her.
“What did you tell him?” she repeated, taking the glass from his hand and setting it on the edge of the cupboard.
“That we were getting married.”
Chapter Seven
Maggie made several attempts to speak but no words came out. When she finally managed to talk, all she uttered was, “What did you just say?”
“I told Geordie Briars that we were engaged to be married.”
“Why?”
Maggie waited for him to answer but instead he took a step closer and stared down at her with a hungry smile on his face. The anger that started to build inside her was quickly replaced by an emotion she couldn’t explain. A rush of overly warm liquid flowed through her veins, warming her from the inside out.
“It seemed the wisest course to take,” he said slowly, his gaze moving from her eyes to her lips, “considering what I was trying to accomplish. ”
“Wise?” She struggled to give the impression that she had the upper hand in their conversation, when she wasn’t sure she had control of anything, including her knees that wanted to buckle. “There was nothing wise in telling Mr. Briars that we were betrothed.”
“Wasn’t there?” He backed her into the corner of the room. “How far do you thi nk I would have gotten if I’d have kept my identity a secret and let him believe I was nothing more than one of your employees?”
Maggie wasn’t sure about the answer to that, or if there was one she couldn’t find it because he stood so close to her she couldn’t think.
“I’m sure with your experience you could have thought of something to convince him I’d sent you in my stead.”
“I can be a very convincing fellow, my sweet.” He braced one of his hands on the wall beside her head. “But I usually have more success charming women into what I want them to do than men.”
“I don’t doubt that,” she said, gloating as if she’d scored a hit with her caustic remark. “But what if Mr. Briars tells someone that you and I are…” Maggie swallowed hard. “…betrothed, and it becomes common knowledge?”
Grayson Delaney lifted one of his thick, dark brows and leaned closer so his face was mere inches from hers. “I imagine we’ll have to get married.”
“Don’t even tease about something like that.”
Maggie pushed at his chest and he stumbled backward. She took the opportunity to escape.
“Would marriage to me be so distasteful?” The corners of his mouth turned upward to form the most beguiling smile she’d ever seen. “I’ve been considered to be an above average catch by more than one marriage-minded mama.”
“Those were obviously the ones pushed past the point of desperation to find a match for their aging spinster daughters.”
“You wouldn’t consider me a good match?”
“I would consider you the worst possible of matches, if I were interested in making a match.”
“Which you’re not,” he said with a hint of doubt in his voice.
“Which I’m absolutely, unequivocally not! And I especially wouldn’t look in your direction even if I were.”
“Oh, you do have a low impression of me, don’t you?”
“You have no idea.” Maggie walked to the other side of the room and let her mother’s big oak desk separate them. “Now, please explain exactly what transpired between you and Mr. Briars.”
He propped one shoulder against the wall where she’d escaped from him and crossed his arms over his chest. “As I told you, we shared a few glasses of the inn’s very inferior ale—”
“A few dozen, you mean,” Maggie interrupted, unable to keep her thoughts to herself.
“Hardly that many, Maggie, my dear. But perhaps it was a few more than one or two.”
Maggie rolled her eyes which elicited a smile from the man across the room.
“Anyway, I explained as tactfully as I could my reason for coming to see him. Mr. Briars was clearly interested from the beginning, and when I explained that Bradford Brewery might want to buy his fine establishment, he became even
“What did you tell him?” she repeated, taking the glass from his hand and setting it on the edge of the cupboard.
“That we were getting married.”
Chapter Seven
Maggie made several attempts to speak but no words came out. When she finally managed to talk, all she uttered was, “What did you just say?”
“I told Geordie Briars that we were engaged to be married.”
“Why?”
Maggie waited for him to answer but instead he took a step closer and stared down at her with a hungry smile on his face. The anger that started to build inside her was quickly replaced by an emotion she couldn’t explain. A rush of overly warm liquid flowed through her veins, warming her from the inside out.
“It seemed the wisest course to take,” he said slowly, his gaze moving from her eyes to her lips, “considering what I was trying to accomplish. ”
“Wise?” She struggled to give the impression that she had the upper hand in their conversation, when she wasn’t sure she had control of anything, including her knees that wanted to buckle. “There was nothing wise in telling Mr. Briars that we were betrothed.”
“Wasn’t there?” He backed her into the corner of the room. “How far do you thi nk I would have gotten if I’d have kept my identity a secret and let him believe I was nothing more than one of your employees?”
Maggie wasn’t sure about the answer to that, or if there was one she couldn’t find it because he stood so close to her she couldn’t think.
“I’m sure with your experience you could have thought of something to convince him I’d sent you in my stead.”
“I can be a very convincing fellow, my sweet.” He braced one of his hands on the wall beside her head. “But I usually have more success charming women into what I want them to do than men.”
“I don’t doubt that,” she said, gloating as if she’d scored a hit with her caustic remark. “But what if Mr. Briars tells someone that you and I are…” Maggie swallowed hard. “…betrothed, and it becomes common knowledge?”
Grayson Delaney lifted one of his thick, dark brows and leaned closer so his face was mere inches from hers. “I imagine we’ll have to get married.”
“Don’t even tease about something like that.”
Maggie pushed at his chest and he stumbled backward. She took the opportunity to escape.
“Would marriage to me be so distasteful?” The corners of his mouth turned upward to form the most beguiling smile she’d ever seen. “I’ve been considered to be an above average catch by more than one marriage-minded mama.”
“Those were obviously the ones pushed past the point of desperation to find a match for their aging spinster daughters.”
“You wouldn’t consider me a good match?”
“I would consider you the worst possible of matches, if I were interested in making a match.”
“Which you’re not,” he said with a hint of doubt in his voice.
“Which I’m absolutely, unequivocally not! And I especially wouldn’t look in your direction even if I were.”
“Oh, you do have a low impression of me, don’t you?”
“You have no idea.” Maggie walked to the other side of the room and let her mother’s big oak desk separate them. “Now, please explain exactly what transpired between you and Mr. Briars.”
He propped one shoulder against the wall where she’d escaped from him and crossed his arms over his chest. “As I told you, we shared a few glasses of the inn’s very inferior ale—”
“A few dozen, you mean,” Maggie interrupted, unable to keep her thoughts to herself.
“Hardly that many, Maggie, my dear. But perhaps it was a few more than one or two.”
Maggie rolled her eyes which elicited a smile from the man across the room.
“Anyway, I explained as tactfully as I could my reason for coming to see him. Mr. Briars was clearly interested from the beginning, and when I explained that Bradford Brewery might want to buy his fine establishment, he became even
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