closing time.
He’d retrieved an apple and was heading back to the front when he heard the bell at the door jingle. Preparing himself for the usual dismal encounter with a thief, he entered the shop, then stopped short.
A familiar female form bent over one of his lower display counters with her back to him. She still wore the dull brown gown from earlier, but her present stance hiked it up enough to display two well-turned ankles clad in fine silk stockings.
His mouth went dry. He’d give a year’s pay to see what else those creamy stockings covered. If it was all as fetching as the slim-hipped, full-breasted form outlined by her solemn gown, it would be worth every penny.
When she began rummaging through his goods, however, he scowled. The little sneak! First, her nosy questions in the alley, and now this. So much for “all bark and no bite.” Very well—this time he’d run her off for good, whatever it took.
But first he intended to play with her a bit.
Chapter 4
With luring tongues, and language wondrous sweet,
Follow young ladies as they walk the street…
Yet ah! these simpring Wolves, who does not see
Most dang’rous of all Wolves in fact to be?
“ Little Red Riding Hood,” Charles Perrault ,
Tales of Times Past with Morals
C lara fumbled through the compasses, barometers, pipes, and assorted other sailor’s goods atop the counter, but she found no watches. Bother it all. Where had the scoundrel put it? If she could find it, she would have accomplished half her mission here.
Then a deep male voice said behind her, “Looking for anything in particular, my lady?”
She nearly jumped out of her skin. Whirling around, she was startled to see Captain Pryce standing only a few feet away. “Good Lord, do you always sneak up on people like that?”
“Only when they’re riffling my goods.”
“I wasn’t—”
“And I see you’ve brought your watchdog.” He glanced beyond her to where Samuel stood just outside. “Though I’m not sure what good he’ll do you out there.”
“I wanted this conversation to be private.” Some of what she had to say to him she wouldn’t want anyone to hear, but especially not her pickpockets, even former ones.
“Private?” He slid behind the counter nearest her with an indolent smile. “I like the sound of that.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” she snapped. “It’s not what you think.”
“You can’t blame me for jumping to conclusions. I was fairly clear this morning about the only reason I’d want to see you in my shop. Yet here you are.”
Yes. And here he was, all six feet of him. This morning, in the vast outdoors, he hadn’t loomed quite so large or seemed quite so menacing. But in here the low ceiling barely cleared his head, and the gloomy, insufficient light tempted her imagination to supply bulkier shoulders and a broader chest than she’d noticed earlier.
Imagination, that’s all it was. Now that she knew his true nature, she was attributing to him a more threatening appearance than he really possessed—deeper-set eyes…an unyielding male jaw with its ghost of whiskers…rougher-cut hair.
And when he lifted the apple he was holding and bit into it, it had to be her imagination that made his teeth seem unnaturally white and sharp. She felt less like the huntswoman and more like Red Riding Hood by the minute.
“‘What great teeth you have,’” she muttered under her breath.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing.” She steadied her nerves. “Anyway, I’m not here to provide you with companionship.”
“What a disappointment. But then why are you here?” He chewed slowly, his insolent gaze never leaving her face.
“Actually, I was looking for a watch.” Swallowing hard, she held out her hand. “The one that Johnny stole for you.”
He cocked his head. “You mean the one that Johnny stole from me.”
“You heard me correctly. You let me believe that the watch was yours, but you know perfectly well it isn’t.”
“Did
He’d retrieved an apple and was heading back to the front when he heard the bell at the door jingle. Preparing himself for the usual dismal encounter with a thief, he entered the shop, then stopped short.
A familiar female form bent over one of his lower display counters with her back to him. She still wore the dull brown gown from earlier, but her present stance hiked it up enough to display two well-turned ankles clad in fine silk stockings.
His mouth went dry. He’d give a year’s pay to see what else those creamy stockings covered. If it was all as fetching as the slim-hipped, full-breasted form outlined by her solemn gown, it would be worth every penny.
When she began rummaging through his goods, however, he scowled. The little sneak! First, her nosy questions in the alley, and now this. So much for “all bark and no bite.” Very well—this time he’d run her off for good, whatever it took.
But first he intended to play with her a bit.
Chapter 4
With luring tongues, and language wondrous sweet,
Follow young ladies as they walk the street…
Yet ah! these simpring Wolves, who does not see
Most dang’rous of all Wolves in fact to be?
“ Little Red Riding Hood,” Charles Perrault ,
Tales of Times Past with Morals
C lara fumbled through the compasses, barometers, pipes, and assorted other sailor’s goods atop the counter, but she found no watches. Bother it all. Where had the scoundrel put it? If she could find it, she would have accomplished half her mission here.
Then a deep male voice said behind her, “Looking for anything in particular, my lady?”
She nearly jumped out of her skin. Whirling around, she was startled to see Captain Pryce standing only a few feet away. “Good Lord, do you always sneak up on people like that?”
“Only when they’re riffling my goods.”
“I wasn’t—”
“And I see you’ve brought your watchdog.” He glanced beyond her to where Samuel stood just outside. “Though I’m not sure what good he’ll do you out there.”
“I wanted this conversation to be private.” Some of what she had to say to him she wouldn’t want anyone to hear, but especially not her pickpockets, even former ones.
“Private?” He slid behind the counter nearest her with an indolent smile. “I like the sound of that.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” she snapped. “It’s not what you think.”
“You can’t blame me for jumping to conclusions. I was fairly clear this morning about the only reason I’d want to see you in my shop. Yet here you are.”
Yes. And here he was, all six feet of him. This morning, in the vast outdoors, he hadn’t loomed quite so large or seemed quite so menacing. But in here the low ceiling barely cleared his head, and the gloomy, insufficient light tempted her imagination to supply bulkier shoulders and a broader chest than she’d noticed earlier.
Imagination, that’s all it was. Now that she knew his true nature, she was attributing to him a more threatening appearance than he really possessed—deeper-set eyes…an unyielding male jaw with its ghost of whiskers…rougher-cut hair.
And when he lifted the apple he was holding and bit into it, it had to be her imagination that made his teeth seem unnaturally white and sharp. She felt less like the huntswoman and more like Red Riding Hood by the minute.
“‘What great teeth you have,’” she muttered under her breath.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing.” She steadied her nerves. “Anyway, I’m not here to provide you with companionship.”
“What a disappointment. But then why are you here?” He chewed slowly, his insolent gaze never leaving her face.
“Actually, I was looking for a watch.” Swallowing hard, she held out her hand. “The one that Johnny stole for you.”
He cocked his head. “You mean the one that Johnny stole from me.”
“You heard me correctly. You let me believe that the watch was yours, but you know perfectly well it isn’t.”
“Did
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