Chapter Ten

“Yes,” she replied after regaining control of her facilities. He smelled so good, so rugged, and so masculine. So mouthwatering. Were men supposed to smell so distractingly good?

The door opened and he backed off, picking up the tray. “Glad to hear it.”

“There you are, Najja,” Jo said coming near. “Am I disturbing anything?”

“No,” Colin said, handing the tray to a passing maid.

“Darn,” Jo huffed and sat on the stool. “Ready to go to the festival?”

Beyond Jo’s mass of curls she met Colin’s gaze. Blasted man winked and left the room. “I’m ready, Jo.”

“Is everything okay, Najja?”

“Fine. Let’s go to the festival.”

Together they went to the door and put on coats and gloves. Jo said goodbye to her parents and they made their way to the waiting coach. The air was crisp and sharp.

When she sat beside Jo, her head jerked up when the closing door opened wide again. Colin climbed in.

“Figured we could all ride together,” he said by way of explanation.

She smothered her groan while Jo chatted away. Colin’s legs were long and constantly pressed against hers, sending her into her own private hell. Never before had she longed for a man’s touch. It seemed Colin knew it too, subtle touches of the leg and foot tormenteingher the entire trip.

The night was cold yet it in no way deterred from the festival. Fires burned brightly, people danced, food cooked and children ran unchecked. Colin spoke to his tenants all the while thinking about Najja and their upcoming kiss. His blood burned and spikes of lust shot through him.

The ladies moved a bit ahead of him and it didn’t escape his notice how protective Najja was of Jo. Not just protective, she seemed thoroughly aware of everything around them. Yet she accomplished it in an extremely subtle way. Not an obvious one. More mystery of the woman who had but one name. Najja.

Both women wore darker colors but like usual only Najja piqued his interest. While Kyle Easterly spoke about his thoughts on how well his harvest was, Colin continually found himself honed in on Najja.

The wind picked up and he noticed the bonfires gleamed off something on her ear. He had seen the earring bobs on her lobes but couldn’t recall seeing anything else. Of course her hair usually covered the tops of her ears.

“Well, what do you think, Mr. Faulkner?” Easterly asked his round face full of excitement at what he’d just proposed.

I think I have become enamored with an enchantress from Africa. “I think, Mr. Easterly, it is going to be a very good autumn and winter.”

Easterly beamed. “My thoughts exactly. Well…I see the missus, have a great time.”

“Likewise, Easterly.”

The man walked away and Colin fought a grin. He knew he wasn’t a man who put distance between himself and his tenants. After all they were the ones who made him not have to maintain and upkeep. These people didn’t put on airs like so many he’d grown up with in London. He liked them, they allowed him privacy and there was no matchmaking. For which he was eternally grateful.

With a sigh, he took in the festival while contemplating what to do about Najja. He would have her in his bed. Of that he had no doubt. Speaking of Najja, where was she? To his left he spotted Jo dancing with some of the young village girls. But no Najja. He searched harder near Jo, aware she rarely went far from the younger Miss Adrys.

His heart calmed when he spotted her crouched by a child, appearing deep in discussion. Her head tipped back and she laughed. He was rooted to the spot, captivated beyond words, when the sound of her laughter danced along the wind from her mouth to his ears.

Bloody hell! He’d never wanted anyone so much in his entire life.

“Breathing would be advisable,” a low voice said from beside him.

He glanced down to find Wilkes there. The man had a sparkle in his eyes even though his expression was impassive.

“I have news.”

Colin turned his eyes toward where Najja still spoke to the girl. “And?”

“They plan to hit the next shipment of yours. Not sure where yet though.”

“Damn it! I cannot afford to lose more men or whisky.”

“That is not all.”

His mood had soured. “What else?”

“There are two men who constantly hang around Kittle Manor. Rough looking, although they do claim to be friends of Adrys. So far no one has said a word about him staying with you.” Wilkes paused. “There is talk though of a dark skinned woman who travels with them.”

A wave of unease fell about him. “She is here, tonight. With Adrys’ daughter.”

“Where?”

“To the right of the fire, she is talking to a little girl.”

At that moment, Najja stood up and made a cursory scan in their direction.

“Bloody hell!” Wilkes uttered, shock blatantly apparent.

Colin frowned. In all the time he’d known Wilkes he’d never heard him this disconcerted. Scrutinizing the man, he saw him slowly gain his wits.

“What is wrong with you, Wilkes?”

“It…that…Najja.”

Her name was said on a soft sigh. Jealousy overtook him before he knew what happened. Eyes flickered between Wilkes and Najja. Her face gave nothing away; in fact she turned away back to the dancing. The image of Wilkes touching her...

“How do you know her?” he growled, struggling not to wrap his hands around Wilkes’ neck.

“I had heard…and seen…but assumed it to be naught but a rumor.” Disbelief and awe coated his words.

“What are you going on about?” Now he was holding onto his control by a mere thread.

“In India, I heard it, years ago. And again in a different place I saw her. She…is rumored to be an assassin.”

He choked on the incredulity of such a claim. “Do not be daft.”

“I swear, Colin. I have seen the end result of her work.”

There was only honesty in Wilkes’ voice.

“How so?” Colin didn’t want to believe it.

“She was in the court, at both places. Then someone turned up dead. She had vanished.” Wilkes scratched his head. “One night in India, after a party with a sultan, one of the guards got too deep in his cups and told how she had been sent there to learn things…of all sorts. Things involving death.”

It sounded too crazy to believe. And yet…

“Did you meet her?”

“I was introduced in…well it does not matter. She…she was so young then.”

His stomach rolled at the thought of her with Wilkes. Others gathered nearer to them and he forced a smile. “We need to finish this discussion.”

“I will be there tonight,” Wilkes stated. “Be cautious.” As he had arrived, Wilkes faded away with silence.

His mind whirled with the implications. Smothering a groan he sought out Najja. She no longer stood where he’d last seen her. He breathed a bit easier when he located Jo, she looked like a forest sprite, her hair coming loose gave her an air of sensuality. She would be breaking hearts in the ton. If she can curb her tongue. But he liked her bluntness.

Off to the side, almost hidden completely by shadows stood the woman he searched for. Following her line of sight, he found she watched Jo. In a swift and decisive manner he slid around to come up behind Najja.

He paused a short distance back from her, ogling what he could see in the shadowed light. His hands itched to caress the curves simmering below her understated attire. He’d seen flashes of a small ankle, despite her normally wearing boots, and on occasion her skirts were drawn tight over the curvature of her derriere.

With a gulp he wiped the beads of sweat which had popped upon his brow despite the algidity of the air temperature. More in control he stepped just shy of flush to her. The scent unique only to her circumnavigated him immediately, breathing new life into the emotional charge she provided him. Who knew spiced roses and vanilla could make a man entertain the notion of forever.

“Why are you hiding?” he asked in susurration.

She didn’t even start. “I am not hiding. I am observing.”

He closed the fractional distance and nearly groaned at the way she felt against him. Along her hips he rested his gloved hands, wishing with zeal there was naught between them aside from skin. Her waist wasn’t as tiny as fashion deemed preferable but he loved it. He held a woman, not a schoolroom chit.

Keeping an eye on the festivities and people before them, he moved his fingers in small circles. She shuddered beneath his touch.

She is not as immune to me as she would like me to believe.

“You have no desire to dance?”

“No.”

“I do,” he admitted. “But the type I want to do with you requires a lot fewer clothes.”

“Really?” Did he imagine it or was there a catch in her voice?

“Really,” he whispered in her ear before trailing his tongue along the lobe. He was so hard his vision flickered. She even tasted delectable. “I want to do all kinds of things to you, Najja. All kinds.”

Her breathing accelerated. “Wicked things?”

“Very wicked,” he promised, pulling her tighter to the hard ridge in his breeches.

She undulated her hips, verging on the rod he sported. This time he did groan.

“I want you, luv.” His hips responded instinctively to her motion.

“Hmm,” she uttered, totally noncommittal before she broke contact.

His growl of displeasure, seconds from escape, calmed at the knowledge Jo approached.

“What are you two doing here?” Jo asked, not so innocently.

“Mr. Faulkner and I were discussing that we should get back.” Jo sighed and Najja added, “He has an estate to run, Jo. He has other things to do than escort us about.”

“Of course,” Jo said immediately. “Thank you for allowing us to attend this.”

He stepped from behind Najja, one hand trailing familiarly along the tempting ass she had. “Colin,” he corrected offering Jo his arm, “and it was my pleasure.”

Najja seemed to retreat into herself as they made their way back to his home. She vanished up to her room quickly after they arrived. He wanted to follow her up there so much; unfortunately Abel told him he had a visitor.

Wilkes.

A few hours and much information later he left the study with Wilkes to walk him to the door. His mind whirled with what Wilkes had imparted to him. They both froze when they spotted Najja poised at the entrance to the library. As he had at the festival he glanced between them, that unpleasant wave of jealousy rising again.