Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
An hour later, Trent was convinced he had two left feet. He’d never felt so clumsy before.
“I’m sorry,” he said with a sigh. “I’m no good at this.”
“You’ve never done it before. How could you possibly be good at it?”
Trent laughed.
“You just need someone to model it for you,” Ash said from the doorway.
Heat crept up Trent’s neck. “Have you been watching?”
“Only for a minute or two.” He handed Trent his cane.
“May I have the pleasure of this dance, Miss Allister?”
“I assure you, my lord, the pleasure will be mine.” She gave a graceful curtsey.
Ash’s smile was filled with approval as he took her hand and twirled her into position.
They moved in unison, even without any music.
He led her around the floor, their steps in perfect synchrony.
She was graceful and beautiful, and somehow they made an ideal pairing.
Ash was more the kind of man she should be with. Not his bastard brother.
“Are you watching?” Ash asked as he brought their dancing to a halt.
“Of course.” Perhaps not the technique, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Samantha.
“Good. Your turn.”
With a nod, Trent handed him his cane, and placed his hands, just as Samantha had shown him.
Ash tapped his cane on the floor in a slow rhythm. “One, two, three. One, two, three,” he counted.
Trent was so focused on avoiding Samantha’s feet that he somehow tripped over his own and stumbled.
“I can’t do it,” he said frustratedly. “I’m not a gentleman. I’m not a dancer.”
“Stop it,” Ash said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Like this.” He modeled the proper positioning. “That’s it. Now, relax your shoulders.”
“How am I supposed to relax when I’m terrified I might step on her?”
“Trust me, you won’t.” Ash breathed in a deep breath and waited for Trent to follow. “Good. Now, stop looking down at your feet and look into her eyes. What color are they? And if you insult her with a single-word answer, I will wallop you.”
His resulting laughter finally did make him relax. “Her eyes are the color of summer skies just before they unleash a torrent of rain.”
Her answering smile put him at ease even more.
“Now breathe, and feel her body. She will move with you. We’ll take it slow. One, two, three. One, two, three.”
As he breathed in, the subtle aroma of orange blossoms filled his nostrils.
He gazed into her eyes, and did feel her moving with him.
It was like they suddenly became one. Everything around them faded away as he lost himself in the stormy depths of her eyes.
But then music started. He’d almost forgotten Ash was there, and the sudden reminder made him stumble.
She tripped over his wayward foot and he barely managed to catch her before she hit the floor.
Laughter spilled out of her. “Well done! Saved me from utter peril.”
“I’m not sure it counts as a rescue since I was the one who caused said peril.” He righted her, feeling like an oaf. “Perhaps we’ve had enough risk taking for one night?”
“But you were just getting good at it.”
“Yes, we can see how good I was getting.”
“Well, if I’m honest, I am growing quite tired. I’ve spent all day on my feet. Will you allow us to continue tomorrow?”
If it meant he could hold her and gaze into her eyes, he would most certainly make another attempt. “If you think you’re brave enough to risk it, I would be honored to try again.”
She turned to look at Ash. “Will you grace us with a recital tomorrow? I would love to hear you play.”
“I’d be happy to play a few pieces.”
“I look forward to it. Good night, Ash.”
Trent walked her up, but hesitated at the door to her room. He wasn’t sure whether or not he should cross the threshold. But she didn’t let go of his hand and led him inside, closing the door behind him.
“I need to explain something.” She took his hands and looked up into his eyes. “I need to explain why I didn’t say yes when you asked if you could kiss me.”
Trent shook his head. “You don’t owe me any explanation for that, Samantha. You are allowed to say no, simply because you choose to. I am not entitled to anything from you.”
“And that is why I didn’t say yes.” She hesitated, her thumbs rubbing nervously over his fingers. “This. Whatever this is between us, is special.” She placed her hand over his heart. “You’re special.”
He covered her hand with his own and held it against his chest. “Samantha I—”
She shook her head, cutting him off. “I don’t want you to reciprocate those words or feel some kind of obligation to me.
I understand that I would be neither the first nor the last woman to share your bed, but for me, if…
when that happens with you, it will be special for me, and I need to be ready so that I don’t ruin it. ”
“Oh, Samantha,” he sighed wistfully. “You have no idea how special that would be for me. And you’re wrong about another thing. You would, in fact, be the first woman to share my bed. And if I was the luckiest man in England, you’d be the last, as well.”
For a long moment, she simply stared at him, dumbstruck. Probably trying to process what to do with the fact that he was a virgin. One more way he was undeserving of her.
“Trent Gibson, did you just propose to me?”
He choked on his sudden laughter. “Not very well, I’m afraid.”
She rested her warm palm against his cheek. “I can’t be your wife.”
Of course she couldn’t. She deserved so much better than him. He was a bloody fool to ever imagine otherwise.
“Stop it,” she said, poking him in the chest. “I can see exactly where your thoughts are going. You are far better than I could ever deserve, so don’t tell yourself otherwise.
I can’t marry you—” Tears filled her eyes and she pressed her lips together trying to prevent her crying.
“I can’t marry you, because I am not able to give you children.
” A single tear streaked down her cheek.
“And you, Trent Gibson, will be the best father.” She brushed her tears away.
“Now kiss me, because I don’t want to talk about it. ”
Not knowing what else to do, he captured her lips with his. Passion erupted, hot and fierce. She matched his desperate need, plunging her tongue into his mouth. He groaned, pulling her tightly against him. He couldn’t get enough of her. She reached between them and opened the buttons of his jacket.
Reluctantly, he pulled his lips away from hers, and shook his head. “Not tonight.”
She laughed softly. “A perfect gentleman.” She slipped her arms inside his jacket and around his back and simply held him.
He breathed in her scent. “You smell divine.”
She giggled.
“Is that funny?”
“That was the exact word Sandra used when she styled my hair tonight, so I guess she was right.”
Holding her in his arms was nothing short of perfection. “For the record. You are special. And whatever this is between us, is special for me too.”
She looked up at him and nodded. “Fair enough.”
He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Good night, Samantha.”
“Good night.”
He walked down the stairs in a daze. Partly because of the power of that kiss, but mostly because she’d said what they had was special. And then there was the part where she said when she shares his bed, as if she’d already decided.
Ash and Benson were both in the drawing room when he entered, but Benson simply handed him a glass of brandy on his way out. That probably wasn’t a good sign. He sipped the brandy, preparing for whatever he had coming, before settling into the chair opposite Ash.
“I hope your intentions with her are pure. Allister will kill you if they’re not. I don’t mean that metaphorically. And I doubt even I could stop him.”
Trent snorted and took another drink. “Rip my heart out of my chest with his bare hands and tear it in two while it’s still beating. I believe that was the description he gave.”
“I expect he’s capable of it.”
“Probably.” And yet somehow, that felt like the least of his concerns right now. He sighed and placed his glass on the side table. “I don’t know what to do, Ash.”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes. That’s the one thing I am sure of.”
“Does she love you?”
He nodded. “I believe so.” He picked up his glass and downed the last of his brandy, but it didn’t ease his embarrassment over what he was about to admit. “I just spontaneously gave some shambolic, slipshod version of a proposal.”
“And?”
“She said she can’t marry me because she can’t give me children.”
Ash poured them both another glass then settled on the sofa and patted the seat beside his.
With another heavy sigh, Trent moved to the sofa.
“You’re a good man, Trent.”
“So everyone keeps telling me.” He accepted his refilled glass.
“Perhaps you should start believing it then.”
He looked at Ash in disbelief. “And what do you think when someone tells you you’re a good man?”
“Touché,” he said, giving a salute with his glass.
“Have you forgotten I’m the reason you carry that cane?”
Ash turned in his seat to look at him. “You most certainly are not. I’ve carried this cane since you were a toddler. This,” he said, holding it up, “is my reminder to never turn into our father.”
Trent’s stomach clenched. “Did he beat you with that?”
Ash nodded indifferently. “There wasn’t much he didn’t beat me with. But that’s neither here nor there. We’re talking about you right now, so stop trying to change the subject. Do you want children?”
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve never even given it any thought. I basically already have a child.”
“I suppose the real question is, is it important to you to have children from your own loins? If it isn’t important to you, then it also shouldn’t play a role in your decision.
After all, family can come from all kinds of unexpected places.
As you’ve already said, you have a child now.
Maggie may be your sister, but you’re the closest thing she’ll ever have to a father. ”
“Of course I don’t care. I love Maggie.”