Her mouth curved into a tiny smile. “If you thought I posed any threat to you, you would have done something straightaway, yet you haven’t. But you are wrong, Aiden, because I am a threat.” She rested the tip of one finger on her chin, tilting her head playfully and smiling up at him. “Good disguise, by the way. Posing as a gentleman.”
“A gentleman who right now could quite easily commit murder. How about we take a walk outside?” Without waiting for her answer, he drew her from their hiding place into the cacophony of partygoers. His grip on her proved brutal and Tess realized if she created a scene she would draw the wrath of Luther. She had no choice. “A walk sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“I’m surprised you came so easily,” Aiden commented as they passed through a set of French doors and onto a paved patio regaled with lanterns.
Tess played for time. “How so?”
“Escaping the throng of crowds in the overheated ballroom with a gentleman would certainly not be deemed de rigueur for a lady. Worse, since I am such a rogue.”
“Perhaps,” she shrugged. “But then I never do what is expected of me.”
“Then you are not like the other young women here.”
“I thought you already knew that. Besides, would you want me to be?” Good Lord, she’d gone too far. She was no coquette, used to the flirting of the ton .
Uncertainty suddenly reared. Could she do this? She swallowed back her breath and waited.
“No,” he finally answered. “In this world of hunt and be hunted I think you are quite refreshing.” He paused a moment as his gaze swept across her décolletage and up to her mouth, holding her captive in his teasing search. “Which would you prefer to be, Tess? The hunted…or the hunter?”
Under his scrutiny, she struggled to drag in some air, the simple act of breathing impossible. “I do not want to be hunted, or caught,” she said in a rush.
His mouth twitched ever so slightly. “No, I did not think you would. You, Miss Stanhope, want to control the game.”
She did. And she would. She shot him a tight smile. “Of course. Why should men get all the fun?”
“Is it fun? Was it fun sitting atop your horse, waiting for the carriage to round the corner, waiting to rob the innocent?”
“No, but then I can only answer from my one experience.”
Just then a slight breeze wafted across the treetops and the stars lit up the sky like the very best of diamonds haloing all beneath them in a shimmering glow.
The time had come to make her move—to make Aiden Masters see he had no option. Tess lifted her chin, stemmed her nerves and pulled her shoulders back. “And what about you, Aiden?”
His smile evaporated. “I do what I have to do, Tess.”
“Perhaps,” she said with a hint of a smile. “But it seems me that you have a secret, something I think you would prefer remained so.”
He turned on her with a speed that belied his size. In the moonlight, he looked frighteningly fierce. His eyes had darkened to an almost blue-black, dark lashes barely shadowing the wash of anger reflected in them. The pulse in his jaw flexed and a single bead of sweat trickled down his temple.
Tess focused on that tiny bead, while her fingers itched to reach up and wipe it away. “You would not want those people in there to know who you really are, would you?” she said at last, dragging her attention from that teasing bead.
Aiden’s hands clenched into fists. “And I presume you intend to tell them.”
Tess smiled her satisfaction. So far this was proving easier than expected. “I might.”
“Blackmail, Tess? This is something new to add to your growing list of accomplishments. Highway robbery, blackmailer. It does have a certain ring to it.”
Tess cringed inwardly, for it was true, but she would not falter. “You yourself have said we do what we must. I want independence and as a married woman, it is automatic.”
“So go find yourself a husband.”
She offered him a
“A gentleman who right now could quite easily commit murder. How about we take a walk outside?” Without waiting for her answer, he drew her from their hiding place into the cacophony of partygoers. His grip on her proved brutal and Tess realized if she created a scene she would draw the wrath of Luther. She had no choice. “A walk sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“I’m surprised you came so easily,” Aiden commented as they passed through a set of French doors and onto a paved patio regaled with lanterns.
Tess played for time. “How so?”
“Escaping the throng of crowds in the overheated ballroom with a gentleman would certainly not be deemed de rigueur for a lady. Worse, since I am such a rogue.”
“Perhaps,” she shrugged. “But then I never do what is expected of me.”
“Then you are not like the other young women here.”
“I thought you already knew that. Besides, would you want me to be?” Good Lord, she’d gone too far. She was no coquette, used to the flirting of the ton .
Uncertainty suddenly reared. Could she do this? She swallowed back her breath and waited.
“No,” he finally answered. “In this world of hunt and be hunted I think you are quite refreshing.” He paused a moment as his gaze swept across her décolletage and up to her mouth, holding her captive in his teasing search. “Which would you prefer to be, Tess? The hunted…or the hunter?”
Under his scrutiny, she struggled to drag in some air, the simple act of breathing impossible. “I do not want to be hunted, or caught,” she said in a rush.
His mouth twitched ever so slightly. “No, I did not think you would. You, Miss Stanhope, want to control the game.”
She did. And she would. She shot him a tight smile. “Of course. Why should men get all the fun?”
“Is it fun? Was it fun sitting atop your horse, waiting for the carriage to round the corner, waiting to rob the innocent?”
“No, but then I can only answer from my one experience.”
Just then a slight breeze wafted across the treetops and the stars lit up the sky like the very best of diamonds haloing all beneath them in a shimmering glow.
The time had come to make her move—to make Aiden Masters see he had no option. Tess lifted her chin, stemmed her nerves and pulled her shoulders back. “And what about you, Aiden?”
His smile evaporated. “I do what I have to do, Tess.”
“Perhaps,” she said with a hint of a smile. “But it seems me that you have a secret, something I think you would prefer remained so.”
He turned on her with a speed that belied his size. In the moonlight, he looked frighteningly fierce. His eyes had darkened to an almost blue-black, dark lashes barely shadowing the wash of anger reflected in them. The pulse in his jaw flexed and a single bead of sweat trickled down his temple.
Tess focused on that tiny bead, while her fingers itched to reach up and wipe it away. “You would not want those people in there to know who you really are, would you?” she said at last, dragging her attention from that teasing bead.
Aiden’s hands clenched into fists. “And I presume you intend to tell them.”
Tess smiled her satisfaction. So far this was proving easier than expected. “I might.”
“Blackmail, Tess? This is something new to add to your growing list of accomplishments. Highway robbery, blackmailer. It does have a certain ring to it.”
Tess cringed inwardly, for it was true, but she would not falter. “You yourself have said we do what we must. I want independence and as a married woman, it is automatic.”
“So go find yourself a husband.”
She offered him a
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