Page 20 of The Secret of the Dashing Detective
Nor could any other patron.
Who wouldn’t notice her? She stood out among any crowd, whether she was in Mayfair or Holborn or if she had been in the bowels of St. Giles. That was just who she was, a woman unlike any other.
And one that was causing him a fair bit of grief.
He should have been wary yesterday when he had seen that look in her eye. She was up to something. It seemed he had discovered just what that something was.
He came from behind, thinking to catch her off guard and teach her the consequences of not listening to his orders. When he lifted his hands to her arms, he longed to wrap them around her, to hold her in his embrace and never let go, for it seemed that would be the only way to actually keep her safe.
But the moment he touched her, she stiffened immediately, and he knew that she was about to strike. He gripped her tighter, pulling her back against his chest and stilling all of the moments he had taught her as he leaned down and placed his mouth by her ear.
“You’re not going to trick the man who taught you all of those moves, now are you?”
She gasped and spun around to face him as he let go of her arms. She lifted a hand and swatted him on the chest.
“Why did you do that? You have no idea how much you frightened me!”
He chuckled lowly at that, until he caught the look in her eyes. It had been more than a jest to her. She was scared – terrified, actually.
“I am sorry,” he said, immediately contrite. “I never meant to scare you.”
“Well, you did,” she said, rubbing her arms where he had held her. “It reminded me of—never mind.”
“Of when you were taken?”
“Yes.”
Of course. He knew the event had affected her – it would anyone, certainly – but it seemed that it had caused her more distress than he had initially realized.
“I told you that I would keep you safe,” he said intently. “And I meant it.”
“I know. I believe you,” she said with a trust that warmed him through before he remembered just why she was in danger today in the first place.
“There is one perfectly good way to keep you out of trouble,” he couldn’t help but add.
“Which is?”
“By you staying home in a walled mansion with guards to protect you,” he said, narrowing his eyes slightly. “What were you thinking, coming here, and alone at that?”
“I’m not alone,” she returned, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m with you.”
He sighed, unable to help himself from reaching out and running a hand down her arm. “I have no idea what I am going to do with you,” he said with a sigh, “but it seems that for today, at least, I cannot let you go anywhere without me.”
She nodded, obviously pleased that her plan had worked as she had hoped. And he, the fool, was falling right into her trap. What was this woman doing to him?
He held out his arm to her, which she took with enthusiasm as he walked her through the tables, jutting his chin toward the far end of the room. “Dr. Lewis is over there. He is with a few other men so we will have to be careful about how we draw him out. It is not exactly typical for a woman to be here with a man unless she is… working, but we will have to make our excuses for you.”
“Who shall we say I am?” she asked, looking up at him with green eyes that he could lose himself in. He shook his head to loosen himself from the stupor she had placed over him. “Your sister?”
“No,” he said immediately. That would never work. Not if anyone noticed how he looked at her. He couldn’t help himself. As much as he tried to deny it, he was finally able to admit that he wanted her with every ounce of his being. Not that he would act upon it again – that had been undeniably foolish – though that made the longing all the worse.
“You will have to be my wife.”
He didn’t like how her eyes gleamed at that, nor how it caused a fair bit of excitement within his own heart.
“That sounds fun. I’ve never been a wife before.”
“Just to meet with Dr. Lewis,” he said, hoping she heard the warning in his tone.
