Calder Promise (Calder Saga 8)

“You certainly seem rather pleased with yourself,” she observed.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” He smiled down on her. “After all, I did win.”

“So you did,” Laura agreed easily. “Although having me for a partner meant that Sebastian was obliged to play with something of a handicap.” It was a mischievous perversity that prompted her to argue Sebastian’s side.

But Boone seemed to sense that and didn’t rise to the bait. “Did you expect me to play with one hand tied behind my back to make up for it?”

She released a breathy laugh and shook her head. “Not you. You’ll make use of every advantage you can.”

“Wouldn’t you?” he countered.

“Probably,” Laura admitted as they reached the top of the steps.

“Damn right you would,” Boone stated. “Like me, you play to win or you don’t play.”

“Is that right?” she challenged playfully as they continued along the hall toward her room.

“You know it is,” he replied. “But I don’t expect you to admit it.”

Inwardly Laura acknowledged that truth about herself. To her thinking, it didn’t make sense to undertake something unless it was with the intention of succeeding.

When they arrived at the door to her room, she turned toward him and leaned back against the jamb, tilting her face up to him. “I suppose as the victor you intend to claim the spoils.” There was an instant darkening of his eyes, desire heating them. When he made that initial move to claim the invitation from her lips, Laura added, “And I warn you, I am spoiled.”

In answer, his mouth came down to claim her lips in a driving kiss that was rough with need. Laura absorbed its bruising force, so stimulated by its pent-up hunger that her own blood suddenly ran sweet and fast. His arm circled her waist to arch her against his length, leaving her in no doubt as to the extent of his arousal.

Unexpectedly, he dragged his mouth from hers and bowed his head for an instant. There was a piercing blackness to his eyes when he finally met her curious gaze.

“Sometimes I think you’re trying to spoil me for anyone else.” The roughness of his voice made it a kind of accusation.

Those were heady words. Laura was careful not to show how welcome they were as she crossed her hands behind his neck and let her fingers idly toy with his close-cropped hair. “Could I do that?”

He looked at her for a long second. “I’m beginning to think you can.”

It was such a grudging admission she had to smile. “Being spoiled can have its own rewards.” Rising up on tiptoes, she pressed a quick, warm kiss on his lips and immediately drew back before he could make more of it, and reached behind her to turn the doorknob. “Good night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She left him standing there, stunned by the suddenness of her escape, and slipped inside the room, quickly closing the door behind her and leaning against it, savoring the satisfaction of the moment. After a short pause, she heard the sound of his footsteps moving away. She hadn’t been sure he would leave, and waited a beat to make certain he wasn’t coming back, then pushed away from the door.

Laura hadn’t taken two steps into the room when some inner sense warned her she wasn’t alone. Muscles tensing in vague alarm, she turned and made a visual sweep of the room. The search halted. For a startled instant, she simply stared at Sebastian, stretched out on her bed, reclining against its pillows.

“What are you doing in here?” she asked, wavering between shock and amusement.

“You did mention earlier that you wondered whether you would be having a surprise visitor,” Sebastian reminded her and uncrossed his legs to swing them off the bed and stand up. “I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Amusement reigned as she shook her head and sighed.

“But how did you get in here? I just left you downstairs.”

His expression was one of mock consternation. “I must have neglected to mention on the tour that Crawford Hall, like other old manors, contains secret passageways. How remiss of me.”

“Secret passageways. Where?” Her curiosity aroused, she looked about the room.

Sebastian clucked his tongue in reproach. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be secret anymore, now would it?”

“Stop being so mysterious.” Her smile chided him even as her pulse fluttered at his sauntering approach. “Tell me.”

Pausing in front of her, he released an exaggerated sigh. “Very well, if you insist. You happen to be standing in one of the older sections of Crawford Hall. This room was in fact the master bedroom—”

Laura interrupted, “Which goes back to the days when husbands and wives didn’t sleep together.”