her. Aiden expelled a quick, hard breath and offered
Alex a smile that was both reassuring and apologetic.
It served both intentions well. And also fueled the temptation
of him., "Thank you for coming to my rescue," she offered,
sensing the danger in silence and desperately hoping
to distract herself.
"I specialize in saving damsels in distress," he replied, his
eyes twinkling with amusement. "I thought you knew."
She hadn't, but then, she hadn't known that a man's laughing
eyes could be so powerfully seductive, either. And at the
moment, that particular piece of knowledge was far more important
than any other. She needed to put some physical distance
between them before she blithely threw herself into the
enchanting trap. She turned her head to look at the step, thinking
to move herself off his lap and onto it if space permitted.
''No, Alex," he said, gently taking her chin in his hand and
drawing her back to face him. The amusement was gone
from his eyes, replaced by a gentle resolve. "Keep your attention
focused right here, on me. Don't look anywhere else.
And talk to me, Alex. Let what's whirling around in your
head tumble out. It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not."
He didn't want her to see the carnage and she appreciated
his kindness, his continued protectiveness. But if she were to
give voice to what she was honestly thinking. truly feeling ...
What would he do if she stretched up and just grazed his
lips with, hers? Lightly, just for a moment. If he asked why,
she could say it was a kiss born of gratitude. It would be a
partial truth; she was grateful beyond measure or words for
his intervention. But in her heart she knew there was far
more to it than that. She wanted to know what his lips felt
like, how they tasted. It was the sweetest, most gently compelling
hunger; a need that unless met would always linger
among her life's regrets.
To satisfy the yearning was to risk opening a Pandora's
box, though. Aiden might expect more than she was willing
to give. Might? It was a given. Tigers never nibbled at their
prey and decided to abandon it. Never. If she offered only a
little of herself, she had to be willing to offer all.
It was an odd, deeply unsettling mixture of emotion, trepidation,
and hunger. Part of her wanted to scramble out of
his arms and away from temptation. Another part boldly urged
her to act on desire and accept whatever consequences came
of it. And deep down inside she hoped that Aiden would
make the decision for her. She forced herself to swallow, to
think of something reasonably appropriate to say.
"How did you know I needed help?" she asked, focusing
her gaze on the second button of his shirtfront.
Aiden considered her, frowning and knowing that the
question had nothing whatsoever to do with the confusion he
was seeing in her eyes. "Mohan told me your rented thugs
were here and I acted on a gut feeling," he supplied, wishing
she'd trust him as much now as she had in the hall.
"They were going to ransom me for the silver."
It was a reasonable thing, a believable claim. But doubt
niggled at him and he glanced back to the window, remembering
how Alex's assailant had looked that way, and the
man who had been standing there in the immediate aftermath.
"Hiring them in the first place was a foolish thing to do,"
she went on, pulling his thoughts back to the present. "Horribly
foolish."
He wasn't going to argue with her. She'd asked the bastards
into her world and they were both dead for having
pushed the invitation too far. But there was no reason to
agree with her, either; she felt bad enough already. She shivered
and he tightened his arm around her shoulders, drawing
her closer and asking, "Are you cold?"
"I don't know," Alex admitted, tears inexplicably welling
in her eyes again. Her thoughts were suddenly swirling, jumbling
together, careening over and through fragments of recent
memories. Her body trembled with each flash of
recollection and she couldn't stop the mental torrent or stem
her reaction to it.
"It's nothing more than shock settling in," he assured her,
putting aside the gun and opening his coat. Drawing her
closer, wrapping her inside it and the circle of his arms, he
softly promised, "It'll pass in time, Alex."
And when replaced by other, more powerful sensations,
she realized. His heart was pounding hard and fast and she
could feel the heat of his skin through his shirtfront. And
he smelled so good. Like earth and wind and heady spices.
She breathed deeply, bathing her senses with him, letting his
strength fill and settle her spirit.
''And how do you know that it's shock?" she asked, shifting
in his arms so that she could see his face. "Have you done this
sort of thing before?"
"Yes."
So simple an admission, so full of quiet, aching regret.
And also an acceptance that filled her with awe even as it tattered
her heart. "Oh, Aiden," she whispered, freeing an arm
to reach up and touch his cheek.
His conscience didn't even bother to put up a fight. Between
her sweet invitation and his simmering desire, there
wasn't any point. Aiden lowered his head and brushed his
lips over hers, gently, reverently. Her sigh was sanction, her
hand slipping to his neck an undeniable command. His heart
racing, he accepted and obeyed, deepening his possession of
her mouth, savoring the soft fullness of her lips and the
heady wonder of her genuine compliance .. Long-dormant
embers sprang to flame and he gasped as the heat surged
through his veins.
Aiden drew back, reluctantly releasing his claim to her
mouth, knowing that it was the wisest, sanest course. But God,
he didn't want to be sane where she was concerned. Her eyes
fluttered open and in her dreamy gaze what remained of his
good judgment was almost undone.
"You," he whispered. his voice raspy, "are an incredibly
tempting woman, Alexandra Radford."
"And you're not a tempting man?" she countered, arching
a brow and trailing her fingers through the hair at his nape.
He considered her and struggled to find a bit of chivalry.
"Which makes this a most decidedly dangerous situation
my darling duchess. If we don't put some distance and
common sense between us in the next few seconds, I'm likely to
thoroughly ravage you right here on the stairs."
He expected her to start, to squeak in protest, and then
claw her way out of his arms and off his lap. Instead, she
pursed her lips for a second and then gave him a grin so
bright, so utterly and delightfully wicked, that his toes practically
curled.
"Christ Almighty, no," he choked out, his breath catching
as his heart slammed into his throat. "Don't do this to me."
She laughed softly and straightened in his arms, letting
her
hands fall into her lap. "Then let me up."
She'd granted him a reprieve and part of him was extremely
grateful for the kindness. Another part of him,
though, was sorely disgruntled about placing her on her feet.
And that part reminded him of its long slumber as he rose to
his own feet and took a step back. He nonchalantly drew his
jacket closed and buttoned it, hoping to at least hide from
Alex the proof of his frustration.
Remembering his admonishment not to look into the hallway,
Alex allowed her gaze to skim the width of his shoulders
as she drew a deep, steadying breath. All those years
spent listening to the raja's women talk. Nodding but not
truly understanding what they were saying about the intoxicating
power of physical desire. She did now, though. Thoroughly,
completely, and ever so personally. It thrummed
through her, deliciously warm and persistent, undeniable in
its simplicity and yet mysterious in its fullness and complexity.
And Lord help her, she wanted to explore-to taste and
feel-every last measure of its potent promise.
All from one gentle, brief kiss. It wasn't the first kiss she'd
ever had, but all the ones before it certainly paled in comparison.
Oh, she was in terrible, terrible trouble. She had to stop
smiling at him. Really, she did. Unless she could gain some
control over her outward behavior, Aiden was going to think
her the most easily acquired woman he'd ever met. And he'd
have every right to make that assumption.
What a curse it was to have come of age in India, in the
women's quarters. If she'd been raised in England, she
wouldn't be struggling with any of this. She could huff and
puff and be truly, righteously offended at the liberty he'd
taken. But her past was her past and any protest she mustered
would be nothing more than a bald-faced lie.
Oh, yes, she was fascinated by Aiden and what he offered.
Which put her in a most serious predicament.
He moistened his lower lip with the tip of his tongue and
gave her a smile that seemed nervous. Then his gaze slipped
past her and he straightened. "Hello, Constable," he said, his
smile suddenly easy and confident. ''We've had a small crisis
here this morning."
Alex turned to the door as Emmaline came inside behind
the officer and Aiden added, "Oh, Mrs. Fuller. I'm glad
you're here. Would you please take Alex upstairs and get her
a cup of hot tea? And keep her and Mohan and Preeya occupied
while I speak with the constable?"
Aiden was in command again, Alex realized. Smooth, unruffled,
capable.
"I'd be glad to, Mr. Terrell," Emmaline assured him,
bustling forward to take Alex's hand and turn her toward the
stairs and adding, "Come along, you poor dear."
She glanced back over her shoulder to see him already
speaking with the constable, his voice so low that she couldn't
hear his words. Yes, very much in charge. And while she appreciated
his ability to do that when necessary, she liked the
very human, very unbridled side of him ever so much more.
"I knew, I knew," Emmaline said, drawing her up the
staircase, "that day they were going to be trouble. I saw them
go past my shop just a bit ago and suspected they were on
their way here and I knew again. I'm just very glad that Mr.
Terrell was here to so ably dispatch them."
Alex's knees buckled without warning. Grabbing the banister,
she barely kept herself upright. Emmaline made comforting
sounds as she slipped her arm around Alex's waist
and supported her, but it didn't make matters any better.
Alex closed her eyes and took a deep breath, sternly reminding
herself that she couldn't afford the luxury of collapsing
whenever someone mentioned what had happened.
She was made of sterner stuff than that. She'd faced
tragedy and danger before. And without Aiden Terrell there
to hold her in the aftermath. There would be other tragedies
and dangers in the future. That was the nature of life. And
when they came, Aiden wasn't likely to be there for her. As
much as she appreciated his intervention now, as much as
she was drawn to his strength, his calm, and his charming irreverence,
she couldn't come to depend on his presence. He
was a wonderful man, but he was also the most temporary
feature of her existence. She had to be able to stand on her
own when he walked away.
Lifting her chin, Alex opened her eyes and gave Emmaline
a reassuring smile. Then, with clenched teeth, she
forced herself to take another step.
The smile he gave them from the salon doorway didn't reach
his eyes. Alex didn't know what to say, what she could do to
ease his obvious sadness, but he didn't give her a chance to
''The bodies have been removed," he said without preamble.
''The cleaning woman is here and almost done with her
work and the constables tell me they think there'll be no further
investigation. We're free to go about our regular lives."
Emmaline rose from the settee, smoothing her skirts and
saying, 'Then I should be getting back to my shop."
Aiden dipped his chin in acceptance. "I'll walk you there,
Mrs. Fuller."
"Oh, that's hardly necessary." .
"I'll do it anyway;' he countered firmly. His gaze swept
around the room, touching each of them briefly, somberly,
before coming back to Alex. "While I'm gone, the three of
you need to get ready to leave the house."
"Where are we going?" Mohan asked, scrambling up
from his pillow nest, his book tumbling onto the carpet at his
feet. "To buy more horses?"
''There are some matters that need to be attended," Aiden
supplied. "And I'm not willing to leave any of you here
alone while I take care of them. So we're all going."
Mohan momentarily looked dejected and then brightened
to ask, "May I walk with you and Mrs. Fuller?"
"Go get your coat."
"We'll be right back," Aiden assured her as Mohan
bounded toward his room and Emmaline glided toward the
doorway in his wake. "I'll lock the door behind us when we
leave."
She nodded, worried for him, troubled by the tautness of
his body and the coolness of his distance. He'd comforted
her when she'd needed it and it only seemed right that she
offer the same kindness in return.
He'd barely disappeared when Preeya said quietly, "He is
very much disturbed by what happened."
"And determined not to let it get the better of him," Alex
agreed, laying aside her needlework. Just as I'm doing, she
silently added, suddenly understanding how she should approach
him when he returned. She had a fairly good idea of
what a "regular daily life" with Aiden entailed and resuming
it certainly seemed to be the best course possible. Their kiss
might have changed matters a bit but she'd simply adjust to
whatever signals he gave her in that regar
d and go on. What
mattered most was that he have a reason or two to smile in
the hours ahead. Maybe even to laugh.
"I am grateful that you had the wisdom to hire him, Alex.
Had he not been here-"
"I'd prefer not to think of the possibilities," she interrupted,
determined to keep her newly restored-and still
fragile-sense of control from being undermined. "Perhaps
we should get ready to leave."
"We?"
Alex frowned and then relaxed. "I'm sorry. I forgot to
translate for you," she offered, hoping that the functioning of
her brain improved as the day wore on. "At the moment,
Aiden and Mohan are walking Emmaline back to her shop.
When they return, we're all going somewhere. Where, I
don't know. But Aiden says he isn't going to leave any of us
behind and unprotected."
"He is a good man, your gentleman."
"He isn't-" Alex bit off the rest of the protest. He was her
protector. And more. A friend, perhaps? Somehow that didn't
seem to be an adequately meaningful distinction. A confidant?
Confessor? No, hardly that And yet it didn't feel all that
odd to think of him as being a central part of her life. Given
the resolve she'd found on the stairs no more than two hours
earlier, that was a disturbing realization. Alex sighed, abandoned
the effort to sort through the jumble, and announced,
"I'm going to get my things."