One woman.
A librarian.
An innocent.
He should not be feeling this way.With this intensity.And after only having seen her do what?Save a woman from embarrassment?Read a salacious book?That was not enough to warrant besotted behavior, was it?But the thought of his very own angel by day and devil by night did hold a certain appeal.
“I’m fine,” she huffed out on a whisper with her eyes squeezed shut.“Must you stand so close to me?”
Well…now…there were a few answers to that.But predominantly, the answer was yes.He did need to stand so close to her.For protection.But not only hers.His, as well.He did not want to be recognized by the widow.And he had many reasons for that.Just none that floated to the top of his mind.
“Apologies.I don’t want us to be seen, and the bush is…poking me.”
“Let it poke you, then.”She pushed him back a little and inhaled a deep breath.And yes, the bush did poke him in the back, but it did seem worth it to have had her place both of her palms on his chest like that.
“Out of the pot and into the frying pan,” Soren mumbled.Even though he knew his choices hadn’t been good earlier, this really didn’t seem like the lesser of two evils.If they had stayed in the room, the sounds—not to mention smells—would have been in close range.Enough to terrify any innocent.If they had tried to leave through the door, they would have risked being identified, although it did seem unlikely the couple would have even given them a second glance.They quite possibly might have invited them to join in if they had noticed though, which would have really put the fear of God—or the devil—into poor Pru.So hopping out of the window really was the best option.Despite the current situation.
“I should have known.The library and the garden?”He snorted.“The top two places to arrange an assignation.”
She gave him an odd look.One he hadn’t often been given if he stopped to consider the number of times a woman had looked up at him as though he were an admirable gentleman with more to offer the world than his cock.“What do you know about trysts?”
Oh.That was adorable.Instinctively, he arched an eyebrow at her, though he wasn’t sure she’d be able to see it in the dark.“A gentleman does not kiss and tell.”
She paused for a moment.“Isn’t that telling in and of itself?And does that then preclude you from being a gentleman?”
“How’s that?”
“You saying you don’t kiss and tell implies that you kissed, thus telling me.Ergo, you’re not a gentleman because you just told me what I needed to know.”
He had to mask a cough that was intended to cover a laugh.In hushed tones, he answered her as solemnly as he could muster.“Now…I haven’t heard that one before.Quite smart, my little librarian.But you’re wrong on one point.”
“Which is?”
“I have not told youallthatyou need to know.”And he wanted to wink.Heaven help him.He really wanted to, fast as lightning, tag a wink onto that statement, but it didn’t quite feel right treating her the way he flirted with most—ahem, all—women.
“I don’t need to know more.”
A long guttural moan wrenched through the air.The kind of moan that could soak a man’s breeches if it came from the right woman.
Much to his surprise, Pru looked up at him just as the last dregs of the mewl faded into the night sky.
She shouldn’t have done that.She really should not have.
That was the way a woman looked up at a man she intended, or invited, to kiss.But Pru couldn’t possibly be doing that.
Except…
Her lips parted.And her eyes drooped.
What was she about?He had a rule.Never compromise an innocent.Virgins were not on the table for him.Not the bed.The floor.The library.The garden.Nowhere.Yet, here he was.
And she was inviting him.How could he say no?
Chapter 6
Pru
“Ahchoo!”Goodlord.Ofall the things to do, she had to go and sneeze on the man in a confined space.That just made sense though.Given her track record with him, of course she could only further steep herself in embarrassment in his presence.
