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“My—“
“Colonel Fordom. Are you making my daughter uncomfortable?” My mother’s cut through anything I was about to say. Paxton’s growl was so low only Jack and I heard it. I wondered what Mama had done wrong. It was not unusual for an alpha parent or guardian to cut in when an omega was being cornered as I was.
“I am fine Mama. The Colonel and Lord Paxton are hardly a threat to my serenity.”
“Liar,” Mrs Markham hissed as she handed the alphas their tea. “Now. Lord Paxton. I was told you were an expert on art. Could you explain the silly little sketch Orley claims is a Da Vinci.”
“What is your meaning in coming here?” I asked Jack.
“I came to ensure Pax behaved. He likes to win.”
“He could hardly do worse than you, Colonel Fordom. You lost when you walked away from me.” I bit my tongue for there was much I wished to say but not in front of so many, for the whole company watched, listened—or so it seemed.
“I’d never claim otherwise, Trix. But I hold all the cards now. We are playing by new rules, my rules. You can’t bluff or bluster your way out. I’ll win. From now on I’ll win every time.”
“This isn’t a game.” But my voice was breathy, my breasts heavy inside my corset.
“No, mate. This is a chase. You’ll be run to ground and find yourself exactly where your should be. I would that I could board you.”
“You mix your metaphors.” I looked around. Perhaps I should cause a scene. No, not on the first night. “Against my better judgement, I wish to speak with you where we can’t be overheard. Come into the hall,” I hissed while my heart thundered in my chest.
He followed so close I could feel his heat. My chest felt tight, constricted by fiery emotions that all burnt so bright and hot I couldn’t distinguish between them, couldn’t grasp one and focus on it.
I heard him close the door, leaving us alone except for the faint evening light creeping in from the doors leading onto the terrace in hopes of tempting in a breeze.
“Outside, if you don’t want the whole company listening at keyholes.” He gave me a push towards the dark night, and like the fool for this alpha that I was, I went. He crowded me against the broad bannister until I could feel the stone pressing into my bottom. In front was the hard immovable object of my mate.
“Well, Trix.” He asked when we were very much alone. “What did you want to say, since before you said there was nothing to talk about.”
But he’d thrown me off course. My mind was a blank slate as if our history had momentarily evaporated. “Stop crowding me.” I demanded, hoping that with breathing room I could better gather my thoughts.
He took six deliberate steps back, counting each one out.
“Ten!” I snipped.
“Seven, eight, nine, ten.” You could not smell flirtation, but if you could it would smell like Jack in this moment. Why? Why would he flirt if he had decided to stay away? All those years ago deciding to leave, to make his fortune, to live the life I’d taken from him. Oh, the mortification I felt! I should want to rip him to shreds to destroy the mate who had rejected me but instead I responded like a debutant, flushing prettily and casting my eyes down.
“You are impossible.” But I couldn’t ignore how amused I sounded. How… How much it meant that he, an alpha, had given me space.
“We are mates.” I stopped and held my breath fearing what his scent might do to me. “We are mates and other than us… Lord Paxton doesn’t know. I’m sure he would have said something. I don’t know how you can stand him. So officious.”
“You really wish to talk about Pax? A little overbearing perhaps but he is a good alpha and better man.”
“No. I desire to say that we… We made our choices ten years ago. I doubt either of us has changed in any fundamental way or that we… That we regret our choices. So shall we call a truce and move on like it was before.”
“You want what we had before?” He asked, his tone carefully level and devoid of emotion. In the dark I could not see his face, parse out his expression.
“Yes. Of course!”
“Good.”
He moved faster than lightning and hauled me into his chest, one hand banding around the back of my neck.
“What are you doing?” I tried to bat away the giant alpha.
“Going back to what we were before.” His other hand made swift work of loosening my cravat and pulling my shirt down to expose his bite. “Say it…”
“Say what? I do not understand you!”
