Page 45 of So Wild A Heart

Devin looked at him suspiciously. “Are you laughing at me?”

“No. Well, only a little. I don’t understand, Dev. If you don’t care for the woman—indeed, it seems to be exactly the opposite—then why do you mind if she doesn’t grace your bed? I have never known you to worry about an heir before. As long as she is discreet…”

“But she doesn’t even care! She hasn’t a spark of jealousy in her whole body,” Devin grumbled. “Now, I ask you, is that normal?”

Michael shrugged. “Some women aren’t jealous.”

“Yes, if they don’t care.”

Michael glanced away. “Do you want her to care for you?”

“Of course not.” Devin made a face. “Oh, hell! I just don’t want her turning me down.”

“A point of pride. I see.”

“It’s damned frustrating. She is the most contrary female I have ever met. And she isn’t even beautiful.”

“No,” Michael agreed.

Devin cast him a sharp look. “Do you think she’s not pretty?”

Michael pressed his lips together for a moment, then cleared his throat and said, “Yes, I think she is quite pretty. But not a beauty.”

“But there is something about her eyes. Did you notice? They’re gray and…and penetrating. Sometimes, when she looks at me, it’s as if she can see right into my soul.”

“Disconcerting.”

“Yes, but…”

“But what?”

“Intriguing, as well, don’t you think? And her hair is a nice color.”

“Yes. Sort of chestnut. Very nice.”

“Did I tell you that the first time I met her, she came to my rescue?”

Michael swallowed his drink the wrong way and began to cough. After a few minutes, his coughing fit died, and he asked weakly, “What did you say?”

“Three men attacked me. She was driving by in her carriage and saw it. So she made her driver stop and came running to help me. Whacked one fellow with an umbrella.”

“Indeed.”

“I’ve never met a woman like her.”

“No, I should think not.”

“The thing is, she…appeals to me.” Dev looked at his brother-in-law. “You’d think I would be relieved not to have to bed the woman I married only for money. But I—I can’t stop thinking about her. These two weeks up here, I kept thinking about her. I mean, it’s understandable. It’s devilishly boring here. But…well, what I mean is, why her? And it seems like the more I know I don’t have to take her, the more I want to. Does that make sense?”

“Sad to say, yes, it does.”

“I didn’t think it would last. I didn’t think she would stick to that idea.”

“Until she locked the door.”

“Right.”

“No doubt you figured you could charm her into it.”