He raised a brow and waited for her to explain.
“In your defense, I do know you didn’t turn me down because of my scar. You rejected me a full six months before I got it.” She let out a long sigh. “It must have been some other flaw in my personality.”
Raven shook his head, his expression unreadable, and Heloise closed her eyes, appalled with herself. Had she really just said that out loud? She needed to stop talking, right this instant.
The mattress dipped as he shifted and she felt him smooth back her hair from her cheek. His breath sluiced across her forehead, then her cheek, as he bent down.
The touch of his hand disappeared but she sensed he stayed close by. His presence should have been alarming, but instead she found herself oddly comforted.
“Sleep now, Hellcat,” he whispered in her ear.
And for possibly the first time in her life, Heloise Hampden did as she was told.
—
Raven shook his head as he gazed down at the woman in his bed. For someone so intelligent, she was sometimes unbelievably stupid. Thank God.
He tucked the blankets around her and a fierce wave of lust shot through him. He liked the idea of surrounding her in sheets that smelled of him. She nestled further into the pillows, pink lips pouted in sleep.
He forced himself to move away and sit in the chair, enjoying the familiar creak of leather as he propped his booted feet on the desk, and smiled at the memory of her list. He’d done exactly the same thing when he’d been kidnapped, made a mental list of all the things he regretted not doing. Funny how the imminence of death gave one’s thoughts a certain awful clarity.
Making love to Heloise Hampden had been high up on his list.
First on the list, if he was honest.
He’d sworn that if he ever got out of that hellhole he was going to go after what he wanted. He’d wantedher,and sod it, he was going to take her, and to hell with the consequences.
Except it hadn’t been that simple. He’d wanted to race over and see her the moment he’d escaped, but he’d forced himself to wait, to make himself presentable again. He’d arrived just in time for her damned coming-out ball, spotted her across the room surrounded by a crowd of admirers. There she was, so bloody beautiful, shining like the sun.
The reality of the situation had hit him like a physical blow, more shocking than all the actual blows he’d received during his imprisonment. He couldn’t possibly claim her now. He was contaminated, broken. Unworthy.
Raven shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with his thoughts. That had been six years ago and he’d gone even farther down the path of darkness since then. Someone as good as Heloise was forever out of reach.
Chapter 11
Heloise cracked open one eye and groaned. Her head hurt.
The scuffle of feet overhead and the muted hum of voices confirmed her hazy recollections of the previous night. She was in a cabin. On Raven’s boat. A boat that was still moving, judging by the rocking motion and the sound of waves slapping on the hull. The slow side-to-side roll matched the unpleasant pitch of her stomach.
She squinted at the sunlight slanting in through the portholes, which did nothing to help the pounding in her temples. Was it morning? Afternoon? Her throat was scratchy. Was thatcoffeeshe could smell?
Someone had partly opened a window, at least; the blessedly fresh breeze gave her the strength to risk moving her head.
She was not alone.
Raven sat in the chair, long legs stretched out in front of him, looking irritatingly refreshed. Heloise moaned and pressed her face back into the pillow. How long had he been there?
“Ah, you’re awake.” He put down the book he’d been reading, poured a cup of steaming liquid from a silver pot on the desk, and offered it to her.
Heloise held her head with one hand. It felt as if it needed the support. “What time is it?”
“Time to get up. Drink this.”
She struggled into a sitting position and shot him a suspicious glare. “It’s not alcoholic, is it?”
“Coffee. You’ll feel better, I promise.” He took a sip. She watched the dip of his throat as he swallowed and cursed the odd feeling in her stomach, which had nothing to do with last night’s gin. He handed her the cup. “See? No ill effects.”
She deliberately turned the mug so she wouldn’t have to drink from the same section his lips had touched. He grinned. She gulped it down.Heavenly.It burned her throat and warmed her stomach, and she felt better immediately.