through and take charge. “Doona ye know, doona ye see that any clod can force a woman into his arms. It takes a man , a real man, to win a woman.”
Swit turned angry eyes on him. “What the devil do you mean by that? I’m as much man as the next and who says I will have to force her?”
“It is written all over yer face. Ye damn well know she can’t bear to look at ye. There is no other way ye can touch her, Jerry…only by force. She won’t have ye, and what’s more, ye know it,” his lordship returned dryly as he restrained himself and kept his fists at his side.
“Think I’m not man enough to seduce the chit? Are ye daft? She is just a green girl, all alone in the world. Any moonling could manage the young thing. What did ye think I meant to take her against her will in the coach?” He snorted. “I only want to soften her up for our next meeting.” He shrugged and added, “And if she won’t have me then… I might just force her. I can’t let a little bit of fluff get away with talking to me the way she did.”
“Not big enough to take a woman’s insult?” his lordship taunted. “I’d wager a man’s bet that given a month, ye couldn’t win her fairly to yer bed, let alone on the short remaining trip to Dover.”
“Fairly is it? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? Fairly?”
“Let’s widen yer scope, Jerry. I will allow ye all the usual measures save one, ye canna use force. Ye use any threat, physical or verbal with this woman and ye forfeit the wager then I’ll beat the bloody hell out of ye , I might even see ye dead. Are ye willing to risk all for a bit of payback?”
Jerry eyed him speculatively, “You think you can beat me to a pulp?”
“Let me ask ye, do ye think so?”
Swit laughed nervously, “And the wager?”
“High stakes, m’man, high stakes.”
“What then, one hundred guinea?” Swit’s breath came raggedly at the thought of so much money.
“Make it five,” his lordship returned the mock in his eyes.
“Easily!” snapped Swit. “But let us make this all the more interesting then. You enter the race my fine stud. She has to take one of us by the close of the month.”
His lordship frowned. He had introduced this wager to keep Jerry Swit at heel. He was absolutely certain that the American lovely would not be seduced by such a rum touch. He shouldn’t care, for that usually got a man into trouble. He rather liked Miss Radley’s spirit and the intriguing sensation of mystery that hung about the lass lured him in nearly as much as her beautiful face. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something about her was wildly different. Something in the way she spoke, in the way her mind sorted a problem; something about the way she sparkled and glittered, got to him, but damn he couldn’t be involved with a woman now. He had other matters at hand and he didn’t want to seduce the lass, that hadn’t been part of his plan. He shrugged, “Not m’sort of game, Swit.”
“Seduction has never been mine either. Mayhap, I don’t have the time. Think I’ll just have her anyway I can get her.”
“What of the money? Doona ye want it?” his lordship retorted irritably. “Doona ye wish to win it and best me?”
This time Swit shrugged, “I have other ways of earning my blunt, and besting you by doing the courting thing for a month, well that isn’t my priority at the moment.” He eyed his lordship darkly. “Unless you and I joust, so to speak for the lady, if you play the game with me, fine, for a wager like that, I’m in, otherwise, I’ll have her when and how I want.”
Jerry’s ego was as large as his moronic brain, his lordship thought. “Done,” he returned. He would at least be able to keep the man at bay and get her safely to her establishment tonight, there was no way in bloody hell he would let Swit near her. No doubt, once in Dover, attending to his secretive business, Jerry would forget all about her.
* * *
Exerilla heard their
Swit turned angry eyes on him. “What the devil do you mean by that? I’m as much man as the next and who says I will have to force her?”
“It is written all over yer face. Ye damn well know she can’t bear to look at ye. There is no other way ye can touch her, Jerry…only by force. She won’t have ye, and what’s more, ye know it,” his lordship returned dryly as he restrained himself and kept his fists at his side.
“Think I’m not man enough to seduce the chit? Are ye daft? She is just a green girl, all alone in the world. Any moonling could manage the young thing. What did ye think I meant to take her against her will in the coach?” He snorted. “I only want to soften her up for our next meeting.” He shrugged and added, “And if she won’t have me then… I might just force her. I can’t let a little bit of fluff get away with talking to me the way she did.”
“Not big enough to take a woman’s insult?” his lordship taunted. “I’d wager a man’s bet that given a month, ye couldn’t win her fairly to yer bed, let alone on the short remaining trip to Dover.”
“Fairly is it? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? Fairly?”
“Let’s widen yer scope, Jerry. I will allow ye all the usual measures save one, ye canna use force. Ye use any threat, physical or verbal with this woman and ye forfeit the wager then I’ll beat the bloody hell out of ye , I might even see ye dead. Are ye willing to risk all for a bit of payback?”
Jerry eyed him speculatively, “You think you can beat me to a pulp?”
“Let me ask ye, do ye think so?”
Swit laughed nervously, “And the wager?”
“High stakes, m’man, high stakes.”
“What then, one hundred guinea?” Swit’s breath came raggedly at the thought of so much money.
“Make it five,” his lordship returned the mock in his eyes.
“Easily!” snapped Swit. “But let us make this all the more interesting then. You enter the race my fine stud. She has to take one of us by the close of the month.”
His lordship frowned. He had introduced this wager to keep Jerry Swit at heel. He was absolutely certain that the American lovely would not be seduced by such a rum touch. He shouldn’t care, for that usually got a man into trouble. He rather liked Miss Radley’s spirit and the intriguing sensation of mystery that hung about the lass lured him in nearly as much as her beautiful face. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something about her was wildly different. Something in the way she spoke, in the way her mind sorted a problem; something about the way she sparkled and glittered, got to him, but damn he couldn’t be involved with a woman now. He had other matters at hand and he didn’t want to seduce the lass, that hadn’t been part of his plan. He shrugged, “Not m’sort of game, Swit.”
“Seduction has never been mine either. Mayhap, I don’t have the time. Think I’ll just have her anyway I can get her.”
“What of the money? Doona ye want it?” his lordship retorted irritably. “Doona ye wish to win it and best me?”
This time Swit shrugged, “I have other ways of earning my blunt, and besting you by doing the courting thing for a month, well that isn’t my priority at the moment.” He eyed his lordship darkly. “Unless you and I joust, so to speak for the lady, if you play the game with me, fine, for a wager like that, I’m in, otherwise, I’ll have her when and how I want.”
Jerry’s ego was as large as his moronic brain, his lordship thought. “Done,” he returned. He would at least be able to keep the man at bay and get her safely to her establishment tonight, there was no way in bloody hell he would let Swit near her. No doubt, once in Dover, attending to his secretive business, Jerry would forget all about her.
* * *
Exerilla heard their
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