integrity of the investigation tainted.”
Miss Kent’s gaze widened, firelight dancing in the faceted depths. Most brown eyes he’d encountered gave the impression of opacity, but not hers: they were as clear and dark as the finest tea, reflecting her rippling emotions.
“This changes everything ,” she said.
“It changes nothing where you’re concerned,” he said with emphasis. “You’re not to get involved. In fact, I want you as uninvolved in my life as possible.”
Keeping her away from him, he concluded, was the only way to preserve his sanity. Emma Kent possessed an uncanny talent for pushing him to his limits. Her willfulness was infuriating—and bloody arousing. He wanted to shake some sense into her. He wanted to yank her into his arms, taste her honeyed surrender again ...
She leapt to her feet, which obliged him to rise as well. He suppressed a grimace as his stiffening cock butted against his trousers. Praise God his shirt covered the bulge.
“But you could still be in danger!” She bit her lip, pacing in front of the divan. “This is my fault. I misled the magistrates into focusing on you instead of the true killer.”
Her concern was ... befuddling. In his extensive experience with the fair sex, he couldn’t recall a single instance where a woman had been answerable for her actions. Where a female had shown a sense of honor and fair play. As he recalled Laura’s tears and denials, her baseless accusations, his jaw tautened.
“Actions have been taken,” he said abruptly. “I’ve hired investigators.”
“You’ve spoken to Mr. McLeod and my brother?”
The last thing he wanted was to be in Will’s debt. “There are other agencies in town.”
“But none as accomplished as Kent and Associates. They’re the best.” Her head canted to one side. “Why wouldn’t you trust your own brother?”
Because I don’t deserve to.
“It is none of your concern,” he said irritably.
“Can’t we let bygones be bygones? If your life is in peril, we must work together—”
“There is no we , Miss Kent.”
“I am sincerely sorry for my mistake.” Her eyes pleaded with him. Just as he began to thaw slightly, she added, “And it is not as if you’re entirely in the right. You did kidnap and drag me to Andromeda’s after all.”
“I did that because you were too pigheaded to accept the truth,” he gritted out.
“And I gave the testimony because you were too arrogant to explain what really happened.” She had the temerity to lift her chin. “When it all boils down, I’d say we’re equally in the wrong, wouldn’t you?”
His grip on his temper slipped. “Like hell we are. You spied on me and falsely accused me of murder. Then you instigated that kiss—”
“What?” she said indignantly. “You’re the one who started it.”
“You licked your damned lip in invitation!”
“If I did so, ’twas because of nerves. Unlike you, I’m not accustomed to debauchery.”
Her prim, virtuous reply caused the pressure in his veins to shoot up. A muscle by his left eye twitched. “Nerves my arse,” he said. “If you possess any, they are clearly made of iron. The truth is you were bloody eager for my kiss.”
Uncertainty flitted through her eyes—the first of it that he’d seen from the bullheaded chit.
She recovered quickly. “Circumstances being what they were, it is understandable that we were both somewhat overwrought. What’s done is done, however. There’s no sense arguing about it,” she said in annoyingly brisk tones. “If your reluctance to accept my help stems from fear that we’ll end up in another compromising situation, I can assure you that will never happen again.”
Her naive confidence, the flippant way in which she dismissed the attraction between them fueled his need to prove how wrong she was. The termagant needed a lesson, and he needed to rid himself of her once and for all. He knew exactly how to accomplish both goals.
Kill two birds with
Miss Kent’s gaze widened, firelight dancing in the faceted depths. Most brown eyes he’d encountered gave the impression of opacity, but not hers: they were as clear and dark as the finest tea, reflecting her rippling emotions.
“This changes everything ,” she said.
“It changes nothing where you’re concerned,” he said with emphasis. “You’re not to get involved. In fact, I want you as uninvolved in my life as possible.”
Keeping her away from him, he concluded, was the only way to preserve his sanity. Emma Kent possessed an uncanny talent for pushing him to his limits. Her willfulness was infuriating—and bloody arousing. He wanted to shake some sense into her. He wanted to yank her into his arms, taste her honeyed surrender again ...
She leapt to her feet, which obliged him to rise as well. He suppressed a grimace as his stiffening cock butted against his trousers. Praise God his shirt covered the bulge.
“But you could still be in danger!” She bit her lip, pacing in front of the divan. “This is my fault. I misled the magistrates into focusing on you instead of the true killer.”
Her concern was ... befuddling. In his extensive experience with the fair sex, he couldn’t recall a single instance where a woman had been answerable for her actions. Where a female had shown a sense of honor and fair play. As he recalled Laura’s tears and denials, her baseless accusations, his jaw tautened.
“Actions have been taken,” he said abruptly. “I’ve hired investigators.”
“You’ve spoken to Mr. McLeod and my brother?”
The last thing he wanted was to be in Will’s debt. “There are other agencies in town.”
“But none as accomplished as Kent and Associates. They’re the best.” Her head canted to one side. “Why wouldn’t you trust your own brother?”
Because I don’t deserve to.
“It is none of your concern,” he said irritably.
“Can’t we let bygones be bygones? If your life is in peril, we must work together—”
“There is no we , Miss Kent.”
“I am sincerely sorry for my mistake.” Her eyes pleaded with him. Just as he began to thaw slightly, she added, “And it is not as if you’re entirely in the right. You did kidnap and drag me to Andromeda’s after all.”
“I did that because you were too pigheaded to accept the truth,” he gritted out.
“And I gave the testimony because you were too arrogant to explain what really happened.” She had the temerity to lift her chin. “When it all boils down, I’d say we’re equally in the wrong, wouldn’t you?”
His grip on his temper slipped. “Like hell we are. You spied on me and falsely accused me of murder. Then you instigated that kiss—”
“What?” she said indignantly. “You’re the one who started it.”
“You licked your damned lip in invitation!”
“If I did so, ’twas because of nerves. Unlike you, I’m not accustomed to debauchery.”
Her prim, virtuous reply caused the pressure in his veins to shoot up. A muscle by his left eye twitched. “Nerves my arse,” he said. “If you possess any, they are clearly made of iron. The truth is you were bloody eager for my kiss.”
Uncertainty flitted through her eyes—the first of it that he’d seen from the bullheaded chit.
She recovered quickly. “Circumstances being what they were, it is understandable that we were both somewhat overwrought. What’s done is done, however. There’s no sense arguing about it,” she said in annoyingly brisk tones. “If your reluctance to accept my help stems from fear that we’ll end up in another compromising situation, I can assure you that will never happen again.”
Her naive confidence, the flippant way in which she dismissed the attraction between them fueled his need to prove how wrong she was. The termagant needed a lesson, and he needed to rid himself of her once and for all. He knew exactly how to accomplish both goals.
Kill two birds with
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