would think twice about ever attacking her again!
Shaking her head in awe at the evidence of his deeds, she started to put the medal back where she had found it, when all of a sudden, a steely hand clamped down on her arm. She let out a shriek and shot to her feet as Gabriel pulled her away from his things.
“What are you doing?” he barked as he spun her around to face him. His hold on her shifted to the other arm, but when Sophia saw him, she blinked: He was wearing a towel and a furious glower, and loomed over her like an angry god.
“Answer me!”
She gulped and tried to back away, but he would not let go of her, his grip on her wrist like an iron manacle.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing in here?” he repeated in obvious outrage.
“N-nothing, I-I—” His nakedness and his towering size reduced her to flustered stammering. “Mrs. Moss told me to clean your room!”
Oh, God. She was perfectly mortified.
His eyes narrowed to cobalt slits in the deepening gloom of his chamber; she was caught in that blue, piercing stare. “Empty your pockets,” he ordered.
“What?”
“You heard me! Empty your pockets—
now
!”
Sophia shrank from the angry warrior. Did he really have to be so scary about this?
Still holding her by one wrist, Gabriel flicked his fingers impatiently at her, then held out his palm. “Hurry up. Whatever you’ve taken, just hand it over and leave.”
“Taken?” she breathed.
Leave?
He shook his head at her in scorn. “You’re really something, you know that? I try to help you, and this is how you repay me?”
Good God! she thought as the full brunt of his accusation sank in. She was guilty of prying, but the Princess Royal of Kavros was hardly a thief!
Oh, it was too lowering.
On the other hand, she could understand why he would jump to such a conclusion. Her heart sank. This did not look good at all.
She wished she could tell him her true name so he would know she had no need to steal, but protocol forbade it, and besides, if she tried to claim now that she was bona fide royalty, he would think that she was insane.
“Well?” he demanded. “Have you nothing to say for yourself?”
Tongue-tied with embarrassment, she let out a queenly huff. After all, she was hardly accustomed to having to explain herself to anyone, let alone a commoner and a soldier in a towel.
“You are mistaken,” she clipped out.
“Oh, really? Then what were you doing?”
“Cleaning.”
“Right.”
“Very well. Snooping. I admit it, I was interested in you. That’s not a crime, as far as I know.”
“Well, well,” he murmured, moving closer. “And are you satisfied with what you learned?”
“No,” she replied with a haughty toss of her chin. “I have many more questions.”
“A pretty attempt at evasion,” he whispered. “But I don’t believe you.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” she exclaimed.
“Aye,” he said, “and a thief.”
“You blackguard,” she growled at him.
She lifted her chin; he narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t want to see me angry, Sophia.”
“Ha! You already are, Mr. Saint.”
“No, I’m not. But I am losing patience,” he warned, which only escalated her taunting.
“What are you going to do to me, Major? Reach for your saber and lop off my head?”
“Oh, you are an impertinent wench.” Gabriel stared at her, amazed. Damn her, he had put the reminders of his past away for a reason and did not want anyone dragging it all out into the open again.
He needed no help in triggering the memories of how dark and violent he had been in his former career. But he was different now.
At least that’s what he had to believe.
And look at her! he thought, astounded. He had never seen such audacity. How dare this little servant girl stand up to him with such cheeky defiance after he had caught her red-handed, rifling through his personal effects?
He did not believe her lies at all. She was just trying to squirm out of her obvious guilt
Shaking her head in awe at the evidence of his deeds, she started to put the medal back where she had found it, when all of a sudden, a steely hand clamped down on her arm. She let out a shriek and shot to her feet as Gabriel pulled her away from his things.
“What are you doing?” he barked as he spun her around to face him. His hold on her shifted to the other arm, but when Sophia saw him, she blinked: He was wearing a towel and a furious glower, and loomed over her like an angry god.
“Answer me!”
She gulped and tried to back away, but he would not let go of her, his grip on her wrist like an iron manacle.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing in here?” he repeated in obvious outrage.
“N-nothing, I-I—” His nakedness and his towering size reduced her to flustered stammering. “Mrs. Moss told me to clean your room!”
Oh, God. She was perfectly mortified.
His eyes narrowed to cobalt slits in the deepening gloom of his chamber; she was caught in that blue, piercing stare. “Empty your pockets,” he ordered.
“What?”
“You heard me! Empty your pockets—
now
!”
Sophia shrank from the angry warrior. Did he really have to be so scary about this?
Still holding her by one wrist, Gabriel flicked his fingers impatiently at her, then held out his palm. “Hurry up. Whatever you’ve taken, just hand it over and leave.”
“Taken?” she breathed.
Leave?
He shook his head at her in scorn. “You’re really something, you know that? I try to help you, and this is how you repay me?”
Good God! she thought as the full brunt of his accusation sank in. She was guilty of prying, but the Princess Royal of Kavros was hardly a thief!
Oh, it was too lowering.
On the other hand, she could understand why he would jump to such a conclusion. Her heart sank. This did not look good at all.
She wished she could tell him her true name so he would know she had no need to steal, but protocol forbade it, and besides, if she tried to claim now that she was bona fide royalty, he would think that she was insane.
“Well?” he demanded. “Have you nothing to say for yourself?”
Tongue-tied with embarrassment, she let out a queenly huff. After all, she was hardly accustomed to having to explain herself to anyone, let alone a commoner and a soldier in a towel.
“You are mistaken,” she clipped out.
“Oh, really? Then what were you doing?”
“Cleaning.”
“Right.”
“Very well. Snooping. I admit it, I was interested in you. That’s not a crime, as far as I know.”
“Well, well,” he murmured, moving closer. “And are you satisfied with what you learned?”
“No,” she replied with a haughty toss of her chin. “I have many more questions.”
“A pretty attempt at evasion,” he whispered. “But I don’t believe you.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” she exclaimed.
“Aye,” he said, “and a thief.”
“You blackguard,” she growled at him.
She lifted her chin; he narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t want to see me angry, Sophia.”
“Ha! You already are, Mr. Saint.”
“No, I’m not. But I am losing patience,” he warned, which only escalated her taunting.
“What are you going to do to me, Major? Reach for your saber and lop off my head?”
“Oh, you are an impertinent wench.” Gabriel stared at her, amazed. Damn her, he had put the reminders of his past away for a reason and did not want anyone dragging it all out into the open again.
He needed no help in triggering the memories of how dark and violent he had been in his former career. But he was different now.
At least that’s what he had to believe.
And look at her! he thought, astounded. He had never seen such audacity. How dare this little servant girl stand up to him with such cheeky defiance after he had caught her red-handed, rifling through his personal effects?
He did not believe her lies at all. She was just trying to squirm out of her obvious guilt
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