“You made a poor job of not startling me.”
He grimaced. “You can give me a proper scold once we get you up off the floor. I also want to make sure you didn’t injure yourself.”
“I’m not a porcelain figurine, sir,” she tartly replied. “I’m perfectly fine.”
Her backside had taken a painful thump, though. If she’d been alone, she would have given it a bit of a rub.
You could always ask Kade to do it for you.
Ignoring that idiotic thought, Charlie planted her hands flat on the floor, preparing to push herself up. “If you’ll get out of my way—”
She bit back another yelp when Kade slipped his hands under her arms and stood in one fluid movement, bringing her straight up with him. He did it effortlessly, as if she’d been nothing more than a child’s rag doll.
“Thank you,” she said, rather breathless, “though I was perfectly capable of getting myself up.”
His smile was charmingly rueful. “Since I’m the one who put you there, I thought I could at least be a gentleman and help you up.”
And now her brain tossed up the most alarming image of both of them on the blasted floor, in each other’s arms and with very little clothing on. Her deranged mind seemed to think that would be a good thing.
You’re a ninny.
She straightened her wrapper. “Gentlemen don’t generally lie in wait for people like a common footpad.”
“I’m truly sorry for startling you,” he said, looking contrite. “But if you knew I was in here, you would not have come in.”
“Well, I am in my nightclothes, in case you failed to notice.”
His smile flashed again. “I noticed, but that’s not the real reason you would have retreated, is it? Charlie, I know what you’re up to, and it’s fine. I promise I won’t betray you.”
She silently fumed at him for a few moments and then decided there was no point. He obviously did know, which was both annoying and impressive.
“How did you catch me out?”
He steered her to the chaise. “Sit first and catch your breath. Are you sure you didn’t hurt yourself? That was quite a tumble.”
She sank down onto the soft cushions. “I’ve taken more than my share of tumbles off the back of a horse. A few inches to the floor can’t compare.”
He crossed his arms, still concerned. “But it was bound to be a shock. Would you like something to drink, perhaps a sherry?”
She pointed to the decanter on the sideboard. “We’ve only got whisky in here, but that should dull the pain.”
“Charlotte, I am truly sorry—”
“Goodness, I’m not that fragile. If I’m being honest, I need a drink to bolster my courage for the conversation we’re about to have, not for imaginary injuries.”
“I promise to be gentle,” he wryly said.
“I’ll hold you to that promise, Mr. Kendrick.”
He fetched the candle from the reading nook and lit a branch of them on the piano. A soft glow pushed back the shadows, and Charlie self-consciously tucked her bare feet under her wrapper. God only knew what Kade thought of her, creeping about the house like a deranged ghost.
Kade poured out two glasses of whisky and handed her one. “This will warm you up, especially your wee toes.”
She mentally sighed, wishing the blasted man wasn’t so observant.
The welcome heat of the whisky slid down her throat to warm her stomach and steady her nerves. It wasn’t just the impending conversation that made her jumpy, or the fact that he’d discovered her secret. Kade had discarded his coat and rolled up his sleeves, which showcased his muscular arms as well as his broad shoulders and chest. For someone who’d been such a sickly boy, he was now so brawny that she truly felt, possibly for the first time, both dainty and rather petite.
As he stood there, his tall, masculine form outlined by the soft glow of candlelight, she became intensely aware of her scandalously flimsy attire—although her robewasflannel, so hardly the stuff of seduction. She’d never actually thought about seducing a man, much less pondered the appropriate garb for undertaking such a venture. But Kade had a knack for putting all sorts of ideas into her head, and they were ones best ignored.
