Page 86 of Her Beast

“Afraid I would try to escape?” she asked, cutting him an arch look that went straight to his cock.

“Not at all,” he murmured, leaning closer than necessary as he seated her at their table. “I just wanted you all to myself.”

Her startled look and accompanying blush were oddly satisfying.

Malcolm nodded at William to commence his spiel.

“Tonight Mr. Barton has put together a special menu for your enjoyment—”

He blocked out the man’s voice, gazing at the young, lively, excited, gorgeous woman across from him.

She’s good for you, Mal.

Where the hell have you been?He demanded, thankfully only in his head.

You don’t need me so much anymore—you’ve got somebody who makes you smile and laugh.

I don’thaveher. I’m sending her back to her father.Sooner than he liked, in fact.

Don’t do this, Mal. You could stop things now—before you hurt anyone—tell her how you feel about her and help her get out of this disastrous betrothal and—

Go away, Sukey.

The last thing he needed was encouragement in an area that would lead to nothing but misery.

To Malcolm’s shock—and disappointment—Sukey obeyed him.

“Mr. Barton?”

He blinked up at the maître d’. “I’m sorry?”

“I asked if there was anything else, sir?”

Malcolm saw their wine—which he’d chosen beforehand—had already been decanted and poured. “No, that will be all.”

William bowed and left.

Julia pulled off her peacock blue gloves before reaching for her glass. “You seem distracted.”

“I am. By you.”

She blushed. “Why do you always deflect any personal questions?”

“Is that your daily question?”

Her delicate nose wrinkled. “You know it isn’t.”

“Well, go ahead.”

“Do you have any family?”

“I grew up in St. Mark’s Asylum for Boys. I left there when I was twelve and apprenticed to a coal merchant, hauling and delivering coal.” His lips flexed into a smile. “I can see by your expression that you are imagining all sorts of horrors. Don’t, the couple who operated the orphanage—Mr. and Mrs. Thomas—were kind, after their own fashion. They neither starved nor beat their charges and I have no complaints about the treatment I received there.”

“How did you get from hauling coal to all this?” She gestured to the opulent room around them.

I went to work for a monster, killed some men, maimed a good many others, and then spent the last decade and a half living for nothing but work.

“I saved my money and bought a failing dry goods shop. It turned out I was good at operating it. So, I bought another and another, until I had enough money to do something … grander.”

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