She pushed aside some papers and waved him forward with a delicate hand. There, behind her massive desk, she looked like a fairy child pretending to be an adult. Insignificant. Yet to them— he, Gideon, and James— she held their lives in her pale palms.
“Sit.” She waved dismissively toward the chair across from her desk. “Do tell. I heard she left rather early.”
Of course she’d heard because she heard everything. “There was a … misunderstanding.”
She frowned. “How so?”
“She was not informed she was in a house of ill repute. She thought she was here for a book.”
“A book?” She shook her head and stood, her skirts rustling with the movement. “Ridiculous. Someone jesting with her then?”
At Alex’s nod she skirted around the desk.
Alex slowly rubbed his jaw, watching her, attempting to uncover something, anything about the woman who’d destroyed his life. There had to be a reason why she’d picked him. “Her brother, I believe.”
“Men are odd creatures.” She moved to the fireplace and stared into the flames. For one long moment she seemed lost in thought, memories, actual emotion. But just as quickly as the flash of humanity had come, it disappeared leaving him to wonder if he’d imagined the softening of her face. She turned, her lavender skirts flaring from her trim ankles.
“You’ve been requested for tomorrow evening. Mrs. Breur’s daughter. Make sure she leaves happy.”
It was a threat; a threat he didn’t dare dismiss. He’d lost one client already, he couldn’t lose another. Alex stood and bowed low. “Of course.”
Chapter 4
She was an academic.
She studied culture, history, antiquities.
This was just like studying the ancient Egyptians…or…or the medieval castles of Europe….or David. Yes, the statue of David, in all his naked glory. Oh no…no, that wouldn’t do at all. She blinked rapidly, forcing the picture from her mind.
Yes, she was a scholar and she would treat this as she would any subject to be studied.
But then, she’d never studied in her bloomers while a man touched and stroked areas not meant to see the light of day.
That did pose a problem.
“Are you coming in our not?” The dark-haired God standing before her in his shirt sleeves and trousers quirked an impatient brow. His gaze reeked of annoyance and the dark marks under his eyes told her he’d gotten little sleep, but there was also curiosity there, written on his handsome face.
Indecision held her captive. Her harsh breath sent the netting over her features close, then far, close, then far. Lord, she couldn’t seem to calm her racing heart. She’d already sold the pearl ring Great Aunt Margaret had given to her on her seventeenth birthday. The appointment was paid for. She had no choice but to enter, as ridiculous as it now seemed.
From down the alley someone laughed.
Grace jerked her head toward the sound. Merely a maid flirting with a footman. She didn’t know why she was so worried about being seen. They were practically in the middle of nowhere and she’d gone to the back entrance. Besides that, a bonnet covered her hair and netting covered her features. Still…she shuddered to think of what would happen to her reputation should someone see through her flimsy disguise. Then again, surely no one she was acquainted with would visit a place like this.
She attempted to dredge up an image of Rodrick’s smiling face, the very reason she’d risked her reputation. She’d been in love with the man since she was sixteen and if she needed to learn how to kiss in order to seduce him, then so be it. But instead of Rodrick’s fine features, Alex’s face flashed to mind.
“Grace,” he snapped impatiently.
“Shhh!” She leaned forward and slapped her hand over the man’s mouth even as the realization that he’d remembered her name sent an odd, not unpleasant, thrill through her body.
Shoving her free hand into his hard chest, she pushed him
“Sit.” She waved dismissively toward the chair across from her desk. “Do tell. I heard she left rather early.”
Of course she’d heard because she heard everything. “There was a … misunderstanding.”
She frowned. “How so?”
“She was not informed she was in a house of ill repute. She thought she was here for a book.”
“A book?” She shook her head and stood, her skirts rustling with the movement. “Ridiculous. Someone jesting with her then?”
At Alex’s nod she skirted around the desk.
Alex slowly rubbed his jaw, watching her, attempting to uncover something, anything about the woman who’d destroyed his life. There had to be a reason why she’d picked him. “Her brother, I believe.”
“Men are odd creatures.” She moved to the fireplace and stared into the flames. For one long moment she seemed lost in thought, memories, actual emotion. But just as quickly as the flash of humanity had come, it disappeared leaving him to wonder if he’d imagined the softening of her face. She turned, her lavender skirts flaring from her trim ankles.
“You’ve been requested for tomorrow evening. Mrs. Breur’s daughter. Make sure she leaves happy.”
It was a threat; a threat he didn’t dare dismiss. He’d lost one client already, he couldn’t lose another. Alex stood and bowed low. “Of course.”
Chapter 4
She was an academic.
She studied culture, history, antiquities.
This was just like studying the ancient Egyptians…or…or the medieval castles of Europe….or David. Yes, the statue of David, in all his naked glory. Oh no…no, that wouldn’t do at all. She blinked rapidly, forcing the picture from her mind.
Yes, she was a scholar and she would treat this as she would any subject to be studied.
But then, she’d never studied in her bloomers while a man touched and stroked areas not meant to see the light of day.
That did pose a problem.
“Are you coming in our not?” The dark-haired God standing before her in his shirt sleeves and trousers quirked an impatient brow. His gaze reeked of annoyance and the dark marks under his eyes told her he’d gotten little sleep, but there was also curiosity there, written on his handsome face.
Indecision held her captive. Her harsh breath sent the netting over her features close, then far, close, then far. Lord, she couldn’t seem to calm her racing heart. She’d already sold the pearl ring Great Aunt Margaret had given to her on her seventeenth birthday. The appointment was paid for. She had no choice but to enter, as ridiculous as it now seemed.
From down the alley someone laughed.
Grace jerked her head toward the sound. Merely a maid flirting with a footman. She didn’t know why she was so worried about being seen. They were practically in the middle of nowhere and she’d gone to the back entrance. Besides that, a bonnet covered her hair and netting covered her features. Still…she shuddered to think of what would happen to her reputation should someone see through her flimsy disguise. Then again, surely no one she was acquainted with would visit a place like this.
She attempted to dredge up an image of Rodrick’s smiling face, the very reason she’d risked her reputation. She’d been in love with the man since she was sixteen and if she needed to learn how to kiss in order to seduce him, then so be it. But instead of Rodrick’s fine features, Alex’s face flashed to mind.
“Grace,” he snapped impatiently.
“Shhh!” She leaned forward and slapped her hand over the man’s mouth even as the realization that he’d remembered her name sent an odd, not unpleasant, thrill through her body.
Shoving her free hand into his hard chest, she pushed him
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