She curled a hand around one powerful arm. “I thought… I thought you might humiliate me with diamonds,” she said unsteadily as he nipped his way to the curve of shoulder uncovered by the scandalously low-cut gown.
She felt him smile against her. “Diamonds a humiliation, amore mio? Clearly I know the wrong women.”
“Clearly,” she said sourly, not wanting to think about his other lovers. Before or after her. Other lovers would feel him shaking with desire in their arms. Other lovers would hear that deep growl when he found release. Other lovers would lie in blessed satisfaction after he’d shown them paradise.
He raised his head and stared at her with a warmth that radiated to her toes. His arms loosely circled her waist. “Jealous, tesoro?”
“Madly,” she said sarcastically, hating those faceless women. She wanted to scratch out their eyes and pull their hair and warn them to stay away from what was hers. It would be amusing if it wasn’t tragic. Beyond the next few days Jonas wasn’t hers, no matter what fancies addled her mind.
His expression alerted her to a private joke. “What is it?” She paused and her grip on his sleeve tightened. “Oh, no. You didn’t. They are diamonds, aren’t they?”
“Only small ones, tesoro,” he said apologetically. His eyes glittered with what she tried not to interpret as delight.
“I suppose that’s all right, then.”
“Will you thank me with a kiss?”
“Should I? After all, they’re only small diamonds.” She couldn’t resist running her hand down his unscarred cheek. Beneath her palm, his skin was firm and smooth. He must have shaved before dinner. She drew him down to her. Above her in the mirror, the man sank toward the sitting woman. Under the white lawn shirt, his back moved subtly as he kissed her.
“You’re not getting into the spirit,” he complained against her lips.
She shifted. “It’s the mirror.”
“I’ll make it right.” He leaned down to open the nightstand and drew something out, then kissed her tenderly.
Too quickly the kiss ended. She grumbled incoherently and followed him, holding his shoulder and pressing her mouth to his. His tongue flickered out to meet hers. Triumph flooded her. But he withdrew after a mortifyingly brief taste. “Shut your eyes.”
“Merrick…” She reached a point where his teasing grated rather than amused. He watched with the half-smile that had her heart performing acrobatics.
“Shut your eyes. Please, Sidonie.”
The “please” was meant to disarm. Confound him, it disarmed. She bent forward from the headboard and shut her eyes. It was a relief not seeing a hundred Sidonies.
“And my name is Jonas,” he said softly. “Surely after last night, you can bring yourself to use my Christian name.”
She knew she was ridiculous. Calling him Merrick helped maintain the illusion that she wasn’t tumbling headlong into enchantment.
Merrick teased and taunted, and schemed to dishonor Roberta. Merrick was sarcastic and powerful. Merrick, no matter how appealing, she could resist.
Jonas…
Jonas was someone else entirely. Jonas hid a breathtaking generosity of spirit from all the world except her. Jonas had struggled to the point of pain last night to save her hurt. Jonas was so lonely and damaged, she’d sell her soul to heal him. Jonas called to her heart as nobody had before.
Jonas threatened her in ways that became clearer with each minute. And in ways that would leave her ruined indeed, well beyond the physical, when she returned to Barstowe Hall.
“Jonas.” She wanted to sound short and snappy. Instead his name emerged as a sigh of concession.
“That’s better.”
She didn’t need to open her eyes to confirm that his expression reeked satisfaction. “Can I look now?”
“Not yet.”
Her hands clenched in the sheets. Denying sight sharpened her remaining senses but she couldn’t help feeling defenseless. She smelled lemon soap overlying his individual scent. The bed was soft beneath her. Her hair lay heavy around her shoulders, sliding against her skin as she moved.
The mattress shifted as Jonas stood. She heard his boots brushing across the carpet. Every hair on her body lifted as he stopped beside her. He didn’t touch her but she was so aware of him, he might as well. On a whisper of material, something smooth and cool covered her eyes.
“What are you doing?” she asked sharply, starting as his hands moved deftly behind her head. She opened her eyes to darkness. She lifted one hand to rip off the blindfold.