Page 19 of The Rogue’s Offer

“Yes. Yes, of course, how remiss of me.” Merrick quickly scrambled to his feet and bent over her hand. “I hope you will allow me to call on you tomorrow, my lady.”

“That’s most kind of you, sir, but I’m uncertain I’ll be home.”

“The day after tomorrow then,” Merrick said with persistence. The last thing she wanted was to entertain Merrick. There was something off-putting about the man. It seemed an unkind judgment to make, but his fawning manner did little to endear her to the man.

“Forgive me, Mr. Merrick, but I believe they’re about to start.” She tipped her head in the direction of the orchestra tuning its instruments.

“Yes, of course.” Merrick nodded, clearly reluctant to leave. “Until our next meeting then, my dear Lady Havenstock.”

The kiss he placed on her hand was far more fervent than she liked. It reminded her of George’s son Edgar. The memory of the past and her son by marriage sent a small tremor through her. Ophelia forced a smile to her lips as the man straightened, and with a brief nod toward Mathias left the opera box.

The man’s behavior only emphasized her feelings of being placed on display as if she were available to the highest bidder. Logically she knew she had no one to blame for her current situation but herself. She’d allowed Mathias to goad her into accepting his proposal. She could have said no, but a part of her had objected with vehemence.

For the first time she recalled how aloof Mathias had been the entire time the other men had been present. He’d pushed her into the water and left her to drown or swim. The thought angered Ophelia despite knowing the terms of their agreement.

As the house lights dimmed, Mathias sank down into the seat Merrick had vacated seconds before. Music swirled up into the air, and Ophelia realized how much she was coming to regret having agreed to Mathias’s proposal. It only heightened the tension that connected her to him. A soft chuckle floated into her ear as Mathias’s warm breath brushed across her cheek.

“You look as though you are about to be thrown to the lions.” The teasing comment made her frown. It was precisely how she felt. But not because she was about to endure several hours of singing. She slowly turned her head to meet his gaze.

“That’s precisely what happened just a few moments ago, only they were wolves.”

Not bothering to wait for his reaction, she returned her gaze to the stage curtain that was drawing back. For the next hour, she barely heard the music or the singing filling the theatre. Mathias believed there was no better way to learn other than to be thrust into a body of water without warning or skill. But the water she was treading at the moment left her feeling alone and uncertain. It was a sensation she’d not experienced since her father had sold her into a marriage that had been one of constant humiliation. The music rose to a loud conclusion, pulling Ophelia out of her thoughts. The touch of Mathias’s hand on hers made her jump. She jerked her head around to look at him as he carried her hand up to his mouth and warmed her skin with a kiss.

“I’m a heartless brute for having thrown you to the wolves, as you so aptly stated. I’ll not do it again,” he said softly as his mouth caressed her skin. The regret in his voice warmed Ophelia in a way that made her heart begin to race. Her mouth suddenly dry, she acknowledged his apology with a sharp nod and pulled her hand from his.

“Thank you.”

“However, you should be proud of the way you acquitted yourself. Chelmsford was quite taken with you, and he’s not a man who gives his admiration easily.” The odd note of irritation in his voice startled her, but his expression was relaxed as he smiled at her.

“I found Lord Chelmsford quite charming, although a bit intimidating.”

“I predict the man will be completely enthralled with you within a week.” At his declaration, Ophelia laughed.

“A premature assumption, I think.”

“Not if you continue to excel at your lessons as you did earlier this evening.”

Mathias lowered his voice as he leaned into her. The warmth of him enveloped Ophelia, and her breathing hitched at his close proximity. A warm aroma of spice and leather filled her senses. It was a pleasing smell that emphasized the raw potency of him.

Mathias was no less charming than the earl was, but he was far more dangerous to her state of mind. Chelmsford didn’t make her body feel as though it were on fire. A fire that could consume her. In the back of her mind, she found herself wishing she could seduce him. The audacious thought warmed her cheeks and she lowered her gaze.

“My lessons, as you call them, will be sorely tested when it comes to enticing the Earl of Chelmsford.”

“As I said previously, what you lack is confidence, not the ability to stir passion in a man or feel it.”

“And I’m not convinced,” she said as she averted her gaze to stare out at the audience.

“Then I shall have to do my very best to prove you wrong. A task that will give me great pleasure.”

The soft promise sent a shiver of anticipation skimming its way down her back. The thought of his mouth on hers made her pulse throb violently through her veins. She knew how dangerous it was to long for his kiss, but it didn’t stop her from craving to experience his touch. Desperate to hide the direction of her thoughts, she arched an eyebrow and eyed him with disapproval.

“Surely any attempt to convince me as to the validity of your theory would involve an intimacy we both agree does not exist.”

“Touché,” he said with a grin that was almost a boyish, and she found it impossible not to smile in return. Behind them the door to the opera box opened to reveal Louisa, then Rhea and Percy Rockwood.

“Good evening Mathias, Ophelia. Louisa saw the two of you during the middle of the first act, and insisted we come say hello,” Percy said cheerfully, which prompted his wife to rebuke him with a playful smack on his arm with her fan.

“That’s not completely true Percy Rockwood and you know it.”