skipped undergarments in her haste. He knew she was unbound and unfettered.
And it was adversely affecting him.
His reaction to her was creating a corresponding reaction to him. The tempo of her heartbeat increased.
Eliza covered her discomposure by moving to the settee and sitting. Smoothing her floral skirts with restless hands, she looked at Jasper’s savagely masculine profile and said the first thing that came to mind. “I apologize for not being more presentable.”
“How can I accept an apology”-his gaze slowly returned to her face-“for something that brings me such pleasure?”
She swallowed hard, hating that her mouth was so dry. His eyes followed the working of her throat. A thick, hot current of awareness flowed through her. It was difficult to see him there in the private room where only family and close friends gathered. An intimacy was established by his presence. She felt exposed without the stricture of her stays. Vulnerable in a way she’d never known before.
Forcing her hands to be still, she said, “I saw you this afternoon.”
She didn’t confess that she’d been smitten by the sight of him in his rakishly angled hat.
He nodded. “You should be cautious around Montague.”
“I sincerely doubt he is the culprit.”
“Why?”
“He is an intelligent man. He must be aware of more productive ways to win my hand. In fact, he said as much to me today. He believes he understands me now and presented himself as a sound investment. He’s come to the conclusion that appealing to my reason is far more likely to yield the results he hopes for than attempting to engage my emotions.”
Jasper’s chest lifted and fell deeply. “The man gambles obsessively.”
“Those who lose to him do so by their own choice. His skill is widely lauded. They know what they risk by playing against him.”
“Up to this point,” he murmured, “I considered you remarkably reasoned.”
Eliza’s chin lifted. “You are provoking me.”
“I’m being frank.” He approached, but his gait lacked the seductiveness she’d come to anticipate. Instead, it was determined. “Is Montague your favorite of your suitors?”
“I enjoy his lordship’s company,” she answered carefully. “However, I enjoy most every gentleman who comes calling. I would avoid anyone whose companionship I didn’t find agreeable. In fact, I warned Lord Montague this afternoon to be careful not to become troublesome.”
He paused on the opposite side of the low table. “What would prompt you to make such a statement?”
“He has become impatient to wed and claims he is determined to have me. His approach-while unique-did not sway me, but I seem to have become something of a curiosity to him.”
“The Quality is ever in pursuit of relief from boredom. After all, it’s so tedious to be blessed with the wherewithal to do anything one desires.”
There was an undertone to his words that set Eliza on alert. Jasper wasn’t simply voicing an offhand observation.
Exhaling harshly, he altered direction toward the grate, his boots thudding softly across the well-worn rug. Resting a forearm on the mantel, he stared into the glowing coals. His dark hair gleamed with vitality. The strands sweeping forward to frame his temples and brow were uniquely appealing despite the popularity of the style. Burnished by firelight, Eliza found the lines of his large body to be magnificent. He was exceedingly male, like a glass filled overfull. She wondered how women managed a sip without spilling all over themselves.
Not a poetic thought and definitely an unseemly one, but she chose not to delude herself. She was attracted to him. His mere presence made her highly conscious of her own femininity.
“Why are you here?” she asked, twisting to face his back.
There was a long hesitation, then he said, “Your father’s death. Did it come as a surprise to you?”
“Yes.” Eliza’s fingers linked together in her lap.
Jasper looked at her over his shoulder. “You answered too swiftly. I need you to be honest with me, if I’m to succeed.”
The way he stared at her gave her pause.
“Very well,” she amended. “I was surprised and not. I knew he was unwell, but I believed he had an affliction of the mind. Not the body.”
“Affliction of the mind, you say? Was he lacking reason?”
“He wasn’t mad. Although I sometimes thought my mother was determined to drive him to it.”
He focused more intently on her. “Explain.”
“He was unhappy, which contributed to an excessive fondness for strong spirits, but I did not collect how sick he’d become until it was too late. Why do you ask?”
“You lost both of your parents too early. I must be certain their fate isn’t linked to your present situation in some way. Are you quite confident your father’s death was natural in cause?”
“It was expected,” she qualified. “I wouldn’t call it natural. As you said, he died before his time.”
“And your mother’s death? Are you confident it was an accident?”
“The only surprise about her demise was how long it took to happen,” she said sharply.
“Eliza…” Jasper came to sit beside her.
The air around her became charged with his energy.
Why did Jasper have to be the man to awaken such reactions in her? Why did he have to prove, just by breathing, that she wasn’t immune to needing someone after all? She was so disappointed to realize there were indeed some shades of pleasure that could be colored only by another hand.
His dark eyes were warm with concern. “Please understand, I only wish to be thorough. Your safety is of the utmost importance to me.”
She nodded, believing the sincerity in his tone. A lock of her hair was dislodged by the movement, slipping free of her hastily tied ribbon to slide over her shoulder.
He stood. Holding out a hand, he assisted her to her feet. “Turn around.”
As Eliza pivoted, she disturbed the air, allowing the primitive scent that clung to him-horses and leather, tobacco and bergamot-to tease her senses. She jumped slightly at the feel of his fingers against her nape. Awareness of him swept outward, flowing across her skin like warm water. He lifted the curl from her shoulder and rubbed it between his fingers.
“Like fine silk,” he murmured. He loosened the ribbon securing her hair, returned the errant lock to its former place, and retied the whole more securely.
Her gaze darted around the room, hyperaware of her surroundings. Everything was rendered in brilliant clarity, from the crystals hanging from the many ornate candlesticks to the inlaid mother-of-pearl glimmering from the tops of the end tables.
In the swirling confusion, she grasped the first thought that came to her. “Are you one of those gentlemen who has an unusually strong interest in red hair?”
“I have an unusually strong interest in you.” He pressed his lips to the bare skin between her shoulder and throat.
“Jasper,” she whispered, shocked by the violent quiver that moved through her. “What are you doing? Why did you come now…tonight…when I’ll be seeing you tomorrow?”
His hands fell to his sides. “I saw the way you looked at Montague. What he said made you see him in a way you haven’t before.”
Eliza faced him. He was more than a head taller, but his frame curved toward her in a way that made their proximity searingly intimate. As if he was about to twirl her into a waltz.
Her heart beat a little faster. Her breathing quickened. “I don’t understand.”
He cupped her chin and tilted her face upward. “You looked at him the way you look at me.”
“That’s impossible.” Montague incited none of this turmoil.
“I need you to regard me in the same manner with which I regard you.”
