Closer To Sin (25 page)

An inexplicable chill prickled Liliane’s skin, forcing her to move closer to the fire to warm herself, Anais’s words haunting her. They contained an eerie ring of familiarity, not just because they were so similar to Allard’s last words. The words seemed to summon the ghosts of the past. But then, given all that had happened this past week, she was likely just being fanciful.

‘Are you alright?’ Sin gently queried.

She held her hands to the flame and then turned back to face the others, her hands clasped as though to capture the heat of the fire within them. She smiled briefly at Sin and nodded.

No one said anything for a long time as each sought to comprehend the significance of every new snippet of information. Finally, Gaston shrugged. ‘You’re right, Liliane, the answer is already before us, and we just need to wait until it makes itself apparent. Though, for now, I’m going to take my lady upstairs for her nap.’ Gaston stood and gently assisted Anais to her feet.

At the door he paused and motioned to Sin. ‘The rain has stopped and the clouds are starting to break up. Why don’t you take Liliane for a walk along the beach. She might like to take a bucket and gather some clams to go in tonight’s bouillabaisse.’

***

Sinclair sat on a large flat rock and watched Liliane at the water’s edge, a bubble of laughter pouring from her lips as she dodged the ice cold waves. A shudder went through him at the memory of last time he’d seen her, her face a sickly bloodless pallor and her body devoid of its vitality.

He felt a surge of protectiveness envelop him. He never wanted to live through those hours again, would do all it took to ensure she was never in that sort of danger ever again. She had shown remarkable fortitude to put it behind her so quickly. But it was the way she’d acted so fearlessly on the night they’d met with Allard that most impressed him. He was humbled beyond words by her courage; she’d jeopardised her own safety to get a warning to him. A chill raced through him, as it was only her quick thinking in shooting De Bois that had saved him from sharing Allard’s fate. He’d seen grown men capitulate in less threatening situations.

She turned and smiled at him as she twisted her feet in the sand. Her drab grey dress was rucked up high to ensure it stayed dry, exposing her trim calves and shapely ankles. It was a view he enjoyed. He shifted uncomfortably. She moved with a sinuous gracefulness that brought to mind the movement of her body, soft and pliant beneath his.
Ah hell.
The air whooshed from his lungs as she bent to retrieve the clams she’d just uncovered. Her shapely derriere jutted towards him, conjuring no end of erotic urgings.

Sinclair wiped his hands down the sides of his breeches and willed his cock to ignore the provocative sway of Liliane’s hips as she walked back up the beach towards him. Except there was no ignoring the way the wind had wreaked havoc on her hair so it now flew in unruly wisps about her face. Or the way her eyes locked with his. As she reached him she plopped the bucket of clams at his feet with a grin.

‘This is the first time I’ve ever looked for clams on a beach. It was fun—I just wish the water was a bit warmer.’

Sinclair laughed. ‘Yet you looked such a natural that I thought you’d make a fine fishmonger’s wife.’

‘Well if I ever find myself destitute, I will keep that in mind.’ Lilian joined in with his laughter and the musical sound wrapped itself around him in enticing tentacles.

Unable to resist, he pulled her down onto the rock next to him and wrapped an arm about her waist to shield her from the cold. They sat drawing warmth from each other and silently looking out to sea for some moments. Sinclair couldn’t recall a time where he’d ever felt at such peace with another person. He brushed a strand of hair from Liliane’s eyes. ‘You have a very intense look of concentration there,
mon fleur
, what’s troubling you?’

He felt her shrug dismissively. ‘It’s nothing.’

He gently gripped her chin and turned her head to face him. ‘It’s not nothing, something’s been bothering you since our meeting in the parlour. What is it?’

Liliane leaned into him. ‘It’s not something I have the words to adequately explain. This whole thing with De Bois and the Cousins’ Legacy, it just all sounds so sinister. It’s unsettling … but at the same time, it feels very familiar—and that makes me feel very uncomfortable.’ She moved, as though to shake off the feeling. ‘I think I’m just over-reacting to the events of the past few days.’

‘Perhaps Solange has mentioned the Legacy to you? She lives not too far from where Anais comes from, after all. It might be something of a local myth.’

Liliane shook her head. ‘No, she’s never mentioned it. It feels more elemental than that. But of course, that’s ridiculous. Until ten days ago I knew nothing of Solange’s activities, let alone of all the different factions vying for power.’

‘I gather you’ve only been living with Solange for a short time?’ Sinclair frowned. It hadn’t occurred to him that Liliane’s acquaintance with her cousin had been of such a short duration.

Liliane hesitated before clarifying. ‘Not long. After Mama and Jamie died, I decided it was time to become better acquainted with Solange—to strengthen the family ties.’

Sinclair nodded, wondering at her hesitation. ‘Tell me about your Papa. What of him?’

She looked out to sea, her eyes unfocused. ‘There’s not a great deal to tell. He was sent away by his parents before the Terror began, and was the only member of his family to survive.’

She nestled closer to him and Sinclair tightened his hold about her shoulders. ‘I think because of that,’ she continued, ‘he was very protective of us. We spent most of our time at home. He wasn’t interested in socialising—everything was about family. We did everything together. I have another cousin, Yvette; she came to live with us when she was eleven years old. She was a very sad, lonely child who missed her parents dreadfully, but the five of us were very close.’ She sucked in a slow breath. ‘And then, when I was fifteen, Papa was killed in a riding accident. Much of the laughter left our house that day.’

She turned and looked up at Sinclair, her sapphire eyes brimmed with unshed tears. ‘I never really saw Mama smile or laugh with unrestrained joy ever again.’

Sinclair felt her begin to shiver and bent to pick up the blanket he’d brought to the beach. He tucked it around them, enveloping them in a cocoon of warmth. Her shivering eased and he waited, wondering if she was going to say more. He felt her release a quavering breath and sought to hear the words that came out as barely a whisper.

‘And then two years ago Mama and Jamie died.’

Sinclair felt her withdraw into herself, as though to shield herself from the words that she would utter next.

‘Jamie died first, and then a day later Mama joined him.’ Tears now streaked down her face and splashed upon the blanket. Sinclair pulled her close and rocked her gently against him, tenderly kissing the tears from her eyes.

‘It was as if, with Jamie’s death, Mama just gave up. But she gave up on me. She left me behind, with no one to call my own … and I have felt so very lost ever since.’ Great gulping sobs racked Liliane’s body while Sinclair held her close. If only he could draw her pain into himself and make her world whole again.

His hand trembled as he turned Liliane’s face towards him and placed a soothing kiss on each of her eyes. His own father’s death a year ago had hit him hard, but with a mother and five sisters and countless nieces and nephews, he was never alone. The power of that love had meant they’d shared the burden of grief together. And while there was no doubt he would grieve for Gareth when—if—the time came, he certainly couldn’t ever recall a time when his heart felt about to shatter under the weight of someone else’s grief. Hell, he hadn’t even felt this saddened when Carolyn had died. But for some reason, one he would consider when his thoughts were less jumbled, ensuring Liliane’s happiness was paramount to him. He reverently trailed a line of kisses across her forehead and down each of her cheeks, shushing her and uttering words of comfort. The tightness in his chest eased in small increments as her sobs gradually started to quieten.

Placing a finger under her chin, he raised her head and softly kissed the line of her jaw, following the gentle curve until he reached the corner of her mouth. Her skin was peppered with the scent of the fresh salt air but underlying that was the familiarity that had driven him to distraction the past few days. A groan arose from the pit of his stomach and with all the tenderness he could muster he placed a feather light kiss on her lips, and then slowly repeated the gesture.

He kissed her again, a delicate invitation for her to take comfort from him. Gradually she softened towards his touch, lifting her head to accept his offer. He traced the outline of her lips with his tongue and she opened to him. With a barely contained growl he deepened the kiss, reaching forward to claim all that she would give him. He was rewarded with the taste of dark, rich cherries. The kiss intensified as he drank in her pain, bringing back to life the ethereal spark that was an elemental part of her.

He hadn’t come to the beach with the intent of seduction, but by God, he couldn’t deny that he was utterly undone by her. For now, though, it would have to be enough to let his kisses communicate the words he had no name for.

Except, it seemed that Liliane had other ideas. He sucked in a deep breath as her hands slipped beneath his coat and moved across his chest to knead and shape the muscles beneath the fine linen of his shirt. His nipples pebbled under her untutored exploration. He bit back a groan as she rubbed them beneath the palms of her hands and then gently raked her nails over them.

He continued to kiss her, to taste and bite and lick every inch of her mouth, but he held his hands at her waist, letting her learn the touch and feel of him. His cock strained hard against the falls of his trousers; if the restraint didn’t kill him, his imminent release would. He shifted uncomfortably to ease the pressure but the rasp of the material against his engorged member only intensified the sensations.

Sinclair stiffened as he felt Liliane’s hands hesitate in their exploration, then move lower.
Ah fuck.
The woman would be the death of him yet. He broke the kiss and arched his head back, as she wrapped her hand around his erection and experimentally traced the outline from root to tip. Three times she moved over him, learning the shape and feel of him, closing her fingers around him to test his size, then the placket on his breeches fell open and she gently glided her thumb across the top of his penis, massaging the small secretions into his skin.

Sinclair bit down on his lip, desperate to retain control. ‘You’re a witch. I’m about to explode.’ Mindful of her wound, he pulled her towards him. ‘Sit astride me.’ Sinclair shuffled further up the rock to make room for her and as she settled over his lap he cloaked the blanket across her shoulders to shield her from the cold.

Her tears had dried but the lids of her eyes were heavy, drugged with arousal. Her mouth was swollen, her lips a luscious ruby red, beckoning him to taste her again. And be damned if he wouldn’t. He met her in a hot open-mouthed kiss, tongues entwined, tasting then retreating. He reached forward and tugged the fastenings of her bodice open. Her breasts spilled into his hands and he moulded and shaped their voluptuous warmth as he continued to kiss her. Her throaty moan washed over him, dragging him closer to the edge. Her weight upon his arousal intoxicating. With one hand still at her breast he lifted free her skirts and reached beneath to touch her. ‘Open your legs,’ he instructed. ‘That’s right, love, open for me.’

He slid a finger into her folds and was rewarded with her scalding heat. As he moved along her cleft she undulated against his hand, begging for more. She groaned hotly into his mouth.

‘Touch me, Sin, I need to feel your touch.’ It was all the instruction he needed.

His thumb sought out the sensitive nub nested high between her folds and began to move in delicate circles, plucking and teasing. She whimpered, grinding into his hand in a plea.

‘Do you like this?’

She groaned in assent.

‘Tell me you want more.’

Liliane sobbed against his mouth, each sound severing the threads of his resistance further. ‘I want more. Please … I want more.’

He increased the pressure, faster, harder, until she arched away from him and threw her head back and screamed, the sound carrying away on the crash of the waves. With her spine arched and her head thrown back, her breasts were thrust into high relief. Sinclair leaned forward and drew a dusky nipple deep into his mouth and sucked hard until her body convulsed around his hand in cataclysmic relief while her orgasm devoured her.

Unable to hold back, he lifted her forward and settled her over his cock. ‘Sink down on me
sweetheart
,’ he urged. ‘Slowly. Yes, that’s right.’

Every muscle in his body locked tight as she blindly followed his instructions. She was hot and slick and so damned tight. He bit his lip as he fought against coming before their bodies were fully joined. Her eyes were closed, her bottom lip glistened as she rasped her tongue across it. He felt her slide lower, inch by inch, her muscles stretching and accommodating him until she was fully seated.

He placed a hand upon her hip and fought the urge to move. ‘You feel magnificent. Hot, tight, perfect.’ He felt the warmth of contentment wash through him. She was utterly perfect, in every respect. Her groan of approval vibrated though his body and brought his blood to the boil.

He dragged her head down in another scorching kiss. She felt so damn good. The moment he felt her soften he began to move beneath her, teaching her the movements that would satisfy them both.

She leaned in and nipped the tender skin along the column of his neck, and then soothed him with a glide of her tongue. ‘You taste spicy, and salty,’ she whispered in his ear. She then traced the outline of his ear with her tongue and then her teeth.

‘God, woman,’ Sinclair groaned. ‘You bewitch me.’ He gripped her hips tighter and urged her to move faster upon him. With each sinuous glide, he felt his restraint slip further. He licked and sucked at her breast, feasting upon all she offered. Beneath his hands he felt her body stiffen as she sought relief from the havoc he was reeking upon her. She met him thrust for thrust until they were each panting, clinging to one another as their climax built.