The Heiress - Lynsay Sands [60]
Daniel closed his eyes against the view of her breasts not even an inch from his face as she twisted her upper body in his lap. Damn, she was so close that if he stuck his tongue out, he could run it across the top curves along the neckline of her gown, he thought. But then his eyes popped open again when she shifted once more and added in almost an undertone, “As I recall, we didn’t reach our destination then either.”
They hadn’t been headed anywhere that night, though she hadn’t realized it. But he still suspected Suzette was speaking of something other than Gretna Green when she said destination. At least, he was thinking of something else and was suddenly recalling kneeling between her legs, rubbing himself against her as he’d prepared to enter her before being recalled to George’s presence in the carriage had brought an end to things.
Damn, the little witch was brutal, Daniel decided as he felt himself growing firm under her bottom. And the rest of the ride to town was going to be complete hell.
“What? George was poisoned?” Suzette asked suddenly, stiffening in his lap and withdrawing her arm from around his neck to cross both arms on her chest in an annoyed fashion that drew his attention to the conversation taking place around him.
Apparently they’d been discussing George and the blackmailer as well as the murder, Daniel realized as Christiana explained, “It seems George may have been poisoned. Daniel and Richard smelled bitter almonds by his mouth.”
“Almonds aren’t poisonous,” Suzette said at once.
“Bitter almonds are used to make cyanide,” Lisa explained. When everyone glanced her way, she shrugged and said, “I read a lot.”
“She does,” Suzette said dryly and then turned to Christiana. “What else don’t we know?”
“You know everything I know now. And I only found out about the poison after the wedding. I just hadn’t had a chance to tell you,” she added apologetically.
Suzette nodded and then turned a glare on Daniel. “What else?”
He sighed, aware that she was now annoyed with him again, thinking he’d kept more information from her, but he’d assumed Richard had told Christiana about the poison and that she in turn had told Suzette and Lisa when she’d explained everything else. However, he didn’t say so, but merely assured her, “That’s it.”
“And why didn’t you tell me yourself before this?” Suzette asked.
Daniel did consider explaining that he’d thought she’d known, but decided that was too much like pushing the blame on to Richard for not telling Christiana when he’d explained everything else, so simply said, “It wasn’t my secret to tell.”
Suzette didn’t take it any better than he’d expected, asking in dry tones, “Where have I heard that before?” She then shifted on his lap to face forward again. On the bright side, it appeared Suzette was now annoyed with him to the point she couldn’t even be bothered to torture him anymore. On the not so bright side, it appeared she was now annoyed with him to the point she couldn’t even be bothered to torture him anymore . . . and he missed it. Who knew he had this masochistic streak?
“So we have a murderer as well as a blackmailer,” Lisa said, drawing his attention away from what Suzette was no longer doing. He glanced to her as she asked, “Or do we think they are the same person?”
When Richard immediately glanced his way, Daniel shrugged helplessly. He was finding it difficult to think at the moment. While Suzette was no longer wiggling about on top of him, she was still on top of him, a firm weight on his semi-erection. On top of that, his hands were at her waist, just inches below her breasts, as well as inches above her bottom too. How was a man to think at a time like that?
“They don’t know,” Suzette said when neither man spoke.
“Well . . .” Lisa frowned. “Surely it wouldn’t be easy for someone to get poison