Velvet Embrace (25 page)

Brie followed his gaze to where a great black mass of clouds was rolling across the heavens. The flash of lightning in the distance was accompanied by the ominous rumble of thunder, and the raw, wintry wind, which had been gaining force during their long ride, whirled about them now in biting gusts.

Brie returned a worried frown to Dominic's unspoken question. Normally, a bit of rain or even a drenching didn't bother her. But the tempest that seemed to be brewing was menacing enough for concern. In unison, Brie and Dominic urged their mounts to greater speed to escape the imminent deluge.

The first pelting drops began when they were still several miles from Greenwood. Brie started to suggest that they seek shelter somewhere, but the words were whipped away by a blast of wind and rain. When she glanced at Dominic, he flashed
her a
grin that seemed to dare her to cry craven, so she pressed her lips together and rode on through the downpour.

Her coat was completely soaked through in a matter of minutes. Water sluiced her face and soaked her hair so that it dangled in dripping rats' tails down her back, while icy rivulets found a path down her back, making her shudder.

She soon forgot her own
discomfort,
however, as she fought for control of her skittish mount. The bay's footing was none too
certain,
and he slipped more than once, almost tumbling Brie into the mud.

They had just slid down a slope into a narrow hollow when lightning suddenly streaked across the sky. The flash startled Jester, making him rear, and the resultant clap of thunder sent him bolting into a frantic gallop.

That seemed to be the signal for the frenzied sky to unleash its fury. Icy sheets of rain slashed at Brie's face, blinding her as she tried to check her horse's speed. She couldn't see the great stallion racing beside her, but she felt Jester swerve when Dominic reached out to catch hold of his bridle. The bay reared again, just as a strong arm swept Brie from the saddle.

Brie struggled instinctively against Dominic's hold, but he tightened his grip and managed to set her before him. "
Bestill
, you little wildcat," he shouted in her ear. "You could never make it home on that beast. We passed a cottage that should provide shelter."

Brie could only nod in agreement, for an icy blast stole her breath away. When she shivered, Dominic drew the edges of his cloak about her,
then
wheeled the stallion about.

The driving rain obscured all but skeletal shapes from view, but they made their way unerringly through the storm. Brie was no longer worried. The great stallion's footing was solid and the arms that held her were strong and secure. When shards of sleet began to sting her cheeks, she turned her face against Dominic's broad chest, grateful for his warmth.

After what seemed like hours, they came to halt before a small cottage. Brie recognized it, and when Dominic set her down before the door, she lifted the latch without knocking and dashed inside out of the icy rain.

Dominic was not far behind her. "Not the Royal Palace," he said looking around, "but it will do."

"It belongs to
Bennet
Johnson," Brie informed him through chattering teeth. "I had heard he was away visiting his son."

The cottage was little more than a hut actually, boasting only one room. The interior was dark, for the shuttered window allowed only the tiniest bit of light to filter through its chinks. Brie could barely identify the few pieces of furniture. At one end
was
a pitted wooden table and three rickety chairs, and at the other, near the fireplace, was a cupboard that probably contained cooking utensils. A cot rested against the far wall, and in one corner stood a small storage chest.

It wasn't much of a haven, Brie thought with disappointment; even though it provided protection against the rain, it wasn't much warmer than outside. She could see the curling puffs her breath made as she stood dripping on the wooden floor. Shivering with cold, she wrapped her arms tightly around her.

Dominic's gaze swept Brie's trembling figure. "See if you can find some blankets and some dry kindling while I take care of the horses," he ordered. "I'll start a fire when I return.
And take off those wet garments before you freeze to death."

When Brie turned to stare at him, he met her look of indignant astonishment with a mixture of tenderness and amusement. "That wasn't a proposition,
chérie
," he said with a grin. "I prefer a more appropriate setting when I make love to a woman." He was gone before Brie recovered enough to respond.

She stared at the door, vaguely hearing the hollow sound of rain pounding against the roof. Then giving herself a shake, she groped her way to the window. Throwing back the shutter did little to illuminate the room, however, for the leaded pane was encrusted with grime. Fortunately, there was a tinderbox and two candles on the mantle. She lit them with shaking hands and began to search through the chest.

She found only one blanket. Tossing it on the cot, she rummaged a bit more and came up with two scraps of rough cloth that could be used for towels. Pleased, Brie turned her attention to the wood box by the hearth. The results were more disappointing. There was only a tiny amount of kindling and one small log with which to make a fire.

Brie was too cold to wait for Dominic to return, so she piled the kindling carefully in the fireplace and struck a spark. She held her freezing hands over the tiny blaze, but it did little to ease her misery. Her wet clothes still felt like ice against her skin, and her teeth were chattering so badly that even clamping her lips shut didn't help.

Determinedly, Brie dragged two of the wooden chairs across the floor and placed them on either side of the hearth, then removed her sodden coat and draped it over a chair to dry. She was rubbing her arms, trying to generate some warmth, when Dominic entered carrying an armful of firewood. The icy gust of wind that accompanied him nearly took her breath away.

Dominic slammed the door shut with his heel and strode across the room, dropping his load beside the hearth. As he removed his hat and cloak, he raised an eyebrow at Brie, as if expecting an explanation of her disobedience.

Brie resisted the urge to squirm under that penetrating gray gaze, telling herself that he had no right to give her orders. "There is only one blanket," she said stiffly, indicating the one on the cot.

He flashed
her an
amused grin. "Then we will have to share, won t we:

"Of course not!
I don't plan to share a blanket with you, now or ever."

"You would rather freeze?"

When Brie didn't answer, Dominic eyed her in a way that made her want to hit him. There was a dancing gleam in his eyes that showed very plainly he was deriving a perverse kind of pleasure from their predicament. Smoldering, Brie planted her hands on her hips. "I think you are enjoying this! In fact I didn't know better, I would say you planned for us to be stranded here."

Dominic laughed. "Even I have not such powers over the heavens, my lady."

The husky sound of his laughter sent an odd shiver up her spine, but she pretended not to notice. "I will not share a blanket with you," she said adamantly. "And I will not undress."

Dominic took off his jacket and waistcoat and laid them across the chair. "Yes, you will," he replied evenly. "I don't intend to let you catch pneumonia."

Hearing the soft assurance in his voice, Brie glared at him. But when Dominic stripped off his shirt, she caught herself staring in fascination. She knew she shouldn't be watching him undress, but she found she couldn't look away. Dominic's bronzed skin was sleek and wet, and it glistened in the candlelight. Dark hair furred the wide expanse of his chest, tapering at the waistband of his tight-fitting breeches. His shoulders were broad and well-muscled, and as he turned and bent down to feed the fire, Brie could see powerful sinews flexing in his back. She swallowed, feeling a curling sensation somewhere below her stomach.

"Why the sudden reserve?" Dominic said casually as he prodded the logs. "I've already seen you without your clothes on."

Brie felt a blush start at the roots of her hair and flood her face. For a moment, she gazed at him in mute embarrassment. Then angrily she turned her back to him, silently cursing Dominic for being an overbearing, arrogant tyrant. Crossing her arms, she stood staring at the wall.

She stiffened when he came up behind her, but when he grasped her shoulder, she didn't struggle. She knew from experience she would be unable to break away. She fumed in silence as Dominic removed the pins from her hair.

He pulled the heavy mass down, combing it with his fingers. When he had wrung some of the moisture from the ends, he bent to whisper in her ear. "I don't plan to ravish your lovely body just yet, ma belle. Now take off your clothes or I shall do it for you." Disregarding her gasp of outrage, he picked up one of the cloths and leisurely began to towel his upper torso dry.

Brie wanted to tell him to go to the devil, but she realized it would be wiser to capitulate. He was perfectly capable of forcibly undressing her if she didn't comply. "Very well," she muttered at last. "But you don't have to look."

"Your modesty overwhelms me," Dominic replied sardonically.

Brie sat in one of the chairs to pull off her riding boots, and when she heard the cot creak, she knew Dominic was doing the same. Deciding it best to ignore him as much as possible, she tried not to notice when he carried his boots to the hearth to dry, but even so, she began to feel uncomfortable. He was clad only in breeches that hugged his muscular legs like a second skin. When he began to remove these as well, Brie gave a gasp and froze. But then he moved away, out of her range of vision. Shakily, she shrugged out of her own breeches and shirt and then stood there shivering in her thin chemise, wondering what to do next.

A scraping noise behind her made her jump. When Dominic
dragged the cot in front of the fire, Brie quickly scurried out of his way. At least he was not totally naked, she thought with relief, seeing that he had wrapped the towel around his narrow hips. It did little to conceal the magnificence of his body, however, and Brie could feel her cheeks becoming heated as she watched him spread the blanket over the straw mattress.

When he had arranged the cot, Dominic picked up the other towel and turned to Brie, intending to help her dry off. He took only two steps, though, before he halted abruptly, sucking in his breath. Brie made an alluring sight, with her damp hair hanging about her shoulders in curling tendrils, her skin gleaming like pale gold in the candlelight. The wisp of linen she was wearing left little to the imagination. The shift covered her buttocks, but every curve of her body was provocatively revealed by the wet fabric. Dominic's eyes darkened as he took in the fetching sight. Her coral nipples were clearly visible as they strained against the delicate fabric, and when she wrapped her arms about her to ward off the cold, her thrusting breasts threatened to spill over the meager bodice.
Dominie's
gaze roamed lower, touching on the gently rounded hips and slender legs. Then it lifted again, locking with Brie's.

She met his heated glance and shuddered violently, although her reaction had nothing to do with the cold. The lust she saw in Dominic's gray eyes frightened her. Her fiancé had looked at her that way just before he had attacked her. Alarmed, Brie took a step backwards, her hand stealing to her throat.

Dominic could see her sudden fear. Even though he wasn't sure what caused it, he knew better than to make any abrupt movements. Clamping down on his primitive urges, he gave Brie a soft smile that was meant to convey reassurance and moved toward her slowly.