The Formidable Earl (Diamonds in the Rough #6) - Sophie Barnes Page 0,44

the carriage without further comment.

“Have you given any more thought to meeting with Coventry?” she asked once they were underway and neither had spoken a word for a while. Simon had been right about the traffic. She almost believed they’d reach the harbor faster by foot.

“I’d rather not discuss it right now.” Sitting directly opposite her, he’d been watching her with a pensive look in his eyes.

She shifted. His direct perusal of her was a little unsettling. “Dismissing an issue won’t make it go away, and it certainly won’t make it easier to solve.”

He muttered something inaudible, a curse, no doubt, and leaned forward. “Perhaps you should take that advice yourself before you start giving it to others.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Except she was fairly sure she did. “You’re making no sense.”

“Aren’t I?”

She sniffed. “You’re in a peculiar mood today, Simon. I’m really not sure what to make of it.”

“No?”

“No,” she told him tightly. His unwillingness to have a proper conversation was starting to get on her nerves. “Perhaps you didn’t sleep well last night?”

“I haven’t slept well in almost two weeks,” he grumbled. “Last night was no different.”

“Oh? I’m sorry to hear it.”

“Are you really?”

“Of course.” She held his gaze. A queer feeling started to churn in her belly. “Honestly, Simon, I’m not sure what’s going on with you today.”

“The same as yesterday, I imagine. And the day before that. And the—”

“Right. Well, we don’t have to talk if you’d rather not. I was merely trying to help.” Turning her head toward the window until he was blocked out of view, she gave her attention to the passing buildings. An ache squeezed her breast with a loss she couldn’t define. She felt tired, depleted, and inexplicably sad.

“Why didn’t you let me kiss you?”

The question was so poignant, so unexpected in the wake of the rest of their muddled discussion, she almost wondered if she’d imagined it. Until she glanced at him and saw his eyes fixed on her with the sharpest intensity she’d ever been submitted to.

She sucked in a breath. “I’m not—”

“Don’t insult me by trying to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. I’ve spent the last two days deliberating over the issue, over your swift avoidance of my advance. Initially, I believed the best course of action was to try and ignore it since that was what you seemed so keen on doing. But I’ve since changed my mind.”

He was suddenly on the bench beside her, too large and too close, too imposing by half. His masculine scent stirred her senses, his mere presence forcing an unbidden shiver to rake down her back. Her fingers itched with the need to reach out and touch him, to pull him close and allow herself to be consumed by his strength.

“Oh God.” It was all she could say and even then the words barely managed to scrape past her lips.

The golden center of his eyes gleamed. “Why are you so determined to stop the inevitable?”

“I…” She shook her head, unable to lay bare her fears.

His hand cupped her cheek. One finger stroked the edge of her jaw. A ragged breath rose from her throat. “Tell me.”

“It’s foolish.” He was dulling her mind with his touch, addling her senses with his smell, weakening her defenses with the low vibrations of his voice.

“I disagree.” His gaze dropped to her lips before moving lower, roving over each part of her body until she felt scorched. “I’ve been hungry since the day I clapped eyes on your beauty.” His gaze returned to her face with increased resolve burning bright in its depth. “And since you’ve refused to sate that hunger, I’ve been brought to the point of starvation, Ida. My entire body shakes at the thought of what it would feel like to kiss you, to touch you, to bury myself in your sweetness. I’m nearly mad with it. With you. I can scarcely think of anything else.

“Christ have mercy, I want you with a desperation I fear might kill me.” He dropped his hand, leaned back, allowed her a moment to gather her wits. “But I won’t press the issue again unless you desire the same. My respect for you is too great and besides, I’m not that sort of man. So unless you give your consent, nothing further will happen between us. I give you my word.”

It took effort to breathe. Pressed back into the corner of the carriage and with her heart pounding like mad, Ida stared