eyes blazed. „I won’t tell you. Not ever.“
„You will, you know,“ he said softly. „Perhaps not now, but
you will tell me, Miss Delaney. It’s necessary that I find your
uncle.“
„Why?“
He smiled faintly. „I don’t believe it would be wise to
discuss my purpose with you. I think we’ve reached an
impasse. I can’t say that I’m sorry. Our situation promises to
become much more interesting this way. The quest may
become an adventure more satisfying than the discovery.“ His
voice lowered to velvet sensuality. „I’ve always been quite
fond of ‘adventures,’ haven’t you, Miss Delaney?“
His dark eyes held mysteries, sensual secrets she knew he
wanted to share with her. Yet his words were a mystery in
themselves. Silver tore her gaze away from him. „I don’t know
what you mean.“
Nicholas experienced a thrust of disappointment that
surprised him. What had he expected, he wondered cynically.
Just because the girl seemed more honest than most was no
reason she would admit to her lustful indiscretions. The
woman who occupied a man’s bed one night was seldom the
woman he met in the ballroom the next. „I’ll endeavor to make
my meaning clear… later. I’ll make sure you understand every
nuance and shading.“ His dark eyes glinted through half-
lowered lids. „Unless you’d care to change your mind?“
„I don’t understand what you’re saying.“ She shrugged
impatiently. „It makes no difference. I won’t change my mind,
so you may as well leave. Good afternoon, your highness. That
is, if you really are a prince. It wouldn’t surprise me if you
were one of those detectives and only pretending.“
He was dismissed, Nicholas realized with amusement, and
with a royal indifference that would have done justice to an
empress. „And it wouldn’t surprise me if you were a princess.“
Her gray eyes glinted with anger. „You’re laughing at me.
I’m no princess, nor would I want to be. I am what I am. Silver
Dove Delaney. Apache. White. Half-breed.“
Nicholas inhaled sharply, feeling heat flow through him
and his stomach knot painfully. Christ, she was magnificent.
Burning. Flaming with life. Her breasts were lifting and falling
with every breath, and he felt a sudden desire to reach out and
cover one of those breasts with his palm, to feel the fire, the
softness. He pulled his gaze away from her and tried to
remember what she had just said. „Apache? That’s an Indian
tribe of your American Southwest, isn’t it?“
Her lips curved in a crooked smile. „Your fine detectives
didn’t tell you I was a half-breed? Well I am and I’m also
illegitimate. My father thought my mother was good enough
only to bed and forget. Not that it matters to me. I had no need
of the Delaneys.“
„Yet you’re doing your best to protect one Delaney.“ He
was scarcely aware of the words he was speaking. He just
wanted to keep her talking, watch the play of expression on
her face. Passion. He could feel the passion in her reach out
and touch him like a stroking hand. My God, he wanted her.
She had him achingly full, ready as he had never been before.
Merde, and he hadn’t even touched her yet.
But he would soon. He had never been more certain of
anything in his entire life than that he must have Silver
Delaney in his bed.
„I said I had no need. I didn’t say I wouldn’t choose to
give.“ Two bright spots of color blazed beneath the golden
smoothness of her cheeks. „I do what I please. And it pleases
me to help Dominic.“
And, Nicholas thought angrily, it pleased her to offer her
body to this Sebastien and no doubt to any other man who
caught her eye. He experienced a hot thrust of emotion that
was totally new to him. „You appear to be exceptionally
generous in your giving. That could be very dangerous for a
woman. Some men prefer that such generosity be confined
solely to themselves.“ His lips twisted. „I’m beginning to
believe I may be included in that group. I find it quite a
surprising discovery.“
A bewildered frown wrinkled her brow. „Half the time I
don’t understand what you’re talking about. Do all Russians
say one thing and mean something else?“
„Probably, though it’s a trait not confined entirely to my
countrymen.“
„What a waste of time and effort. It’s far more sensible to
say exactly what one means.“
He threw back his head and laughed. „You like honesty?“
His ebony eyes were suddenly dancing roguishly. He took a
step closer to her. „All right, I’ll stop being Russian and adopt
your American ways.“
„Nicholas,“ Mikhail said warningly. It was the first time he
had spoken since she had entered the room and Silver’s gaze
flew to the face of the huge Russian. The Cossack’s gaze was
fastened on the prince with apprehension and rueful
resignation.
„She wants honesty, Mikhail,“ Nicholas said in a reckless
tone of voice. „Why not give it to her?“ His gaze held Silver’s.
„Shall I tell you what I want? One, I want Dominic Delaney.
Two, I want to take off all your clothes and carry you to a bed,
even one in this nunnery. Not necessarily in that order. At the
moment the urgency is definitely for the latter.“
Her eyes were wide and wondering as a child’s. „You wish
to fornicate with me?“
He chuckled. „Good Lord, I’d wager you didn’t learn that
word at the staid Mrs. Alford’s academy.“ He nodded. „That’s
exactly what I want to do and shall do at the earliest
opportunity.“
She gazed at him for a moment, her cheeks scarlet. Then
she shook her head, hard. „No.“
„Are you afraid I can’t please you?“ His tone was only a
level above a seductive whisper. „I promise you won’t be
disappointed. Come with me now. I have a carriage waiting
and we’ll go back to my boat. You don’t belong here among all
these prim young misses.“
A pained expression appeared on her face but quickly
veiled. „No, I don’t belong here. No one knows that better than
I do.“ Her chin rose. „But I don’t belong in your bed either.“
„You’re wrong; that’s exactly where you do belong.“ He
bowed mockingly once more. „But I can wait. It may even
whet my appetite.“ Something hot and wild flickered in the
darkness of his eyes. „Though I doubt it, because I’m already
very hungry indeed.“ He glanced over his shoulder at Mikhail.
„You see, my friend, I was very good. I didn’t throw her down
on the rug as you thought I might. Now we can go.“
„A good idea,“ Mikhail said dryly. „This is no place for you
either.“
Nicholas made a face. „You’re right. It’s difficult to breathe
in here.“ He turned back to Silver. „Good afternoon, sweet, I’ll
be looking forward to our next meeting.“
„I’m not sweet, and we won’t be meeting again.“
He tilted his golden head and regarded her apprais-ingly. „I
was mistaken. You’re quite right: there’s nothing sweet about
you. You’re like the vodka made in the Kuban. Hot going
down and explosive after. I’ve always had an insatiable thirst
for that vodka.“ He turned to the arched doorway and then
turned back as a thought occurred to him. „Silver Dove?“ He
burst out laughing. „Good Lord, what a misnomer. You’re
more like a firebird.“ He put on his black silk hat and strolled
leisurely out the door.
Silver found herself staring after him, seething with a wild
confusion of emotions. „He’s mad,“ she muttered. „He
couldn’t have meant…“