Sebastian stood, locked the door and resumed his seat. “We have to talk, Amelia.” Sebastian’s voice was low and measured as he studied her.
She was simply stunning. Her hair floated in the water, in a halo of silken delight. His fingers practically tingled with the urge to slide into the silken strands and….. He took a deep breath to steady his wayward thoughts.
“Please, Sebastian, you have to leave.” Amelia met his gaze, pleading with her eyes. “I cannot, and will not sleep with you in this house.”
“Why?” Sebastian was nonplussed. “It’s my house,” he added, trying to figure out her logic and failing miserably.
“Because that will make me your whore, which I simply refuse to be.” Amelia felt the sting of tears in her eyes and she blinked them away quickly. He had blithely ignored her objections about leaving her cottage, but this was something else. This involved her pride and meagre self-esteem. She couldn’t allow him to ride roughshod over those too.
“Making love with me will not make you my whore, Amelia.” Sebastian frowned. Was she still cross with him for making her leave that hideous cottage?
“Your whore. Your mistress. Same difference. Don’t think for a moment I am not aware of the significance of the room you have put me into.” She glared at him, as her temper began to rise at his supreme arrogance. She shouldn’t be surprised that he clearly intended to ignore her objections. But she couldn’t allow him to think he could dominate her because of her lowly status. “The connecting door, and the ease of access to me, should you get the urge.”
“The urge?” Sebastian felt his own temper rise.
“Where is the key to the connecting door?” Amelia snapped, wishing she had a robe or something to wrap around herself. She was at a distinct disadvantage, arguing her point whilst naked in a bath.
“There is no key.” Sebastian raised an arrogant brow. “The urge?”
“I insist you move me to another room,” Amelia snapped.
“No. You are staying in the Countess suite. Not,” he raised a hand when she took a breath to argue, “not, because I want to visit you, should I get the, er, urge.” It was a lie but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate the truth. “This is the suite you are the safest in. If anyone should get into the house, then you are right next door to me. Izzy is sleeping with Dominic. Peter and Edward are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, and are armed.” He tried to keep his voice matter-of-fact, and his eyes off the lush mound of her delectable breasts barely covered by the transparent water.
“I don’t need you to take care of me. I can take care of myself.” She purposely ignored his snort of disbelief, and continued. “As soon as Ballantyne is dealt with, I shall be leaving.”
“Where will you go to, Amelia?” Disbelief coloured his voice. He knew she had nowhere to go. No funds with which to return to Glendowie. No job to go back to, and no likely chance of getting a job in the small village.
“While you are finding Ballantyne, I shall obtain a reference from Sir Hubert and set about finding myself a suitable position as a housekeeper, companion or nursemaid. With Sir Hubert’s reference, it is possible.” Amelia’s voice was prim as she thought aloud. “When Ballantyne no longer poses a threat, then I shall take up my new position and be out of your hair.”
Sebastian wisely remained quiet for a few moments. If he had any say in it, there was no way Amelia was going to be stuck living as someone’s companion, or nursemaid. Instead she would take up the most important position in his household. That of his wife. Somehow though, he didn’t think the declaration would sit well with her at the moment. He eyed the defiant tilt of her chin warily for several moments, as the memory of her fury the night before returned.
Despite his desire for her and, he suspected, his deepening love, he couldn’t in all conscience ask her to marry him until she trusted him enough to tell him about her past. Whether he liked it or not, he needed definite facts on her upbringing before he proposed.
Wearily, he ran a hand down his face and heaved a sigh. It seemed that convincing Amelia to stay was going to be far more difficult than he had ever expected.
“There can be no further -,” Amelia paused, thinking of the most discreet way of saying it, “-bed sharing between us. I am, however reluctantly, a guest in this house and I will ask you to respect that.”
Sebastian felt like punching a wall. His frustration at her doubled. Did she really think she was going to be living in his house, sleeping in the next room and he would treat her as a mere acquaintance?
“We can’t go back, Amelia. We have already slept together. I cannot deny that I still want you.” Always will, he added silently. “I make you no promises.”
“You are supposed to be a gentleman.” Amelia glared at him, knowing she had just thrown down the mantle that he had rapidly snatched up. “Are you saying you will force me in that too?”
“For God’s sake, Amelia, I have never forced you before, why the hell should I do so now?” Sebastian’s voice rang across the room as his temper let loose. “I could have any woman I chose without the need for force.” He fought to keep his voice lowered and failed miserably.
He knew how pompous his last declaration sounded, but couldn’t help it. She needed to know she wasn’t the only female in the country and, if he chose, he could go and find a female who was willing. She wouldn’t be as wonderful as Amelia. Or, have the control over his emotions that Amelia had, but she would spread her legs and accept him gladly, of that he was certain. Wisely he kept the last thought quiet, instead contenting himself with a scowl.
“You override everything else I want. You decided that I should come with you, and ignored what I wanted.” Amelia slapped the water in frustration, ignoring the spray of moisture that covered her face as she continued, her voice rising. “You resorted to kidnap to bring me here, but that’s alright because it is in my best interests. You put me in the Countess suite ostensibly to keep me safe, all the while knowing there is an unlocked connecting door between us that can be used any time, day or night. But that’s alright as long as you get what you want.”
Amelia knew she was shouting now, but in her temper, couldn’t sit still. She couldn’t sit there and let him tower over her any longer.
Bristling with feminine fury, she rose like Aphrodite from the tub, water cascading down her pink-tinged glory. She was a stunning sight to behold as, splendidly naked; she stalked towards him, dripping moisture and feminine fury onto the polished floor in her wake.
Sebastian fought to keep his mouth closed. He had never in his life seen such stunning beauty. It made him all the more determined to keep her.
“Understand this,” Amelia snapped, her hand shaking with temper as she pointed at him. “I am a mere servant.” His eyes snapped up to hers with a scowl. “I have spent the past two years scraping, cleaning and cooking for my employer. I don’t belong in this room, in this house.” She swept her arms out wide to encompass the vast expanse of the luxurious room, her eyes locked onto Sebastian’s. “By rights, I should be downstairs with the serving staff but because of the way you have brought me into this house, I don’t belong there either, now.”
Her chest heaved with temper as she fought to control her roiling emotions. “I have said to you before that I will not be your mistress, or whore, and by allowing you to use that door and me whenever you see fit, I may as well charge you for my services.”