Page 65 of A Little Bit Dangerous
He smoothed her hair off her brow. “Yes?”
“Whatever happens, I’m glad I met you.”
ChapterFourteen
The Bunch of Grapes Tavern
Narrow Street
Aramis Chance sat on the wooden bench opposite Isabella and Christian, filling the seat with his broad, muscular frame. He was handsome, like his brothers. His devil-may-care attitude added a ruggedness to his character that captured every woman’s eye.
“To what shall we drink?” Aramis raised his tankard, though his stern tone said there was nothing to celebrate. “To blossoming friendships or tough choices?”
The man’s sarcasm knew no bounds.
Isabella tempered her nerves. “To solving the case.”
But the thought brought a shadow of sorrow. The end would soon be nigh. Christian would return to his life at Fortune’s Den. Lord knows where she would be. Her father’s prisoner. The slave of a deranged conte. A stowaway hoping to hide in the vast wilds of America.
Christian lifted his tankard in salute. “To breaking old habits.”
It was aimed at her—an effort to prevent her from running.
If only life were that simple.
Isabella sipped her watery ale and scanned the crowded taproom. They were the focus of attention. Two unkempt men stood at the crude oak counter, watching them and whispering as they drank. A sinister fellow on the adjacent table kept them in his sights, too, the meagre candlelight highlighting his jagged facial scar.
Christian noticed the perceived threat. “Should a fight erupt, you’ll return to the carriage, Isabella, and alert Gibbs.”
He’d not realised he’d spoken her given name until Aramis said, “Isabella? Not Miss Lawton?”
Christian straightened. “What of it?”
Aramis raised his hands in mock surrender, yet his hard eyes were full of scorn. “It was just an observation. No need to be so tetchy, brother.”
“We’re all on edge, Mr Chance.” Isabella could feel the simmering hostility in the room. “We must keep our eyes peeled for Ethel Cartwright. She is instrumental in helping us gain a better understanding of the case.”
Christian stood, his chair scraping the boards. “I’ll order more drinks. See if the landlord can point us in the right direction.”
Nausea roiled in her stomach. She wanted to grab his hand, urge him to be careful and not to take risks—but could do nothing other than nod and smile and pretend they were colleagues, not lovers.
Perhaps he’d intended to leave her alone with his brother.
Aramis watched Christian push through the crowd before engaging her in conversation. “Unlike your father, you seem like an honest woman, Miss Lawton.”
“I shall take that as a compliment, sir.”
“A sensible woman, too.”
“Hardships make us stronger.” Why did he not get to the point?
He sipped his ale. “Then you know Christian will never turn his back on his family. Whatever is going on between you won’t last. It can’t last.”
Sadly, his opinion echoed her own thoughts.
She was resigned to the fact they were lovers, nothing more. The intense need for him was a fleeting thing, not permanent. And yet, when he held her in his arms, she could stay there forever. When he moved deep inside her body and kissed her tenderly, she felt like she was finally home.
Isabella swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Christian is honest and loyal and a dear friend.” Her only friend. “I have never met a kinder man and would never hurt him. Besides, he needs his family more than he needs me.”
