Duncan said something about how that must make it easier to play the role of his sister then, but she wasn’t paying attention. He was very good at controlling his expressions, but she had seen that flash of hurt. It was completely gone, and she might have convinced herself she imagined it. Except she was putting two and two together now.
And she called herself an agent. Not only that, but Mr. Glass consistently gave her top marks in surveillance. She didn’t deserve those at all. How had she never seen that Duncan had feelings for her—and not brotherly feelings. Yes, she had known he wanted her to like him, but he was the sort of good-natured person who wanted everyone to like him. Part of her pretended not to like him simply because hewantedher to like him.
And the other part of her was jealous ofhim. He was good at so many skills she wanted to be good at. She’d wanted to best him; she’d wanted him to notice her; she’d wanted him to respect her. But she didn’t want him to care about her.
Lord, but she could be a perverse, petty person. And that was even more reason why Duncan should not like her. She was an excellent agent, but she would never be a good romantic partner. At seven and twenty, she’d given up on the idea of marriage and family. She wanted danger and excitement, not domesticity.
And there was another issue as well. Men who longed for domestic bliss had never interested her. Best to address this with Duncan now before his infatuation went any further.
“Obviously, you see me as more than a sister.”
He opened his mouth, and she could see him about to deny it. But Duncan was not the sort to lie unless it was part of a mission. “My feelings toward you have no bearing on this assignment. We must protect Johnny and the rest of the family, and that is all that matters. In fact, we should probably go back now before we are missed.”
He moved to rise, but she put a hand on his sleeve. He stilled. His gaze met hers. For just a moment, Lucy felt a flutter in her belly. Obviously, she was hungry.
“Clearly, you are as much a professional as I am. I suggest we keep things that way.”
He shook his head and made a sound of annoyance. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
His gaze locked with hers. “Is it, Lucy? All this time I have second-guessed myself and what I felt between us, but there’s something there. I felt it just now, and I know you did too. Deny it if you will.”
“I will deny it. There was competition between us, comradery, at times friendship. But that is all. You’re too much of a—” She waved her hand. “We should go inside.” She rose and started to move away.
“No.” He moved quickly and caught her arm lightly. For some reason, his touch seared through the fabric of her gown, making her skin tingle. She could have easily snatched her arm back, but she couldn’t make herself do it.
“Finish what you were about to say.” He looked down at her, his brown eyes so clear and sharp with cunning. But those eyes could be soft too. She much preferred them soft and unfocused. But she couldn’t allow herself to think that way. “What am I?” he asked quietly.
“You are a good man.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“You follow rules, you are punctual, you are chivalrous.” She shook her head in an attempt to organize her thoughts. “You’re generous, thoughtful, and a gracious loser.”
“I can’t say that I have lost to you or any of the agents very often, but you say that as though it’s a bad quality.”
“You’ve lost to me plenty of times, and it is a negative quality as far as attractiveness. All of them are. I don’t like men like you.”
“Men like me. Generous, thoughtful men?”
“Right. It’s my own failing, I’m sure, but I like...” She looked down. She’d never put this into words, exactly. She felt silly doing so now. But he wouldn’t let her drop the subject. Even if she did manage to end the discussion now, he’d bring it up again. It would linger between them, and she couldn’t have that if they were to be a team.
“Go on. What sort of mendoyou like?”
“Scoundrels. Cads. Rakes.”
His hand dropped away from her arm, and she felt the loss of his touch immediately.
“You like a bad boy.”
“I do. It’s a personal flaw, I’m sure, but those are the sorts of men I’m attracted to.”
He nodded. “Thank you for telling me.” He offered his arm. “I have to get back or I’ll be late for dinner service.”
“Duncan, we should—”
“Lucy, I really can’t. As you pointed out, I follow rules. I don’t want to be late for dinner.”
