Don't Tempt Me

Chapter 9

T

he woman was either daft as you please, or the answer to a prayer.

Simon's gaze narrowed and became examining, moving from the top of Lysette's-Lynette's-golden head down to the hem of her gown. He noted the artfully revealed lacey underskirts, the tightly cinched waist, and the low bodice, which displayed a tempting swell of luscious breasts. It was an ensemble designed to display the feminine charms of the wearer to best advantage. The Lysette he knew did not dress to arouse. If anything, her gowns were remarkably understated.

But beyond this woman's outward appearance were deeper, more complex signs-there was no torment in her eyes and no brittle tension in her delicate frame.

Lynette. Lysette.

"Twins," he said, near dizzy with the sudden rush of understanding.

"Yes."

Out of all the things that should have come to Simon's mind in that moment, the only one that gained prominence was the realization that he was not insane. He did not dislike and desire the same woman with equal vehemence. He disliked Lysette. He lusted for Lynette.

Simon lunged into motion without warning, catching Lynette's elbow and dragging her back into the parlor. He kicked the door shut and tugged her about to face him. Before common sense reared its head or she regained her wits enough to protest, he cupped her head in both hands and took her mouth with savage intensity.

She tensed briefly, then melted. Her body leaned into his, her hands circled his wrists. She whimpered and surged into him, her voluminous skirts pushing into the hardened ridge of his cock and urging him into a frenzy of need.

He spun and pinned her to the door, his knees bending and then straightening, stroking the length of her body with his own. She gasped and his tongue stroked deep into her mouth, licking and tasting, drinking her in. As her skin heated with arousal, the scent of some exotic flower intoxicated him and made him drunk with desire. She did not smell like Lysette. She was unique.

She was his.

"A thiasce," he breathed, lost in the feel of her.

Lynette released his wrists and reached for his waist, the feel of her small hands through the linen of his shirt inciting a ferocious, gnawing need.

Never in his life had he been so desperate to be inside a woman. And it was going to happen. Now. Nothing could stop him.

He fumbled for the key to turn the lock, but his hands shook with such violence that he could not grasp it. With a muttered curse, Simon turned his head away to see what he was doing.

"Were you lovers?" she asked in a husky whisper.

He glanced at her as the lock clicked audibly into place. She was flushed and disheveled and achingly beautiful. Although her features were a mirror of Lysette's, she looked nothing like her. Lynette was soft and warm in his arms, her scent alluring instead of subdued, her passion hot and powerful.

"No," he answered, absently thinking that there were a hundred questions to ask, while simultaneously realizing that he didn't give a damn what the answers were. At least, not at the moment.

"Then why?"

"Why what?" What in hell was she talking about?

He reached between them for the placket of his breeches.

She stilled his movements with her hands. "Why are you so… ardent?"

Simon laughed and nuzzled his cheek against hers. "Such an elegant way to say I am acting like a rutting beast."

Lynette flushed, but did not release him.

"I usually have more finesse," he promised, forcing himself to take a step back. "Unfortunately, I am out of sorts at the moment."

"Out of sorts? You?" She smiled and his chest tightened. "The man who had a house burning down around him, yet had the presence of mind to rally the guests to douse the blaze?"

"Lust wants quenching like a fire. I rally to that cause with equal gusto."

"You are wicked, Mr. Quinn."

Simon debated whether he should seduce her in the parlor or take her up to bed, but a touch of sadness marred the angelic beauty of her features and reined in his lust as logic could not.

Exhaling harshly, he ran his hands through his hair and fought to tamp down his unruly appetite for her touch, her taste, her smell. Her.

He gestured for her to return to her seat.

"How did you know Lysette?" she asked, sitting with a perfectly straight spine and hands folded delicately in her lap.

A peer's daughter, she had said. That would explain the similar elegance of deportment Simon had witnessed in her sister.

It did not, however, explain why Lysette was an assassin.

"Our acquaintance is a difficult one to categorize," he murmured. "But it is not romantic by any definition."

Lynette blushed, but her gaze did not waver from his. "Last night…"

He smiled ruefully. "The first time I have ever felt an inkling of attraction to her. I suspected madness was the culprit, because the change was so drastic I could hardly credit it. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to learn that you are two women and not one."

"So you are unaware that she passed," Lynette said gently.

Simon frowned. "Passed what?"

"Passed on."

"Bloody hell." He paced, his thoughts returning to the events of the night before. Desjardins. James. Carrying an injured woman in yellow out to the comte's carriage. The posturing of James in the window had been protective, not possessive. "When? This afternoon?"

Lynette's frown matched his. "Beg your pardon?"

"When did she die?" he asked slowly, feeling disoriented.

"Two years ago."

"That is not possible, Lynette. 1 saw her alive and well just yesterday."

Lynette's stomach clenched hard and violently. She reached for the armrest of the settee for support and then Quinn- Simon-was crouched before her, studying her face with a worried frown.

"I think there is a great deal that you and I do not understand," he said, his Irish lilt soothing and gentle. "Perhaps you should tell me about your Lysette, then I shall tell you about mine."

Inhaling and exhaling in measured rhythm, Lynette attempted to calm her racing pulse. In the space of only moments, she had been barked at, kissed senseless, and now told that her sister was alive and well as recently as yesterday. She knew that was impossible, that there must be some grievous error, but some tiny part of her shouted in vindicated exaltation. The part of her that still felt Lysette as keenly today as it had the last time they had been together.

"Two years ago," she whispered, "my sister was killed when the carriage she occupied overturned and the lamps set fire to the whole."

Simon moved to take a seat beside her. "You have only the one sister?"

"Yes. No other siblings."

"What are the odds that there would be a woman of identical appearance to you who is not a relation?"

"With the name Lysette? Impossible." She turned slightly to face him. "I must see her."

"I should like to be there when you do."

Lynette stared at Simon's breathtaking features and felt calmed by his mere presence. It was astonishing to feel such a connection to a stranger, but she did not doubt it.

Simon would not allow harm to befall her. She was convinced of that.

"This woman cannot be my sister." Her voice quavered and she cleared her throat. "In addition to the fact that I was there when Lysette was buried, the simple truth is that she and I were very close. There is no chance that two years would pass without a word from her."

"I do not understand any of this." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But 1 can tell you the Lysette I know is not… well."

"Not well?"

"A bit touched."

"Oh…" Lynette worried her lower lip between her teeth. "How did you become acquainted with her?"

"My life is not one you wish to delve too deeply into, Mademoiselle…"

"Baillon."

His frown deepened. "Lysette goes by the name Rousseau. Does that sound familiar to you?"

"Rousseau?" Lynette frowned, trying to recall if she knew anyone by that name and finding that she did not.

"Mademoiselle-"

"Please," she interjected, "call me Lynette. After last night… and now. You almost… against the door…" Her face heated.

His large hand rose to cup her cheek with something akin to reverence. "You cannot even say it, can you?"

She swallowed hard, riveted by his tenderness and the way the stroking of his thumb over her cheekbone reverberated all over her body.

A half-smile curved his beautiful mouth and made her stomach flutter. His glance moved over her, from the top of her head to her feet. "You mentioned a father, but not a spouse."

"I am not married."

"Of course not." Simon shook his head. "You are innocent. The daughter of a peer."

The way he said the words, so flatly and resigned, struck her like a blow. She realized he no longer intended to ravish her. She knew she should be relieved, but she was profoundly disappointed. All of her life, she had led the way with men. Teasing, flirting, and steering their conversations in the direction she wished them to go. With Simon Quinn, she was swept away, in control of nothing at all. It was a heady sensation to be so lost in a man, and to know that he was equally lost in her.

"Give me some time," he said, "to investigate this a little further before you proceed. You have no reason to trust me-"

"But I do!"

"You shouldn't." The rueful little smile touched his mouth again, and unable to help it, she lifted her fingers to it. The muscle in his jaw ticked beneath her caress and his blue eyes burned so hot her skin flushed in response.

He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. The feel of his lips sent tingles up her arm and made her shiver. "I have never known innocence, Lynette. I have no notion of what to do with it beyond corrupt it."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that if you do not put as much distance as possible between us and maintain it, I will ruin you." The deep timbre of his voice added credence to his threat. "You will find yourself in my bed and your life deeply entangled in a web of deceit, lies, and danger. As bright as your future is now, it would be equally dark."

"Yet Lysette Rousseau occupies this world you speak of?" she queried, lifting her chin.

"Yes, she does."

"Are you an English spy?" Her gaze moved around the room as it had when she'd arrived. Again, she admired the obvious expense of the design and decor. The palette was one of deep reds balanced by lighter-stained woods. It was both deeply masculine, yet welcoming to all.

"I was," he said easily. But when she returned her gaze to his, his focus on her was sharp.

"You want to know how I would gain such knowledge." She smiled. "By no nefarious means, I assure you. One of the women with me last night is a courtesan. A well-connected paramour of hers once said something of that nature to her."

"How is it that a peer's daughter would be associating with a courtesan?" Simon's hand had moved to her shoulder and his thumb absently caressed along her collarbone.

The touch made her want to purr like a kitten and arch in delight. She swallowed and replied, "My mother met her years ago in a modiste's shop, when my parents used to live in France."

"Why would the wife of a peer have an appointment at the same time as a courtesan? Usually discretion would prevent such a meeting."

Lynette wrinkled her nose, thinking.

Without warning, Simon's hand cupped the nape of her neck and his lips were pressed to the tip of her nose. His new proximity brought the scent of his skin to her nostrils, a stirring mixture of leather and horses, musk and tobacco. Her mind became flooded with memories of that scent… last night in the library… moments ago against the door…

Her body responded by aching and she moaned.

He cursed and pushed to his feet in a hurried but graceful movement. "I cannot think when you are near and I need my blasted wits now more than ever."

"Simon-"

"Is there any possibility that your mother had a child that you do not know about?"

Lynette lowered the hand she had held out to him. "No. The birth of my sister and I destroyed her womb."

"Before you, perhaps?"

"No."

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely. I will ask her directly, if I must."

"And your father?"

"The Vicomte de Grenier. His coloring is very dark. My sister and I take after our mother. Some have thought she was a sister to us."

"De Grenier?" Simon moved to a console against the far wall where various decanters waited. A painting of the countryside hung above it, the blues of a stream and the greens of a forest lending color to the room. "He is unknown to me."

"My parents quit France before I was born. We have lived in Poland these many years."

Holding a thick crystal glass in one hand, he faced her, resting his hip against the furniture and one palm flat atop the surface. There were now several feet of space between them, which left her feeling oddly bereft. "When did your family return to Paris?"

"We have not returned." Her splayed fingers brushed nervously over her skirts. He was watching her like a hawk, focused and predatory. "My mother suggested a holiday in Spain to distract us from our grief. I begged her to stop in Paris, so I could see it."

"Begged?"

"My mother is not fond of the city."

"Why?"

"I do not know." She stood. "When will I be allowed to question you?"

"When I am finished."

Simon lifted his glass and drank, his throat working with every swallow. Lynette found the sight erotic, which deepened her agitation. She was aroused, confused, and piqued by his arrogance all at the same time.

"Was your mother the other woman with you last night?" he asked, his voice gruff from the burn of the liquor.

"Yes."

"I find it extremely odd that a vicomtess would take her unwed daughter to an orgy."

"It was not an orgy."

"It bloody well was!" he snapped, revealing a fury she had not noted before. "And you nearly lost your virginity there."

She bit back a retort even as her face heated. "She was reluctant." Her reply was petulant, her pride bruised by his condemnation.

"That did not stop her."

"No. Do you wish to know why?" she asked crossly. "Or would you rather continue to frighten me with your boorish temper?"

His nostrils flared. "You are far from frightened."

Setting his glass down, Simon stalked toward her with a deliberate, sensual stride. It stole her breath the way he exuded an undeniable carnal invitation. The response of her body altered the fit of her clothes, making her corset and bodice far too tight for comfort.

"If you come any closer," she drawled, "I might seduce you."

Simon paused midstep, eyes wide with shock at her boldness, and she smiled.

"Witch," he hissed.

"Mon cheri." Her hand rose to her heart and her lips made a moue. "You wound me."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "I see similarities between you and Lysette Rousseau."

Her smile faded. "But, you see, aside from the physical traits afforded to us by our birth, Lysette and I were very different."

"You were the quiet one." There was no question in his tone.

"No," she corrected, "I was the mischief maker."

She could see how that shocked him, which in turn created questions for her. "Mademoiselle Rousseau is not timid and studious?"

"Timid?" He snorted. "Not nearly. However, she is somewhat studious, with a fondness for reading historical volumes."

"Is she wed or widowed?"

"Neither." Simon withdrew to the console again, but his steps appeared to be weighted with reluctance to part from her. Or so she fancied. "She told me she does not enjoy men."

"Truly? How odd." Lynette wrinkled her nose again and Simon growled.

"What is it?" she queried, perplexed as to the cause of his aggravation.

"Have you any notion of what that turned-up nose does to a man?"

She blinked. A great many compliments had been paid to her over the course of her life. However, her habit of wrinkling her nose while contemplating had never been the subject of platitudes.

His resentful infatuation was touching, and Lynette's mouth curved upward. "Have you any notion of what your ill-temper does to me?"

"You flirt with danger," he warned.

"I flirt always. It is my nature."

"Not any longer." He turned his back to her and downed his libation.

"Was that possessiveness I heard, mon cheri?"

"You assume I meant that you will no longer flirt at all." Simon faced her and crossed his arms. "Perhaps I meant you will no longer flirt with me."

Her head tilted to the side. "How dull that would be, non?"

"I doubt life is ever dull around you."

The more she teased him, the more dangerous he became. She could sense the lust in him coiling tighter with each word she spoke, readying for the moment when he would pounce. The alcohol might have eased him somewhat, but not enough to render him harmless.

Simon Quinn could never be harmless.

Lynette directed the conversation back to the mysterious Lysette, knowing she was out of her depth. "She does not like men, you say."

"That is what she said," he rumbled.

"Did she like you?"

"I doubt it."

"She must truly be touched, then."

"Of course." He grinned. "A woman would have to be insane not to want me."

Lynette laughed and felt the pressure between them lessen. Not that the tension was uncomfortable. Far from it.

"You should go," he said, unfolding. "While I can still let you."

"What of Mademoiselle Rousseau? You said you would take me to her."

"No." He shook his head. "I said I should like to see you together. I did not say I would facilitate such a meeting."

Her hands settled on her waist. "Why not?"

"Because she is dangerous and unsettled, as are the individuals she works for. I have no idea what the sight of you will do to her mind. I will not risk you for a whim."

"A whim?" she scoffed. "Would you call it a whim to learn that there is another man in the world, in the same city, who is identical to you in appearance? Now compound that with the person bearing the name of your sibling-"

"I have no siblings," he retorted, his jaw clenching. "I have no family, no name of any value, no property."

She stared at him, knowing there was only one reason a man listed his marital value. "You are a mercenary," she murmured, repeating Solange.

"Yes." His squared shoulders dared her to want him after such a revelation.

She still did, of course.

"I will pay you," she said.

"Damned if you will! For what?"

"For taking me to see her. I could be concealed in a carriage-"

Moving with the lightning speed that continued to catch her unawares, he snatched her close and shook her. "What do you intend to pay me with?" he snarled.

Lynette met his livid gaze, unflinching. "You know very well what I have to barter."

His fingers tightened in the delicate flesh of her upper arms, then he pushed her away, causing her to stumble. "Curse you. I am attempting to be honorable."

"Honor is a cold bedmate."

"Is your innocence worth so little that you would concede it to the likes of me?"

"Perhaps my sister is worth so much, I would pay any price for her."

"Is she dead or not? It cannot be both." Simon's hands went to his lean hips, a pose that widened the neck opening of his shirt and revealed a tantalizing glimpse of his tawny skin.

"I saw her buried."

"Did you see her body?"

Lynette shook her head. "I wanted to. I begged to. But I was told she was too badly burned in the fire." Her eyes stung and she blinked rapidly to hold back tears. "My mother saw her."

"Do you trust your mother?" His tone had softened, as did his handsome features.

"In a fashion." Despite her efforts, a tear fell. She swiped at it with the back of her hand. "But there is much I do not know. Much she will not tell me. Such as why she fears Paris."

"Fears?" He was alert now, intensely so.

"We are staying with Solange. No one knows we are here. I am to tell no one my name-"

"Lynette," he murmured, enfolding her in a warm, powerful embrace. "You knew I was an English spy, yet you revealed yourself to me, regardless. I cannot decide whether I should kiss you or shake some sense into you."

She sniffled. "I prefer the kissing."

Simon laughed and set his cheek to her temple. She clung to him, taking comfort in his sympathy and caring.

"Last night," she whispered, hugging his waist, "Solange commented on our interest in one another. My mother protested."

"Wise woman."

"To which Solange replied, 'Seems to me the daughter has the same taste in men as her mother.' "

Lynette knew he was frowning, even though she did not see his face.

"Do you know what that means?" he asked.

"No. And 1 am equally ignorant about many other statements made within my earshot." She pulled back to beseech him. "What if this woman is my sister? Or worse, what if the connection is malicious? What if she met my sister at some point, noted the resemblance, and has taken advantage of her memory?"

"Lynette-"

"I cannot explain it," she blurted, before she lost her courage, "but the bond I always felt with her is still here." Her hand fisted over her heart. "It has yet to be severed. W-why would it still be there i-if she is g-gone?"

He exhaled wearily and smoothed her brow with callused fingertips, then followed with the press of his lips to her fevered skin. "I fear your grief has invented hope where there is none."

"Then lay it to rest," she pleaded.

Simon's head went back and he gazed at the ceiling, as if looking for divine guidance. Beneath her palm, she felt his heart beating steady and strong. For the first time since Lysette passed, Lynette felt as if she had a purpose and Simon gave her the support she needed to pursue it.

"How did you find me?" he asked finally, returning his gaze to her face.

"Eavesdropping." She smiled. "I think Solange champions you. She was describing your home in detail to my mother this afternoon. She was quite flattering in regards to your taste and wealth."

A change came over him, a steely resolve taking hold with such tenacity it was tangible.

"From now onward," he directed resolutely, "I want you to follow your mother's admonishments to stay hidden. No more parties. No more outings." He cupped her face and reinforced the severity of his words by touch. "Whatever reasons your family may have for their discretion, you must add the risk of being seen by Lysette Rousseau or someone she works with or for. That cannot happen, Lynette. You trusted me when you came here. I need you to trust me when you leave, as well."

"What is she?"

"She is an assassin. And I am not certain murder is the gravest of her crimes."

"Mon Dieu…" Lynette shook violently, the chill starting from the inside and spreading outward to coat her skin with gooseflesh. Her hand rose to his face, her quivering fingertips brushing over his sinner's mouth. "I am grateful to have your guidance."

She drew strength from him and comfort. For the first time in two years she felt like herself. It was a precious gift and meeting Simon had given it to her.

"A thiasce," he whispered, his eyes darkening. "I wish we had never met. No good can come of it. The only path on which I can guide you is one that leads you straight to hell."