Nicholas laughed and raised his hands in mock surrender. “I confess, I told Chadderton you like men who pander to your whims. I said you loved Byron and macaroons.”
Ah! Now their dinner conversation made more sense.
“No wonder he spent half the night reciting lines of poetry.” She considered Nicholas’ motive for lying to Mr Chadderton. “Do you think him an unsuitable match, Mr St Clair? Have you my best interests at heart?”
“Always.” He inclined his head. “And you would easily tire of a man like that. He’s a fool and a bore and hasn’t the first clue how to please a woman in bed. You can do better than Chadderton.”
Please a woman in bed!
Never had he spoken with such abandon. Doubtless, Nicholas knew how to make a lady writhe with pleasure.
“You’re not usually so harsh in your criticism. Do you have anyone more suitable in mind? Perhaps Mr Thorndyke or Lord Bowden? Both men asked to stroll about the grounds with me tomorrow.”
“They want your dowry,” he snapped.
“Are you suggesting I have nothing else to recommend me, sir?”
His gaze slipped to her mouth for the umpteenth time today. “On the contrary, I am more than aware of your assets, Miss Langley.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
Was Nicholas St Clair flirting with her?
“Pray enlighten me so I may get a full sense of my worth.”
A mischievous grin formed on his luscious lips. “And reveal all my wild fantasies? I think not.”
Wild fantasies!
Now she knew she was dreaming.
The thought encouraged her to be bold.
“I find it hard to believe you would have fanciful notions about anyone, let alone the woman you treat like a sister.”
“A man’s thoughts and actions are not always aligned.”
“It must be hard living with the constant contradiction.” She would tease him until his mouth moved closer to hers. Then she was certain to wake from this lucid vision, hot and breathless, consumed by an unbearable yearning.
“Harder than you can possibly imagine.”
He was different tonight. It was like lifting the lid on her silver music box, looking beyond the hard exterior and seeing something spectacular inside.
“Why did you bring me out here?” They were alone in a secret tower—a lovers’ meeting place. It was dark and dangerous. Forbidden.
“I don’t want anyone to overhear our conversation.”
“We might have spoken in the herb garden.”
“It’s safer out here.”
“Not for me.” She was one breath away from making a fool of herself, from daring to do what she had imagined for so long. “A lady might mistake the intentions of a man who spirited her away to the woods.”
He moved back, just one step. In the small chamber, there was nowhere else to go. “My intentions were to tell you about the developments in our case. I have new information relating to my blackmailer. And I was keen to hear what you have learned today.”
His voice had lost the sensual undertone she had heard seconds earlier. He had closed the lid on the magical box, keen to keep her from experiencing the wonders within.
Something in the air—the thrum of energy neither could deny—pushed all thoughts of their problems from her mind.