beggar, I won’t settle for anything less than romance with friendship, and a marriage full of joy.”
As her voice trailed off to stillness, her face bright with excitement, or perhaps embarrassment at such an open admission, he wasn’t sure which, it occurred to Jonathan that she was going to be a good deal of trouble, indeed. He’d known that, in fact, the minute she walked up to him at the dock earlier that day, a dazzling smile parting her lips and her deliriously shaped body wrapped in a cloak that matched her brilliant eyes.
She was spellbinding, really, with creamy, glowing skin and thick, wavy hair the color of a summer evening sunset. And he knew she tried, if not to disguise her figure, at least to downplay it with plain clothing, but with that she thoroughly failed. Natalie Haislett was a frank and total beauty, with a mind of mischief and an adorable, charming character edged with innocence. And what the hell did he think he was doing, carting her along with him to France to meet the mythical Black Knight?
She had captivated him in his town house, he realized now, showing up unannounced, striking him down because she was again doing the unexpected, catching him off guard as she had nearly five years ago in her father’s garden. Both times she’d made him do the irrational from sweetly spoken words and a simple naive but candid look from her gorgeous, hazel-green eyes.
But the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. He could use her, he decided, although using wasn’t really a word he liked to describe his actions toward a woman, even in her ignorance. Assisting him was probably a better way of looking at it, as it had occurred to him during that same moment of irrationality in his town house that the emeralds he’d been sent to retrieve could very easily be hidden, without her awareness, in her things for transport back to England, if necessary. God knew she’d brought enough of them. And they would surely look magnificent dangling in all their priceless glory from her delicately carved throat if he so chose to indulge her.
Jonathan groaned softly, raking his fingers through his hair as he forced himself to gaze out to the open sea, frustrated with himself and his weaknesses, mostly his weakness for the female sex.
She straightened beside him and smoothed her breeze-blown curls into place inside the knot at the back of her head. “I’m sure you think my notions are ridiculous, sir, but I assure you—”
“I don’t think they’re ridiculous,” he cut in quietly, wiping his face with his palm in mild agitation. “I just—” He paused for a moment and tried again. “You think the Black Knight is going to fill all these idealistic needs for you? What if you don’t like him; what if he doesn’t like you? What are you going to do when you meet him and find him mean or . . . grotesquely ugly? What if he’s a slob like Mydell or boring like Blythe?” He looked back into her eyes. “You’re endangering your entire future on a fantasy.”
She shook her head. “That’s impossible.”
“What’s impossible?” he returned brusquely.
Pursing her lips, she said flatly, “I’ve studied this man and his escapades for two years, Jonathan. I know he is dark, sophisticated, charming, intelligent, handsome, and he does good things to help people. There is also a rumor that he has blue eyes, which, as it happens, I like most in a man.” She dropped her lashes, as if suddenly realizing she was disclosing too much.
“You’ve got nice, romantic notions,” he murmured thickly after several seconds of silence. “But adventure and eye color are no reasons to risk—”
“I didn’t say I would marry him because he has blue eyes,” she interrupted, glancing back to his face.
Jonathan knew he was aggravating her, but he refused to soften his approach simply to be tactful with her female sensibilities. These things needed to be said now. “You don’t understand,” he stressed. “I’m
As her voice trailed off to stillness, her face bright with excitement, or perhaps embarrassment at such an open admission, he wasn’t sure which, it occurred to Jonathan that she was going to be a good deal of trouble, indeed. He’d known that, in fact, the minute she walked up to him at the dock earlier that day, a dazzling smile parting her lips and her deliriously shaped body wrapped in a cloak that matched her brilliant eyes.
She was spellbinding, really, with creamy, glowing skin and thick, wavy hair the color of a summer evening sunset. And he knew she tried, if not to disguise her figure, at least to downplay it with plain clothing, but with that she thoroughly failed. Natalie Haislett was a frank and total beauty, with a mind of mischief and an adorable, charming character edged with innocence. And what the hell did he think he was doing, carting her along with him to France to meet the mythical Black Knight?
She had captivated him in his town house, he realized now, showing up unannounced, striking him down because she was again doing the unexpected, catching him off guard as she had nearly five years ago in her father’s garden. Both times she’d made him do the irrational from sweetly spoken words and a simple naive but candid look from her gorgeous, hazel-green eyes.
But the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. He could use her, he decided, although using wasn’t really a word he liked to describe his actions toward a woman, even in her ignorance. Assisting him was probably a better way of looking at it, as it had occurred to him during that same moment of irrationality in his town house that the emeralds he’d been sent to retrieve could very easily be hidden, without her awareness, in her things for transport back to England, if necessary. God knew she’d brought enough of them. And they would surely look magnificent dangling in all their priceless glory from her delicately carved throat if he so chose to indulge her.
Jonathan groaned softly, raking his fingers through his hair as he forced himself to gaze out to the open sea, frustrated with himself and his weaknesses, mostly his weakness for the female sex.
She straightened beside him and smoothed her breeze-blown curls into place inside the knot at the back of her head. “I’m sure you think my notions are ridiculous, sir, but I assure you—”
“I don’t think they’re ridiculous,” he cut in quietly, wiping his face with his palm in mild agitation. “I just—” He paused for a moment and tried again. “You think the Black Knight is going to fill all these idealistic needs for you? What if you don’t like him; what if he doesn’t like you? What are you going to do when you meet him and find him mean or . . . grotesquely ugly? What if he’s a slob like Mydell or boring like Blythe?” He looked back into her eyes. “You’re endangering your entire future on a fantasy.”
She shook her head. “That’s impossible.”
“What’s impossible?” he returned brusquely.
Pursing her lips, she said flatly, “I’ve studied this man and his escapades for two years, Jonathan. I know he is dark, sophisticated, charming, intelligent, handsome, and he does good things to help people. There is also a rumor that he has blue eyes, which, as it happens, I like most in a man.” She dropped her lashes, as if suddenly realizing she was disclosing too much.
“You’ve got nice, romantic notions,” he murmured thickly after several seconds of silence. “But adventure and eye color are no reasons to risk—”
“I didn’t say I would marry him because he has blue eyes,” she interrupted, glancing back to his face.
Jonathan knew he was aggravating her, but he refused to soften his approach simply to be tactful with her female sensibilities. These things needed to be said now. “You don’t understand,” he stressed. “I’m
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