Passion for the Game

Chapter 3

“Can I tell you all the many things I adore about you, mhuirnín?”

Maria shook her head, her mouth curving in a faint smile. Arm’s distance away, Simon lounged on the opposite bench, his large frame beautifully covered in cream-colored satin embroidered with flowers in fine gold thread. Against the backdrop of a serene lake and green grass, the singular color of his blue eyes stood out with stunning effect.

“No?” he drawled. “Well, then. How about one? I do adore that tilt to your chin you affect when wearing your Wintry Widow façade. And the ice blue silk with white lace is a stroke of genius.”

Her smile widened. She was nervous, and Simon had noted the constant twirling of her parasol and sought to alleviate her disquiet. Behind her, the imposing stone edifice that was the home of the Earl and Countess of Harwick provided the roof under which she would pass the next three days. “It is expected, Simon darling. Mustn’t disappoint our hostess, you know.”

“Of course not. I, too, find it delightful. So what is the infamous widow planning for this weekend’s house party?”

“Who can say so early on?” she murmured, her gaze moving over the assembled guests. Some sat on benches like she did, the females reading or working on needlepoint, the gentlemen standing nearby on the lawn. “A bit of mayhem, perhaps? A sprinkle of intrigue?”

“Some sex?”

“Simon,” she admonished.

He held up his hands in a defensive gesture, but his eyes gleamed with mischief. “With someone else. Though I do hope you have better sense than to choose St. John.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because he is coarse, mhuirnín. Tainted, as you are not. I should not have touched you either. You are too fine for the likes of me, but even I am a better man than he is.”

She looked down at her lap and the gloved hand that rested there. Why could Simon not see the stains of her transgressions?

He reached over and squeezed her fingers. “The blood you seek is on Welton’s hands.”

“I wish that were true.”

“It is.” Simon settled back into his seat.

“Tell me how it is that a known criminal would be invited here.”

“Word has it the future Lord Harwick was maimed during a failed abduction attempt. It is said that his father approached St. John to act as the method of his retribution. The miscreants were dealt with, and Harwick’s gratitude manifests itself in open invitations to his gatherings, amongst other things.”

“A devil’s bargain.”

“To be sure,” Simon drawled smoothly. “So tell me what your plans are, and I will formulate a way to assist you.”

“There is too much uncertainty for me to steer a clear course. Why did St. John choose this venue for us to meet? Why not my residence or his?” Maria sighed. “If I were not so desperate, I would not play this game of his.”

“You think best on your feet. You always have.”

“Thank you,” she said earnestly, taking comfort in Simon’s esteem. “At present, I wish merely to speak privately with St. John. Hopefully, he will tell me at least a small measure of how he thinks our association can benefit him. Based on that, I can move forward.”

“Ah well, that I can help you with easily. He took that path behind you only a moment ago. I believe Lady Harwick mentioned a pantheon being in that general direction. If you wish to follow, I shall make certain you are not disturbed.”

“Simon, you are a blessing.”

“How good of you to notice.” He smiled. “Are you sufficiently armed?”

She nodded.

“Good. I will see you shortly.”

Maria rose to her feet without haste, her movements leisurely as she set the post of her parasol to her shoulder and began to stroll. A carelessly affected glance behind her found Simon intercepting a couple intent on the same gravel pathway she took. Secure in the knowledge that he would handle things beautifully as he always did, she set her mind to the task ahead.

Rounding a large hedge, Maria quickened her pace, her appearance of lazy perusal discarded. She took note of various markers along the way to keep her bearings-a pyramid here, a statue there. A few moments out, she spotted the pantheon up ahead and abandoned the trail, closing her parasol before weaving through the bordering copse. She circled the small building, looking through the pillars to the interior and then through the rear door.

“Looking for me?”

She spun about and found St. John leaning casually against a tree she had passed mere seconds before. Seeing the arrogant curve of his lips, Maria recovered quickly, removing all traces of surprise from her features with a wide smile. “No, actually.”

The effect was what she had hoped for. His grin faltered, the smug gleam in his eyes flaring with a spark of awareness. She took that moment to study him in the dappled sunlight, her first clear viewing. His obviously powerful frame was draped in dark blue velvet that matched his irises and set off the golden strands of hair he kept neatly restrained in a queue. His eyes were not the bright blue of Simon’s, but a deeper, darker shade. They were startling in contrast to the unsurpassed beauty of his face.

“I do not believe you,” he challenged in that delicious rasp that moved like rough silk over her skin.

“I do not care.”

He had the countenance of an angel, a man so handsome he seemed almost unreal. It made a woman’s brain stumble to see those jaded eyes and hear that husky, earthy voice from an otherwise ethereal masculine creature.

And he was definitely male, regardless of that perfection.

White stockings clung to firmly muscled calves, and she could not help but wonder what activities he engaged in to bear the form of a laborer. A build she admired on Simon, but even more so on St. John, who lacked Simon’s softer edge.

“Why, then, are you traipsing through the forest?” he asked.

“Why are you?” she tossed back.

“I am a man, I do not traipse.”

“Neither do I.”

“I noticed,” he murmured. “You, my Lady Winter, were too busy spying.”

“What do you call what you are doing?”

“I have an assignation with a lady.” He pushed away from the tree in a dangerously graceful movement and she resisted the urge to step back.

“Is she a bit…icy, perhaps?”

His gait was slow and blatantly seductive. She admired it even as she marveled at his daring. Her stomach fluttered, but she hid her response.

“Chilly enough to lure men who enjoy a challenge. But I think it’s a façade.”

She laughed. “Has she given you any reason to doubt?”

St. John came to a halt before her. A warm, gentle breeze blew past her, carrying with it a faint hint of the bergamot and tobacco she remembered from his embrace in the theater. “She is meeting me here. As an intelligent woman, she knows what will happen if she seeks me out.”

“You made sure I would come,” she said softly, her head tilting back so their gazes stayed locked together. In such close proximity she saw the lines that bracketed his mouth and eyes, signs of a rougher life than his immaculate garments would suggest. “I’m certain you noticed that I did not come alone.”

Moving so quickly he took her unawares, St. John caught her waist and nape in his large hands and tugged her into his body. “I noticed you are no longer fucking him.”

For a moment his rough possession and the harsh edge to his crude speech startled her into silence. Then she found her voice.

“Are you mad?” she asked breathlessly, panting softly within the unyielding prison of her corset, her parasol dropped to the leafy floor.

The day was warm, but that was not what sent heat racing across her skin. As had happened before, nerve endings flared to painful life at the feel of his arms around her. The mass of her skirts forced her off balance, their chests touching, but yards of material separated his thighs from hers. That did not alter her knowledge that he was aroused. She did not have to feel his cock to know it was erect for her. She could see it in his eyes.

And when he kissed her, she could taste it.

Closing her eyes, Maria told herself to ignore the feel of his lips against hers. Soft, with a brushing touch of the tip of his tongue. But the taste of him-dark and dangerous-was delightful and she indulged, opening to him, and was rewarded with his soft rumble of approval.

He took her mouth as if they had all the time in the world. As if a bed were nearby and he could deliver on the promises made by his deep licks. There was something about the way he handled her, both harsh and tender, that affected her deeply. He stole what he wanted by force, but in a gentle manner so completely at odds with his approach.

For long moments, she allowed him to intoxicate her, her senses reeling behind her closed eyelids. His thumb circled lazily at the back of her neck, an easy rhythmic caress that made her back arch and her toes curl. Her nipples ached, her lips trembled. The quivering in her belly was reflected in her hands, forcing her to cling to his coat to hide the depth of her reaction.

Then she reclaimed her wits and divested him of his illusions.

His posture stiffened the instant the point of her blade pressed against his thigh. Lifting his head, he took a shuddering breath. “Remind me to disarm you the next time I wish to seduce you.”

“No seducing, Christopher.”

As his embrace slackened, Maria stepped away. “I may call you Christopher, yes? Truly, that was one of the best kisses I have ever had. Perhaps the best. That thing you do with your tongue…But unfortunately for you, I make it a habit to learn the business end of my liaisons before I even consider the pleasure end of them.”

Later, when she was alone, she would reward herself for sounding so strong when her knees were so weak. At the moment, however, she had to face a man who was dangerous in more ways than one. “Tell me what you want from me.”

His slow, easy smile kept her heart racing. “Is it not obvious?”

Perhaps it was her inability to breathe properly that prevented clear thought, but no matter how she looked at their situation, she could not comprehend why he affected her the way he did.

“The woman you arrived with can relieve that for you,” she reminded.

She had her pick of handsome lovers, like Simon. Dark-haired men were her preference. She disliked scoundrels and rogues and consummately arrogant men. There was absolutely no reason for her to be so aroused by the criminal before her.

“I attempted that substitution the other night.” His laugh was a joy to hear. Unlike hers, it sounded as if he gave it freedom often. “I adore Angelica, but sadly, she is not you.”

The image that came to mind of the brunette writhing beneath the golden god before her made Maria’s teeth clench. A silly, stupid, sentimental response she had no desire to feel. “You have one moment to tell me how I fit into your plans for revenge,” she warned.

“I’ll tell you in bed.”

Her brows lifted. “You think to extort sex from me? When it is you who needs help, and not the reverse?”

“You must need me for something,” Christopher drawled, “or you would not have come this weekend or sought me out now.”

“Perhaps it was curiosity,” she argued.

“You have investigators to handle that.”

Maria took a deep breath and slipped her blade back into its sheath in a hidden pocket. “We are at an impasse.”

“No, you are at an impasse. I am ready to move on to the sex.”

One corner of her mouth tilted in a wry smile. “You do realize that the sex is supposed to come after we settle what we can do for one another. If it comes at all.”

Christopher stilled, finding his unwanted fascination for the Wintry Widow sharpening to near painful acuity. Physically, he was staring at the exact opposite of himself. Where he was fair, she was dark. Where he was tall, she was petite. Where he was hard, she was luscious softness. But the brain inside her head was so similar to his, he could scarcely credit it. He had known she would circle the pantheon like a huntress seeking prey, because it was exactly what he would do. And the knife…

…well, he would have been prepared for that if she had not melted in his arms.

What he had not known was that he would reach for her. Until she had tossed her lover in his face, a man he knew was not warming her bed any longer simply by watching their posture together. Christopher had planned to keep things light. Draw her closer. Not frighten her.

But obviously she was not a woman who was easily frightened. She was presently returning his stare with one finely arched dark brow raised in silent query. “Your time is up.”

Then she collected her parasol, moved to the pathway, and headed back toward the manse.

He stared after her, debating whether to stop her or not and then deciding that her egress was so magnificently affected it was too much of a joy to end. So he leaned against a tree and watched her until the flashes of ice blue could no longer be seen. The mere thought of the entertainment ahead made the wait for her almost bearable.

Almost.

Maria took her time in rejoining the rest of the guests. When St. John made no effort to continue their conversation, she knew he would not follow her.

He had approached her in the theater. She had approached him here. The next move was his. She wondered what it would be. Perhaps he meant to wait until curiosity bested her strength of will. If so, he would be waiting a long time.

When she emerged from around the corner, Simon’s gaze found her, and he came to her with rapid strides, claiming her elbow before heading toward the lake.

“Well?” he asked.

“He wants sex. That is all I know.”

He snorted. “We knew that before you met with him.”

“We did not!”

“Very well, then. I knew that before you met with him.” Simon blew out his breath and came to a halt. “We shall hope the man I sent to join St. John’s household succeeds and brings us more to work with.”

“That would be excellent,” she agreed.

“I’d say the pirate is daft, but that would not be true. He is wily and creative, and damned if he did not take me into consideration.”

“What are you talking about?” Tilting her head and parasol back, Maria looked at him, noting his dark scowl and the agitated cant of his torso.

“The female who accompanied him is for my use, not his. She made that quite clear while you were absent.”

“Oh.” Odd how that bit of news made her grin.

“You like him!” he accused.

“I like the way he thinks, Simon love.” Tugging on their linked arms, she drew him along the shore of the lake.

Maria’s gaze drifted to the waterfowl that floated serenely beneath the arched walking bridge. “He is also very observant. He knows we no longer share a bed.”

“We can change that quite easily,” he murmured in a low tone.

Through a lump in her throat, she swallowed hard and said, “Or you can accept the woman’s offer and see what more she’ll tell you.”

He stopped again and glared at her indignantly. “Are you a cock purveyor now?”

“You like her,” she argued. “I can tell.”

“I like parts of her,” he corrected. “Damn it all, do you feel nothing for me? How can you suggest such a thing without batting an eyelash?”

“Are you unaware that I would keep you to myself if I could? If I were a different woman, Simon Quinn, I would lock you away and keep you all to myself. But I am not that woman, and you are not chaste, so do not play the role of wounded lover while making me the villainess. That is a title I earn on my own. It does not need embellishing by you.”

Maria stalked away.

“Mhuirnín…” he called after her.

She ignored him.

“You are creating a spectacle,” he said directly behind her.

Spinning about in a wave of wide skirts, Maria forced him to jump back. “That is what I am here for-scandal and entertainment.”

“He has you flustered,” he breathed with wide blue eyes. “By God, look at you.”

“What does this have to do with St. John?”

“I wish I knew. I would have done it long ago, before you pushed me away.”

She heaved out her breath. “You do not love me in that way, do you?”

“I do love you, mhuirnín.” Simon’s mouth lifted in a rueful curve. “But no, not in that way. I was close once, the closest I have ever been, perhaps will ever be.”

The lone tear that hung on her lashes was her reply. She considered the promise that had once hovered between them to be another casualty of Welton’s machinations. Another death that he would pay for. “I should not have suggested you bed that woman. I do not know what goaded me to say it.”

“I’ve no notion either,” he drawled, capturing her arm again. “You should know me well enough to anticipate the arrangement I made with her for later this evening.”

“Later this…Oooh!” Maria stepped on his foot and he cursed. “Why did you torment me, then?”

“I am a man, with a man’s ego. I wanted to know that it stung, at least in small measure, to think of me with someone else. It pains me to contemplate the same with you.”

She might have believed him if he had refrained from laughing.

This time when she pulled away, she did not stop. “I am not in charity with you at the moment.”

“You adore me,” he called after her. “As I adore you.”

If a glance could kill, the one she tossed over her shoulder would have done the deed.

Replete from supper, Christopher stood with his back to the wall next to the parlor window that overlooked the front drive. He could not remove his gaze from the petite but voluptuous form encased in a shimmering fabric that was the exact shade of a ripe peach. The evening candlelight caressed the curve of her bosom, making his cock ache. Lady Winter stared right back at him, bold as you please.

His blood thrummed with the heated awareness that he would have her soon. He had given up trying to reason out why he was suddenly in full rut to have her. He simply was, and he needed to relieve himself of the itch so that he could consider his options properly.

He was well aware that sex with her would not reveal the answers he needed about Welton and her husbands’ affiliation with the agency. She was too much like him. A series of orgasms would not suddenly engender in her the desire to share her secrets with him. And he wanted her secrets. Needed them.

The agents who worked under the auspices of His Majesty’s Royal Navy were a thorn in his side. They followed him ceaselessly, spied on him regularly, and reclaimed pirated cargo often enough to be annoying. The reason Maria married two of them could be simply that both men had been wealthy peers, but it could also be related to the agency itself, and if it was, he wanted to know why.

The setting of the Harwick country house was perfect in a way few places could be. First of all, he was welcome here. Second, they were forced to share a roof. And lastly, but most importantly, her home was vacant aside from the servants. With careful staging, one of his people would manage to join her household. She would not be able to sneeze without him knowing of it.

Christopher lifted his glass to her in a silent toast and she smiled a woman’s smile, one filled with mystery.

To the winner, the spoils.