Page 7 of The Taming of a Wicked Rogue

That same temptation pushed her to take a step back. She had no plans to stay. Even if she wanted to, she could not. This place had not been her home since her father had ruined that for her. If she gave in, it would be agonizing to leave—once again.

Leo stepped forward, shadowing her backstep. He towered over her, her head coming just to his shoulders. The broadness of him was even more apparent in the daylight.

She craned her neck to view him, squinting in the bright sunlight. It silhouetted him, masking his features slightly, but she had seen enough. The years had been more than kind to him, increasing the breadth of his jaw, adding little golden touches to the chestnut curls of his hair and widening his mouth a touch. The dimple in his chin remained, and her fingers twitched with remembrance. How she’d loved to press a finger to that dimple before he would swoop in and kiss her breathless.

His blue eyes had an intensity she did not recall, however. A sort of lingering fire behind them that made her want to search his gaze until she discovered why.

No. She took another step back.

“I’m not coming with you,” she insisted.

“Rebecca, you stink.”

“Well, that’s charming.”

He shrugged and grinned. Her stomach did that topsy-turvy tumble she recalled from the previous night, and she inhaled deeply. Leo always had a charming smile and he used it to his advantage. No doubt, he’d flashed it at many a woman of late, and she would be foolish to fall for it.

“It’s the truth.”

Rebecca lifted her chin. “If I stink so badly, then I suggest you go away, my lord.”

“Oh, so it’s lord now.”

“It’s always been lord.”

“Hmm, I’m not so certain. A while ago I used to be Leo.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “In fact, I believe I used to be most specificallyYour Leo.”

A painful twist pulled at her stomach. “That was a long time ago.”

His expression shuttered. “It was.”

“Yes.” She folded her arms. “Well...anyway. I should be...”

He snatched her upper arm, curling his fingers firmly around it. “You are not going anywhere. Come with me and at least damn well bathe.”

“I said no.”

“And I said come with me.”

She yanked her arm away from his hold. “I am sure you are used to ordering ladies around, getting them to do whatever you bid, but you might recall that I was never one of those.” She met his gaze head-on. “That has not changed.”

The grin returned. “So I see.”

“So if you will excuse me.” She made to step around him, but he moved in front of her.

“Come with me or I shall reveal you.”

She peered around him, eyeing the many visitors milling around the lake and the locals making the most of things in a bid to earn additional coin. If they knew who she was, she would never get a chance to find the diamond. They would most likely run her out of town.

She looked to Leo, keeping her arms folded. “You would not.”

“I have little idea why you feel the need for this...disguise.” He waved a hand up and down her. “But if you do not come, I shall confess to the blacksmith that Frederick is in fact Miss Rebecca Fortescue, returned from goodness knows where after nearly ten years.”

“No.”

He nodded. “I feel certain Mr. Cooper will waste no time in telling the others. He does have a penchant for gossip after all.”

Grinding her teeth together, she considered her options. The fatigue worked so deep, she swore she felt it in her bones. The smell was not much better either nor the feel of the grime upon her skin, making her itch. Mr. Cooper was indeed a gossip and it would take mere hours for the whole town to know of her return. Even if she evaded them now, they would be on the lookout for her, making her hunt all the more difficult, if not impossible.

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