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still screamed that he knew the man with the eye patch, but watching him more closely hadn’t triggered any specific memories. He would have make inquiries with his contacts tomorrow. Now he needed to see Amanda safely home.
    “It’s time for us to leave.” He propelled Amanda in the direction of her aunt’s chair.
    “We’ll tell your aunt you have a headache and I’ve agreed to escort you home.” Amanda scowled. “I have no intention of leaving. If my attacker makes an attempt here, it would be the perfect opportunity to catch him.” Rhys felt his face growing red. A few more days in Amanda’s company might just cause him to explode with a combination of lust and frustration. “No.” He barely resisted the urge to yell. “We need to find your aunt.”
    “She’s not likely to let me leave with you.” Rhys laughed. “Of course she will. She secretly adores me.”

Chapter Five
    As Rhys helped her into his carriage, Amanda’s heart thumped in fear. She’d botched the entire conversation about his offer. She’d intended to appear aloof and sensual, the type of woman a man would want for a lover. Instead, she’d felt nervous, petulant and worst of all, desperate.
    She silently cursed the situation that had put her at the mercy of such a rake. At least he’d agreed to help her. Now she could have the assistance she needed and learn more about the hidden pleasures of the bedroom while she was at it. Whether her heart would survive remained to be seen.
    Rhys settled himself across from her and gave her a serious look. “Now that I have you alone, you’re going to listen to my rules for how this investigation is going to work.” Amanda resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She didn’t trust herself to speak without screeching, so she simply nodded.
    “If I am going to protect you, then—”
    She interrupted him. “I did not ask you to protect me. I asked you to assist me.”
    “It amounts to the same thing.”
    “No, it does not.”
    “I can find the man who is after you. But in order to do that, I need to know that you are safe.”
    “As you said earlier, I can hold my own with many men. I can shoot, use a knife and get myself into and out of tight places. I refuse to be left at home like some princess in a tower.”
    Rhys closed his eyes and groaned.
    “If I am so much trouble, then forget it. I will find someone else to help me.”
    “I assure you, any other man you find will either insist on the same rules as me or he will be so overrun by your forceful personality that he will be of little use to you.”

    “Are you calling me a shrew?”
    Rhys ignored her. “You can tell me everything you know about this man and help me strategize the best way to track him down. When it comes time to do the actual tracking, you are going to stay home where you can be protected.”
    “No.”
    “Amanda, this is not negotiable.”
    Amanda lifted the curtain and looked out the carriage window. As she’d suspected, they’d passed the street her aunt lived on. “Where are we going?”
    “To my home.”
    “I thought I could trust you to take me home.” He sighed. “We’re only stopping briefly so we have a private place to talk. I didn’t think you would appreciate the gossip it would generate if I entered your aunt’s house with you.”
    She snorted.
    He moved to sit beside her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn and look at him.
    “Amanda, I know you think I’m a scoundrel, but I have no intention of damaging your reputation. I intend to keep you safe without ruining your chances of making a decent match or bringing shame to you or your family.” She tried to ignore the flash of pain she saw on his face. “I’ve only stayed in London to help my aunt. I have no intention of marrying. After my sister is safely settled, I intend to go back to the country where I can forget about all the horrid people I’ve met here.
    Refusing your advances has nothing to do with my reputation and everything to