Kane, Samantha - Brothers In Arms 4 (37 page)

“Derek?” Sophie’s voice came low and sleepy from the bed, and Ian pushed to his feet and went to her.

“No, it’s Ian, darling,” he murmured, wondering briefly why she would think he

was Derek.

“Ian?” Her voice was stronger and she sat up, squinting in the dim light until he reached her side and sat on the edge of the bed. “Oh, Ian!” she cried and threw her arms around him.

“I heard. I heard what happened yesterday,” he told her softly. “Are you all right?”

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Sophie’s body went very still against his and he heard her indrawn breath.

“You…you heard?” she asked, her voice tremulous. “Derek told you?”

“No, Montague. He said Derek took care of you.”

Sophie pulled back and gave Ian a guilty look. “It wasn’t Derek’s fault, Ian, really. It was partly mine. No, mostly mine. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Of course it wasn’t your fault, Sophie, or Derek’s either. How could you have

known?” He reached out and ran a hand down her soft, curling hair from her temple to her shoulder. Sophie flinched and Ian inwardly cursed her brother.

“We didn’t know, Ian. We didn’t plan it. You must believe me.” Sophie was almost begging his forgiveness, and Ian’s heart broke that she could think he would blame her for her brother’s brutishness.

“Sophie, I know you didn’t invite your brother here, for heaven’s sake. He won’t bother you again, I swear it. Thank God Derek was here to protect you.”

“My…Harold? You’re talking about Harold?” Sophie’s confusion and then relief

were obvious.

“Of course. What are you talking about?” Ian was the one confused now.

“Nothing! I mean,” Sophie laughed self-consciously and shook her head. “Oh, Ian, I’d almost forgotten about Harold.” She bit her lip and looked at her hands in her lap.

Ian raised her chin with a finger.

“Sophie?” he asked quietly.

“Derek had a nightmare last night.” Sophie spoke quietly as well, but her words came out in a rush.

“Damn,” Ian said harshly and started to rise, determined to go to Derek. He

stopped halfway to his feet and sat back down again. How could he leave Sophie? She was probably still upset about her brother’s visit, no matter what she said. Damn it, why couldn’t they all be in the same room? That would make his life so much easier.

How hard was it to share a damn bed?

As if she sensed his inner turmoil, Sophie reached out and laid her hand on his. “Go to him, Ian. I promise I won’t have any nightmares tonight. He needs you. Please.” She smiled encouragingly at him and he smiled back.

“If you’re sure, Sophie?” Picking them up, he kissed both her hands. “I don’t want to leave you if you’re still upset.”

“I’m more upset by Derek’s nightmare. He didn’t say much, but he was very

shaken by it, I think.” She shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid I wasn’t the one he needed to help him get over it.”

Ian thought of how he usually soothed Derek with sex after one of his nightmares.

Sophie could have helped him if only he’d let her. If only she’d offer. Ian sighed and got to his feet. “I’ll be back, Sophie.”

“No, Ian, really it’s all right, you don’t have to—”

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Ian cut off her protest. “I said I’ll be back,” he told her firmly as he opened the door and then closed it softly behind him.

He didn’t bother being quiet when he got to Derek’s room. Somehow he knew

Derek wouldn’t be sleeping. When he opened the door, he found Derek sitting in a chair in the near dark, staring out the open window. Derek spoke without turning around.

“I saw you ride up. You look tired. Go to bed and we’ll talk in the morning.” His voice was casual, but he still didn’t look at Ian and Ian’s internal warning bell was going off. As he’d suspected, Derek was still upset about the nightmare.

“You had quite a day yesterday, didn’t you, you and Sophie?” Well, that got a

reaction. Derek swung around to look at him, startled.

“Sophie told you?” he asked incredulously.

“No, Montague did, but I just came from seeing Sophie.”

“How the hell does Montague know?” Derek was indignant.

“Didn’t you ask for his help?” Ian was confused again. Perhaps he was more tired than he realized.

“Good God no! Why the hell would I ask Montague for help with that?”

“He said you had the footmen throw him out and gave instructions that he wasn’t to be allowed in the house again.” Ian sat down on the bed and let his fatigue and confusion show. “However it happened, I’m just glad you were here, Derek. I don’t know what would have happened to Sophie if you hadn’t been here.”

Derek looked at him for a moment and then he started to laugh. Ian didn’t like this laugh. It was bitter and spoke more of unhappiness than amusement.

“Derek? Are you all right?”

Derek shook his head as his laughter died, leaving a sardonic smile behind.

“Middleton. Yes, I had the bastard thrown out. I wanted to kill him. He had a hold of her hair and it looked like he was trying to break her neck. She was so white I thought for a moment he’d already killed her, until she saw me and screamed my name.” Derek fisted his hands on the arms of the chair and Ian saw the slight tremble in one of them.

Derek’s description made Ian shake as well.

“I never should have left you two alone, never,” he said, furious with himself. He was shocked when Derek laughed bitterly again.

“No, Ian, you really shouldn’t have.” Derek stood suddenly and grabbed Ian’s arm.

“Come on. Sophie needs you more than I do tonight.”

Ian resisted. “Derek, stop. Sophie sent me to you. She told me you had a nightmare last night.”

Derek cocked his head and looked searchingly at Ian. “Did she? What else did she say?”

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“Just that she wasn’t able to help you afterward. I’m sorry I wasn’t here, Derek.

Damn it, I’m just so…angry that all this happened when I was gone, when I wasn’t here for the two of you.”

Derek sighed and placed his hands on his hips, looking off in the distance for a moment before turning back to Ian. “You can’t be here for us all the time, Ian. Sophie and I need to learn how to take care of ourselves.”

“No you don’t,” Ian said sharply. “I don’t mind taking care of you. It’s why I’m here. You will always have me, and each other. Was she no help to you at all last night?” He’d hoped a little time alone would help the two of them grow closer, but apparently not.

“No, she wasn’t, but not for the reason she thinks.”

Derek’s reply was enigmatic and left Ian more puzzled than before. “Derek, what the hell are you talking about? Between you and Sophie, tonight I don’t know what’s going on.”

Derek pulled on his arm again and Ian let him lead him out of the room and back down the hall. Ian just shook his head as Derek unceremoniously opened the bedroom door and dragged Ian in behind him.

“Here,” Derek said, shoving Ian toward the bed, “you need him more than I do. I’m not a charity case.”

Sophie sat up in bed at their arrival and glared at Derek while she covered her scantily clad breasts with the sheet. “Neither am I. You are the one who had the nightmare—you need him more.”

Ian was beginning to feel like three-day-old fish. “What happened while I was

gone?” he demanded, quite sure there was more to the story than he’d been told by anyone so far.

“Sophie and I—”

Sophie cut him off with a sharp cry. “Derek!”

“Sophie,” Derek responded sarcastically. “He’s got to know sometime.” Derek

looked at Ian with a carefully blank face. “I fucked Sophie last night, after the nightmare.” Derek’s mask crumbled and he let his frustration show. He shoved a hand through his hair and sighed. “It wasn’t her fault. I was…upset. It was a bad dream, and Sophie came barreling in demanding to help, and wanting to know how you helped, and I told her you fucked me blind and one thing led to another…” he sighed again, this time sounding tired and broken, “and things got out of hand. I took advantage of her concern and compassion, and it won’t happen again.”

Ian didn’t know what to say. He’d never have guessed that that was what had

happened. Derek and Sophie…he was in shock. Not upset, but bewildered. He’d had no idea they were beginning to feel that way about one another. He’d hoped, of course, that one day…but so soon? His shock was quickly replaced by alarm. Neither Sophie nor Derek seemed happy about the new turn in their relationship.

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“Don’t be such a…a goddamn martyr.” Sophie’s voice was angry, and Ian was

nearly as shocked by her language as by the actual fact she’d fucked Derek. “I don’t need you to take all the blame. I was there too, and I certainly didn’t tell you to stop or yell for help. It did not even remotely resemble rape.”

“God damn it, Sophie, you had no idea when you came running to help me I was

going to drag you into my bed.”

Derek was clearly furious with her, but Ian didn’t know what for. For trying to take some of the blame? That didn’t make sense.

“No I didn’t. But if you’ll remember correctly, you told me what you wanted and gave me the opportunity to decline. I did not. I let you drag me into your bed, and what’s more, I enjoyed it. If we’re going to tell Ian, then let’s tell him everything.”

Sophie was defiant and outraged and so incredibly desirable Ian wanted to drag

himself into her bed right that moment, with Derek too.

Derek didn’t respond, just stalked over to the far corner and back and then stood before Ian with his arms crossed, looking at the floor. The silence was uncomfortable, punctuated by both Derek’s and Sophie’s rapid breathing. Ian supposed he needed to say something now.

“Well,” he said, at a bit of a loss, “I see. Um, are you all right, Sophie?” He looked at her, really looked at her. She didn’t seem to be any worse for wear after her night with Derek, but Ian was willing to bet she had bruises. Derek could be a rough, demanding lover, particularly after one of his dreams. Ian tried to hide how arousing he found the thought of seeing Derek’s bruises on Sophie’s creamy skin.

Sophie’s tone was clipped. “I’m fine.” She looked blindly over Ian’s shoulder and hugged her middle with both arms.

“All right,” Ian said, nodding inanely, he was sure. “And you, Derek? Are you all right?”

“Of course I’m all right,” he snapped. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

“And you, Ian? Are you all right? I feel as if…as if we’d betrayed you.” Sophie’s voice was quiet and a little shaky.

Ian shook his head. “Absolutely not, no one betrayed anyone here. I love you both very much,” at his words, Sophie gave a little cry and then sniffed loudly, “and if you had to find comfort from one another because I wasn’t here, I’m not going to cast stones.” Derek snorted, and when Ian looked at him Derek raised an eyebrow with a wry twist to his lips. “So we’re all fine.”

“Just fine,” Sophie agreed with obviously false cheerfulness.

“Just fine,” Derek agreed with a growl.

“Exactly so,” Ian said, nodding again, “just fine.” They stared at one another for a minute until Ian broke the silence. “So, where the hell am I supposed to sleep tonight?”

* * * * *

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Ian ended up in bed with Sophie simply because he was already there. Sending

Derek back to his own room seemed as hard for Sophie as it was for Ian. Derek had turned into a sphinx, so Ian had no idea what Derek was feeling, but he could guess.

Breakfast the following morning managed to be far less awkward than any of them anticipated. Ian filled Derek and Sophie in on the meeting with his uncle.

Sophie gripped his hand tightly when he was done. “Oh, Ian, I’m so relieved. I

know how hard it was for you to be estranged from your family. It was very kind of you to forgive him.”

Ian couldn’t help but smile at her and kiss the hand that held his. “Sophie, my dear, most people would say it was kind of him to forgive me.”

Sophie sniffed delicately. “Yes, well, most people would be wrong, wouldn’t they?”

Derek gave a derisive snort. “Most people don’t care whether they are right or

wrong—they just care that they are not the source of gossip, merely the purveyors. The Earl of Wilchester included.”

Sophie pulled her hand away from Ian’s and fiddled with her teacup. She wouldn’t look at Derek. “Yes, I know. Many people are small-minded and mean. But many are not. Naïve or not, I refuse to go through life hating everyone who is merely misguided.

I’ve spent too much of my life on hate already.”

Derek sat back with a huff. “Christ, Sophie, I didn’t mean anything by that. Is everything I say from now on going to be misconstrued as an attack on you?”

Ian was sorry the truce was over so soon. “She didn’t say that, Derek.”

Derek glared at him. “
Et tu
,
Brute
?” He pushed his chair back from the table forcefully. “Well, I guess I can defend myself. I’ve certainly had enough practice.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ian asked, exasperated. “I’m trying to avoid a fight, not start one.”

“Stop, please,” Sophie pleaded with them both, quietly desperate. “This isn’t what I wanted at all, please. Ian, Derek is right. I’m being overly sensitive. Don’t yell at him.”

Derek turned on her with his glare. “I don’t need you to defend me. Didn’t I just say I can take care of myself?”

“Well I’m going to do it anyway,” Sophie snapped at him, “so just be quiet and sit down.”

Derek blinked at her in astonishment. “Did you just order me to be quiet?”

Sophie nodded briskly. “And sit down.”

Ian laughed at Derek’s consternation. “Well, she certainly knows how to stop a fight in its tracks. Do sit down, Derek. She’s right, we’re all being overly sensitive.” He sighed. “We’re going to need to sit down and discuss what happened.” At Sophie’s protest, Ian raised a hand in a conciliatory gesture. “Later, we’ll discuss it. But did you not hear what I said earlier? My uncle wishes to have a ball in celebration of our marriage in three weeks time. I thought we might go over to Lord Randall’s today and 188