Page 70 of The Rogue's Runaway Bride
With a gentle touch, he tucked a rebellious curl behind her ear, searching her face for answers she wasn’t ready to give.
“Belle, there’s one more thing.”
Seeing the intensity in his eyes, her pulse sped up. “What is it, Jon?”
He cupped a hand to her cheek. When he touched her like this, it was so very hard to reconcile this man with the cold-voiced tycoon who’d once walked away. Even now, she could hear theclickof the door latch behind him as he’d taken his leave.
As one breath followed another, she savored the simple touch of his skin to hers. His gaze held hers.
“I wanted to tell you... the dress you’re wearing... it suits you.” He’d spoken the words with a hesitance. Instinct told her he’d thought to say something else entirely but had held back. It was better that way, she supposed.
Pulling in a breath, she affected a cheerful tone, when in truth, she felt a slight, dull ache in the region of her heart. “Thank you,” she said. “Ellie was so very helpful.”
His brows knit in a line. “I still cannot fully comprehend why Miss Blake now refers to herself as Ellie. Since she was a girl, she’d gone by Nell.”
“I believe her new preference has something to do with a man she met while traveling on the continent. She told me the mere thought of her name on his lips made her teeth clench.”
Jon offered a brisk nod. “I suppose that would do it.”
“I do understand her reasoning.”
He nodded again, more thoughtfully this time. “Do you, now?”
“Very much so. Though in my case, it was the memory ofyourname that set my teeth on edge.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Well then, we should consider it fortunate that we usually exist with an ocean between us.”
An ocean was not far enough to make me forget you.
But she was certainly not about to admit that bitter truth. Even if theyexisted—as Jon had phrased it—on opposite ends of the earth, she would still hear the passion-roughened timbre of his voice in her maddeningly decadent dreams.
She shot him a little frown. “Don’t go thinking I ever moped about over you.”
“The notion never entered my mind.”
My, the man is a poor liar, isn’t he?“I suppose that is a relief. I wouldn’t want you to think I wasted so much as a day in a melodramatic malaise.”
“I have it on good authority that was not the case.”
“Do you, now?” She echoed his question. “I am surprised our mutual acquaintances would inform you of my rather tame exploits.”
“I can assure you they did not. On those rare occasions when I did inquire about your wellbeing, their replies were cool. Stilted, in fact. But the New York press has been more forthcoming in their coverage of your charitable ventures.”
“Oh, yes, that would be me, the Frost Princess of Good Deeds.” She forced a smile. “You follow the American papers?”
“Given our expansion, it is imperative that I keep up with the happenings across the pond. Generally, my assistant provides a summary of relevant news in the New York press. At times, I will thumb through a paper or two. I understand your last gala was a smashing success. Not that I am at all surprised.” He spoke with a tone of sincerity. “My sister also supports a variety of charities. Though after her shenanigans with Miss Blake at their last masquerade ball, I’d wager the founders of the charity would prefer that she simply offer a donation. Now, back to Miss Blake’s new nickname; you say the change was tied to some gent on the Continent.”
“She met the man in Paris. Given her light tone when she referred to him, I cannot say whether he caused any lastingheartache, or if his behavior became so irksome that she would prefer to forget him.”
“I’d wager it was the latter,” he said. “The change of name does rather fit her temperament. Nell—blast it, Ellie—has always been one to follow her whims of the moment.”
“That certainly would not be your preference, but I see no harm in following one’s instincts.”
“You might be surprised.” An emotion she couldn’t quite read flashed in his eyes. “There are times when I’ve done precisely that.”
She pursed her lips, regarding his statement with a skepticism she made no attempt to hide. “And to think I’d envisioned your life running with the precise efficiency of the gears on the Swiss watches my brother so admires.”
“You, of all people, know there have been times when my actions have been neither precise nor efficient... I’ve pursued a course others would view as impulsive. Perhaps even rash.”
