Heaven Scent by SpursFanatic

relaxed against him, feeling a brief sense of security
before anger took over. That dirty, rotten scoundrel . Tarin’s heart started to
beat again, rapidly, for a totally different reason. She was going
to kill him.
    Rafe turned her around to face him. His
face was half hidden in the light shining through the window behind
him. He held a finger to his lips as he glanced towards the hall.
She couldn’t lash out at him or she would be heard.
    But oh, she wanted to curse as she had
never cursed before.
    “You rogue,” she cried in a heated
whisper, as she hit him on the arm. “You terrified me.”
    “Serves you right for wandering around
at night alone. I could’ve easily been someone else,
Tarin.”
    Ignoring the lead weight of guilt in
her stomach, Tarin tried to summon up her life’s practice to stay
pleasant in any situation. But, heaven help her, she wanted to
throttle Rafe Sutherland as she had no other person.
    “How did you know I was
here?”
    He had the nerve to grin at her. “I
followed you.”
    “You did not follow me,” she accused.
“I was careful to watch for anyone behind me.”
    “What kind of spy would I be if you
spotted me?” he asked. “Besides, with that perfume of yours, I
would find you anywhere in Boston.”
    “You could smell me?”
    He nodded.
    Tarin wasn’t sure if he’d just insulted
her or not. “Why did you follow me?”
    “I told you not to wander out alone at
night.” His clutch on her arm pulled Tarin closer, his grin
arrogant. “I could’ve been an unsavory character rather than the
dashing hero that I am.”
    Tarin rolled her eyes. “You have quite
the ego, Mr. Sutherland.”
    “Quite.” His smile disappeared beneath
a dark frown. “What are you doing here? What’s going on in there?”
He nodded back towards the window.
    Blast it. Now she had to confide in
Rafe and risk him revealing her tomfoolery. If he revealed her
secret, all of her plans would be ruined.
    “Well, if you must know, I was trying
to sneak into the hall.” She lifted her chin.
    Rafe leaned around her to glance at the
front door. “What’s going on in there?”
    “They are conducting a men’s seminar on
midwifery.”
    That superior, arrogant
frown appeared on his face again. “A men’s seminar. So what
are you doing,
trying to get in? You are certainly not a man.” His eyes ran down
the length of her as though she were there for his
benefit.
    Ugh, he irritated her to no end. She
felt as though she were revealing all of her innermost secrets to
the world.
    “I want to hear what Dr. Gregory has to
say that is not said in the women’s seminar.”
    Rafe studied her a long moment, her
eyes never wavering from his. Tarin waited for the imminent tirade
that was sure to come. The “if women were meant to hear it, they
would have been invited” speech, the implication that men were
superior to women, and that the subject matter was offensive to her
delicate, feminine ears.
    “I’ll get you in.”
    His sudden grin stunned her. Tarin
stilled, unable to believe her ears. “You will?”
    He nodded. “But just as long as we are
clear on one thing - ”
    A thrill ran through her. Finally, she
would get in! “Anything,” she said without hesitation.
    “I am not responsible for what is said
inside.”
    Excitement bubbled inside of Tarin. She
could not believe he was going to help her. “Of course. Why would
you think that?”
    “How do I say this… ” he paused, brow
wrinkling. “Men tend to be more… direct in their conversations and
comments.”
    Was that all? “I’ll be fine.” She
turned, eager to get inside before the seminar started. “Let’s
go.”
    His grip on her arm held her back.
“What’s it worth to you?”
    Tarin planted a hand on her hip. She
should have known there would be a price. “I should’ve realized the
chivalry you showed the other evening was an uncommon
occurrence.”
    “Need I remind you, Miss Worthington,
that if I were a gentleman, I would not be