CHAPTER 10

THE DESIRE BETWEEN them was a palpable thing. Like an arc of electricity. Thalia felt every fiber of her body humming with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. After licking the cream he had wiped from her lips, making her insides melt with the heat in his gaze, Liam had finished the rest of his dessert in silence.

"Are you ready to retire?" he asked. "If you wish, I can escort you to your room now. We wouldn't want the baths to get cold."

"Oh! Yes, of course."

Now that the time had come, old fears came back to war with the desire coursing through her veins. She clutched her napkin. She could do this. This is what she wanted. More than anything.

His hand covered hers over the napkin. Enveloping her in warmth, his rough fingers caressing tenderly, smoothing the tension.

"We don't need to do anything if you are having second thoughts."

His manner was neutral, but profound disappointment hit her like a cannonball to the chest, opening a gaping hole for all her fears to rush in. He was backing out.

"You don't want to?"

She hated the way her voice sounded so timid. Why was she like this? She was an independent and decisive woman in every other aspect of her life, but when it came to relationships, she turned into an insecure, mumbling idiot. This attractive, confident, powerful man had shown interest in her, and before she even got to fully enjoy his attentions, she had already turned him off.

His sarcastic snort cut through her pity party.

"Thalia, if I wanted you any more, I would have already disgraced myself. It's not that, sweetheart."

"Then why do you want to back out?"

"I don't. At this very moment, my baser instincts are urging me to shut up, drag you upstairs, and ravish you. But a moment ago, you looked so uncertain. Nervous. I don't want you to feel beholden to me in any way. Or to think you have to go through with it simply because you agreed before. You can change your mind at any moment, for any reason, and I will abide by your wishes."

The sincerity of his tone, the kindness behind his words, the profound respect for her as a person that he displayed, dissolved her hesitation like the sun dissolves the fog. How could people ever think that this man was capable of murdering his wife? Society didn't know him at all. He deserved equal sincerity from her.

Turning her hand in his, she interlocked their fingers. "I haven't changed my mind. I'm nervous because I've never done this before. But I want you, too. Now more than ever."

His smile was radiant. He brought their joined hands to his lips to kiss her fingers.

"In that case, I'm even more honored that you would choose me. Now, let's not think about this anymore and just feel. Tonight is just for feeling."

They climbed the stairs hand in hand. When the marquess opened the door to their room, her eyes were immediately drawn to the enormous bed that dominated the space. Made up with soft, inviting linens, it promised a restful night's sleep. If sleep had been what they had in mind for tonight.

A fire crackled in the marble fireplace, and someone had set a huge copper bath next to it. Steam rose from the surface of the water, carrying with it the aroma of lavender, vanilla, and something darker, more exotic. It was the smell of seduction. Everything was exquisite and of the finest quality. As a widow of limited means, she could never have afforded something so sumptuous.

"Do you need help to get out of your gown?"

"No. Since I was traveling alone, I wore a gown I could manage on my own."

He nodded and gave her a playful kiss. "My practical muse. That being the case, I'll leave you to enjoy your bath."

"You are not coming in?"

His smirk was wicked as he promised. "I'll come in a little while. I have to see about those sheaths. Lock the door after I leave."

With a wink, he closed the door behind him. She locked it, then placed a hand over her chest to calm her rioting heart.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU only got one?" Liam asked his servant after the young man returned with the requested item.

"There were no more to be had, milord," Mathias replied, eyes wide.

"In this entire city?"

"Most apothecary establishments were already closed. I finally found one cantankerous old apothecary who was closing shop for the day and persuaded him to stay open long enough to sell me the sheath. Wasn't easy either. If you could have seen his expression of disgust as we completed the transaction... But I guess his greed overcame his scruples. Still, he kept muttering the whole time about depravity and sin. He said he only had one left, and he never planned to restock them again. Mentioned an exorbitant price and told me I could take it or leave it." The servant shrugged. "I figured you'd want me to pay the price and bring you the item as soon as possible, rather than keep searching with no guarantee of finding another open shop. If you want, I could go back out and try to find more."

The explanation made sense, and yes, Mathias's judgment was sound.

"No, thank you. That's fine, Mathias. You did good. Go have some dinner while I take a bath and then you can order a bath for yourself and make use of my room, as I don't plan on staying there tonight. Good night."

With that, he turned and marched towards his room to enjoy his bath. He shouldn't complain. He would rather have one than none. Wouldn't be nearly enough, he was sure, but perhaps tonight needn't be the end of their affair. He was of the mind to stay in London for a while. And if he hoped to use Thalia as a model for his sculpture, he would have to keep seeing her. Maybe he could make a more long-term arrangement with his delightful muse.

With a snort, he entered his room and began undressing for his bath. He was in a fine state. He hadn't even bedded the woman once, and he was already planning a longer arrangement? Not to mention that she was the sister of his brother's bride. The potential for complications was great. But damn it all to hell; he knew that one night with her wouldn't be enough to slake the lust she awakened in him.