Scandals Bride

She looked up and met his eyes; he sensed her hesitation. 'Sometimes,' she eventually replied. 'Dreams often mean something, but that something often isn't clear.' She considered, then quickly added: 'And it's often not the thing it appears as in the dream.'

He threw her an exasperated look. 'That's a lot of help.'

She blinked and considered him. Rather carefully, he thought.

'If you're troubled by some dream, then the best thing to do is set it aside for the moment, because if it is supposed to mean something, then that something will become apparent, usually in a few days. Or the dream will disappear.'

'Indeed?' Richard raised a brow, then reluctantly nodded. That was probably sound advice-he might as well put it into practice. But first, he needed to stop her from deserting him. He nodded to the tea trolley being stationed before Mary. 'I'll get our cups.'

Catriona graciously inclined her head and watched him cross the room. And swore she'd start carrying a fan. She was so hot, she was surprised she hadn't spontaneously combusted-gone up in flames right here in Mary's drawing room. The flushes that washed through her came in two forms-hot and hotter. Hot when he wasn't looking directly at her, hotter when he was. The only reason she was still standing here, using every ounce of her will and experience to appear unaffected, was because she'd convinced herself this was the penance she had to pay for the way her plan had affected him-to bear with the countereffect and bring him what ease she could. But…

She was desperately in need of her tea.

He returned and handed her her cup; she accepted it and sipped gratefully.

Richard sipped, too, for much the same reason, then set his cup back on its saucer. 'Tell me about this role of yours-being the lady of the vale.'

Catriona blinked and looked up at him. 'The lady of the vale?' When he simply waited, she asked: 'You want to know what I do?'

Richard nodded. And saw wariness seep into her eyes.

'Why?'

'Because…' He paused, then continued, 'I want to know what I'm turning down.' If she thought he was considering falling in with Seamus's plan, she'd tell him nothing. He capped the words with one of his teasing smiles, and was rewarded with one of her humphs.

'You don't need to know.'

'Where's the harm?' He slanted her a glance-she'd tossed her pert nose in the air again and he was wretchedly uncomfortable. 'You're the local healer, but that can't be the summation of your duties, not if you own the vale.'

'Of course not.'

'I assume you keep control over the rents and sales of produce, but what about the other areas? The livestock, for instance. Do you supervise the breeding yourself, or does someone else help?'

The glance she shot him was part irritation, part resignation. 'There are others, of course. Most of the husbandry is dealt with by one of my staff, but the dairy is separate.'

'Do you make your own cheese?' By dint of a succession of careful questions, he dragged a reasonable outline of her holdings, and how she managed them, from her. As he'd expected, there were gaps in her management-important areas in which she relied on people who themselves had no real qualifications. She trusted too easily, despite, or perhaps because of, her beliefs.

He'd already proved that.

Catriona answered his questions because she couldn't see any reason not to. And he surprised her-with his insight, his understanding, his experience. In the end, she asked: 'How do you know to ask all this?' She frowned at him, grateful the heat between them had ebbed. Not disappeared, but eased. 'Do you manage large estates in your spare time?'

He looked mildly bemused. 'Spare time?'

'I gathered your conquests in London take up most of your time.'

'Ahh.' Her tart reply amused him. 'You forget-I'm a Cynster.'

'So?'

His smile started off as teasing, but somewhere along the way turned intent. 'You've forgotten,' he murmured, 'the family motto.'

Catriona felt the air about her stir; she was surprised it didn't crackle. She held his gaze and lifted a haughty brow. 'Which is?'

'To have… and to hold.'

The words hung between them, layered with meaning; holding his gaze, Catriona prayed he couldn't see through her mask as easily as she could see through his. She didn't need to be told those words were not just a motto-they were a raison d'etre. For them all, perhaps, but especially for him.

The bastard-the warrior without a cause.

Barely able to breathe, she reached for his empty cup. 'If you'll excuse me, I must check on Meg.'

He let her go without a word, which was just as well. How much longer she could have withstood the temptation to reach out to him-to let him have her as his cause-she didn't like to think.

Nevertheless, later that night, when the last of the midnight chimes died, she once more stood before his closed door-and stared at it. While telling herself, in very plain terms, precisely why she was there.

First and foremost there were The Lady's orders, orders she could not defy. And it was indisputable fact that three nights was the minimum she should spend with him-that was what she would advise any other woman in her place.

And lastly, but, she had to admit, very far from least, there was the simple fact she wanted him. Wanted to lie in his arms again, wanted to miss none of the short time fate had granted them. She wanted to hold him again, the vulnerable warrior, and give herself to him completely-give herself to fill the void in his soul. She couldn't marry him, but that didn't mean that he-and she-couldn't have that.

Even if only in his dreams.

She drew a deep breath and reached for the door handle.

Lying back in his bed, wide awake, Richard stared moodily at the whiskey decanter. He'd gone without his usual nightcap. It had occurred to him that the whiskey-not his normal drop-might be to blame for his over-vivid dreams.

If it was he'd avoid it. He couldn't handle another day like this, with his body clamoring-reacting-as if something that hadn't happened had. He'd go mad. Some held that the Scots were all insane-witness Seamus. Maybe whiskey was to blame.

The soft swoosh of air as the door opened had him turning his head. The door swung open-not tentatively- and Catriona walked in. She closed the door quietly, then scanned the room-and saw him. The fire had burned low, but he still saw her soft peculiarly witchy smile.

Every muscle in his body locked; he couldn't breathe. A condition that worsened as, her smile still playing over her face, she walked toward the bed slipping off her robe-a robe he remembered-as she came. She let the robe fall as she reached the side of the bed. Head on one side, she studied him-still smiling softly.

Absolutely rigid, he watched her, then realized she was searching his face. The light from the fire didn't reach the head of the bed, she might be able to see his eyes were open, but she couldn't possibly read them. If she did, she'd flee.

Instead, her smile deepened. She reached for the covers, then hesitated. Then she shrugged and straightened-and calmly unbuttoned the bodice of her nightgown, grasped the skirt, and drew it oft over her head.

Richard sucked in a tortured breath, if he could have moved he'd have pinched himself. But he knew he wasn't asleep.

He wasn't dreaming. This was real.

Totally naked, her long tresses hanging free about her shoulders, over her back, her skin-smooth breasts, sleek flanks-gleaming like ivory in the weak light, she lifted the covers and slid in. The dipping of the mattress as she settled beside him triggered an instinctive, almost violent response. He only just managed to suppress it-the primitive urge to roll over, cover her, take her.