“What?”
She tugged the blankets even tighter.
“You made it very clear that you consider me no more than a convenient body to warm your bed.”
“Convenient?” His sharp, humorless bark of laughter echoed loudly through the room. “Miss Quinn, you have been by far the most bothersome, unnerving, intractable female who has ever crossed my path.”
Stupidly, Brianna found herself offended by his mocking words. “I most certainly am not bothersome.”
His lips twitched, but with an obvious effort he pushed aside his annoying amusement.
“My point is that I need only step out the door to discover a woman more convenient.”
“Then why do you not do so?” she snapped.
“Because, you annoying wench, I do not want anyone else.” He captured her lips in a brief, punishing kiss before pulling back to regard her with a glittering gaze. “I have not so much as glanced at another female since you forced your way into my home. And as for what you heard when I was speaking to Herrick, well…” His features tightened with self-disgust. “I suppose there is no excuse but the fact that I was being a ridiculous jackass.”
Brianna grimly ignored the treacherous leap of her heart as she narrowed her gaze in suspicion.
“I will not argue.”
“I am not surprised,” he said, his eyes darkening with genuine regret as he cupped her face in a gentle grip. “Brianna, I am sorry that I hurt you. That was never my intention.”
“I know your intentions, Edmond, and you have never attempted to deceive me.”
“No, just myself,” he muttered.
“What?”
With a grimace Edmond surged to his feet and paced toward the window, his shoulders stiffly angled and his hands clenched at his sides.
“I knew from the beginning that you were more than just another female I desired in my bed, but I was so determined to seduce you that I never allowed myself to acknowledge that I was the one being seduced.” He pressed a fist to the frosted window, his head turned to reveal his perfect profile. “Not even when I was forced to accept I could not be far from your side without feeling as if an essential part of me was missing.”
Bewildered by his husky words, Brianna sat upright, her brow furrowed at the mere thought that she could have such power over the man.
“Absurd.”
“Absurd, but undeniable.” He made a sound deep in his throat. “Why else would I have selfishly demanded that you remain in London with me, when it was obvious you would have been far happier at Meadowland with Stefan? And even when I did come to my senses enough to take you to Surrey, I could not leave you in peace.”
“You came to my rescue,” Brianna instinctively defended his rash return to Surrey, unable to forget the debt that she owed this man, no matter how aggravating he might be. “If not for you, then Thomas Wade would have…”
“Do not make me a hero, ma souris,” he interrupted, turning to regard her with a shadowed gaze. “We both know I should have left Meadowland once you were safe and allowed you to wed my brother, even if I would rather have cut out my heart. And I most certainly never should have demanded that you travel with me directly into the path of a brewing revolution. Hardly heroic behavior.”
“You have never forced me, Edmond. I could have refused to accompany you.”
He heaved a weary sigh, his gaze skimming over her tiny body, still hidden beneath the heavy covers.
“Could you?”
“I am not usually a spineless creature,” she snapped, embarrassed to realize just how helpless she was behaving. “In truth, I am weary of lying in this bed like a coward.”
“No, never that.” With swift steps he was standing beside the bed, his hand reaching to touch her cheek. “Not even the staunchest spine could have survived what you have endured over the past weeks and not needed to recuperate. Especially when you were concerned that you had more than just yourself to care for.”
It took a moment before Brianna was catching her breath in shock. With an unwitting movement she was pressing a hand to her empty stomach.
“You knew?”
“I overheard you speaking with Vanya just now.”