Still, the incident on the archery range this afternoon had only bolstered her belief in the Gypsy’s spell. Her behavior had actually been quite modest, not in the least alluring, certainly not compared to Raven’s charming demeanor. But the two gentlemen hadn’t fought over her friend, Brynn reminded herself. Only her. She was a fool to have hoped she could simply ignore the curse’s power.
She needed to convince Lucian of its potency, though. She had to show him that he was just as vulnerable as any other man-more so, in fact, because of his intimate conjugal demands. She had to make him understand the danger so he would help her avert the dire consequences.
Knowing it was better not to allow time for her courage to wane, Brynn opened the door and stepped inside his bedchamber. She had never been in her husband’s room before. It was decorated with masculine elegance in rich dark colors of forest green and gold. A massive bed dominated the room. Her gaze was drawn to it, then skittered away to find Lucian at the washstand, toweling his face dry.
Brynn came up short. He was shirtless. The sight of his sleekly muscled torso made her breath catch in her throat.
He hadn’t heard her enter, fortunately, which gave her time to recover her composure. She shut the door softly behind her.
Lucian looked up then and froze, surprise flickering in his blue eyes before he quickly masked his expression.
“Have you lost your way?” he asked coolly.
“No. I need help with the buttons on the back of my gown. Will you do me the kindness?”
Lucian eyed her with suspicion. “Why don’t you call your maid?”
“I don’t want to trouble her.”
“But you want to trouble me? ”
She merely smiled, a slow, sultry smile that made his features visibly harden. “Do you mind?”
His gaze raked her, taking in the sight of her hair loose and falling around her shoulders. Without answering, he crossed to her. When Brynn gave him her back, he pushed her hair out of the way almost roughly.
At his evident impatience, Brynn couldn’t help but feel a measure of satisfaction, but she held her tongue as he unfastened the buttons in grim silence.
“Thank you,” she said when he was done, keeping her voice low and husky.
She turned to face him. He was so close, she could feel the heat of his body. He felt the same heat, she knew. The same taut sexual awareness. She could see it in his eyes that were glittering like sapphires.
“What game are you playing, Brynn?”
“No game. I am simply proving a point.”
“And what point is that?”
“That the curse is extraordinarily potent. I did not purposefully try to arouse those gentlemen this afternoon. If I had wanted to, I would have behaved far differently.”
“Like you’re behaving now?”
“Yes.”
Holding his gaze, she bit her lower lip provocatively and raised her hand to the neckline of her gown.
Lucian went rigid as she drew the silk fabric down to expose the lush swell of her breasts beneath her chemise. She meant to undress in front of him, he realized, and deliberately incite him. He felt his loins tighten with a savage ache.
“That is far enough,” he said tightly, determined not to respond.
“I don’t think so.”
She didn’t stop with the bodice of her gown. She pulled her chemise down, freeing her exquisite breasts, high and firm with rose-hued nipples. His mouth went dry at the thought of tasting them.
“Do you truly think you can resist me?” she asked, her husky voice wicked and tempting.
He sucked in a harsh breath. He damned well should resist her. A man could grow addicted to a body like Brynn’s and forget everything else that mattered. Already he wanted her with a fierceness, a longing that stunned him.
“You are playing with fire,” he warned, his voice thick with desire.