Part 17 (1/2)

”Why do you look so happy?” Angelica asked, returning her infectious smile.

”I think Paul is going to ask me to dance!”

”He will if he has any good sense at all,” said Sabine.

Before Angelica could reply, she heard, ”Mademoiselle?”

A young man stood before her. She'd seen him before. He was a member of the crew and not a worker from the cane fields.

”My name is Yves. Would you care to dance?” He held out his hand.

The lively music beckoned her. Losing herself in it would be a delightful, much-needed distraction. She looked at Suzette and Sabine. They nodded, urging her to go.

”Thank you, Yves. That would be very nice.”

”Angelica is quite a popular woman,” Jules said, walking up with a big grin.

Simon tried to ignore his irritating friend.

”I believe that is her fifth dance in a row.”

Seventh, Simon wanted to say.

”And I believe it must be her second with Yves.”

Third. But who is counting?

”I don't think the lovely Angelica will be lacking in male company in any way tonight,” Toussaint remarked.

Simon clenched his teeth. Watching as Angelica went from Yves to her next dance partner, he didn't need the obvious pointed out to him.

She was smiling, flushed from dancing, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s beautifully enhanced by her dropped neckline. The memory of how those same sweet b.r.e.a.s.t.s had looked and felt in his hands, filled his mind, and stiffened his unruly c.o.c.k. He could still taste her delicious, pert nipples on his tongue.

He found himself mourning the loss of the convent garb.

Claudine rubbed her thigh against his, again. He wished she'd chosen to sit elsewhere during the meal. ”Wasn't she on your s.h.i.+p, Simon?” she purred annoyingly.

”Yes.”

Jules leaned in and murmured in his ear. ”You've omitted some delectable details of the voyage, by the way.” Simon could hear the smile in Jules's voice. If he didn't have an enormous erection at the moment, he would stand up and toss Jules over the cliff.

”I heard that no one knows much about her, and that you found her in a convent,” Claudine said with a laugh. Her friend Antoinette and Jules joined in. Toussaint simply smiled.

Simon glared darkly at Jules. His laughter died.

”I must admit I was a bit jealous when I learned she'd be living in your home, Simon,” Claudine added. ”But a convent?” Her laughter bubbled to the surface once more. ”With her limited knowledge of men, I sincerely doubt she could hold your interest, cher.”

That was just it. Angelica had held his interest from the moment he'd laid eyes on her.

Against his will, Simon watched the parade of her dance partners. Each man left looking love-struck or l.u.s.t-struck. She wove her magic on unsuspecting males with devastating proficiency.

When, at long last, Simon saw her step away from the dancing and walk over to the tables, he couldn't stop himself from approaching her.

Standing alone, she reached for a goblet of wine.

”Good evening,” he said. ”Are you enjoying yourself, chere?”

”Yes. Thank you.” She looked past his shoulder at the small group he had left. ”Are you?”

”Of course.” This was the first real conversation he'd had with her since the day they had arrived. ”Tell me, you didn't happen to mention your real name to any of the men you danced with, did you? It would bring our game to an end. I won't feel special anymore.”

She stiffened. And there was a flare of anger in her eyes. Good. It was only part of what he felt after watching her moving from man to man.

For the life of him, he couldn't understand her. She was compa.s.sionate, gentle, and sometimes shy, yet she was also feisty, strong, and brave. She looked like an innocent, yet she was not. In bed, she'd been pa.s.sionate, yet virginal in manner. It was driving him mad. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't quash this d.a.m.ned fixation he had with her.

”I didn't tell them anything, Simon, but there is something I have been meaning to tell you.”

”Oh? And what is that?”

She set the goblet down onto the table and stepped close to him. ”I wanted to thank you for the tumble.” She turned to go. He caught her arm and marched into the forest beyond the torches, pulling her with him. ”Simon, what are you doing?”

He didn't stop until he reached a small clearing, secluded by trees and shadow.

He released her arm. ”I want to know what it is you seek. Are you working up the men because you are looking for a tumble?”

”I am not a wh.o.r.e.”

”I never said you were. And I don't think ill of women with, shall we say, a healthy s.e.xual appet.i.te. I consider those women to be among my personal favorites.”

”Really? From the looks of it, you have a lot of 'personal favorites.' Tell me, Simon, are you working them up? Are you looking for a tumble?”

Her words pulled a smile from him. ”Chere, you sound jealous.”

Normally, possessive feelings from a woman, such as jealousy, inspired him to turn and walk, but seeing it in her eyes, hearing it in her tone, oddly pleased him. He'd noticed that since he'd pulled her into the secluded spot, her breathing had hastened a little, and he was willing to wager that if he ran his fingers along her smooth neck, he would find her pulse racing. He was affecting her. And it wasn't anger that was causing the quickening in her body, but rather hot s.e.xual excitement, the same scorching heat that was rus.h.i.+ng through him.

Dieu. There was no debate about it. The desire between them was an undeniable truth.

After all her toying, he should have had enough of her, but he knew down to his marrow he wasn't even close to sating himself with his moonlight angel.

He would break this mind-bending obsession for good. To that end, he was going to make himself available to her. But on his terms.

He wouldn't play by her rules any longer ”Jealous?” Angelica scoffed. ”That's ridiculous...”

She was alone with Simon under the stars, in a forest, with the scent of pine and the sounds of music and the ocean in the air. And he had the most seductive look in his eyes. The one she recognized as the usual prelude to her downfall. She tried to ignore how stimulated her senses were, while trying to deny the truth: yes, she was jealous! She hated to see him with other women, or worse, to imagine him giving them the same joy and pleasure he'd given her.

”Is it?” he pressed.

”It is.” She turned to leave, needing to distance herself. His hand closed over her shoulder, halting her. With a sudden sweep, he picked her up in his arms and placed her bottom on a fallen log, her legs coming down on either side of it. Before she could pull her leg over and move into a more modest sitting position, he seated himself behind her, and slipped his arms around her. Holding her in place.