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Authors: Nicole Jordan
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Jason mused. "It was rather foolish of you to run away from home without first providing yourself with proper funds for such a voyage."
A flush stained Lauren's cheeks, chasing away the waxen paleness of her skin. "I am willing to work my passage," she muttered defiantly.
Jason startled her by reaching for her hand. Holding it between his large calloused ones, he considered the slender appendage, his thumb swirling gently over her palm. "Soft and white," he murmured. "Unused to physical hardship. I find it hard to believe this lovely hand has ever seen a day's toil."
Angered by his presumption, Lauren freed her hand from his grasp. "There are ways women have of earning money that a man like you should be well aware of, Captain."
"Are there now?"
Lauren lost some of her composure as she met Jason's amused gaze. The glint of laughter in those teasing blue eyes unnerved her. She looked down again—although her gaze was arrested midway as she glimpsed the pistol tucked in Jason's belt. Lauren sucked in her breath. If she could distract him . . . Did she dare try?
"Of course," she forced herself to say smoothly. "Did you not come here tonight for that very purpose?" She was drawing on her recent experiences; for during the course of the past few weeks, she had witnessed more than one doxy plying her trade. Trying to remember how it was done, Lauren rose slowly, holding Jason's gaze with her own. "I could offer myself to you, for instance." Purposely she swayed toward him, then boldly pressed her hand against his chest, attempting to ignore the disturbing feel of hard muscles beneath her fingers. "Do you find me . . . attractive, Captain?"
She could tell by the sudden darkening of his eyes that he at least was interested. Encouraged, Lauren trailed her fingers slowly down his shirtfront. Jason watched her, his eyes smoldering as her hand moved still lower, till it rested at his waist. "Would you consider me worth a hundred guineas?" she asked in a husky tone that set his pulses racing.
Jason drew a deep breath at her suggestion, but he managed a chuckle. "I'm no seducer of virgins," he replied, wondering what she intended with her playacting.
"But I'm no virgin."
Her response came so swiftly, so easily, that Jason wasn't certain that it was another of her fabrications. His brows snapped together in a scowl. "You would sell yourself to me? For a hundred guineas?"
"Why, Captain Stuart," Lauren said sweetly. "Is the price too great?" Then seizing her chance, she pulled the pistol from his belt and pointed it unsteadily at his chest.
Jason gave no indication that his faculties had become instantly alert, but his muscles contracted with tension and inwardly he cursed. He had been so stirred with her beauty and the headiness of her scent that he had failed to realize her intention.
Forcing his lips into a tolerant smile as she waved his own weapon at him, he indicated the pistol with a nod of his head. "Do you even know how to use that?"
She surprised him by smiling. It was a sensuous gesture, Jason thought, watching her lips—and quite seductive. He was reminded of a cat stretching in the sun, even though she hadn't moved.
"Not at all," Lauren replied. "But it couldn't be so very difficult. You merely pull the trigger, do you not?"
Again Jason didn't know whether or not he could believe her, but he had had quite enough of being held at gunpoint. Looking beyond her, he spoke to some invisible presence, which made Lauren glance over her shoulder. In only a moment Jason had taken the pistol from her and had it safely tucked inside his belt again.
Stunned to have so quickly lost her advantage, Lauren stared at him in dismay. "That wasn't fair," she said in a voice that shook slightly and reminded him of a petulant child.
"I suppose it wasn't, from your perspective," Jason replied. But he wanted to erase the distress from her eyes and bring back that singular smile of hers. He took a step closer, and gently grasping her
A flush stained Lauren's cheeks, chasing away the waxen paleness of her skin. "I am willing to work my passage," she muttered defiantly.
Jason startled her by reaching for her hand. Holding it between his large calloused ones, he considered the slender appendage, his thumb swirling gently over her palm. "Soft and white," he murmured. "Unused to physical hardship. I find it hard to believe this lovely hand has ever seen a day's toil."
Angered by his presumption, Lauren freed her hand from his grasp. "There are ways women have of earning money that a man like you should be well aware of, Captain."
"Are there now?"
Lauren lost some of her composure as she met Jason's amused gaze. The glint of laughter in those teasing blue eyes unnerved her. She looked down again—although her gaze was arrested midway as she glimpsed the pistol tucked in Jason's belt. Lauren sucked in her breath. If she could distract him . . . Did she dare try?
"Of course," she forced herself to say smoothly. "Did you not come here tonight for that very purpose?" She was drawing on her recent experiences; for during the course of the past few weeks, she had witnessed more than one doxy plying her trade. Trying to remember how it was done, Lauren rose slowly, holding Jason's gaze with her own. "I could offer myself to you, for instance." Purposely she swayed toward him, then boldly pressed her hand against his chest, attempting to ignore the disturbing feel of hard muscles beneath her fingers. "Do you find me . . . attractive, Captain?"
She could tell by the sudden darkening of his eyes that he at least was interested. Encouraged, Lauren trailed her fingers slowly down his shirtfront. Jason watched her, his eyes smoldering as her hand moved still lower, till it rested at his waist. "Would you consider me worth a hundred guineas?" she asked in a husky tone that set his pulses racing.
Jason drew a deep breath at her suggestion, but he managed a chuckle. "I'm no seducer of virgins," he replied, wondering what she intended with her playacting.
"But I'm no virgin."
Her response came so swiftly, so easily, that Jason wasn't certain that it was another of her fabrications. His brows snapped together in a scowl. "You would sell yourself to me? For a hundred guineas?"
"Why, Captain Stuart," Lauren said sweetly. "Is the price too great?" Then seizing her chance, she pulled the pistol from his belt and pointed it unsteadily at his chest.
Jason gave no indication that his faculties had become instantly alert, but his muscles contracted with tension and inwardly he cursed. He had been so stirred with her beauty and the headiness of her scent that he had failed to realize her intention.
Forcing his lips into a tolerant smile as she waved his own weapon at him, he indicated the pistol with a nod of his head. "Do you even know how to use that?"
She surprised him by smiling. It was a sensuous gesture, Jason thought, watching her lips—and quite seductive. He was reminded of a cat stretching in the sun, even though she hadn't moved.
"Not at all," Lauren replied. "But it couldn't be so very difficult. You merely pull the trigger, do you not?"
Again Jason didn't know whether or not he could believe her, but he had had quite enough of being held at gunpoint. Looking beyond her, he spoke to some invisible presence, which made Lauren glance over her shoulder. In only a moment Jason had taken the pistol from her and had it safely tucked inside his belt again.
Stunned to have so quickly lost her advantage, Lauren stared at him in dismay. "That wasn't fair," she said in a voice that shook slightly and reminded him of a petulant child.
"I suppose it wasn't, from your perspective," Jason replied. But he wanted to erase the distress from her eyes and bring back that singular smile of hers. He took a step closer, and gently grasping her
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