“Betty? Why? For propriety?”
“Yes. I daresay she’ll be grateful for an early night too.”
“Thank you, you’re very thoughtful.” Her eyes were shining.
She was making him out to be some kind of hero, dammit, and he wasn’t. He’d arranged the girl to sleep in her room for his own protection as much as hers. So that nobody could be compromised.
“I’m sorry to be putting you to such trouble.”
“Not at all,” he said gruffly. “None of it was your fault.Don’t worry, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you aren’t harmed by this.” He glanced at the darkening bruise, and without thinking he cupped her cheek gently.
She gazed up at him, her eyes wide, her skin warm silk beneath his fingers. Her breath was soft on his wrist. He swallowed, unable to look away. The scent of her enticed him unbearably, the scent of her body overlaid with his own fragrance. It was a delicious taunt, a challenge, a possession that would never take place.
That bruise against her pale skin was an obscenity. He heard himself say, “No one shall ever hurt you again.” It sounded like a vow.
Her eyes shimmered with emotion, her lips parted and, in an impulse he refused to examine, he drew her closer and kissed her.
Her mouth opened beneath his: eager, ardent, generous. The sweet-spicy taste of her spilled through him, addictive, feeding a hunger he didn’t know he had. She gripped his shoulders, pulling him closer as she pressed herself against him.
A voracious hunger burned in him, and he took what she offered.
A knock sounded behind him. “Are you in there, miss? It’s me, Betty, and me mum.” With an effort Ned mustered the remaining shreds of his self-control. He dragged his mouth from hers, steadied her, then turned and opened the door.
Betty and her mother entered, bearing bedding and nightclothes. They bustled about, making up the trundle bed.
Ned stood back, watching the women snapping and smoothing sheets, the view from the window—unrelieved darkness, there was nothing to see—anything but Lily.
She’d seated herself in the chair by the hearth and remained there, gazing into the fire as if fascinated. He couldn’t see her face, couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
He forced himself to breathe slow, deep breaths as he fought to regain a semblance of cool indifference. He told himself repeatedly that he was glad they’d been interrupted.
His body knew it for a lie.
What had possessed him, kissing her again? He’d spent the last part of the walk distancing himself from that first imprudent and inappropriate kiss, making it clear to both of them that it meant nothing.
And then to kiss her again. Madness. But her words had eaten at him.It was my first-ever kiss. Did I do it wrong?
He couldn’t leave her thinking that, could he? An ungentlemanly thing to do.
He snorted. So gentlemanly to kiss her half senseless. He glanced across at her. She hadn’t moved, hadn’t lifted her gaze from the dancing flames and glowing coals.
The truth was she kissed like an angel. A very earthy, sensual angel, ardent but untutored. A combination of eagerness and innocence that simply... unraveled him.
Blame the first time on the moon, the night, even the blasted owl—a moment out of time—but to do it a second time? What had he been thinking?
The truth was there’d been no thinking at all. Only reacting. What was he—a green boy to be unable to resist the innocent offerings of an unwitting siren? For siren she was, to him, at least.
But Lily Rutherford was not for him. He was standing in for her brother, that was all.
The women finished their arrangements. Mrs. Baines left first, adjuring Betty not to keep the young lady awake half the night with her chatter.
“I’m so glad you wanted me in here with you, miss,” Betty confided when her mother had gone. “Pa went and rented out my bed to a gentleman downstairs—I think he must be a lord or summat, I never seen a man dressed so fine and fancy in me life. I thought I was going to haveta put Jimmy out of his bed and him sleep on a mat on the floor until Ma told me your brother wanted me to sleep in here with you, for your reputation.” She threw Ned a sunny smile. “Pa’s in the doghouse but Ma’s right pleased with you, sir.”
The news didn’t please Ned at all. He’d decided to sleep on a bench in the taproom like Elphingstone, and keep aneye on the fellow. Lord knew where he would be lurking now. Ned didn’t trust him an inch.
He glanced at Lily, but there was nothing to be said now, not with Betty there—and that was a good thing, he told himself. He took his leave, saying, “I’ll bid you good night, then. Sleep well, ladies”—Betty giggled at the idea of being a lady—“and lock this door.”
He waited outside until he heard the lock click. As he turned, he glimpsed a long nose and a well-pomaded curl of reddish-brown hair slide into the shadows along the hallway. Elphingstone, sniffing around.
