her arm in a firm yet guiding grip, he steered her farther into the room. “I want you to stay here until I tell you to go. This should not take long.”
“What should not take long? What do you want?” She glanced at the neatly made bed with apprehension as they moved closer to it. Dear God, what had she been thinking, charging into his room like that? Would she now pay the ultimate price for her headstrong impulse? “I can scream very loudly, Mr. Ready. I suggest you unhand me immediately.”
He chuckled. “I am certain you can, Miss Wallington-Willis, but to do so would bring on the very scandal you seek to avoid.” They reached the bed, and he indicated it with his free hand. “Please sit here and do exactly what I tell you.”
Did he think her so cowed by him that he could do anything he wanted? Even . . . Her breath caught, a tingle rippling through her. She suddenly became aware of how small the room was. “I will not.”
He sighed and rolled his eyes heavenward. “Please, Miss Wallington-Willis.”
“I will not,” she said again.
He gave a gentle push to her shoulder. She nearly fell backwards, then landed in a seated position on the edge of the bed.
He crouched down so they were eye to eye. “You will.”
There came that shiver again, that quicksilver burst like champagne bubbles beneath her skin.
“So you are bigger than I. You have proven that.” She glared and curled her fingers into the coverlet, her mind racing. She could scream, yes, but he was right—it would bring the entire house running. “Let me leave, and I will not report this disreputable behavior to the Baileys.”
“Indeed?” He rose, then stripped off his coat.
She swallowed hard as he tossed the garment beside her on the bed. The muscles of his arms flexed beneath the simple cotton shirt, clinging like a lover’s hands to every swell and ripple. Her stomach fluttered. She should scream for help, reputation be hanged. But for all that she found him unpredictable, strangely she did not fear him. She still believed she could reason herself out of this predicament.
He reached up and unfastened his neckcloth.
“Stop! What are you doing?”
He grinned and jerked off the tie. “Calm yourself, Miss Wallington-Willis. As I said, this will only take a few moments.”
He handed her the tie, then knelt on the floor.
She gaped at the black slip of cloth hanging from her fingers. “I want to leave now, Mr. Ready.”
“We are almost done here.” He got on his hands and knees and peered under the bed.
“I do not like this one bit!” She dropped the tie as if it burned. The instant it hit the floor, it was yanked under the bed by an unseen force. She squealed and lifted her feet, staring at the spot where the tie had been.
“Blast it!” John flattened himself down on his stomach and stretched his arm as far as he could under the bed.
Genny peered down at him, mesmerized by the play of his muscles beneath his shirt. “What happened? Where did it go?”
“Got it.” John’s hand reappeared, one end of the tie clutched in his fingers. Slowly he dragged it out from under the bed, making it wriggle like a snake against the wood floor.
“What is under there?” Genny whispered.
He suddenly gave a hard yank. The tie shot out from under the bed, nearly hitting him in the face, then crumpled into a heap in front of him. A second later a fat, fluffy gray kitten darted out and pounced on the end of the strip of cloth. John scooped up the tiny animal by the scruff, then shifted to a sitting position right there on the floor, holding up the kitten to look into its face. “You have been most troublesome, madam.”
“That is what you smuggled into the house? A kitten?” Slowly, Genny lowered her feet to the floor. As she looked more closely, she could tell the small cat had gotten into a fight recently. “What happened to it?”
“Precious here had a disagreement with the other barn cats. I brought her inside the house
“What should not take long? What do you want?” She glanced at the neatly made bed with apprehension as they moved closer to it. Dear God, what had she been thinking, charging into his room like that? Would she now pay the ultimate price for her headstrong impulse? “I can scream very loudly, Mr. Ready. I suggest you unhand me immediately.”
He chuckled. “I am certain you can, Miss Wallington-Willis, but to do so would bring on the very scandal you seek to avoid.” They reached the bed, and he indicated it with his free hand. “Please sit here and do exactly what I tell you.”
Did he think her so cowed by him that he could do anything he wanted? Even . . . Her breath caught, a tingle rippling through her. She suddenly became aware of how small the room was. “I will not.”
He sighed and rolled his eyes heavenward. “Please, Miss Wallington-Willis.”
“I will not,” she said again.
He gave a gentle push to her shoulder. She nearly fell backwards, then landed in a seated position on the edge of the bed.
He crouched down so they were eye to eye. “You will.”
There came that shiver again, that quicksilver burst like champagne bubbles beneath her skin.
“So you are bigger than I. You have proven that.” She glared and curled her fingers into the coverlet, her mind racing. She could scream, yes, but he was right—it would bring the entire house running. “Let me leave, and I will not report this disreputable behavior to the Baileys.”
“Indeed?” He rose, then stripped off his coat.
She swallowed hard as he tossed the garment beside her on the bed. The muscles of his arms flexed beneath the simple cotton shirt, clinging like a lover’s hands to every swell and ripple. Her stomach fluttered. She should scream for help, reputation be hanged. But for all that she found him unpredictable, strangely she did not fear him. She still believed she could reason herself out of this predicament.
He reached up and unfastened his neckcloth.
“Stop! What are you doing?”
He grinned and jerked off the tie. “Calm yourself, Miss Wallington-Willis. As I said, this will only take a few moments.”
He handed her the tie, then knelt on the floor.
She gaped at the black slip of cloth hanging from her fingers. “I want to leave now, Mr. Ready.”
“We are almost done here.” He got on his hands and knees and peered under the bed.
“I do not like this one bit!” She dropped the tie as if it burned. The instant it hit the floor, it was yanked under the bed by an unseen force. She squealed and lifted her feet, staring at the spot where the tie had been.
“Blast it!” John flattened himself down on his stomach and stretched his arm as far as he could under the bed.
Genny peered down at him, mesmerized by the play of his muscles beneath his shirt. “What happened? Where did it go?”
“Got it.” John’s hand reappeared, one end of the tie clutched in his fingers. Slowly he dragged it out from under the bed, making it wriggle like a snake against the wood floor.
“What is under there?” Genny whispered.
He suddenly gave a hard yank. The tie shot out from under the bed, nearly hitting him in the face, then crumpled into a heap in front of him. A second later a fat, fluffy gray kitten darted out and pounced on the end of the strip of cloth. John scooped up the tiny animal by the scruff, then shifted to a sitting position right there on the floor, holding up the kitten to look into its face. “You have been most troublesome, madam.”
“That is what you smuggled into the house? A kitten?” Slowly, Genny lowered her feet to the floor. As she looked more closely, she could tell the small cat had gotten into a fight recently. “What happened to it?”
“Precious here had a disagreement with the other barn cats. I brought her inside the house
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