Twin of Ice Read online

  Kane grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

  Houston felt her body softening and her anger disappearing. Perhaps this was what she’d been after. She did so much like to be touched by him.

  “You smell good,” he said, nuzzling her neck, as his big body surrounded hers, protecting her, making her feel safe and unsafe at the same time.

  “You were real nice today.” He was placing little nibbling kisses along her neck. “You ain’t gonna mind bein’ married to a stableboy like me too much, are you?”

  Houston didn’t answer as she felt her knees giving way, but Kane easily held her upright as he began to make love to her left ear.

  “You were the prettiest lady there today,” he whispered, his soft breath sending chills down her legs. “And I liked carryin’ you. In fact, I’d like to carry you upstairs to my bed right now.”

  Houston was tempted to say nothing and, in truth, wondered if it was possible for her voice to work.

  “Eh-hem,” came a loud sound from the doorway.

  “Go away,” Kane said, his teeth nipping along Houston’s jawline.

  But Houston was too steeped in years of training to continue. She pushed at Kane but didn’t budge him. “Please,” she pleaded, looking into his dark eyes.

  With a look of disgust, he released her so suddenly she nearly fell.

  Mrs. Murchison stood in the doorway, holding an enormous porcelain soup tureen. As she passed Houston on the way out, she gave her shaming looks which made Houston blush.

  Trying to calm herself, Houston realized how close she’d come to blithely jumping into bed with her fiancé. But she’d promised her stepfather she’d ask questions about Kane before she married him. What if she found out he was a criminal? Would she marry him anyway? She would certainly have to if she’d been to bed with him.

  Looking at him now, as he sat on the floor opening the champagne, his jacket off, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled to the elbows and showing strong, tanned forearms, she thought perhaps she should let him make love to her, then she’d have to marry him no matter what she found out about him.

  But that would be cheating.

  Carefully arranging her skirts, she sat on the pillows across from him “I have a favor to ask of you,” she began.

  “Sure,” he said, mouth full of pâté.

  “I’d like to remain a virgin until my wedding.”

  Kane choked so badly Houston was worried about him, but he downed half a bottle of the champagne and managed to recover. “It’s nice to hear you are one,” he said at last, tears in his eyes. “I mean what with Westfield and all.”

  Houston stiffened.

  “Now, don’t go gettin’ your back up. Here, have some of this.” He held out a tulip glass of champagne. “It’s good for you. So, you want to remain a virgin, do you?” he said, as he ladled creamy oyster stew into porcelain bowls. “I guess that means you want me to keep my hands off you.”

  He was watching her in an odd way, speculatively.

  “Perhaps that would be better,” she said, thinking that if he kept touching her as he had a minute ago, she’d never stay a virgin—nor want to remain one.

  “All right,” he said and there was coldness in his voice.

  Houston’s eyes widened. No doubt he thought it was because he was once a stableboy and she thought she was better than he was. “No, please,” she began. “It’s not what you think. I—.” She couldn’t tell him what she’d promised her stepfather, or that his hands made her feel far and away from being a lady. She put her hand on his bare forearm.

  Kane moved away from her touch. “You made your point. Look, we have an agreement, a contract more or less, and I’ve been breakin’ it. You said you’d pretend we were . . . in love, I guess, in public and you’ve done that. In private you don’t have to put up with me. I’ll keep my hands off you. In fact, I think it’d be better if I left now. You stay here ’n’ eat and I’ll go to work.”

  Before Houston could move, Kane had stood and was halfway across the room.

  “Please don’t go,” she cried, leaping up to follow him, then tripping and falling on her long skirts.

  He caught her before she hit the hard floor but swiftly released her once she was steadied.

  “I didn’t mean to insult you,” she began. “It’s not that I don’t like your touch,” she began, then stopped, blushed, and looked at her hands. “I mean I . . . It’s just that I never . . . And I would like to remain . . . If possible,” she concluded, looking up at him.

  Kane was staring at her quite hard. “You don’t make no sense. You want me to keep my hands off or what? All I asked for in this marriage was a lady in public. In private, this house is big enough you don’t even have to look at my ugly face. It’s your choice, lady.”

  A lady must be positive, Houston remembered from school. She put her chin in the air and her shoulders back. “I want to be your wife in private as well as in public, but I also want to remain a virgin until the wedding.”

  “Well, who’s stoppin’ you?” Kane glared at her. “Am I haulin’ you upstairs by your hair? Am I forcin’ you into my bed?”

  “No, but you are a persuasive asker, Mr. Taggert,” she shot back at him, then put her hand to her mouth.

  Understanding lit Kane’s eyes. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, with wonder in his voice. “Who would a thought? Oh well, maybe ladies like stableboys. Come on and sit down and eat,” he said jovially. “A good asker, am I?” He grinned as she sat down across from him.

  With all her heart, Houston wished she’d never brought the subject up.

  The intimate little dinner Houston’d planned turned into controlled chaos. Edan came in before the soup was finished and handed Kane papers he had to read and sign. Kane invited him to eat with them, and they proceeded to talk business throughout the meal.

  Houston silently watched the sun set through the long windows. Mrs. Murchison went in and out bearing great quantities of delicious food, which were consumed down to the last crumb.

  Kane kept giving the woman compliments, which ranged from a mumbled “damned good” to, when she brought in an enormous baked Alaska, asking her to run away with him and live in sin. Mrs. Murchison giggled and blushed like a schoolgirl.

  Houston, remembering the cook’s remark that she was cooking all Mr. Kane’s favorite foods, said, “What are your favorite foods, Mr. Taggert?”

  He looked at her over the top of some papers. “Anything that tastes good and that includes pretty ladies.”

  With pinkened cheeks, Houston looked away.

  At nine o’clock she rose. “I must leave now. Thank you so much for the dinner, Mr. Taggert.” She really didn’t think he’d notice whether she was there or not.

  Kane caught the hem of her dress. “You can’t leave yet. I want to talk to you.”

  Without yanking her skirt away, she couldn’t leave, so she stood still, looking at a wall panel over the heads of the two men seated at her feet.

  “I think I’m the one who should go,” Edan said, beginning to gather papers.

  “We ain’t done yet,” Kane said.

  “Don’t you think you should spend a little time alone with your bride?” Edan asked pointedly. “I’ll tell Mrs. Murchison to go home.” He stood. “Houston, thank you for dinner. I enjoyed it very much.” Edan left the room, closing the door behind him.

  Houston didn’t move, but stood just where she was, not looking down at him.

  He tugged on her skirt a few times, but when she didn’t respond, he stood and looked at her. “I think you’re mad at me.”

  Houston looked away. “That’s utterly ridiculous. It’s quite late, Mr. Taggert, and I must go home. My parents will be worried.”

  Kane put his hand on her cheek, cupping her face. “It was real nice of you to fix up this dinner with the candles an’ all.”

  “I’m glad you were pleased. Now I must—.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “All night I’ve been