telling smile and her heart raced at breakneck speed. Her hopes and dreams were all tied up in this very moment. “I already have.”
Something in his expression faltered, only to disappear in an instant. “Congratulations, I hope you will be very happy. Have I met him?”
“Absolutely.”
“Who is he?”
This was it. The moment she prayed would work. Had to work. “You!”
“Bloody hell!” Aiden grabbed her shoulders and wrenched her to him, knocking the air from her lungs.
“What are you doing? Don’t touch me.”
“Strange words from a woman who has just proposed marriage.” He sneered at her but he did release her, though he didn’t step away and his body still caressed her length.
Her mind reeled at his closeness, a sensory world of heat and touch. Of sinful thoughts. Concentrate. Stick with the plan.
What plan? This had been a spur of the moment idea. Now she had to make it work.
A flurry of nerves and fear coiled tight in her gut. This man was big. Her gaze dropped to his hands. Big hands. Hands that could break her without much effort.
Tess knew she tempted him, which was exactly as it needed to be if she were to succeed. Then he did something she hadn’t expected. He lifted a hand to her neck, scraping the back of his fingers along its curve. Her breath hitched for a heartbeat.
Do it, Tess. He’s your only hope.
“I desire the independence of a married woman,” she said in a rush.
His eyes darkened to the color of the deepest night sky. “And?”
The tip of her tongue slid along the rim of her mouth, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. “Marry me, Aiden, and you’ll never see me again. Marry me, or I will announce to the world your penchant for robbery.”
His hand fell away, his expression instantly stony. “You are either very brave, Tess Stanhope, or extremely foolish.”
“I know what I want.”
“So do I.”
Then he kissed her—and that changed everything.
Chapter Five
Everyone was there, the rich, the rogues
Hearts aflutter, diamonds glittering
All in the quest to find true love—or a proposal.
Mirabelle’s Musings
November 1813
“You taste as sweet as—”
Her palm connected with his jaw and his head snapped back. “You kissed me.”
He had, and that’s because he had been fantasizing about her since that fateful night, for God’s sake. He closed off such thoughts and massaged his throbbing jaw. “Isn’t that what a betrothed couple does? Consider it a warning not to play games you cannot win, Tess. I am not some twittering idiot of the ton you want to idle your hours with.”
She tilted her chin up a fraction and he witnessed that sense of pride and strength she’d shown when they first met. Eyes the color of a lush forest stared hard at him, and he found himself imagining a rod of steel the length of her spine.
“This is no game. You, Aiden Masters, are a hardened criminal who would prefer your secret to remain just that.”
He stemmed his denial and shrugged. Let her think what she liked. It was best that way. Real secrets were always better kept than shared. Besides, now that he’d seen her uncle with Nash it made it imperative he keep up the ruse. Better she think him a rogue than the man determined to bring Nash’s—and her uncle’s—activities to an end.
“So you resort to blackmail. I hate to disappoint you. There is a problem you haven’t thought of.”
“Which is?”
At her continued temerity Aiden’s mouth twitched. “I am not in the market for a wife.”
“And yet you came here tonight. These soirees are the greatest hunting ground of all. Oh, but I forget,” she said, wagging a finger at him as if he were a naughty boy residing in the nursery, “I’m sure you had other business to attend to. Jewels and gold coin to appropriate.”
Keep up the facade. Keep her believing the worst and then walk away.
“’Tis a living,” he answered as blandly as possible.
“A dangerous one.”
“I’ve survived thus
Something in his expression faltered, only to disappear in an instant. “Congratulations, I hope you will be very happy. Have I met him?”
“Absolutely.”
“Who is he?”
This was it. The moment she prayed would work. Had to work. “You!”
“Bloody hell!” Aiden grabbed her shoulders and wrenched her to him, knocking the air from her lungs.
“What are you doing? Don’t touch me.”
“Strange words from a woman who has just proposed marriage.” He sneered at her but he did release her, though he didn’t step away and his body still caressed her length.
Her mind reeled at his closeness, a sensory world of heat and touch. Of sinful thoughts. Concentrate. Stick with the plan.
What plan? This had been a spur of the moment idea. Now she had to make it work.
A flurry of nerves and fear coiled tight in her gut. This man was big. Her gaze dropped to his hands. Big hands. Hands that could break her without much effort.
Tess knew she tempted him, which was exactly as it needed to be if she were to succeed. Then he did something she hadn’t expected. He lifted a hand to her neck, scraping the back of his fingers along its curve. Her breath hitched for a heartbeat.
Do it, Tess. He’s your only hope.
“I desire the independence of a married woman,” she said in a rush.
His eyes darkened to the color of the deepest night sky. “And?”
The tip of her tongue slid along the rim of her mouth, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. “Marry me, Aiden, and you’ll never see me again. Marry me, or I will announce to the world your penchant for robbery.”
His hand fell away, his expression instantly stony. “You are either very brave, Tess Stanhope, or extremely foolish.”
“I know what I want.”
“So do I.”
Then he kissed her—and that changed everything.
Chapter Five
Everyone was there, the rich, the rogues
Hearts aflutter, diamonds glittering
All in the quest to find true love—or a proposal.
Mirabelle’s Musings
November 1813
“You taste as sweet as—”
Her palm connected with his jaw and his head snapped back. “You kissed me.”
He had, and that’s because he had been fantasizing about her since that fateful night, for God’s sake. He closed off such thoughts and massaged his throbbing jaw. “Isn’t that what a betrothed couple does? Consider it a warning not to play games you cannot win, Tess. I am not some twittering idiot of the ton you want to idle your hours with.”
She tilted her chin up a fraction and he witnessed that sense of pride and strength she’d shown when they first met. Eyes the color of a lush forest stared hard at him, and he found himself imagining a rod of steel the length of her spine.
“This is no game. You, Aiden Masters, are a hardened criminal who would prefer your secret to remain just that.”
He stemmed his denial and shrugged. Let her think what she liked. It was best that way. Real secrets were always better kept than shared. Besides, now that he’d seen her uncle with Nash it made it imperative he keep up the ruse. Better she think him a rogue than the man determined to bring Nash’s—and her uncle’s—activities to an end.
“So you resort to blackmail. I hate to disappoint you. There is a problem you haven’t thought of.”
“Which is?”
At her continued temerity Aiden’s mouth twitched. “I am not in the market for a wife.”
“And yet you came here tonight. These soirees are the greatest hunting ground of all. Oh, but I forget,” she said, wagging a finger at him as if he were a naughty boy residing in the nursery, “I’m sure you had other business to attend to. Jewels and gold coin to appropriate.”
Keep up the facade. Keep her believing the worst and then walk away.
“’Tis a living,” he answered as blandly as possible.
“A dangerous one.”
“I’ve survived thus
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