Page 54 of Tempting the Marquess

Oh, that didit.

Almost shaking with anger, his shoulder burning like he’d been stung by a swarm of angry bees, William stood. But instead of a team, he stared straight into the face of a roughly-dressed man now standing no more than twenty feet away. “Where is the rest of your unit? And what the bloody hell is wrong with you? I know you had certain instructions, but this has gone beyond ridiculous. You’re not actually supposed to shootme!”

The man tilted his head, and smiled in a way that iced William’s blood.

“Au contraire, monsieur marquis,” he replied, his thick French accent caressing the words. “My instructions were very clear. You must be stopped at all costs.”

Christ. HellFuck.

William swallowed hard. “What? Howdid—”

“As many men have discovered in their lives, pillow talk is never a good idea. Although it’s fair to say Mademoiselle Samantha would tempt a saint to sin. Ah, those curves. And that mouth is made to please, no? She is a fast learner who grows more skilled at her work by theday.”

Shock froze him to the spot. No. That was bloody impossible. Samantha wasn’t one of them. He knew that. She was an innocent party in all of this. “Liar.”

“Mon dieu! She has succeeded even better than we thought. Did she whisper sweet words of love in your ear? Beg you not to go after she spread her thighs for you again and again? Ha! The women, they lure men to destruction with their bodies because it always works. And Mademoiselle Samantha spreads her thighs for everyone.”

“Bastard!” William snarled, clenching his fists and advancing closer so he could tear the would-be assassin apart. Surely he couldn’t have any bullets left in his rifle…

The Frenchman laughed, threw the rifle away, and withdrew a pistol from his jacket. “Au revoir forever, monsieur marquis.”

Then he fired.