“I did not come to dance,” she said.
“Then why did ye come?” he challenged.
“To return your topcoat,” she said sweetly.
“Come now, Anne, let us dispense with yer weavings of deceit, shall we?”
A blush stained her cheeks. “All right. Might we talk somewhere private?”
A tide of lust hit him. “If ye promise all ye want to do is talk.”
Her eyes flew wide. “Youare a shocking rogue, Simon.”
He allowed a slow smile to curl his lips. “I like how my name sounds on yer lips… And Ididpreviously admit to being a rogue.”
“Yes,” she agreed, “I suppose you did.” Her tone was full of surprise, as if this was the first time she had thought about it.
“Come.” He motioned toward his study and when she moved by him, he placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her. He loved the way it arched perfectly and this time, he noted, she did not flinch away from his touch.
He had no more than shut the door to the study when Elizabeth came in with a foot warmer for Anne. Simon watched as Elizabeth insisted that Anne remove her slippers, and when Anne protested, Elizabeth, in her usual unrelenting manner, dropped to her knees and tugged Anne’s slippers off her feet as she protested. His sister paused for a moment when she had both slippers in her hands and glanced back at Simon. Then, leaning forward, she whispered something to Anne that Simon could not hear.
Whatever it was, heat colored Anne’s cheeks the loveliest shade of red. Simon found himself staring like a simpleton as Anne tugged her skirts down over her ankles while Elizabeth arranged Anne’s feet on the foot warmer. Even when Anne’s gaze came to him, and she raised questioning eyebrows at his gawking, he continued his unabashed observation of her. Something was tugging at his thoughts, and he realized with a start what it was: Anne’s embarrassment at the fuss being made over her, as well as her modesty, did not match the picture he’d painted in his head of her as the heartless heiress. She seemed a conundrum, and he found he had a real desire to sort through the confusion she created in him.
Once Anne was settled and the door was shut once more, he took the seat beside her on the settee rather than on either of the two empty chairs that faced her.
She smirked at him. “The exact choice a rogue would make,” she stated.
He allowed his thigh to touch hers ever so briefly before shifting away to a semi-proper distance. “I fear to disappoint ye at this juncture,” he teased.
“I assure you that you are not,” she replied in a falsely prim tone.
He chuckled and then slid his arm along the back of the settee behind her. He allowed it to rest a mere hairsbreadth from her neck. The heat of her body caressed him, stoking his yearning even hotter.
When she turned her head to him, she looked the picture of innocence, her eyes wide and her rosy lips parted. What was he doing? The question struck him hard. Was revenge truly driving him in this moment?
The answer came swiftly.No.Whatever was occurring was driven purely by a ravenous desire to kiss her and discover who she was inside. He had to get control of that desire and proceed as if Anne was a timber company he was intent on taking over. The lady claimed not to like playing by the rules, so he would not play by them, either.
“Tell mehonestlywhy ye came here today,” he said slowly, holding her unwavering gaze while counting the beats of her heart at the shadowy hollow of her collarbone. Her pulse had sped up, most assuredly. He was affecting her.
“I came here because I need your help,” she said, utterly surprising him.
“And what aid of mine might ye require?”
She sucked in her lower lip for a moment before speaking. “I wish you to offer Lord Rutledge a position with your company, so that he has the means to provide for his family and marry Lady Fanny.”
He chuckled while waving a dismissive hand. “Ye’re daft,” he said, meaning it. Though as her proposition sank in, he realized the first part of it was brilliant, and it should have occurred to him to offer Rutledge a position without her suggesting it.
She scowled at him. “Your friendruinedmy friend! He has a duty to do the right thing and marry her.” She scrambled to her feet, set her hands on her hips, and glared down at him. “I should know better than to hold any hope that a man like you would understand.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “A man like me?”
“A rogue!”
“I am an honorable rogue,” he growled, forgetting to maintain control. He stood and towered over her.
“There is no such thing as an honorable rogue. Rogues lie to get what they want, and Lord Rutledge lied to Lady Fanny. He lured her into the library, and then he stole a kiss, destroying her chances to make a good match when they were discovered.”
“Is that what Lady Fanny told ye?” Simon demanded, feeling his pulse pounding.
