Page 36 of You Belong to Me
Alexandra’s eyes rounded incredulously. All thoughts of sleep were gone, all thoughts of escape prevalent. But she wasn’t ready to say “Please” yet.
“That isn’t funny, Petroff.”
“Actually, it’s something of a joke, and I don’t find it amusing either, since it’s on me.”
She refused to ask for an explanation that she was sure she wouldn’t like. “Put me down.”
“Say please.”
“Dammit, put me down!”
It looked like he was going to when he put both reins in the hand whose arm was supporting her. That left his other hand free, but instead of using it to lower her to the ground, he lifted her chin so that she was staring at him as his head began to lower.
“I did try,” he said in a husky whisper.
She was mesmerized, for all of two breathless seconds. Then the fear of being lost to those same sensations she had experienced last night had her bursting out with “Please, please, please.”
For a brief moment, he looked disappointed that she’d given in. And then he found satisfaction in winning. Another moment and she was on the ground, and had to suffer that smug smile looking down at her.
“There is a lesson to be learned here, sweetheart,” he said with a heavy dose of arrogance. “It pays to give in sooner, because delay will cause nothing but unpleasantness.”
Lesson, or warning? But she didn’t have to wonder whether he had changed the subject and was talking about the betrothal now, rather than the “pleases” he’d just got.
“Then it’s a lesson you should heed yourself, Petroff,” she replied, and then called sharply, “Bojik!”
The wolfhound was at her side almost instantly, barking so loud and viciously that Vasili’s stallion took fright this time and raced off at a breakneck speed, not down the road, but across a nearby field. Alexandra grinnedas she watched Vasili try to bring the animal under control, and not very successfully. She might have to walk a while until one of the Razins noticed she was on foot and came back for her, but she didn’t mind in the least.
She even laughed as she ruffled her dog’s hair and started down the road. “He wants to make points, Bojik, but I don’t think he’s going to like ours, is he?”
16
Afull week passed without any further incidents, possibly because Vasili and Alexandra took pains to avoid talking to each other. Both would have preferred to avoid seeing each other as well, but that was impossible to manage, though Vasili certainly gave it his best effort by continuing to ride far ahead of the party each day.
Twice they had camped out in the countryside, and although Alexandra had expected a fight about doing so from the fastidious popinjay, she didn’t get one either time. Had she been privy to Vasili’s true feelings, she’d have known how close she’d come to inciting one. But Vasili had come to understand in the short time he’d known her that her horses were of paramount importance to her and that she couldn’t be budged on the issue of their safety. And truth be known, he didn’t like traveling in the dark any more than she did. Had he objected, he would have done so out of sheer contrariness, which wasn’t to saythat an objection wasn’t highly probable in his present state of mind.
He wasn’t happy with the progress he was making. Lazar was right: he couldn’t leave his fate entirely in his mother’s hands. Hedidbelieve she would forbid the marriage once she saw how far from a lady Alexandra actually was, baroness or not. But there was a slim chance that she might think she could correct Alexandra’s faults instead. And although Vasili viewed such an undertaking as an impossibility, he knew his opinion wouldn’t be taken into account if his mother made up her mind to try.
Ignoring Alexandra had seemed another ideal solution to his dilemma when it had first occurred to him. Any other woman whom he was involved with wouldn’t have stood for such lack of attention on his part. She would have shown him extremes of emotion in retaliation. But Alexandra was not any woman. And that she seemed happy that he was avoiding her annoyedhimin the extreme. Perhaps he should have seduced her first andthenignored her. Damned woman, couldn’t she even react properly? Did she have to be different ineveryway?
Even the rare few times they did happen to have words, and he turned on his contempt full blast, it seemed to just roll off her. Vasili was even beginning to suspect that she somehow found his derision amusing. It was nothing that he could put his finger on, no turning of the lips however slight, no crinkling ofthose pretty blue eyes. It was more an utterly bland look she gave him that was so devoid of expression that ithadto be suspect.
The fact was, he was out of his element where his betrothed was concerned. He was too used to dealing with women in only one way, with practiced charm and seduction, neither of which was an option with Alexandra if he wanted her to despise him.
It had been a mistake to kiss her, and to nearly kiss her again, even if it had been an attempt to make her back down from her threat of “public scenes.” The mistake had been a serious one for him, because he would rather not have found out how perfectly her body fit to his. And he could definitely have done without discovering that the taste of her was like ambrosia, her hair like spun silk, her skin warm velvet. And to know the feel of those magnificent breasts crushed against him…
It had been an even worse mistake not to explore those breasts thoroughly when he’d had the chance, because now he dreamed of fondling them, licking them, biting them. He dreamed of hearing her moan with pleasure beneath him. He had no business dreaming of her at all.
“I can’t tell whether they’re trying to save you from the embarrassment of Alexandra’s causing another scene,” Lazar remarked offhandedly, “or if they’re abetting her in keeping the wenches away from you.”
They were seated in a private dining roomtonight, at Vasili’s request, yet it was only a small alcove that was open on one side to the common room, where the rest of their party was gathered. Vasili glanced out now to see what Lazar was talking about, and noticed that the Cossack twins, Stenka and Timofee, were both vying for the attentions of the cook’s assistant. And the cook herself was being whispered to by the older brother, Konrad, on the other side of the room.
This was a small posting house that employed no serving wenches. Yet the only two women who worked on the premises were being engaged. It had been happening all week. Whatever females were available, the Cossacks got to them first and monopolized their time. Vasili had been brooding too much to really notice or care.
“Whatever they’re doing, you can be sure it’s not to my benefit,” Vasili grumbled in reply.
“Why don’t you ride ahead tomorrow to the next town and get it out of your system?” Lazar suggested. “I might even join you.”
“An excellent idea, except I don’t trust Alexandra to show up in the next town if I do that.”
