
Her heart fluttered with excitement as
he drew her into his arms. He was so tall, so broad, so
overpowering, just looking at him filled her with a warm longing to
touch him and taste him, to feel his hands caressing
her.
“So, wife, what would you like to do
this evening?”
“Whatever you wish, husband,” she
replied, her voice breathless with anticipation.
His gaze moved over her, his eyes hot.
“Surely you know how I would wish to spend the
evening.”
Heart pounding, mind racing, she stared
up at him, mute. As enticing as he was, she was not yet ready to
surrender her virtue.
Drake chuckled softly. “Fear not, sweet
wife,” he chided. “I do not intend to ravish you against your will,
though you are a sore temptation. So,” he said, slipping his hands
into his pockets, “would you care to go for a drive?”
“Oh, yes,” she said quickly. “Very
much.”
Drake smiled at her. “My carriage
awaits.”
His carriage turned out to be a sleek
black Porsche convertible. Drake opened the door for her, then went
around the car and slid behind the wheel.
“Where are we going?” Elena asked as he
turned the key and the engine purred to life.
“Nowhere in particular,” Drake replied.
“Is there somewhere you wish to go?”
“No.”
It was a lovely night for a drive. He
put the top down, giving her a clear view of the sky. The air was
warm, fragrant with the scent of night-blooming flowers. But it was
the scent of the man beside her that held Elena spellbound. His
profile was sharp and clear in the faint light of the dash. He
glanced over at her now and again, and each time, the look in his
eyes made her heart skip a beat.
She searched for something to say to
break the taut silence between them. The incident with the cat came
readily to mind, but in the here and now, it no longer seemed real.
Or important.
The road they followed meandered
through a moon-dappled forest and then along the edge of a cliff
that plummeted straight down.
“Do not worry, wife,” he drawled. “I
have driven down this road many times.”
Comforting words, she thought, but if
the car went over the side, only an angel would be able to save her
from being broken to pieces on the rocks below.
She studied him surreptitiously as they
drove along the narrow road. She couldn’t see much of his face in
the light of the dash, but she couldn’t stop staring at him. There
was something about him, something that drew her gaze again and
again. It was an aura of power that clung to him, she realized, a
sense of strength that was more than physical. But how was that
possible? He was just a man like any other. Wasn’t he? And yet,
there was an air about him, an old-world courtliness in the way he
spoke, in some of the words he used.
“Where do you go during the day?” she
asked, somewhat abruptly. “Why is it I never see you until after
dark?”
“I have matters of business to attend
to,” he replied curtly. “Matters that do not concern
you.”
“But . . .” She bit down on her lower
lip. She reminded herself that she had no right to ask, that being
his wife in name only didn’t entitle her to pry into his secrets.
And she had a feeling there were many things he was keeping from
her. Was one of them a mistress? Was that where he went during the
day? And if so, she had no one to blame but herself. Not that she
cared, of course. He could have a hundred women hidden
away.
Elena ran her fingers over the crease
in her jeans. She would prefer a hundred mistresses over one, she
thought. With a hundred, it was unlikely he would be overly fond of
any of them. But if there was just one, that implied caring,
perhaps even a sense of sharing and belonging.
She was startled to realize that the
mere idea of Drake being with another woman, sleeping with another
woman, was too painful to contemplate.
“You’re very quiet, wife,” he remarked.
“Have you fallen asleep?”
“No, of course not. I was just enjoying
the night.”
“It is lovely,” he said. “Quiet.
Intimate. So few mortals take the time to appreciate its
beauty.”
“Mortals?” she asked with a frown.
“What an odd thing to say.”
“Yes,” he said, laughing softly. “I
suppose it is.” He stopped the car and switched off the
engine.
She felt a rush of anticipation when he
slid his arm around her shoulders. His eyes looked fathomless in
the moonlight. A sigh escaped her lips when he leaned toward
her.
“A kiss?” His fingertips stroked her
cheek and slid down the side of her neck. “Will you give me a kiss
from your sweet lips, wife?”
She nodded, her heart pounding as he
lowered his head to hers. His kiss was infinitely gentle, his lips
as light as down on her own. And yet, for all its gentleness, the
touch of his mouth on hers sizzled through her like summer
lightning. She felt the heat of it, the power of it, all the way to
her toes.
She knew a moment of regret when he
drew away. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to kiss her
again. Instead, she folded her hands tightly in her
lap.
“Will I ever be able to go into town?
I’m getting tired of spending all my time in the
castle.”
“Is that why you were out in the garden
this afternoon?”
“How did you know about
that?”
He turned to look at her, his teeth
flashing in a smile. “I know everything that happens in my
domain.”
His domain, she mused with a frown.
What an odd way to put it.
“Make any changes to the house or
grounds you wish,” he said. “If you need anything, you have but to
let me know.”
“Thank you.”
“As for going into town, you are free
to do so. I will set up accounts for you in all the shops. Do you
know how to drive?”
“Yes, but . . . what about my
uncle?”
“I will speak to him tomorrow
night.”
The tone of his voice left no doubt in
her mind that her uncle would do whatsoever Drake asked, though it
was hard to imagine Tavian Dinescu bending his will to that of
another. The idea pleased her beyond words. Her uncle had had his
own way for far too long.
“I should have informed him of our
marriage before now. My only excuse,” Drake said, smiling at her,
“is that I’ve been too besotted with my bride to think of anything
else.”
“You’re teasing me.”
“Not at all. Your beauty puts the moon
and the stars to shame.”
His words brought a rush of heat to her
cheeks. She didn’t know if he meant them, but they pleased her just
the same.
She could feel him watching her. Was he
hoping she would ask for more than kisses? Foolish question. Of
course he was. He had made no secret of the fact that he wanted to
make love to her.
After a moment, Drake switched on the
ignition. “Would you care to go into the city tomorrow night?” he
asked after turning the Porsche toward home.
She looked at him, her eyes alight.
“I’d love that! I’ve never been anywhere.”
“Then it will be my pleasure to take
you.”
Elena could think of nothing but the
upcoming trip on the way back to the castle. Her uncle had often
gone into the city, but he had never invited Jenica or Elena to
accompany him. Elena had often wondered why he insisted on going
alone. Jenica had been of the opinion that he kept a mistress
there. Elena had been shocked by her cousin’s
suggestion.
“You’re frowning,” Drake remarked as he
parked the car in front of the castle. “Is something wrong? Have
you changed your mind about going to the city?”
“What? Oh, no! I was just thinking. . .
.” She paused a moment before asking, “Will we stay
overnight?”
“If you wish.” Alighting from the car,
he opened the passenger door, then handed Elena out of the Porsche.
He held her close for several moments, savoring her nearness, her
warmth, before releasing her. “Go inside, it’s getting cold.” He
gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be along in a few
minutes.”
He watched her climb the stairs. A
thought unlocked the castle door for her. Another lit the fire in
the hearth to warm her. A third brought the candles in her
bedchamber to life to turn away the darkness.
He was raising the top on the car when
a sudden ripple in the air told him he was no longer
alone.