Charlotte’s worried face rose before her. Daisy Rose’s trust. All her family, struggling.
She opened her eyes. “I wish—”
“Don’t say no,” he ordered, and drew in a deep breath as he refused to release her gaze.
“I want to, William, but it’s not that simple.”
“Tell me. Share with me.” Something pained crossed his face. “Trust me.”
She studied him, wondering if she dared. He was her competitor, in the strictest sense, yet his wealth and holdings were so much more extensive that she didn’t see how her hotel could have any effect on his business. This new ultimatum from the Corbins had disturbed her, but that was a concern she was unwilling to share.
“Coffee, then.” He withdrew a coin from his pocket. “I’ll settle for coffee.” He grinned. “For now.”
Trust me. Share with me . Oh, how she wanted someone to confide in, to help her regain perspective.
“Coffee.” She nodded.
He tossed the coin twice but didn’t ask her to call it. Instead he shook his head. “Can’t do it.”
“Do what?”
“You’re ruining me, you know that, don’t you? I was perfectly happy as a raider, plundering ships and kidnapping maidens, until you came along.” His eyes sparkled.
She couldn’t resist a smile. “So what have I done now?”
He proffered the coin. “Here. My lucky coin.”
She frowned. “You want me to toss it?”
“I’m surrendering it as a gesture of trust.”
Slowly, she peeled it from his palm. Closed her fingers over it and felt his warmth lingering there. “I could use a lucky coin,” she said.
“I know.”
She had the sense that he did. That what she would confide might not be such a secret, after all. “Thank you.”
He snorted. “Don’t thank me yet. Look at the other side.”
She turned it over. Her gaze flew to his face, but instead of the devilment she expected, she found him sober.
“You were going to cheat.” And he’d asked her to trust him. “You think I’m a coward.”
His astonishment was too quick to be feigned, and it mollified her.
“You consider me foolish for not wanting to be alone with you.”
“On the contrary—” He waggled his eyebrows. “I think you’re very astute.”
She could be outraged or disappointed, and either was probably wise.
But a tiger doesn’t change his stripes, and a pirate doesn’t become a shop clerk. The man inside the Savile Row suit was far more complex than she’d realized. Far more fascinating.
“You could turn it on me,” he offered. “Change the wager to whether or not I have to go home alone as a payback.”
“I could,” she acknowledged. “And probably should.” But when had she had more fun or had her assumptions so challenged? Had her predictable life turned on its head?
The woman who’d once been a girl intent on being a bohemian saw the resignation on his face.
And laughed. “Instead, I believe I’ll be flattered.” Delight danced inside her. “We’ll go to your place.”
His eyes widened, and he started to speak.
She placed her fingers over his mouth. “For coffee.”
His gaze was laser-hot as he waited for her to remove her hand.
When she did, he spoke, and his voice was just this side of husky. “How about wine?”
“Coffee.”
“Well, it’s a start,” he said.
“It is indeed,” she agreed.
He handed her into the car, then rounded the hood, his gaze never leaving hers.
The ride was silent, and with every mile, she listened for regret or remorse to creep into her.
But they never did.
“R AM ? I T’S L UC .”
“How are you?”
In a hell of a mess. “Good. Yourself?”
“Fine also.”
“What’s this about the Corbins?”
“The authorities in Bangkok—I have it from good source that they are preparing charges of fraud against them.”
“No shit.” Luc seldom swore, but this news was breathtaking. Terrific. The most encouraging thing he’d heard in weeks. Months.
“They will lose all their holdings here. Face serious time in
She opened her eyes. “I wish—”
“Don’t say no,” he ordered, and drew in a deep breath as he refused to release her gaze.
“I want to, William, but it’s not that simple.”
“Tell me. Share with me.” Something pained crossed his face. “Trust me.”
She studied him, wondering if she dared. He was her competitor, in the strictest sense, yet his wealth and holdings were so much more extensive that she didn’t see how her hotel could have any effect on his business. This new ultimatum from the Corbins had disturbed her, but that was a concern she was unwilling to share.
“Coffee, then.” He withdrew a coin from his pocket. “I’ll settle for coffee.” He grinned. “For now.”
Trust me. Share with me . Oh, how she wanted someone to confide in, to help her regain perspective.
“Coffee.” She nodded.
He tossed the coin twice but didn’t ask her to call it. Instead he shook his head. “Can’t do it.”
“Do what?”
“You’re ruining me, you know that, don’t you? I was perfectly happy as a raider, plundering ships and kidnapping maidens, until you came along.” His eyes sparkled.
She couldn’t resist a smile. “So what have I done now?”
He proffered the coin. “Here. My lucky coin.”
She frowned. “You want me to toss it?”
“I’m surrendering it as a gesture of trust.”
Slowly, she peeled it from his palm. Closed her fingers over it and felt his warmth lingering there. “I could use a lucky coin,” she said.
“I know.”
She had the sense that he did. That what she would confide might not be such a secret, after all. “Thank you.”
He snorted. “Don’t thank me yet. Look at the other side.”
She turned it over. Her gaze flew to his face, but instead of the devilment she expected, she found him sober.
“You were going to cheat.” And he’d asked her to trust him. “You think I’m a coward.”
His astonishment was too quick to be feigned, and it mollified her.
“You consider me foolish for not wanting to be alone with you.”
“On the contrary—” He waggled his eyebrows. “I think you’re very astute.”
She could be outraged or disappointed, and either was probably wise.
But a tiger doesn’t change his stripes, and a pirate doesn’t become a shop clerk. The man inside the Savile Row suit was far more complex than she’d realized. Far more fascinating.
“You could turn it on me,” he offered. “Change the wager to whether or not I have to go home alone as a payback.”
“I could,” she acknowledged. “And probably should.” But when had she had more fun or had her assumptions so challenged? Had her predictable life turned on its head?
The woman who’d once been a girl intent on being a bohemian saw the resignation on his face.
And laughed. “Instead, I believe I’ll be flattered.” Delight danced inside her. “We’ll go to your place.”
His eyes widened, and he started to speak.
She placed her fingers over his mouth. “For coffee.”
His gaze was laser-hot as he waited for her to remove her hand.
When she did, he spoke, and his voice was just this side of husky. “How about wine?”
“Coffee.”
“Well, it’s a start,” he said.
“It is indeed,” she agreed.
He handed her into the car, then rounded the hood, his gaze never leaving hers.
The ride was silent, and with every mile, she listened for regret or remorse to creep into her.
But they never did.
“R AM ? I T’S L UC .”
“How are you?”
In a hell of a mess. “Good. Yourself?”
“Fine also.”
“What’s this about the Corbins?”
“The authorities in Bangkok—I have it from good source that they are preparing charges of fraud against them.”
“No shit.” Luc seldom swore, but this news was breathtaking. Terrific. The most encouraging thing he’d heard in weeks. Months.
“They will lose all their holdings here. Face serious time in
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