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I sighed. “There is so much more to this.”
“Ah, yes! There is the little matter of the title, is there not?” His voice was ice and I winced. “You aren’t the first, and you won’t be the last beautiful woman to snare one of those simply by using what you have between your legs.”
“Don’t be so crude,” I whispered. I could hear the hurt in my own voice.
He laughed cruelly. “I can be a hell of a lot cruder. But you know that already, don’t you? And I don’t remember you complaining.” He took another slug from the bottle and the dangerous glint in his eyes deepened. “Does he know about me?” I shook my head. “Well, that should make for an interesting conversation. We don’t usually have much to say to each other, but swapping notes about you might provide us with more to talk about.”
“What will you gain by telling him?” I asked. “Other than to cause him hurt?”
“Ah, sweet Dita.” There was a laugh trembling on the edge of his voice. “How little you know of our family. Hurting each other is something of a specialty for the Jagos. Sometimes we also enjoying hurting nonfamily members.” Cad slid from the bed and came toward me.
I wanted to tell him then. Suddenly it seemed that it would be the easiest thing in the world to melt into his arms and say, “I am not really engaged to your brother, but I cannot allow myself to love you because, if I do, a madman called Sandor Karol will kill us both.” I actually opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Cad moved closer. His eyes raked my face.
“When I think of him touching you, I want to put my fist through a wall. Or through his head. I think they call it jealously. I wouldn’t know because I’ve never felt it before. I wish I could get you out of my mind, bouche. I wish I could close my eyes and, just for once, not see your face.” He was swaying slightly now. “The only consolation is I know you ache to feel me inside you again every bit as much as I long to be there.”
“No,” I said softly, and he bent his head closer to hear. I couldn’t help myself. “I want you more,” I whispered in despair.
“It’s not a bloody competition,” he muttered, grabbing my hand and jerking me hard against his chest. The effort made him stumble backward slightly and he fell heavily onto the bed, pulling me down on top of him. I lay, unmoving, for a heart-changing minute, then I lifted my head cautiously to look down at his face. I did not know whether to be angry or amused at the discovery that he had fallen asleep.
* * *
Conversation at the breakfast table was stilted until Porter appeared with devastating news. “Another girl has gone missing. This time in Port Isaac, my lord, and the police are asking all able-bodied men to join a search party.” A tiny frown marred Tynan’s brow at Porter’s words, and he turned to look at his wife, a question clouding his eyes. She gave a very slight shake of her head.
All at once I knew what that silent exchange meant. And I knew the answer to their unspoken question. Because, of course, I knew where Cad had spent the night. And, as far as I was aware, he was still there. Hurriedly, I excused myself and made my way back to my bedroom. Once there, I flung back the heavy velvet curtains to let the sickly sunlight in through the windows. The prone figure on the bed stirred slightly. Cad was lying facedown with his head buried under a pillow, and I reached out a hand to shake him by the shoulder. He came fully awake at my touch, turning to regard me with surprise that changed gradually to amusement.
“I see,” he murmured, looking me up and down with interest. “It cannot have escaped your notice that I was somewhat the worse for wear last night, bouche. I do hope I managed to acquit myself honourably?”
“You did not acquit yourself at all,” I informed him. Bluntly, I reminded him what had passed between us following the knock on my door that had roused me at an ungodly hour. “You tumbled headlong onto my bed and commenced snoring like a tormented lion,” I reminded him.
He gave a shout of laughter, and I found my lips curving upward in an answering smile. He might be infuriating, but he was also irresistible. Thankfully, he appeared to have forgotten that I had confessed how much I wanted him. And the dawn had brought me back to sanity. Even if there was no Sandor, my feelings for Cad would snap my only friend like a twig bent over a child’s knee. Eddie was not strong enough to cope with the knowledge of the untamed passion I felt for the one man he hated above all others.
