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‘You know why.’ In an instant, he was up and around the desk, crowding me, pushing me back against the wall. His face was only inches away from me, his dark gaze burning into me.
‘You can’t possibly think that he…that he and I…’
‘Can’t I, Mr Linton?’
‘That’s ridiculous!’
‘Indeed?’
‘You won’t lay another finger on him, do you hear? Not another finger!’
Casually, confidently, he raised his hand and stroked one finger down my cheek. ‘I lay my finger wherever I please, Mr Linton.’
Grabbing his hand, I pulled it away - but in an instant, he had turned the tables on me, grabbing my wrists and slamming them against the wall, trapping me.
‘Ehem.’ Somewhere in the background, Karim cleared his throat. ‘I think I’d better go now, Sahib.’
We both ignored him.
‘Arrogant, chauvinistic pig!’ I growled.
‘Stubborn, unreasonable female,’ he hissed.
The door closed behind Karim with a discreet click. We ignored that, too. We were too busy glaring at each other.
‘I think someone here needs a little lesson about who exactly is in charge,’ he whispered, his breath tickling my skin.
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ I shot back, glaring pointedly straight at him. He glared right back.
‘Stay away from that man, Mr Linton,’ he ordered in a voice that put the lie to the male address.
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’
‘Stay away or I will take him away! I’m sure Captain Carter would enjoy a little journey to China. I hear the Royal Navy is having a nice time there right now.’
‘You wouldn’t dare!’
‘Look into my eyes, Mr Linton, and then tell me there’s anything I wouldn’t dare where you are concerned!’
I looked.
And I couldn’t speak.
He would dare. He absolutely would. This was Mr Rikkard Ambrose, a man who would grind someone into the dust just for pinching a few pennies. My throat suddenly felt dry. What would a man like that be capable of if he thought someone was threatening to take away something that was really important to him? Something he cared about. Something like…me?
The realisation settled cold and heavy in my stomach.
Captain Carter was a dead man.
Unless I could do something about it.
Conducting Business
Cautiously, I crooked a finger. His iron hands were still pinning my wrists to the wall. I could hardly move an inch. Still, I managed to just reach the tips of his fingers and stroke, gently, once.
He twitched under my touch.
Careful, Lilly. Careful. One wrong move, and Captain Carter will find himself chained in the hold of a frigate bound for Beijing.
