Page 12 of When a Lady Desires a Wicked Lord
“Chivalry is dead. I’ve no desire to be a hero. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re in danger.”
“And you expect me to go withyou?” The very notion was absurd. “While there’s a trussed-up man lying in my study, no less?”
“Yes.”
“Alex, I cannot do that.” She fashioned a bland expression. “Whatever would my housekeeper think in the morning? Mrs. Thomas is due to return from her holiday first thing tomorrow. What a shock to the nervous system that would be.”
“I don’t give a damn about what the housekeeper thinks. Blast it, you’re as stubborn as ever.” He dropped his hands to his sides. Was that a hint of a smile curving his full mouth at one corner? “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t point that gun at me.”
“As I recall, you hypothesized that the weapon lacks ammunition. Odd, how the sight of it disturbs you.”
“Knowing you as I do, I would not doubt you had managed to reload it.”
“Might I suggest an easy solution to any concern you might have for your well-being.” She steadied her voice. “Leave.”
He closed the distance between them. His large, warm hands closed over hers. “Give me the pistol.”
Behind her, fabric rustled by the window. Benedict threw a glance toward the curtains.
“It would appear we have company,” he murmured as he released her.
Pulling in a breath, Alex pivoted on her heel, careful not to turn her back to him. God only knew why he was really here. Who could say to what lengths he’d go to get his hands on what he wanted?
The plush green velvet curtains shimmied, then parted.
A plump ball of ebony fur strolled out, pausing for a sleepy stretch.
“Good heavens, Nefritiri,” she said with a little gasp. “You gave me quite a fright.”
The long-haired cat sauntered up to Benedict. Narrowing her golden eyes, the creature seemed to flash a scowl.Good. Alex certainly didn’t want her pet taking to him. Not again.
“The old girl’s still with you, I see.” Benedict crouched low, rubbing the cat behind its ears. The feline purred contentedly, traitor that she was.
Longing twinged in Alex’s heart. She’d thought the feeling had died an inglorious death, but how very mistaken she’d been. With that hint of a rasp in his smooth, deep voice, Benedict could charm the most sophisticated of women. What chance had she, of all people, stood against him? She’d been so naive. Preferring to devote her time to unraveling the message contained in a hieroglyphic tablet and exploring ancient structures under a desert sun rather than filling her dance card in London, she’d been unprepared for his seductive appeal. Even her blasted cat was not immune to Benedict’s sly smile. Did he still possess the ability to drive her to a blissful madness with a mere brush of his lips against hers?
Letting out a sigh, she steeled herself against the yearning, fortified herself against her mind’s rebellious wonderings.
“She’s a loyal one… At least, I thought she was.” She placed the gun on a polished mahogany table.
Benedict rose, standing more than a head taller than her. “You must listen to me.” He bent his head down, his breath grazing her lips. “You must understand—even after all this time, you are the only one I can trust.”
Trust.The word reverberated in her heart. How very ironic. Again and again, he’d uttered the word.
Seeming to read the questions in her eyes, he went on. “I must confess, my motives in coming here were not entirely noble.”
She extricated herself from his light hold. “So, you did come after the amulet.”
“I won’t deny it. But I also needed to protect you.” Benedict reached out to her, sweeping a stray curl from her brow. “At first, I failed to understand the nature of the danger. Stockwell had tried to tell me what he feared…”
Alex recalled the passages on the professor’s last missive. “He’d devoted his life to studying and preserving artifacts. After all those years, tales of superstition and legend must have seeped into his thoughts.”
“In the beginning, I would have said the same thing. But now, I understand—there’s a force at work here, something I cannot begin to explain.” Benedict’s mouth was a grim line. “Alex—you may be my last chance.”
Chapter Four
Benedict had anticipated the shock that filled Alexandra’s golden-brown eyes. But he had not expected her to study him so intently, as if his words were clues to some puzzle she intended to solve.
“What the devil do you mean?” Her mouth settled into a perfect bow, as it always did when she mulled a cipher she could not readily decode. “It’s evident you have involved yourself in something quite dangerous. Benedict, tell me what it is you’ve done… Why is this happening?”
