Page 10 of The Miracle of Love
She blushed furiously. “How could you be so crass? You are abominable.”
He seemed to find her distress amusing.
The wretch.
His eyes were gleaming. “And you, my lovely Grace, are delightfully innocent.”
Was he flirting with her? Or did he always behave so recklessly in the face of peril? “Mr. Quinton, mock me again, and I shall punch you. My life is at risk if what you say is true. This is serious business.”
“Do you think I am not taking it seriously?” He folded his arms across his massive chest, which was still open to her view since he hadn’t the decency to button his shirt.
He followed her gaze to his chest. “Grace, you have only to turn away if you disapprove of the way I look. But I’ll wager you are more intrigued than you are willing to let on. Do not fret about it. You think my liking you will prove a distraction? I assure you, it will not. I like lots of women. I am merely surprised to find you are not the wilting wallflower I expected you to be. But be assured, I have no plans to court you. Or touch you, for that matter. Virgins hold no appeal for me.”
“Deklan!” His mother was once again scowling at him. “You will not speak to Grace in this insolent manner. I raised you to be a gentleman.”
He cast Grace a glance.
She dared not show him any weakness…at least, no more than she already had done. “Rest assured, arrogant knaves hold no appeal for me. So do not worry that I might like you more than is proper. It is not going to happen. At the moment, I do not like you at all.”
“I don’t care. My assignment is to protect you, and this is what I am going to do.”
“Protect me? Or use me to recover that crown?”
“Both. As for sleeping arrangements, I’ll make a pallet for myself beside your bed tonight and that’s an end to it. Mother and Aunt Miranda, kindly get out. This matter is not open for further discussion.”
Grace gasped. “But–”
He emitted a soft, menacing growl. “Not another word, Grace.”
His leopard gaze bore down on her again, and she knew there was no point to arguing. Nor were his mother and aunt offering more resistance.
She sighed in resignation. “Very well, Mr. Quinton. Set your pallet beneath the window since you seem to prefer the cold. The hearth fire burned out hours ago. You can toss on a few more logs and rekindle it if you wish.”
“No, it will be too warm for me.”
“As you wish. I should have realized your heart is made of ice. But if you dare creep so much as an inch closer to me–”
He gave a courtly bow, which under other circumstances, might have been viewed as polite, but here and now it was unpardonably insolent. “Miss Montford, I shall keep my distance.”
“Good, and you had better keep your clothes on this time.”
He rolled his eyes. “I give you my word of honor. I will not shed so much as a sock. Nor will I make any untoward advances. I do not need to beg a woman to share her bed.”
She gasped. “You will not share my bed!”
“Is this not what I just said? Stop giving me orders, Grace. I know how to behave myself. But let’s get one thing straight. From now on, I am the one in command. Not you.” He turned to his aunt and mother. “Nor will I permit either of you to interfere.”
Grace cleared her throat. “Were you always this insufferable? Even as a child?”
His tension eased, the stiffness flowing from his body like a ripple on the water. “Yes, Grace. Always been this way, as my mother will confirm it. She hasn’t won an argument with me since I was the age of two.”
Mrs. Quinton shook her head in obvious exasperation. “I love him because he is my son, but he has always been impossible to control. Fortunately, he is not a wicked boy and seems to have done quite a bit of good for our country.”
His Aunt Miranda now spoke up. “My dear, under other circumstances, I would have my appallingly insufferable nephew tossed outdoors to sleep in the stables. But I’ve seen and heard enough of this nasty business going on with your family to be in dire fear for your safety. If the Home Office requested Deklan be brought back to England to guard you, then so it must be. He would not be here unless the threat was of the highest level.”
She turned to her nephew. “However, I will crack you open like an egg if you dare break Grace’s heart.”
He cast Grace a wry smile. “Before you ladies make an omelet out of me, let me remind you that I have been at my job for years and know what I am doing. Do not meddle. Grace will be fine with me. Go back to your quarters. You have my word of honor she will come to no harm while under my guard.”
