she’d entered. He hadn’t survived on the street for eight years without learning to sleep with one eye open. Of course, he hadn’t known it was Magnolia. Or a lady, for that matter. Not until he’d tossed her, as light as a feather, onto the cot and felt her soft skin beneath his fingers—heard her quiet sob. Now as she sat up and rubbed her arms where he’d clutched them, guilt assailed him for hurting her.
“I came to speak to you. Why else would I be here?” She fixed him with a pointed gaze that dropped to his bare chest then quickly looked away.
He grinned. “In the middle of the night?” She looked delicious with her flaxen hair tumbling over her shoulders, cheeks flushed pink, and eyes sparking in anger. He licked his lips, wishing she had come here for a tryst, rather than for whatever reason put that scowl on her face.
“I heard you were leaving in the morning.”
“Ah.” He pressed a hand over his heart. “And overcome with sorrow, you came to tell me how much you’re going to miss me.”
“Don’t be absurd!” Pressing down her billowing skirts, she struggled to rise, but instead plopped back hopelessly onto the cot with a growl. Hayden should help her, but he was rather enjoying watching her expression contort into cute little folds with the effort. Finally, she managed to stand. Stuffing strands of hair into their pins, she straightened her posture along with her skirts as if she hadn’t just crawled off a man’s bed. “Now, look what you’ve done to my hair.”
“I’ve done?” Hayden snorted. “You’re lucky that’s all I did.” Grabbing a shirt from the back of a chair, he tossed it over his head. “Do you always sneak up, besotted, on men in their beds? Not wise if you wish to keep your virtue, Princess.”
“My name is Mag—” Her eyes speared him. “I am not besotted, and my virtue is none of your affair.”
“And it won’t be as long as you behave like a dissolute minx.”
“Grrrrrr.” She bared her teeth like a she-wolf. “How predictable that a man like you would have no care for a woman’s virtue.”
Hayden closed his eyes, trying to make sense of the woman’s ramblings. An impossible feat, he finally decided. Sinking into a chair, he scrubbed his face with his hands. “What is it you want, Princess? I was rather enjoying my sleep.” Only then did he see her valise lying on the floor with something lacy spilling onto the dirt.
She scrambled to retrieve it, stuffing the item back inside as a pink hue crept up her neck.
“Going on a trip?” he asked.
“Yes. With you.” She lifted her pert nose in the air but then instantly lowered it, frowned, and formed a pout with those luscious lips. “Oh, please say you’ll take me with you to Rio?”
Hayden would have laughed if he hadn’t been so shocked. As it was, all he could do was stare at the candlelight flickering in her blue eyes. He searched those eyes that now looked at him with such innocence and pleading—searched for the shrew that had been there only moments before. But she hid the hellion well. When she wanted something. He raked a hand through his hair. “No.”
“What do you mean, no?” Her tone was incredulous, as if no man had ever denied her request.
“I believe the word speaks for itself, Princess. I have business in Rio, and it’s unclear whether I will return. The last thing I need is a woman, and a coddled one at that, to slow me down.”
The corners of her mouth tightened. Her fists clenched. She seemed to be having difficulty restraining that inner hellion at the moment. Finally she said, “I will not slow you down, Hayden, you have my word. And once we get to Rio, you can wash your hands of me.”
Hayden opened his mouth to respond, but she continued her tirade. “I only need an escort to Rio, where I intend to book passage on a ship back to Charleston. Then you’ll never see me again. What is so difficult about that? Upon my word, I can keep up with you in the
“I came to speak to you. Why else would I be here?” She fixed him with a pointed gaze that dropped to his bare chest then quickly looked away.
He grinned. “In the middle of the night?” She looked delicious with her flaxen hair tumbling over her shoulders, cheeks flushed pink, and eyes sparking in anger. He licked his lips, wishing she had come here for a tryst, rather than for whatever reason put that scowl on her face.
“I heard you were leaving in the morning.”
“Ah.” He pressed a hand over his heart. “And overcome with sorrow, you came to tell me how much you’re going to miss me.”
“Don’t be absurd!” Pressing down her billowing skirts, she struggled to rise, but instead plopped back hopelessly onto the cot with a growl. Hayden should help her, but he was rather enjoying watching her expression contort into cute little folds with the effort. Finally, she managed to stand. Stuffing strands of hair into their pins, she straightened her posture along with her skirts as if she hadn’t just crawled off a man’s bed. “Now, look what you’ve done to my hair.”
“I’ve done?” Hayden snorted. “You’re lucky that’s all I did.” Grabbing a shirt from the back of a chair, he tossed it over his head. “Do you always sneak up, besotted, on men in their beds? Not wise if you wish to keep your virtue, Princess.”
“My name is Mag—” Her eyes speared him. “I am not besotted, and my virtue is none of your affair.”
“And it won’t be as long as you behave like a dissolute minx.”
“Grrrrrr.” She bared her teeth like a she-wolf. “How predictable that a man like you would have no care for a woman’s virtue.”
Hayden closed his eyes, trying to make sense of the woman’s ramblings. An impossible feat, he finally decided. Sinking into a chair, he scrubbed his face with his hands. “What is it you want, Princess? I was rather enjoying my sleep.” Only then did he see her valise lying on the floor with something lacy spilling onto the dirt.
She scrambled to retrieve it, stuffing the item back inside as a pink hue crept up her neck.
“Going on a trip?” he asked.
“Yes. With you.” She lifted her pert nose in the air but then instantly lowered it, frowned, and formed a pout with those luscious lips. “Oh, please say you’ll take me with you to Rio?”
Hayden would have laughed if he hadn’t been so shocked. As it was, all he could do was stare at the candlelight flickering in her blue eyes. He searched those eyes that now looked at him with such innocence and pleading—searched for the shrew that had been there only moments before. But she hid the hellion well. When she wanted something. He raked a hand through his hair. “No.”
“What do you mean, no?” Her tone was incredulous, as if no man had ever denied her request.
“I believe the word speaks for itself, Princess. I have business in Rio, and it’s unclear whether I will return. The last thing I need is a woman, and a coddled one at that, to slow me down.”
The corners of her mouth tightened. Her fists clenched. She seemed to be having difficulty restraining that inner hellion at the moment. Finally she said, “I will not slow you down, Hayden, you have my word. And once we get to Rio, you can wash your hands of me.”
Hayden opened his mouth to respond, but she continued her tirade. “I only need an escort to Rio, where I intend to book passage on a ship back to Charleston. Then you’ll never see me again. What is so difficult about that? Upon my word, I can keep up with you in the
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