Dare to be Mine (31 page)

Struggling to regain some kind of
control, Daniel rasped above the sound of her soft moan, "Do you get this
hot for Harrison?" Her movements stilled and Elyssa was stunned to hear
Daniel's mocking words as his fingers trailed down the front of her bodice.
"Are you this easy for him, Elyssa?"

"How dare you!" she cried
breathlessly, shoving unsuccessfully against Daniel's chest.

"Like this," he responded
harshly. "I dare like this." She stilled at the feel of his fingers
graze a path up her smooth thigh, his mouth grazing an erotic descent down her
jaw. Elyssa's eyes unwittingly closed as she was helpless to respond with any
coherency.

Daniel looked at Elyssa in
disgust,
for all that the sight of her, ripe for the
plucking, was nearly his undoing. He had conquered and won.
Had
turned Elyssa's own foolish ploy against her, though it had been difficult to
restrain his basest needs in the process.
romantic onslaughtfeg">CHAPTER

A few more wanton touches with his
fingers, each one nearer to breaking her resistance than the last, along with
the feel of Daniel's mouth lavishing kisses all over her were Elyssa's final
downfall. Her eyes fluttered closed at the sinful feel of his fingers inside
her. She was warm and wet and willing. An all but forgotten trembling started
twining its way through her entire being. Elyssa could do no more than
surrender to him. Her hands trembled against Daniel's back, a deep longing
forcing her body to arch against his. A bright light flooded her senses and
Elyssa allowed the sensation to glide over her body as she fell beneath his
spell completely and thoroughly. She could do little more than part her lips
and allow Daniel's passionate assault.

It wasn't a kiss of tenderness, however,
but rather a kiss to prove his complete domination over her, her utter
surrender. Elyssa's soft voice begged, "Please come inside me. I need
you."

Though he'd not planned to bury himself
inside Elyssa that night, her sweetly implored words, no matter that she was a
conniving bitch, tore at his resolve and Daniel obliged her wish without
hesitation. He hurriedly undid his pants and covered her body with his own atop
the huge bed.

He plunged into Elyssa, again and again,
her cries of contentment urging him onward.
Deeper and
harder.
Her breathy declaration of love stunned Daniel, angered him, and
he brutally thrust harsher inside her, wanting Elyssa to realize this was not
an act of lovemaking. It was anger, retribution, punishment. And within a brief
moment they both cried out together in climax. Their breathing labored, Daniel
and Elyssa lay wordlessly beside each other. It hadn't been the same as they
remembered it, that passion and fierce attraction for one another. Rather, it
was infinitely more intense than before. The physical temptation was as
undeniably strong as it had ever been in the past, but an inexplicable need had
suddenly overtaken that neither of them were able to deny. A need of wanting to
be one, having to be one, no matter that resentment and bitterness would
forever mar their relationship.

A sternness eventually claimed Daniel's
expression as reality returned. He rose from the bed, quickly donning his
breeches. His hasty departure from her side left Elyssa feeling lonely and
confused. She looked up at him and her heart fell into a cursed abyss as Daniel
spoke the callous words, "Didn't I tell you before that I always get what
I want?"

A shocked look passed across her face as
Elyssa remained stunned in silence, tears springing to her eyes. Daniel unlocked
the door, turning back to leave Elyssa with a parting thought, "The next
time you're lying beneath Harrison, don't be so bloody desperate. It's rather
pathetic." romantic onslaughtk hi d f

The door slammed behind Daniel and
Elyssa felt as if she'd been raped. Daniel's harsh words were like a knife in
her soul, and once again she'd fallen victim to her own foolish heart.

Daniel leaned his head back against the
closed door, hating himself for being such a bastard. But Elyssa had been to
fault for that. He was still in shock, amazed that she had admitted to Percy's
murder without exactly speaking the words. But she coldly and brazenly let him
know that she'd had to do it. Closing his eyes in abject misery, Daniel cursed
himself thoroughly, for still he loved her.

CHAPTER 18

Moments later Elyssa made her way back
down to the ball. William was quick to meet her, asking in concern where she
had been, whispering that he'd missed her. As hard as it was, Elyssa managed to
make it through the remainder of the gala without breaking down. And if her
mother or Sophie thought her appearance was slightly askew they kept it to
themselves.

Flashes of Daniel's unexpected
appearance commanded her every thought.
Brief moments when he'd
actually been gentle in his touches, when his eyes had softened in feeling.
But Daniel's anger had been all too real. Even though a year had passed, his
bitterness had in no way lessened.

He faulted her completely for
everything, and too, thought her a whore. Of course, didn't she bring that upon
herself, carelessly acting as if she and William Harrison were lovers? He felt
betrayed. Still, she would stake her very life on the fact that Daniel had not
remained celibate for very long after she'd fled England. Catherine had bragged
about that herself.

She prayed that his fury wasn't because
of the vague doubts running through her mind. That Daniel was wrathful toward
her because he had killed Percy and hadn't been rewarded with the inheritance
he'd been expecting. If only Daniel had calmly come to her and opened up about
his feelings, she would have come to an agreement with him. How did he think
attacking her would accomplish anything?

After leaving Greystone unnoticed,
Daniel went to a gentlemen's club in London. After the nearly hour long drive
there from the mansion, he was more than ready to drive the demons from his
head that Elyssa had put there. He had a few drinks and tried his luck at
cards. Losing three straight hands not long after, he had sense enough to
desert the vice. Daniel left the club after paying for an expensive bottle of
brandy and told his driver to take him to the Edmontons' home.

Perhaps Catherine could help make
Elyssa's memory disappear. She'd always been there over the past year when
Daniel had needed someone to talk to.
Someone to share a
tumble beneath the sheets with.
He didn't love her, had made it
perfectly clear from the onset that he didn't, and Catherine was wise enough to
know she was only one of a myriad of lovers Daniel had taken over the eternal
months. Still, she was satisfied merely to be a part of his life once again.
For now, anyway.

At the last moment before reaching the
Edmontons', Daniel yelled to the driver to head toward his own home instead. He
wasn't fit company for anyone tonight, and didn't want to have to put forth the
effort of trying. He needed to sleep and put to rest the ghost of Elyssa. escaped her lips a nervous">CHAPTER
Daniel continued nursing the bottle of brandy as thoughts of Elyssa plagued
him, his bitter ruminations warring with those
more tender
of long ago.

How captivating she'd been tonight,
Daniel mused bitterly. He had forgotten how beautiful she truly was. It had
nearly killed him to watch from behind the upstairs banisters, like some
naughty child, while Elyssa allowed herself to be led about the ballroom in the
arms of the popular Lord Harrison. Although he liked to think of Harrison as a
fop, the truth was that Daniel genuinely liked the man. Harrison was well liked
by their peers and had a reputation for being honest and reliable.
Besides the fact that the man had far too large a female following.
He would only end up hurting Elyssa in the end.

A bitter laugh escaped Daniel's lips at
that ridiculous notion, for if anything, William Harrison would end up being
the one sorry he'd ever become involved in a relationship with Elyssa. Innocent
and charming she might seem, but Elyssa was truly cunning as a fox, and hadn't
he learned that firsthand.

Finally they arrived at Daniel's home,
modest by society's standards, but more than big enough for Daniel. While the
liquor imbibed throughout the evening had not made Elyssa's haunting image
disappear, it had dulled his senses somewhat. Daniel banged on the front door
with his fist. The beating continued getting louder and louder until the butler
awoke and rushed downstairs to let Daniel in.

"What took you so long?"
Daniel asked, his words slightly slurred. He removed his coat and carelessly
dropped it to the floor.

"I apologize, milord, but I was
sleeping. It is rather late, sir," Jeeves replied, retrieving Daniel's
coat.

"We need to move your bed down here
by the door." A drunken chuckle escaped Daniel's lips at that image.

"Yes, very good, sir," he
commented, raising his eyes heavenward at his employer's nonsensical babbling.
"May I assist you any further, milord? Help you into bed? Get you some
coffee?"

"You know I cannot abide that
horrible drink. Besides, I think it is fairly late. Take the rest of the night
off."

"Why, thank you, good sir,"
Jeeves replied, making his way back to bed. romantic onslaughtug">CHAPTER

Daniel slowly made his way upstairs. Of
a sudden impulse, he stopped at the bedroom door before his. Daniel stared down
at the sight of his shaking fingers loosely holding the doorknob. She'd done
this to him. Just one encounter with Elyssa after an entire year gone by, and
he was lost. He could not allow himself to fall prey to her again.

Slowly turning the knob, Daniel pushed
the door open to reveal the cold, damp room. Clumsily lighting a few candles,
the room was eerily lit and a cold shudder ran down Daniel's spine. Furniture
was covered with white sheets, for the room wasn’t currently in use. Daniel's
gaze was drawn to the far corner, where a large square shape was likewise
covered. Slowly, he walked across the room. It was the reason he'd come into
this dank chamber against his better judgment.

Finally reaching the object of his
attention, Daniel yanked the sheet off, revealing a beautiful painting of
Elyssa. A portrait he'd commissioned of her shortly before their wedding day.
It was meant to be one of many wedding gifts. Daniel's jaw clenched in
discomfort at coming face to face with the likeness after all this time, his
fingers caressing his unshaven jaw as he stared at it.

He recalled her reluctance at his
request that she sit for the portrait. Elyssa had insisted she was not
sophisticated or beautiful enough to have such an exquisite painting done of
her by the most well known and admired portrait painter in all London. Her
serene beauty and graceful charm had kept Daniel mesmerized during the entire
sitting.

The portrait now stared back at him,
mocking him for his foolishness. Her eyes had been captured so perfectly, so
precisely, that Daniel could swear the painting was alive. The sultry set of
her lips bespoke of enticing allure and false hope. Her ebony hair had been
left long and loose about her slim shoulders. As a whole, Elyssa's image lent
an air of both angelic innocence and wanton seduction all rolled into one.

Daniel took another swig of brandy as
his eyes remained on the painting. Turning pensive, he reached out toward it,
his fingers tracing her lips, the path of her long tresses. Wishing it was the
real woman standing there instead of her cold, lifeless image scorning him.

With a sudden fury, Daniel's eyes
narrowed at her treacherous beauty. His breathing harsh, his hands verily
trembled, and he cursed Elyssa for driving him to drink in excess.
To fuck other women.
To feel a stranger in
his own home.
The vexing thoughts swirled through Daniel's mind until he
could take it no longer. He threw the nearly empty bottle of brandy across the
room. The glass shattered, the golden liquid leaving a messqwhi d fy path down the
wall.

He hated Elyssa for using him, for not
loving him as she'd been so quick to profess.
Yet hated
himself even more for falling prey to his own weakness when he'd taken her to
bed earlier that evening.
Taking one last brief look into her emerald
eyes, Daniel smashed his fist into the fragile portrait, roaring her name
aloud. The canvas tore beneath his wrath and Daniel snatched the painting from
its easel and cast it across the room, where it came to lay amid the shattered
remains of the bottle.

Chest heaving, Daniel rubbed his fist
over his heart to try and assuage the pain in it. His heart ached, not only for
what he'd just done, but for the scars she had left upon it. Daniel left the
room and slammed the door shut behind him. He walked the short distance to his
bedroom, lying down on the bed without removing his clothes.

He had suffered far too long at the
hands of Elyssa Monroe Fredrickson. He had never voiced his suspicions to
anyone of her involvement in Percy's murder. It was still officially unsolved
and the authorities had classified the case as a suicide, no matter that the
weapon had never been found. And although he possibly had enough evidence to
have Elyssa arrested, Daniel still couldn't bring himself to turn her in.