Page 20 of The Silver Spider
“You know what you’re doing. If you think you can…seduce me into cooperation, you’ll disappoint me. Thought you were more intelligent than most of your sex.”
His brow rose. “Your gender prejudices are showing, sweet. And if you feel seduced—that’s not my problem.” His teeth flashed. “Maybe you have feelings you don’t want to admit to.”
She took a deliberate step back. “Not going to argue. My hunt—you go.”
“Do you really want your mother and my father in Seattle, making a ruckus over you?”
She thought about it, considered his tone…and shook her head. “They’re less annoying, though. Ma is reasonable, at least.”
“Your Ma doesn’t strike me as a woman, who would do well outside her comfort zone. She’ll come in guns blazing, and there goes your prey.”
“So, what’s your deal?”
He bared his teeth. “I join your hunt. I’m useful—you’ll see. I’ll make sure you don’t get yourself killed. And when it’s over, you come home, no arguing.”
She could always fake him out for a day or two, and then give him the slip. “Fine.” She made a shooing motion with her hand. “I’ve got work.”
He took a step back, swept her a bow and indicated the way she’d come with a flourish of his arm. “Go ahead, sweetheart. I’ll just be sitting in a booth, watching.”
Horseshit.
* * *
She felthis eyes on her the rest of the evening and had to suppress the urge a few times to whirl around and bare her teeth at him. The only thing stopping her was his sly use of the magic word—family. If he had truly taken time to give her mother a reassurance, not that she imagined Kailigh would ask him to, then Serephone couldn’t be angry with him for trying to keep his word. How many people had broken their word to her mother over the years? At least Maddugh seemed, and she admitted it grudgingly, to have his wife’s best interests at heart. He’d done nothing yet to try and curtail any of them, except for those silly masculine lapses, when he or his sons wanted the little women to step aside ‘for their safety.’
Couldn’t expect a horse not to neigh, after all.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. She marched over to him when she had a minute between tables. He looked up, expression inquiring.
“Did you really promise my mother you would look out for me?”
“I did.”
“Why?”
He didn’t answer right away. “I said before, you’re family now. And isn’t it time your mother had some help?”
“I’m her help.”
“I don’t think any mother wants her children to endure the hardship she had to.”
She started to snap at him, but couldn’t, when he told the truth. She didn’t regret her childhood. She didn’t wish for any more than what Kailigh had been able to provide. But did she wish Kailigh had been able to relax a bit—had had a husband then to shoulder some of a single mother’s burden? Yes. So of course her mother would encourage Amnan to help Serephone. Kailigh would see it as welcome relief from enduring a grim task alone.
“Are you going to keep your word?” She held his eyes, not wanting to miss a single flinch of his face, flicker of a lash.
“I’ll keep it.”
She believed him. That didn’t mean she had to like it. But maybe she would go along with it, so her mother didn’t have to worry.
* * *
Aknockon her door the following morning would have woken Serephone up—if she hadn’t already been prepared to sneak out early.
She yanked open the door, scowling. Amnan stood, casual in deep-brown trousers, a long day-coat with polished, copper buttons and a brimmed hat partly hiding the feral quality to his eyes. His white shirt collar was starched and folded with flair, a flash of copper and maroon striped vest showing under the jacket as he stepped into her room.
He looked like a dandy, and this was the first time she’d seen him wear actual color.
Amnan look her up and down. “I swear if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were the sweet, well-bred daughter of a country pastor.”
