Page 24 of The Beauty and the Boxer
“Can I walk Drachma?” he asked hopefully,apparently seizing the opportunity to be near the horse. “If youdon’t mind seeing us home?”
“Yes.” Jack agreed quickly. “Yes, be a goodlad and make sure he doesn’t wander off.”
“Yes, sir!”
Once Daniel was a good distance behind them,Jack focused on Meredith.
“I didn’t mean what I said.”
“Of course, you did.” She raised her chin.“You think I’m some sort of … some sort of streetwalker. Well, I’mnot, and I refuse to be treated like one.”
“Firstly, I treat every prostitute I meetwith the utmost respect.”
She gaped at him, her mind reeling. How manyprostitutes did he know? And could he be anymore insulting?
“So, by your own admission, I’m less than aprostitute? Because you’ve been nothing but rude to me since ourfirst meeting. Demanding kisses for favors, taking them withoutasking. Insulting me—”
“Now hold on,” he said, his voice dippingslightly to avoid being overheard by their young companion. “Youdidn’t exactly pull away last night.”
Her cheeks warmed, knowing it to be true.She had felt so different last night than in this moment. He hadheld her with such a tender, yet possessive touch. She should haveknown better. It seemed she was doomed to repeat herself.
“I should have. For it only ever leads tomen treating me poorly.”
The words dropped from her mouth so quicklythat she could hardly believe she had admitted to such a thing.Suddenly, she felt Jack’s warm, wide hand on her elbow as he turnedher to face him. Stumbling slightly, Meredith held her hands up andpressed them against his chest to steady herself, the solidness ofhim so different from herself.
She leaned around him, searching for Daniel,who had led Drachma and Dash several yards away. His back wastowards them. She peered back up at Jack, his scarred face watchingher, his brow knotted together.
“Who?” he asked gravely. “Who wrongedyou?”
Oh, dear. She shook her head.
“No one,” she said. “It was a figure ofspeech.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m…” she paused and took a deep breath.“He is no one of importance. Besides, it’s hardly your concern andif you’re following me to add insults to my injured pride, youneedn’t. I am already vastly ashamed.”
“Ashamed of kissing me?” His tone low as heleaned closer.
Good lord, he was much too close. Sheneeded to focus on her words.
“No, I…” she said, peering back at Danielwho had continued to follow them at a respectable distance. He wasstaring off to his left, as if he was watching some fascinatingnatural occurrence. She glanced back at Jack who dropped his handfrom her elbow and she fought off a foolish disappointment at beingreleased. “I didn’t invite you to Mountebank’s to have some sort ofrelationship with you, Mr. Archer.” She paused, breathingshallowly, not at all pleased with her words. “I only wanted to beyour friend.”
The words she spoke seemed to have a strangeeffect on him. The usual confident and stern man before herappeared confused and then, uncomfortable. It dawned on her in thatmoment that Jack was more at ease being biting, or teasing or rude.When he was met with honesty, though, he seemed unsure.
“My friend?” he repeated, his tonesuggesting that he didn’t believe her.
“Yes. And you insist on making me out to besome sort of harlot,” she said, hating the term and knowing fullwell that she was technically a woman with no virtue. What ahypocrite she was, but she didn’t want him to believe that she wassuch a woman. “Well, Mr. Archer, I don’t think I want to be yourfriend anymore.”
He stared at her for a long moment before hespoke.
“I didn’t think… That is to say,” he said,struggling to find the correct words. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t haveimplied that you wanted anything more than friendship. It wasdisrespectful.”
“Yes, it was.”
“I only said that to…” He pursed his lips,evidently uneasy about his confession. “Well, I only said thatbecause I was trying to offend you.”
Meredith’s brow cinched together as shecontinued to walk. He fell into step next to her.
