Page 40 of The Bastard Heir
His eyes grew heavy lidded and dark, and his gaze dipped down to her mouth. “You want me to admit I’m jealous? Fine. I’m jealous that he gets to touch you. I wanted to tear his hands off you.” The gentle touch of his hand on hers belied the harshness of his words. “I want to be the only one to touch you.”
Her body warmed to his words. Her nerve endings were alive and humming, eager for his touch. “I want that, too.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if her words were too much of a temptation to resist. “I’m going to talk to Miller.” He kissed her forehead and turned, only to come up short when Miller came around the corner.
Chapter Sixteen
Miller took in the sight of them standing close together, and even though he wouldn’t have seen anything inappropriate, his eyes narrowed a little. Castillo barely suppressed the instinct to step between Carolina and the man he’d instantly disliked. She took in a quick breath, and he wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know that any more than he knew that he’d be able to let her go when the time came.
“Would you mind giving us a moment alone, Caroline?” Miller’s voice was crisp and formal. Castillo hated how he said her name, clipped and aloof, as if she was nothing to him.
“I’d rather stay.” Her voice was strong and he could almost feel her drawing her shoulders back to her full height behind him.
If Miller knew more about him and was connected to Derringer, then he wouldn’t want Carolina to become some sort of target for Derringer because she knew too much. Looking over his shoulder at her, he said gently, “It would be better if you’re not here. Please go, Carolina.”
She looked as if she wanted to argue and bit her lip as she glanced at Miller again, before nodding and walking around the corner.
“She’s my fiancée, Jameson. You have no right to her. Best to forget whatever designs you had on her.” Miller wasted no time in staking his claim. The worst part was that Castillo couldn’t even tell him he was wrong. She didn’t belong to Castillo, and he couldn’t offer for her.
“You don’t even know her, Miller. Why do you want her?”
Miller grinned and leaned his hip against the railing. “Why would anyone want to marry a Hartford? It’s a prestigious family with money and connections. That’s how we do it back in Boston. We join our families for the benefit of all. It’s not quite the same as you do it out here. Ask your father. Looks like he got it right the second time.”
“Keep your damned mouth shut about my family.” Castillo kept his voice level.
Miller raised his hands in surrender. “It’s none of my business.”
“Isn’t there someone else you can marry for money? Boston Society has to be full of women willing to marry a spineless fop for money and connections.”
Miller kept the smile on his face as he shook his head. “Not one with Caroline’s inheritance and eager parents. I’d like to be married sooner rather than later.”
“Why is that?” Castillo crossed his arms over his chest, despising this man even more with every word that came out of his mouth.
The son of a bitch smirked and said, “My reasons are my own.”
“Are those reasons why you’ve agreed to allow her to go to medical school?”
“I don’t care if she goes. Once we’re married she can do as she likes. It won’t matter, though. She’ll be with child within a year and need to stop.”
Castillo gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists to keep himself from lunging at the bastard. “You really are a selfish son of a…”
Miller continued to smile, unfazed by Castillo’s anger. “Self-serving is a fairer description, I think.”
Several sets of footsteps could be heard coming closer, accompanied by male voices. Probably Tanner and the rest of the men who’d left to view the musket collection. Miller must’ve left the group early to come find Carolina.
There was no damn way Castillo was allowing him anywhere close to her. The man was a lowlife. Castillo just had to figure out a way to convince her parents of that fact, and if he couldn’t convince them, he’d appeal to Miller’s sense of self-preservation. His fists ached to make contact with that man’s smirk.
Tanner and Hunter came around the corner followed by the other men in the group—Mr. Bonham as well as Mr. Cunningham and his sons. Hunter stared at them both, correctly assessed the situation and came to stand next to Castillo in a silent display of solidarity.
“What kept you away for the day, Castillo?” Miller asked, as if they’d been having a normal conversation.
The tiny hairs on the back of Castillo’s neck stood up. Miller was playing a dangerous game, leading him to believe that Miller was the man Bennett had spoken of. Castillo wanted to tell him it was none of his business, but with the guests present, he had to at least pretend to be cordial. “Out riding the perimeter of the property. We’ve had some coyote sightings.”
The men murmured. Miller smiled and nodded, while Tanner narrowed his eyes picking up on the underlying tension. Hunterattempted to change the subject. “Why don’t we all go inside, gentlemen? There’s brandy waiting.”
“And yesterday? Someone mentioned that you were in Helena on business, but that’s not what I heard. Word is there was a shootout south of town and you were involved. Someone said you were shot. Is that why you’ve been favoring your arm?”
“Careful what you hear visiting brothels, Miller. Those places are full of gossip.”
