certainly never received that reaction.
Some silences seemed more silent than others. This was definitely one of those silences. He began to feel uneasy. Had he insulted her in some way? He couldn’t imagine how. It should have been the simplest of exchanges.
Oh, what the hell. “How about one hundred and fifty?”
He knew he’d pay a lot more, but wasn’t willing to show his hand quite yet. Besides he suspected he was going to want her for more than one night. At least a fortnight, he was certain. Maybe the entire winter season. In the latter case, they would have to come to an agreement for her keep, at least in the short-term. She shoved her chair back with a loud scraping sound. Then she jumped to her feet, her glossy, dark curls bobbing in a pretty display. The way she moved fascinated him. The lithe lines of her long, slender arms and waist held a certain elegance. Made him think of how flexible that nubile body must be and to what uses it could be put.
“I have to be getting home now.” Her voice cut into his wandering thoughts.
“Home?” Well, that was a shock. And she’d said it so seriously that he almost believed her. What a little opportunist! She certainly knew her own worth. Far more so than he had on initial glance. She had looked so helpless, so hapless at first… Grudging admiration tugged at him and he had to fight not to grin. All right, he’d get her her own suite of rooms. A wardrobe of fine clothes. Maybe a carriage and four. Maybe. It would depend on how well she delivered on the promise of her sensuality.
But he didn’t feel like letting her know that right at that moment. He frowned sadly. “Do you really have to go home, sweetheart?”
“Yes.” She avoided his eyes as she pushed her chair to the table, then she ran over to where her cloak hung. “It was a lovely meal, thank you. I-I am sorry.”
He watched her open the door…and leave.
Good God, she was really leaving. No woman had ever walked out on him in a situation like this. Hadn’t he just offered her four times what she might have expected in return for warming his sheets?
Chapter Four
Emily was running so hard that her lungs were burning.
From behind her, boots sounded on the stone steps. Safely outside now, she stopped and turned. She panted helplessly for breath.
Men and their damned long-legged strides.
She glanced down at the nankeen breeches that clearly outlined his powerful thighs. Heat suffused her and her lower belly fluttered. Suddenly, she longed to fling herself into his arms and press her body against his tall, hard-muscled frame.
What would it be like to have a man— this man—covering her with his weight and taking her body?
Chills tingled through her; fear so strong that her mouth went dry. Not fear of him, and not entirely of her own reaction. No—it was fear of the strength of her reaction to him.
Heart thudding, she took a step back. Then another. Her foot slipped and she almost turned her ankle. She struggled not to lose her balance.
His high, broad forehead wrinkled and he reached out to her with one hand. “I’ll take you home.”
She couldn’t possibly let him. She couldn’t risk another moment in his company. What she would do without her rent money, she just didn’t know. All she knew was that she had to get away from him now.
Because if she stayed with him much longer, she’d never be able to resist the temptation. He fascinated her so much; she wanted him so much that every instinct for self-preservation she had screamed that if he took her, she’d be lost. No—more than simply lost. She’d lose herself forever. Yes, that fear might be irrational, but she couldn’t help it.
“No… No. You simply can’t give me a ride home.” Her mind scrambled for something to put him off. “I-I didn’t tell you…but I should have.”
“What?”
“I have a protector.”
He started, as if he hadn’t considered that possibility. Then he grinned—there was something
Some silences seemed more silent than others. This was definitely one of those silences. He began to feel uneasy. Had he insulted her in some way? He couldn’t imagine how. It should have been the simplest of exchanges.
Oh, what the hell. “How about one hundred and fifty?”
He knew he’d pay a lot more, but wasn’t willing to show his hand quite yet. Besides he suspected he was going to want her for more than one night. At least a fortnight, he was certain. Maybe the entire winter season. In the latter case, they would have to come to an agreement for her keep, at least in the short-term. She shoved her chair back with a loud scraping sound. Then she jumped to her feet, her glossy, dark curls bobbing in a pretty display. The way she moved fascinated him. The lithe lines of her long, slender arms and waist held a certain elegance. Made him think of how flexible that nubile body must be and to what uses it could be put.
“I have to be getting home now.” Her voice cut into his wandering thoughts.
“Home?” Well, that was a shock. And she’d said it so seriously that he almost believed her. What a little opportunist! She certainly knew her own worth. Far more so than he had on initial glance. She had looked so helpless, so hapless at first… Grudging admiration tugged at him and he had to fight not to grin. All right, he’d get her her own suite of rooms. A wardrobe of fine clothes. Maybe a carriage and four. Maybe. It would depend on how well she delivered on the promise of her sensuality.
But he didn’t feel like letting her know that right at that moment. He frowned sadly. “Do you really have to go home, sweetheart?”
“Yes.” She avoided his eyes as she pushed her chair to the table, then she ran over to where her cloak hung. “It was a lovely meal, thank you. I-I am sorry.”
He watched her open the door…and leave.
Good God, she was really leaving. No woman had ever walked out on him in a situation like this. Hadn’t he just offered her four times what she might have expected in return for warming his sheets?
Chapter Four
Emily was running so hard that her lungs were burning.
From behind her, boots sounded on the stone steps. Safely outside now, she stopped and turned. She panted helplessly for breath.
Men and their damned long-legged strides.
She glanced down at the nankeen breeches that clearly outlined his powerful thighs. Heat suffused her and her lower belly fluttered. Suddenly, she longed to fling herself into his arms and press her body against his tall, hard-muscled frame.
What would it be like to have a man— this man—covering her with his weight and taking her body?
Chills tingled through her; fear so strong that her mouth went dry. Not fear of him, and not entirely of her own reaction. No—it was fear of the strength of her reaction to him.
Heart thudding, she took a step back. Then another. Her foot slipped and she almost turned her ankle. She struggled not to lose her balance.
His high, broad forehead wrinkled and he reached out to her with one hand. “I’ll take you home.”
She couldn’t possibly let him. She couldn’t risk another moment in his company. What she would do without her rent money, she just didn’t know. All she knew was that she had to get away from him now.
Because if she stayed with him much longer, she’d never be able to resist the temptation. He fascinated her so much; she wanted him so much that every instinct for self-preservation she had screamed that if he took her, she’d be lost. No—more than simply lost. She’d lose herself forever. Yes, that fear might be irrational, but she couldn’t help it.
“No… No. You simply can’t give me a ride home.” Her mind scrambled for something to put him off. “I-I didn’t tell you…but I should have.”
“What?”
“I have a protector.”
He started, as if he hadn’t considered that possibility. Then he grinned—there was something
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