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“That’s what I was afraid you’d say.” He stepped towards her, his chest brushing against hers. “A woman of your standing shouldn’t be doing that.”
“And a man of your standing shouldn’t be creeping about the streets of London dressed like a chimney sweep or a dung-gatherer,” Eleanor shot back.
His mouth twitched in a slight smile, and Reynolds gave a slight nod. “Fair play, my Lady.” He cupped her jaw, his thumb brushing across her lips. “Fair play.”
His kiss was soft and sweet, brushing his lips over hers in a simple caress. Eleanor sighed and found herself leaning into him, her hand resting against his chest. She could feel his heart beneath her fingers. Reynolds groaned, sliding his fingers into her hair. It made some of the pins dig into Eleanor’s scalp, but Eleanor ignored the pain. It faded away as Nathan Reynolds kissed her.
“God, Eleanor,” he growled as he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers, “the things you do to me. This shouldn’t be happening.”
“What shouldn’t?” Eleanor blinked up at him. “Nathan?”
Reynolds’ eyes seemed to glow under the gaslight. A rumble sounded deep in his chest, and Eleanor thought he was going to kiss her again. Dear God, she wanted him to. But then Reynolds let her go abruptly, making Eleanor sway. He stepped back, out of reach, and cleared his throat as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I’m going to walk you home, and if you do go back to the orphanage, do not send your escort home. Under no circumstances.”
“I…” It took a moment for Eleanor to gather her thoughts again. She narrowed her eyes. “You worried about me, Captain Reynolds?”
Reynolds didn’t immediately respond, his eyes drifting over her face. His gaze settled on her mouth for a moment before he cleared his throat and looked away.
“You think I shouldn’t worry about my future wife?” he growled. “Even if she is infuriating?”
Eleanor had no response to that.
* * *
Nathan walked Eleanor home, taking care not to walk too close or to touch her. The urge to touch her back or offer his arm to her was great, but Nathan knew it would look very suspicious if someone saw them walking along. They would certainly not be impressed, and while Nathan could explain himself, he didn’t want to put Eleanor in that position of being embarrassed - and it would mean explaining why he was dressed like one of the masses.
He had talked his way out of things before, but this was something different. Now it involved someone else.
Keep telling yourself that. You just know if you touch her that your resolve to keep restrained is going to disappear like it almost did when you kissed her.
Was it possible to find one’s control lowering when one was around a particular woman? Nathan hadn’t thought it was possible. Simon had said it was, and he had felt that way when he first met his wife. But Nathan thought it was utter rubbish. It couldn’t be possible that someone could lose their self-restraint because of one person.
Now he was finding out very quickly is was possible.
He shouldn’t have kissed her. Nathan should have kept his hands to himself. But Eleanor...she just made him want. He wasn’t sure what, but he wanted a lot, and all of it involved her. She had tasted so sweet as well, she was so innocent, but Nathan could sense her fire. Eleanor Heavenly was a remarkable woman, even if he didn’t know whether to shake her or kiss her. Probably both.
Nathan took her to the side door and waited until Eleanor had stepped inside, looking over her shoulder with a sweet smile in his direction. Nathan had to stop himself from going after her for a goodnight kiss, shoving his hands into his pockets as he turned away and headed back towards the orphanage. He was going to meet Simon there and then they would head to his home to wash and change. Vanity would certainly be asking questions if he came home like this.
As he walked back, Nathan couldn’t stop thinking about Eleanor. Seeing her walking along the street on her own had brought up a myriad of emotions. Nathan didn’t know whether to be scared for her, annoyed that she was alone or angry that she thought she was going to be fine.
The urge to kiss her won out. And from the way Eleanor had started to lean into him, she was a willing participant. She had kissed him back. It had taken all his self-control to step back and stop himself from doing more than kissing her right there.
How could a woman be so infuriating and so desirable at the same time? And so quickly? Nathan had only met her twice, three times now, and while they seemed to converse well on a lot of topics, Eleanor was an opinionated, open-minded person who wasn’t about to let someone walk all over her. Someone like that shouldn’t be so attractive, but she was.
Nathan had thought his mother was mad about this arrangement. Now he was curious. Where had Vanity managed to find her? From what Eleanor said, she preferred to keep away from social engagements. She was practically a recluse with her father. Vanity was a social magnet. Everyone flocked to her and she loved the drama. They were as opposite as you could get, so how did they even meet? Vanity seemed just as surprised as Nathan that Eleanor was showing herself to be surprisingly suitable for him.
Then Nathan thought back to what Eleanor had said earlier. She had told him earlier in the day about the letter she had received and had shown it to him. Nathan was surprised at the content. It was far too flowery for him, almost like it had been written with a forced hand, and it was signed by the Earl of Brixton. Eleanor had said as soon as Nathan had told her how he wanted to be addressed she knew the letter wasn’t from him. She hadn’t been fooled.
Which begged the question of who had written the letter in the first place. Nathan had no idea what was going on. Vanity had somehow plucked this woman out of thin air and presented her to him. She had to have had help, asked for a favour, or called on a favour owed perhaps. It was the only thing Nathan could think of.
Something wasn’t right at all. Nathan was going to get to the bottom of this. He didn’t think he was going to get out of this marriage, especially since he had now reluctantly agreed to it. It kept his mother off his back, and at least she had managed to choose someone he could get along with. Eleanor was suitable for him, and she certainly wasn’t boring. Frustrating, but not boring.
Nathan had wondered over the last couple of days why Eleanor hadn’t been married years ago. She was a beautiful woman, and even with her temperament and her firm beliefs she would have been considered a perfect wife. Her family’s wealth wouldn’t have been so bad ten years ago during her first season. If anything, she might have been considered quite a catch. So why was she still unmarried? A woman like her should be married with several children by now.
Was there something in Eleanor’s past that stopped her from getting married? Was there a dark secret that she feared revealing? Nathan highly doubted it but was intrigued as to why she was still unmarried. An extraordinary woman like Eleanor Heavenly without a champion.
Nathan found himself wanting to be that champion.
