Page 23 of A Rogue to Watch Over Me
“True,” he agreed with a nod. “I regret ye had to go through that. If I’d known the bastard intended to come after ye, I would not have left ye on yer own. Even then.”
The all-too-recent memory of the intruder’s thick-fingered hands on her body unleashed a shudder of revulsion. She straightened a pile of books on her desk, as if the simple task might help her shake off the sickening sensation.
“I am no worse for wear,” she said.
“Ye’re a poor liar, lass.”
He touched her face, brushing the pad of his thumb over her cheek. Gentle. Comforting. Surprising her with his tenderness.
“I suppose I am.” Fending off another shiver, she rubbed her arms briskly. “Still, the man did no lasting harm.”
“I don’t know why the coward attacked ye. But I do know this much—he’s not the only one who has ye in his sights. I will not leave ye on yer own to face the threat.”
Determination blazed in his eyes. She was not going to win this battle. Truth be told, she was not entirely sure she wanted to. Having him near offered comfort and reassurance she had not felt in quite a long time.
“Very well,” she relented. “But only tonight.”
He rubbed his jaw, skimming his fingertips over a growth of new beard. “That’s a start.”
She squared her shoulders. “Onlythisnight, Mr. MacLain.”
“We’ll see about that.” His mouth hitched at one corner, not quite a smile. “I take pride in my powers of persuasion.”
The hint of challenge in his gravel-edged voice intrigued her, even as a single word echoed in her thoughts.
Persuasion.
Spoken in the man’s gravel-edged tones, the word conjured images of seduction. Of surrender. My, Logan MacLain was an arrogant one, wasn’t he? And she... well, she was not about to give in to any man’spersuasion. Much less a known rogue.
No, she knew better. The man who had left her a widow had taught her well.
Meeting MacLain’s perceptive eyes, she infused a layer of ice into her voice. “I would not count on those powers.”
“They haven’t let me down yet.”
“Yetwould seem to be the key word in your statement.” Steeling herself, she pulled in a soft breath. “Given the events of this evening, I must accept the validity of your argument and allow you to stay close. But only for this one night. If I were alone here, I would be far too on edge to even drift off to sleep.”
“The validity of my argument, eh?” His eyes narrowed as he studied her. “Ye do intrigue me, Amelia. Ye’ve the face of a woodland fairy, but yer words bring to mind a discussion with my solicitor.”
An emotion she couldn’t quite name stirred deep within her. He’d used her given name. Perhaps she should be taken aback by the familiarity. But somehow, spoken in his husky brogue, it felt so very intimate. So very right.
Ye do intrigue me.
Logan MacLain knew how to set her off balance, no matter her determination to remain unaffected by the man. No one had ever dubbed her intriguing. And only one other person in her life had ever compared her to a fairy, woodland or otherwise. Thevery thought of it brought a twinge of emotion in the vicinity of her heart.
But she would not give Mr. MacLain the satisfaction of knowing he’d unsettled her. Hiking her chin, she spoke in a bland tone.
“In any case, it’s far better that I am not alone tonight.”
The way he looked at her unfurled heat through her body as the faintest hint of a smile played upon his full mouth.
“Even if that means spending the night with a wicked rogue?”
“Indeed,” she said, hoping to sound resigned. “I intend to see about getting some rest.”
“My weary bones would welcome sleep,” he agreed.
Doubt reared its head. “There is one thing... one thing I must know if you expect to earn my trust.”
