„We?“

„I also belong nowhere.“ He put on his big black sheepskin

hat and turned toward the door. „Except with Nicholas. I have

warned you, but my loyalty is to him.“ The glance he gave her

over his shoulder was sober. „Always.“ He strode out of the

parlor.

Nicholas was waiting for him in the carriage and cast him

an amused glance as he climbed into the carriage. „You

warned her?“

„Yes.“ Mikhail closed the door of the carriage and settled

himself across from Nicholas.

„Do you think she will heed your warning?“

„No.“

The carriage started to move, the horses hooves echoing on

the cobblestone street.

„Neither do I.“ Nicholas leaned back on the leather seat.

„Thank God. I believe I would be ready to break your head if

you’d made it difficult for me.“

Mikhail looked at him in surprise. He had known Nicholas

since they were children, and one woman had always been

much the same as another to him. He had assumed it was the

rebellious defiance of Silver Delaney that had caused him to

react so explosively. Now, as Mikhail studied Nicholas more

closely, he was conscious of something else. „You want her

that much?“

„That much.“ Nicholas closed his eyes. „God, I’m so damn

hard, my guts are twisting.“

„We will be back at the levee soon. I’ll fetch one of the

women to your cabin. Which one do you want?“

None. He wanted none of them, Nicholas realized with

amazement. He wanted Silver Delaney or no one. What kind

of a spell had she woven over him? He didn’t answer for a

long, time, his gaze on the neat little hedges that bordered the

equally neat little houses lining the street. „We’ll be leaving St.

Louis tonight. Tell Robert to be ready to cast off by nine

o’clock.“

Mikhail nodded.

„I’m taking Silver Delaney with me.“ Nicholas’s gaze

shifted to Mikhail’s face. „You don’t have to help if you

choose not to do so.“

„I will help,“ Mikhail said quietly. „I will send her carriage

away and be waiting for her when she leaves to go to the

circus tonight.“ He paused. „But I want to do it alone. The

more men there are, the more chance that she will be hurt. I…

I like her, Nicholas. Do not hurt her.“

„Rape?“ Nicholas made a face. „My God, when have I ever

raped a woman? I have no taste for using violence on any

woman.“

But Nicholas had never been placed in a position where

force was necessary, Mikhail thought worriedly, he’d only had

to smile or speak sweetly and women flocked to his bed. But

Silver Delaney was not’a woman who would yield without a

struggle. She would be as fierce as the women of his own

people. „I would like your promise.“

Nicholas looked at him in surprise. „What the hell is wrong

with you? I told you what Bentsen reported on Silver Delaney.

The girl is no blushing virgin. There have been men aplenty

between her thighs.“ His expression hardened. „And she stood

there and watched while they hung Andre.“

Mikhail merely gazed at him, not speaking.

„Oh, very well,“ Nicholas said with exasperation. „You

have my promise. I’ll not force her no matter how much I’m

provoked. Satisfied?“

Mikhail nodded.

Nicholas slowly shook his head. „Why are you so

concerned?“

„I do not know. You are right, she is probably able to take

care of herself, even with you, Nicholas.“

„Exactly,“ Nicholas said. But would Silver Delaney want to

protect herself? He had known a plethora of passionate women

and had learned to recognize the signs when he saw them.

Silver Delaney possessed a potential for fiery sensuality

greater than any he had ever encountered before. If he wasn’t

mistaken, it would take very little to arouse her to the point

where she would be pleading for him to come into her.

Just the thought of her lying in his bed, her arms

outstretched with yearning, sent an aching heat to his groin.

His heart was suddenly slamming hard and fast against the

wall of his chest. Tonight. He drew a deep harsh breath and

tried to relax. Damnation, he didn’t know if he could wait until

tonight.

Silver moved slowly, heavily, through the arch of the parlor

entrance toward the curving staircase. She must get to her

small room on the third floor, she must close the door, close

out what had happened between her and Nicholas Savron.

„Silver.“ Mrs. Alford’s dulcet tones rang through the hall.

„I do hope nothing is amiss with your family. No one has

suffered an illness?“ The headmistress’ pale blue eyes were

bright with curiosity as she hurried forward. „His highness

was most insistent on speaking to you alone or I would have

been there to support you.“

Silver gazed at her blankly. She had never heard that note

of concerned sweetness in Mrs. Alford’s voice in the two years

she’d been under her roof. At least, not when the woman was

addressing her. „No, there’s been no illness.“

„Then perhaps it would be proper to invite his highness to

dinner. It would be a social coup of the first order to entertain

Prince Nicholas. You have no idea how prestigious it would be

for the academy. I’ve just been speaking to Miranda’s mother

and she says the entire city is in a tizzy about his arrival.

Rumor has it that he’s fabulously wealthy and his mother is a

favorite at the court of the tsar.“

So he hadn’t been lying; Nicholas Savron was truly a

prince. The thought sent an unexplainable rush of

disappointment through her. Why should it matter? Nicholas

was only an extraordinarily handsome young man who had

spoken words of lust to her. Such words had been spoken

before and been stopped by the little knife she always carried

with her. The knife could stop Nicholas also, perhaps he would

be even easier to discourage. His exquisite attire and cultured

manners could reflect a will that was equally soft.

„Silver! You’re not listening to me.“

„What?“ Silver glanced absently at Mrs. Alford’s

displeased face. „Oh, no, I’m not.“ She started up the stairs.

„And no, I won’t invite Nicholas Savron to dinner.“

„You won’t invite his highness?“ The woman’s voice was

outraged.

„No,“ Silver said again, even more clearly. „I will not see

him again.“

She heard the headmistress’ indignant gasp and then

proceeded to ignore the woman as she climbed the stairs.

He was gone. Why did she still see his face before her? She

had behaved so stupidly. Pray God he hadn’t noticed the effect

he’d had on her. She had blushed and trembled like one of the

giggling ninnies who were her classmates. He had smiled at

her with that wicked golden charm and she had felt a melting

somewhere deep within her. She had wanted to reach out and

touch him, run her fingers over the clean outline of his upper

lip and then up the broad plane of his jaw and perhaps – What

was she thinking? Of course she did not want to touch him.

She had always found it difficult to touch any person with

affection.

Yet, if she had wanted to touch Nicholas Savron, it could

mean only one thing. Lust. She was beset by the same malady

that was common to all young animals, the same fever that had

driven her mother to lie with Boyd Delaney. Fear shivered

through her as she remembered how strong had been the

response of her body as she stood before Nicholas. She had

never dreamed how terribly strong that response could be. She

must fight it. Who should know better than she how dangerous