shoulders against it. Polly gasped. Just that quickly she was caged by his wide chest, and held fast by wide, strong hands. She looked up to where his eyes blazed.
Should she be scared of him? Lord, she prided herself on being able to read people. But, distressed by the man’s quick rush of anger, she was afraid. Did he really possess the resolve to carry out his threats? Her da’s instruction to curve Mr. Christie toward their ways fled from her mind. She gave little thought toward bending his will—only to surviving it.
No. She did not give in.
Livingstone had crawled his hands up her skirts in an attempt to make her cower. But he hadn’t succeeded in anything other than limping away, hismanhood intact but his pride in tatters. Mr. Christie would fare no better.
“You will help me,” he said again, giving her shoulders a shake. “Because this is my command.”
“Well, well.” No matter the noisy pulse of alarm in her ears, she forced bravado into her voice. “You truly can behave like a master. And that’s not a compliment.”
“What did you say to those men?”
“That if I wasn’t out in fifteen minutes, they should assume the worst and feed your carcass to their hounds.”
“You believe me capable of . . . ? Jesus.” He shoved away from her and thrust agitated fingers through his hair. A twisted expression said he was appalled by what his behavior might imply. Good.
“Then tell me what I’m supposed to think,” she said.
“I think you’re damn infuriating.” Tight, stiff paces marked his progress across the tiny office. “How hard is it to see that cooperation suits us both?”
“You’re right, actually, but I don’t trust you.” She clearly punctuated each word. “If you find the culprit first, you’ll use his identity to your advantage—dismantle the union, dock our pay. Don’t think it hasn’t happened before.”
He glared and cracked his thumb. “Whereas you’ll hide whoever it is from the authorities.”
“Don’t think that means he’ll escape punishment. We take care of our own, and we discipline our own.”
“How positively clannish.”
She huffed and tightened the Gowan tartanaround her shoulders. “You may as well have been born on one of the planets you study. I cannot imagine why you don’t just go home.”
“Because this is my future on the line!” He strode across the room and slammed his fists against the door, on either side of her head. Polly gasped.
“It’s my business,” he continued. “ My responsibility. And if you don’t help me, I’ll make sure that the constable arrests someone you hold dear.”
“You wouldn’t know where to put the blame if you had a compass.”
“I’d wager Livingstone has an idea. Perhaps one of your brothers? Heath and Wallace, are they?”
Polly blanched. He was so incensed that she believed him without doubt. His civilized exterior was little more than a ruse. She inhaled in an attempt to find some serenity. Mr. Christie must have noticed, because his gaze arrowed down toward her bosom.
“I underestimated you,” she whispered.
He leaned in. Their contentious mouths were so close now. “The textile industry isn’t the only thing I’ve been learning. Look at me, Miss Gowan.”
Polly could only obey, caught in the spell of his chilling magnetism. His sharp features were just as stern as they had been the afternoon before, only now, heavy circles colored the delicate skin below his eyes. Manic energy blazed from those darkened hazel depths.
A gentleman would back away. A tyrant would press his advantage. Polly would lay no odds on either.
“Do you see that I didn’t sleep last night?” The huff of his question warmed her forehead with hisbreath. “Because I didn’t. My son was restless. I studied in his nursery. My topic for the night included how best to make you cooperate.”
“ Make me?”
“I think you’ve just realized that I can,” he grated. “Your turn. What do you see on my
Should she be scared of him? Lord, she prided herself on being able to read people. But, distressed by the man’s quick rush of anger, she was afraid. Did he really possess the resolve to carry out his threats? Her da’s instruction to curve Mr. Christie toward their ways fled from her mind. She gave little thought toward bending his will—only to surviving it.
No. She did not give in.
Livingstone had crawled his hands up her skirts in an attempt to make her cower. But he hadn’t succeeded in anything other than limping away, hismanhood intact but his pride in tatters. Mr. Christie would fare no better.
“You will help me,” he said again, giving her shoulders a shake. “Because this is my command.”
“Well, well.” No matter the noisy pulse of alarm in her ears, she forced bravado into her voice. “You truly can behave like a master. And that’s not a compliment.”
“What did you say to those men?”
“That if I wasn’t out in fifteen minutes, they should assume the worst and feed your carcass to their hounds.”
“You believe me capable of . . . ? Jesus.” He shoved away from her and thrust agitated fingers through his hair. A twisted expression said he was appalled by what his behavior might imply. Good.
“Then tell me what I’m supposed to think,” she said.
“I think you’re damn infuriating.” Tight, stiff paces marked his progress across the tiny office. “How hard is it to see that cooperation suits us both?”
“You’re right, actually, but I don’t trust you.” She clearly punctuated each word. “If you find the culprit first, you’ll use his identity to your advantage—dismantle the union, dock our pay. Don’t think it hasn’t happened before.”
He glared and cracked his thumb. “Whereas you’ll hide whoever it is from the authorities.”
“Don’t think that means he’ll escape punishment. We take care of our own, and we discipline our own.”
“How positively clannish.”
She huffed and tightened the Gowan tartanaround her shoulders. “You may as well have been born on one of the planets you study. I cannot imagine why you don’t just go home.”
“Because this is my future on the line!” He strode across the room and slammed his fists against the door, on either side of her head. Polly gasped.
“It’s my business,” he continued. “ My responsibility. And if you don’t help me, I’ll make sure that the constable arrests someone you hold dear.”
“You wouldn’t know where to put the blame if you had a compass.”
“I’d wager Livingstone has an idea. Perhaps one of your brothers? Heath and Wallace, are they?”
Polly blanched. He was so incensed that she believed him without doubt. His civilized exterior was little more than a ruse. She inhaled in an attempt to find some serenity. Mr. Christie must have noticed, because his gaze arrowed down toward her bosom.
“I underestimated you,” she whispered.
He leaned in. Their contentious mouths were so close now. “The textile industry isn’t the only thing I’ve been learning. Look at me, Miss Gowan.”
Polly could only obey, caught in the spell of his chilling magnetism. His sharp features were just as stern as they had been the afternoon before, only now, heavy circles colored the delicate skin below his eyes. Manic energy blazed from those darkened hazel depths.
A gentleman would back away. A tyrant would press his advantage. Polly would lay no odds on either.
“Do you see that I didn’t sleep last night?” The huff of his question warmed her forehead with hisbreath. “Because I didn’t. My son was restless. I studied in his nursery. My topic for the night included how best to make you cooperate.”
“ Make me?”
“I think you’ve just realized that I can,” he grated. “Your turn. What do you see on my
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