“Good morning to you, Miss Cooper. Are you off for a ride?” His gaze traveled from her feet to her eyes. “You’re hardly dressed for it, but that doesn’t seem to bother you as of late.”
She flushed a lovely shade of crimson.
“Please return that parchment to me.”
Wasting no time, he could see.
“Not even a good morning?” He chuckled. “You are not starting negotiations off on the right foot at all.”
“Good morning, Mr. Reeves.” She gave a sarcastic curtsy before standing and crossing her arms over her chest once more. “This is not a negotiation. You’ve had your fun, now please give it back.”
“After all of the effort that I went through to acquire it?” Seth tsked. “No, I do believe I’ll hold onto it.”
“Have you read it?” She gripped her arms tighter.
“Should I?” He hummed. “What would I find? Feminine gossip? No, you don’t seem the type. A love letter, perhaps?”
Cassandra’s eyes darted away from his to the ground and said nothing. His throat went dry. A love letter, but to whom? A vision of Cassandra pouring her heart onto parchment for another man….Maybe I should read it, he thought darkly.
It was the same argument he had been having with himself since he placed it in his pocket. What business was it of his? He could return the letter and be done with it. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to back away. Not when he had her chasing him. He would give it back. Surely he would. But, in the meantime, Cassandra was wrong about one thing. His fun hadn’t even started.
But it was about to.
“As luck would have it, I am on my way into town. I could drop the letter off at the post.” He braided his fingers behind his neck, peeringdown at her. “I would need an address, of course.”
And a name.
“I can’t believe that I need to have a conversation like this. A gentleman would return it without being asked,” Cassandra hissed in a scolding tone that she often used on Caroline. It was just as ineffective on him.
“Come now, Miss Cooper. You should know by now that I’m not bound by a gentleman’s constraints,” Seth took a discreet look around, “but I do consider myself to be a reasonable man.” Sure that they were alone, he stepped closer. Whispering in her ear, he offered, “I’m willing to make an exchange, if you have something of equal value.”
Cassandra’s hands tightened into fists at her side. Her chest rose and fell with slow, even breaths. She raised her chin high in the air. Sunlight escaped past her bonnet to reveal that her lips formed in a flat-line, eyes-aflame with that same spark from the day before, and Seth relished in it.
“What do you want?”
“Nowthatis how you start negotiations, Miss Cooper.” He leaned over her, backing her against the wall of the barn, shading her from the morning sun. “I’ve already told you. A hero’s reward.”
“I am not going to kiss you.” Cassandra made a face, sidestepped him, and put a pace of distance between them. “You reek.”
He laughed loudly and took a step away from her.
“What do you want?” she asked again through gritted teeth.
Seth considered the question.
Whatdidhe want?
His time with her was drawing to a close. It wouldn’t matter if they won or lost the competition. At the end of his obligation to Cooper, he would move out of Cooper House, and if she had it her way, she would be married. He may never see her again, and selfish as he was, all he wanted was more of her time. Even if he had to steal it away, it wouldbe worth it.
It might even be enough.
“There is more than one way to reward a hero. I’m feeling generous this morning, so how about this? I’ll give you until the end of the Earl’s hunting party to think of a trade of equal value, to my determination, or I’ll read your letter to Caroline.”
“How is thatgenerous?” Her voice was shrill, and she gaped at him.
“Seven days is plenty of time, and you have a week to think on it before then. Most would consider that generous. Unless you would prefer a shorter deadline?” He raised a brow. “You always did seem like someone who appreciated a challenge. Is five days better? Three?”
“I have nothing to give you!”
