order them both out, but she was too polite, and after hovering in the doorway a moment, she gave up on Nic. Theodore murmured something close to her ear, and with a hunted glance at Olivia, she accompanied him through the doorway. Nic could hear Theodore’s complaints fading into the distance.
The room fell silent, and at last Nic was exactly where he wanted to be. Alone with her.
Chapter 6
T he parlor was very quiet, apart from the ticking of the clock, and Olivia was beginning to think she wasn’t strong enough yet to be alone in a room with a man like Nic. His magnetism, his presence, shook her to the core. But she wasn’t a coward, and she forced herself to look up.
He was watching her with a smile hovering around his mouth, his dark eyes intent. His long body was folded into the chair, graceful without the conscious pretentiousness of Theodore. Nic Lacey was charismatic without even trying.
“You were disgraceful,” she said reprovingly.
“I meant to be. I wanted to save you from a fate worse than death—marriage to Theodore Garsed.”
“You…what?”
“He informed me while we were waiting outside the door that he intended to marry you. Why the hell didn’t you tell me that the other day?”
She closed her eyes and rubbed her fingers across her brow, as though her head was aching.“Because it was none of your business. And for your information I have no intention of marrying Mr. Garsed, no matter what my mother hopes and believes.”
Nic stood up and crossed to the chaise longue and sat down beside her. She felt the size and warmth of his body like a shock; her flesh was actually tingling with the promise of contact.
“Olivia?” he said, and when she didn’t answer he slipped a finger under her chin, tilting her face toward his, forcing her toward him.
She dropped her dark lashes lower, hiding her thoughts from him.
Nic spoke softly. “He’s not the man for you; don’t let him convince you he is.”
She bit her lip. What was he trying to do? Save her from making a matrimonial mistake? How ironic that he could see that Theodore was completely wrong for her and yet could not see that he was completely right.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers warm and tender. “I can fight a duel with him. Drive him off for good. Would you like that?”
Olivia’s head was filled with the shocking image of Nic standing over Theodore’s lifeless body, the gun smoking in his hand. “No, I don’t like that! You’d hurt him.”
“He might hurt me.”
“I doubt it. At least, not according to your reputation.” She took a breath, gathering her courage, and looked directly into his dark eyes. “Nic, areyou really offering me advice on who I should take as my husband?”
He was very close to her; she could feel his warm breath on her lips. If she’d thought her recent illness might protect her from wanting to kiss him, she was mistaken. In fact her status as a convalescent seemed to have made her even more receptive to his seductive charms, she thought, as a warm rush of desire overcame her and she had to concentrate to hear his reply above the pounding in her ears.
“I’ve seen far more of the world than you, Olivia, and this man would make you extremely miserable, believe me.”
She lifted her hand and placed it lightly on his shoulder. “So…you don’t want me to marry Theodore? Is that what you’re saying?”
His face grew serious. “I don’t want you to marry Theodore.”
She smoothed his lapel with her fingers as she thought about what she was going to say next. The moment seemed so intimate, she was loath to break it. “Nic, there is another way to stop the wedding.”
He knew what she was going to say. She could see his dark eyes fill with the knowledge. His smile was regretful, as if he was turning down a second helping of his beloved jam roly-poly. “Olivia, Olivia,” he murmured. “If you think you’re unhappy now you have no idea how unhappy I would
The room fell silent, and at last Nic was exactly where he wanted to be. Alone with her.
Chapter 6
T he parlor was very quiet, apart from the ticking of the clock, and Olivia was beginning to think she wasn’t strong enough yet to be alone in a room with a man like Nic. His magnetism, his presence, shook her to the core. But she wasn’t a coward, and she forced herself to look up.
He was watching her with a smile hovering around his mouth, his dark eyes intent. His long body was folded into the chair, graceful without the conscious pretentiousness of Theodore. Nic Lacey was charismatic without even trying.
“You were disgraceful,” she said reprovingly.
“I meant to be. I wanted to save you from a fate worse than death—marriage to Theodore Garsed.”
“You…what?”
“He informed me while we were waiting outside the door that he intended to marry you. Why the hell didn’t you tell me that the other day?”
She closed her eyes and rubbed her fingers across her brow, as though her head was aching.“Because it was none of your business. And for your information I have no intention of marrying Mr. Garsed, no matter what my mother hopes and believes.”
Nic stood up and crossed to the chaise longue and sat down beside her. She felt the size and warmth of his body like a shock; her flesh was actually tingling with the promise of contact.
“Olivia?” he said, and when she didn’t answer he slipped a finger under her chin, tilting her face toward his, forcing her toward him.
She dropped her dark lashes lower, hiding her thoughts from him.
Nic spoke softly. “He’s not the man for you; don’t let him convince you he is.”
She bit her lip. What was he trying to do? Save her from making a matrimonial mistake? How ironic that he could see that Theodore was completely wrong for her and yet could not see that he was completely right.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers warm and tender. “I can fight a duel with him. Drive him off for good. Would you like that?”
Olivia’s head was filled with the shocking image of Nic standing over Theodore’s lifeless body, the gun smoking in his hand. “No, I don’t like that! You’d hurt him.”
“He might hurt me.”
“I doubt it. At least, not according to your reputation.” She took a breath, gathering her courage, and looked directly into his dark eyes. “Nic, areyou really offering me advice on who I should take as my husband?”
He was very close to her; she could feel his warm breath on her lips. If she’d thought her recent illness might protect her from wanting to kiss him, she was mistaken. In fact her status as a convalescent seemed to have made her even more receptive to his seductive charms, she thought, as a warm rush of desire overcame her and she had to concentrate to hear his reply above the pounding in her ears.
“I’ve seen far more of the world than you, Olivia, and this man would make you extremely miserable, believe me.”
She lifted her hand and placed it lightly on his shoulder. “So…you don’t want me to marry Theodore? Is that what you’re saying?”
His face grew serious. “I don’t want you to marry Theodore.”
She smoothed his lapel with her fingers as she thought about what she was going to say next. The moment seemed so intimate, she was loath to break it. “Nic, there is another way to stop the wedding.”
He knew what she was going to say. She could see his dark eyes fill with the knowledge. His smile was regretful, as if he was turning down a second helping of his beloved jam roly-poly. “Olivia, Olivia,” he murmured. “If you think you’re unhappy now you have no idea how unhappy I would
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