sense of panic started building inside her – a sudden fear of knowing too much.
But then he spoke, and it was too late for her to change her mind, to press her hand to his mouth and force him into silence, to remain oblivious.
“I loved her.” He said it as if there had been no choice. Angelica’s heart paused to absorb this before continuing its steady rhythm. “She was perfect and we were happy together. Happier than I ever expected to be. Until she died, frozen to death outside and...” The muscles in his throat flexed and strained as if he were struggling to speak.
“I’m so sorry.” Angelica waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she said, “Surely she must have called for help.”
“There was a storm that night. No one would have heard her above the howling of the wind.”
Angelica shuddered. The image Lord Sterling evoked of his wife’s passing was thoroughly disturbing, especially in light of her own recent experiences. She swallowed. “It was the door from last night, wasn’t it? The one that shut her out in the cold?”
His expression was pulled into grim lines, his eyes a dull shade of grey. “Again, I must apologize for my reaction.”
“There’s really no need.”
He blinked, seemed to collect himself. His eyes focused on her with remarkable clarity. The air between them thickened. Her breaths came slower, harder. She parted her lips without even thinking. And then the air between them was gone, and his mouth was pressed against hers with insatiable hunger.
Surprise made her flinch and for a brief second he paused. Yes or no, he seemed to ask.
“What if someone sees?”
“No one will.” His breath whispered softly against her lips. “They’d have to enter the room completely to see this corner. And the door isn’t fully open.”
Still, she hesitated, though only for a brief second before his scent and the desperate desire to ease away his sorrow in some small way overwhelmed her. She wanted this. She wanted him. And he must have felt her compliance, for he closed the gap between them once more with a kiss that reached to the depth of her soul.
This was passion and desire – it had to be – and she was alive with it, so alive every nerve ending in her body clamored for more. Her lips parted instinctively, and he wasted no time in taking advantage. Good lord! Whoever knew it would feel so grand to be devoured? His hand slid down her back, its progress slow, assessing, gauging her willingness and her reaction.
Angelica gasped. Not because she objected to his caress, but because of the air brushing over the nape of her neck. Ice dug its way under her skin like claws trying to rake their way through her. “I…” She drew back. “Do you feel that?”
His eyebrows drew together in bewilderment. “What?”
She glanced about. The chill trickled down her spine, slowly releasing its grip. “I’m referring to the cold.”
He stared at her. “We are near the window. Perhaps you’re more sensitive to the lower temperature in this part of the room than I am.”
“Of course.” That had to be it, right? Any other explanation would border on madness. She shivered. “Perhaps I should make a habit of wearing a shawl while I’m here.”
“Perhaps,” he agreed.
His gaze drove into hers in a way that made her heart pound with longing. Something warm touched her hand, almost causing her to leap. She relaxed when she realized it was his fingers, slowly sliding over her skin in a way that pushed all else to the background. She forgot her unease and relaxed once more while allowing herself to savor his touch.
“I want you to know…” His mouth flattened in a serious manner. He swallowed in an almost awkward sort of way. “I haven’t kissed any of the others. Only you.”
It felt important. Monumentally so. Yet she still had to ask, “Why?”
“Because I don’t want them. I want you.”
Angelica’s lips parted in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to be quite to frank. “You barely know me.”
“I know you’re the only woman here with whom I can see myself spending the rest of my life. Whether or not it will come to that will be determined in the coming days.”
“You already know I don’t care for Colchester Hall. What if I don’t want to live here?”
The edges around his mouth tightened and he released her hand. Stepping away from her, he watched her through narrowed eyes. “This is my ancestral home.