Still, he didn’t return.
The immeasurable ass had in fact given her an orgasm to end all orgasms, then left.
She stared at the door, body still trembling from the aftershocks, wondering how Synton could go from such burning passion to cold indifference that swiftly.
If he was playing a game with her, he would regret it.
Camilla decided right then that instead of showing him how angry she was, she, too, could play. She’d adopt his mask of indifference. Let him be humbled too.
She tossed herself back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, rethinking the whole encounter. It took far longer to get her annoyance under control than she cared to admit. But once she did, she puzzled his behavior out more clearly.
The blindfold.
The mention of only tonight.
The abrupt departure.
In some way, she was certain, he’d bared himself more than she had.
There was something he desperately didn’t want her to see, which only made her more curious to unravel the mystery of his past. Forbidden things always intrigued her.
And Lord Synton, mercurial moods, gruffness and all, was very tempting indeed.
TWENTY-THREE
THE PAINT, CANVAS, and brushes are all here in the studio,” Envy said by way of greeting, keeping his back purposefully to the artist he’d summoned at first light.
He’d left the Edwardses’ early that morning, also sending a message of apology for missing the celebratory betrothal breakfast.
“I expect you’ll work swiftly, Miss Antonius.”
He turned then, surprised that Camilla did not betray any of her feelings upon entry. It wasn’t like her to be so… quiet.
Envy had been certain she’d be furious that he’d left without so much as a goodbye. Or predictably lovestruck.
She was neither.
Her attention simply swept around the room, passing over him like he was one more canvas to catalogue. She gave no indication that Envy had been on his knees, nestled between her thighs, a few short hours before.
He bristled.
“Should you require anything else, Alexei will see to it.”
“Thank you, Lord Synton,” she said at last. “If you’ll have him bring a cup of tea, that will be all.”
Envy’s brows hit his hairline. Did she take him for a servant now?
“What of scones and clotted cream? Shall he bring some of those as well?”
“Unnecessary, but thank you for being thoughtful.”
Camilla ignored the obvious sarcasm in his tone, striding over to the wooden stool and easel, running a hand lovingly across the polished wooden grain before hoisting up her chosen canvas.
She’d dressed in a charcoal gown today, the color deep and rich in pigment. A line of pearls ran up the sleeves from her wrists to her forearms, and a second line traveled along the front of her bodice from neck to navel.
Envy wanted to pin her hands above her head and rip the pretty pearls off with his teeth.
“You may leave now,” Camilla said over her shoulder, almost as an afterthought. As if she’d forgotten he was there. “I work better alone.”
Envy stared after her.
Camilla did not drink at the party last night, so it wasn’t as if she’d been in some drunken stupor. He was positive she remembered coming all over his tongue, sweet and warm like honey. Was she choosing to ignore that?
Certainly, last night had been shocking. But Camilla had survived the crisis of Lord Garrey and moved on. Had decided she wished to live, to celebrate life.
He’d found that highly attractive.
He hardened just recalling her soft moans, her rapture pure and free as she fully submitted to the pleasure he’d given her.
She’d bitten her lip to keep anyone from hearing, and thrashed across those sheets, tangling them up just as he’d wanted her legs to be tangled with his when he climbed on top of her.
When she’d started undulating her hips, directing him to the exact place she wanted him, it took everything in him not to sink his cock into her wet heat the way they’d both craved him to. Camilla was a surprisingly vivacious lover and he’d only had one small taste.
One being the operative term.
His rule of only bedding someone once typically included one night of lust.
Which usually included every possible position, every act of pleasure. Then it made sense that their time together was over forever.
There wasn’t anything typical about how he’d gone about things with Camilla last night.
He’d left before he couldn’t tear himself away.
The moment she came, he’d imagined pulling her on top of him, dragging her up and down along his hard length until they’d both been teased into a frenzy.
Envy wanted to make love to her properly.
If he was only going to have one night to experience Camilla, he wouldn’t waste it. Plus, he’d promised not to ruin her, and had he given in last night, there was no way Lord and Lady Edwards would have missed the sound of Camilla’s moans.
Propriety had fucked him again. He was a walking, frustrated ball of gods-damned virtue, even after tending to himself with thoughts of her taste making him so cursedly aroused, he’d come with a demonic roar. Several, increasingly frustrating times. Each time he came, he was less satisfied than before. He craved her and his hand did not compare.
And her indifference was driving him positively feral. If this were a game played between them, he’d have to admit she currently had the upper hand. All previous lovers had been near savage with jealousy after he’d graced their sheets, begging for more. And that was the way he preferred things.
“Was there anything else, my lord?”
Envy’s attention snapped back to Camilla. She’d been watching him, and he’d been oblivious.
He was never oblivious.
That was antithesis to his very nature. Envy planned, he was meticulous, he missed no details. Everything was a puzzle for him to solve. If Camilla thought to best him in this game of seduction, she truly had no idea who she was playing against. If she wished to be indifferent, he would be doubly so. Use her move against her.
He gave her a cold look.
“Do not dismiss me in my own home, Miss Antonius. If it happens again, I’ll be forced to remind you who serves whom.”
Amusement ghosted across her features.
He had the distinct impression she knew exactly who’d served whom last night. Gods-damn it all. None of his shots were landing.
“I imagine that will be very hard for you, my lord.”
Camilla’s gaze slowly dropped to his trousers before she flicked it back up, mischief glittering in her silver eyes. His cock jerked in response, eager to draw her attention again.
“Since it appears that you’ll have your hands full thinking, I really must get to work.”
Saints curse him, Envy’s arousal grew at her second blatant dismissal.
If this had been any other time, any other circumstance, he’d have taken Camilla right there on the paint, using her perfect little bottom and his handprints to capture each thrust of pleasure on the canvas.
Then he’d hang the damn thing in his foyer.
Let her dismiss him then.