curious again, met his. “What?”
He paused for a moment, holding her gaze, before he answered. “Augustus. He’s got consumption.”
She fidgeted a little, then looked away again. “Oh.”
“You play faro well,” he offered, smiling a little and hoping he was the reason for her sudden discomfiture.
“I know.”
“Your father did teach you, then?”
“He taught me everything,” she said, defiant again, and lifted her chin.
“Oh, I imagine there were a few lessons he skipped,” Alex said slowly, wondering whether she actually expected him to continue behaving himself. “Little things, here and there.” He pursed his lips. “And not so little things.”
“You’ve yet to shock me, Everton,” she grumbled.
“I’ve yet to try.” Curious about how she would react, he leaned forward again and reached out one hand. She followed his fingers as he drew closer. Everything about her seemed to draw him, as it had from the moment he set eyes on the waif, and he touched her knee with his palm. Her eyes snapped up to meet his. He held her gaze, slowly sliding his hand up her leg to her thigh. Her muscles tightened beneath the coarse material of her breeches, and again he was conscious of the desire to kiss those delicate, sensuous lips. Very aware of her quickened breathing and the flush of her cheeks, he leaned closer, hoping she would snap at him so he could turn a kiss into a jest. Instead she remained silent, looking at him with uncertain, wary eyes. And that was all that stopped him. Alex slipped his hand sideways up along her hip, then quickly dug into her pocket to pull out the coins she had captured, and sat back again.
“Damn you!” she snarled belatedly, reaching out to grab his hand.
He held his fist closed while she tried to peel backhis fingers, using the moment to regain his own composure. With his other hand he reached into his own pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, which he dropped into her lap. “Here,” he said.
She snatched up the ten-pound note, then looked at him in ruffled suspicion. “What’s this for?”
“Next time you decide to go on an adventure, take a hack. Don’t go walking about London at night. Not even in Mayfair. It might be safer than Saint-Marcel, but that isn’t saying much.”
Kit started to speak, then changed her mind about whatever it was she had been about to say. “Worried about me?” she asked instead, looking up at him from under her long, dark lashes and smoothing the paper between her fingers.
“About the criminals, actually.” He grinned, counted out the change in his hand, added more coins to it, and returned it to her. Five minutes ago it hadn’t been his intention to leave her with any blunt, but returning some money to her was the only excuse he could come up with for touching her. Not that he generally needed an excuse with a woman who placed herself alone with him in a closed carriage, but these circumstances were far from typical. Their fingers brushed again, but he had to make some show of honoring his father’s ill-made debt, and reluctantly pulled his hand away. “From the manner in which you continue to bash me, I imagine you can take care of yourself.”
She returned his gaze evenly, though a soft blush still colored her cheeks. “You expected otherwise?”
“Not really,” he said quietly. The coach pulled to a stop in the drive of Cale House, and a footman came forward to pull open the door. “So do we have an understanding now, cousin?”
Slowly she nodded, then folded the note and put it in her pocket. “Yes. But—”
He held up one hand, and motioned for her to precede him. “We’ll discuss it tomorrow.”
Chapter 4
“W here is my cousin this morning?” Everton queried as he stepped into the entryway, handing Wenton his hat and gloves before motioning his companion to do the same.
“Mr. Riley is taking a bath, my lord,” the butler answered, as the earl retrieved the freshly ironed morning edition of the
He paused for a moment, holding her gaze, before he answered. “Augustus. He’s got consumption.”
She fidgeted a little, then looked away again. “Oh.”
“You play faro well,” he offered, smiling a little and hoping he was the reason for her sudden discomfiture.
“I know.”
“Your father did teach you, then?”
“He taught me everything,” she said, defiant again, and lifted her chin.
“Oh, I imagine there were a few lessons he skipped,” Alex said slowly, wondering whether she actually expected him to continue behaving himself. “Little things, here and there.” He pursed his lips. “And not so little things.”
“You’ve yet to shock me, Everton,” she grumbled.
“I’ve yet to try.” Curious about how she would react, he leaned forward again and reached out one hand. She followed his fingers as he drew closer. Everything about her seemed to draw him, as it had from the moment he set eyes on the waif, and he touched her knee with his palm. Her eyes snapped up to meet his. He held her gaze, slowly sliding his hand up her leg to her thigh. Her muscles tightened beneath the coarse material of her breeches, and again he was conscious of the desire to kiss those delicate, sensuous lips. Very aware of her quickened breathing and the flush of her cheeks, he leaned closer, hoping she would snap at him so he could turn a kiss into a jest. Instead she remained silent, looking at him with uncertain, wary eyes. And that was all that stopped him. Alex slipped his hand sideways up along her hip, then quickly dug into her pocket to pull out the coins she had captured, and sat back again.
“Damn you!” she snarled belatedly, reaching out to grab his hand.
He held his fist closed while she tried to peel backhis fingers, using the moment to regain his own composure. With his other hand he reached into his own pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, which he dropped into her lap. “Here,” he said.
She snatched up the ten-pound note, then looked at him in ruffled suspicion. “What’s this for?”
“Next time you decide to go on an adventure, take a hack. Don’t go walking about London at night. Not even in Mayfair. It might be safer than Saint-Marcel, but that isn’t saying much.”
Kit started to speak, then changed her mind about whatever it was she had been about to say. “Worried about me?” she asked instead, looking up at him from under her long, dark lashes and smoothing the paper between her fingers.
“About the criminals, actually.” He grinned, counted out the change in his hand, added more coins to it, and returned it to her. Five minutes ago it hadn’t been his intention to leave her with any blunt, but returning some money to her was the only excuse he could come up with for touching her. Not that he generally needed an excuse with a woman who placed herself alone with him in a closed carriage, but these circumstances were far from typical. Their fingers brushed again, but he had to make some show of honoring his father’s ill-made debt, and reluctantly pulled his hand away. “From the manner in which you continue to bash me, I imagine you can take care of yourself.”
She returned his gaze evenly, though a soft blush still colored her cheeks. “You expected otherwise?”
“Not really,” he said quietly. The coach pulled to a stop in the drive of Cale House, and a footman came forward to pull open the door. “So do we have an understanding now, cousin?”
Slowly she nodded, then folded the note and put it in her pocket. “Yes. But—”
He held up one hand, and motioned for her to precede him. “We’ll discuss it tomorrow.”
Chapter 4
“W here is my cousin this morning?” Everton queried as he stepped into the entryway, handing Wenton his hat and gloves before motioning his companion to do the same.
“Mr. Riley is taking a bath, my lord,” the butler answered, as the earl retrieved the freshly ironed morning edition of the
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