Anger flashed in his gaze, but she held her ground. He did not know the devastating truth.
“We can work through your reservations.”
The words cut Belle deeply, but she dared not give him false hope. If she allowed even an inch of weakness or doubt to the surface, he would break down her defenses with ease. She would not risk it, being content to just live in a world where he existed.
He said nothing, only stared her through tired eyes. She hated seeing him so desolate. “Perhaps, once this is over, I will tell you of all my reasons and you will understand the merit they carry,” Belle offered.
He stilled at her words and Belle watched as his mind calculated all the possibilities and their meaning.
“I will take you home,” he said and paused. When he continued his voice was so slow, so ominous, that Belle’s heart started to race. “But this time I will not be sleeping in your brother’s chambers. I’m not prepared to let you out of my sight for even a moment until that bastard is apprehended.”
Her breath hitched at the thought. He meant to stay in the same room as her this time. The concept of how close of a proximity that meant overwhelmed her. She would hear every movement of his body, every inhalation of breath.
Torture.
But she’d take it.
“Very well, as I have no desire to be left alone after what happened. But it does not mean that you are allowed to take any liberties with me, sir.”
His eyes widened in mock disbelief. “I would never take advantage of a lady who has just survived a traumatic experience.”
Belle only snorted in response. Her heavy eyelids began to drift shut again, having decided that was enough energy spent for now. She murmured a retort as she fell into sleep, “I do believe you speak untruths, but I’m confident in my ability to hold your advances at bay.”
Simon watched Belle’s eyes turn heavy in her battle to stay awake. Moments later, she lost, and her breathing steadied. He inhaled a shaky breath, which surprised him. He’d not even realized he’d been holding his in.
Her placating admission that they’d talk once the danger was over had set his already heavy heart over the edge and into the abyss. He suspected she would break all alliance then.
Dammit!
He’d have to come up with a plan to tie her to him irrecoverablybeforethe threat was gone—something that would convince her to change her mind on marriage. For now, he was glad he had an excuse to remain plastered at her side. But how long would “now” last?
He simply refused to lose her.
St. Aldwyn poked his head through the door, drawing Simon from his troubled reflections. “Oh, you’re both decent.”
The man’s voice had held the unmistakable tinge of disappointment.
Simon’s lips curled into a small smile. “She’s damn stubborn and suffered enough,” Simon replied quietly.
He waved Simon’s comment away. “I take it her mood has not improved where you are concerned?”
“Her mood has nothing to do with me, it’s her stubbornness that refuses to improve.”
Simon shook his head. “I can feel that I’ve reached the end of my rope—the end of my good behavior. I’m afraid I’ll do something…ungentlemanly if she doesn’t change her mind soon. Like, set my mind to seducing her.”
“You will not let her go then?”
“I would not know how.”
“Then you best start courting her in earnest or devise a plan to compromise her completely.”
Simon sighed. “I believe she’d embrace ruination rather than marry me.”
St. Aldwyn visibly cringed. “What the bloody hell did you do to her?”
“I did notdoanything. However, my shock at discovering her still chaste may have implied that I believed her to be unvirtuous in the first place.”
A low whistle filled the room. “What idiocy would have you believe such a thing?”
