“I only had one brother, and he was very kind,” Angelica replied. “Were your brothers awful to you?”
“Not really. They were gone mostly—to the Front. But you seemed like such an easy target, I couldn’t help myself.”
Angelica sighed. Perhaps she was an easy mark, after all. “You’ve had your fun. Now will you ring for Bessie?”
“I don’t think I will. Goodnight!”
With that, she really was gone.
The library was deathly quiet. Angelica waited an eternity for someone to find her, but no one—servant or otherwise—came. She wept quietly with her hands clamped over her mouth to muffle the sobs. How did she get herself into such a mess?
“Angelica! Angelica?”
Footsteps. A voice in the corridor. Suddenly, the library door swung open. She tried desperately to hide her tears, but it was too late. Captain Neill caught her crying, and rushed to her side.
He pulled her into his arms. “Oh, my dear girl.”
Angelica remembered Mary Rose’s warning not to let men know she cared. Thank God, Marcus had calmed his brother down, and now Captain Neill was back. If she could rein in her emotions, perhaps he would forgive her. Perhaps he would not send her away. “I’m sorry that I lost my head, and got caught up in our dance together. I won’t let it happen again.”
He sounded tense, and also confused. “What do you mean?”
“I—I took the act too far,” she explained, grasping at any excuse. “We were dancing, and I thought you wanted me to play along. I know that it wasn’t real. I wouldn’t dare have feelings for you.”
“You were just acting?”
She nodded. Anything to convince him!
He moved off the sofa. Oh God, he still didn’t believe her. He was going to storm off and leave her down here alone. Angelica couldn’t risk losing him again.
“Brody…” She reached for him through the darkness. “Without you, I’d be on the streets. Instead, you’ve brought me here, and bought me clothes, and been so very good to me. Yet I’ve been nothing but difficult. Let me show you my gratitude.”
Angelica spread her legs for him. It was the only way she knew to keep a man’s attention. He would bury himself inside her and forget why he’d been angry in the first place.
His voice caught. “Is that what you really want?”
“I want you to fuck me, Brody.”
She tugged her lacy underdrawers down over her silk stockings, while he fought with his trouser buttons. They both wore evening clothes. Things were so much simpler when she had nothing but a few serviceable pairs of drawers and a frayed woolen dress. Now, she struggled in her beaded frock, and he was restricted by his dinner jacket.
Angelica leaned back against the sofa, pulling her knees wide with her hands. He touched her—once, twice—with his fingers, testing her. Then, he crouched above her, holding onto the wooden back of the sofa with one hand, and guiding himself into her with the other.
He entered in one sharp thrust. She gasped. Captain Neill hovered over her, never touching her, yet driving into her with a deliberately pointed rhythm. She closed her eyes, and turned her head so that he wouldn’t be distracted by her cold, dead gaze.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, thrusting. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“I closed my eyes so you wouldn’t have to see me.”
Thrust. Thrust. “Why?”
“Because of my eyes…”
“Did your other lover not like them?”
She shook her head. “He couldn’t come.”
Captain Neill withdrew from her, and she whimpered. Instead of shunning her, he kissed her, fiercely. “Don’t ever close them. Do you hear me, Angelica? You’re beautiful, and perfect, and so are your eyes.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. “I won’t close them.”
Captain Neill pushed himself back in. God, even if she never had another man, she’d never get tired of his body meeting hers. He felt good. He felt right—even though what they were doing was wrong. Angelica wasn’t sure she could hide her love from him forever. But she would do her best to keep him coming back to her.
“Yes, Brody,” she mumbled encouragements into his open mouth. “That’s good! So good!”
His breath bellowed as he pumped into her again, and again. Angelica shifted her legs up so that he could mount her deeper. Suddenly, he slipped his arm under her knee, and raised it as high as her trembling muscles would allow. She nearly shouted. Oh, God, it was almost painful!
Captain Neill moaned. He wouldn’t last long now. Angelica wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take.
“Come, Brody,” she begged. “Come!”
His voice sounded ragged. “What about you?”
She’d given up on that ages ago. “I don’t come for anybody but myself.”
“For me. You did once.”
Angelica laughed. How cruel that he would think of her pleasure at a time like this. “Just finish. We don’t have all night.”
***