Never Trust a Scoundrel by Gayle Callen

take root over the next few days.
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    When Grace returned to the town house later that evening in Beverly’s carriage, she searched the street for any lingering men before she got out, but saw no one. Perhaps Daniel was worried for no reason. The lights were ablaze in the town house, so Edward must be home.
    And she found herself…disappointed.
    She told herself she should feel relieved that Daniel couldn’t use the dark of the night to press home his seduction. She’d been beneath him on a bed just last night, she reminded herself. She didn’t really know him well; if he’d wanted to force her to do whatever he wished, he could have. She’d once trusted Baxter Wells, after all.
    She found Edward in the library, reading a book on railways, of all things. When he claimed to be thinking of investing, she did not want to discourage him. To her surprise—and relief—he didn’t even have much to say about his dinner with Daniel. Surely they could not have talked about her.
    After wishing her brother a good night and getting an absent grunt in return, she went up to bed and found that Ruby had already prepared a bath. Soon Grace was alone, steeping in a warm bath. But she couldn’t relax.
    Was Daniel in the house even though her brother was home?
    She felt exposed in her own bedroom, as if Daniel would have the nerve to invade without her permission.
    Of course he’d do that if it got him what he wanted.
    He’d find her naked, and she’d be trapped. Would he be able to see under the water? Would he lift her to him regardless of how wet she was? Her mind betrayed her as she thought of two naked bodies, entwined and writhing.
    She remembered that feeling, had thought she’d convinced herself that it had been so wrong, that only when married would she be tempted again—until Daniel, and now he was all she could think about, even in her bath. She finished quickly, dried and dressed in her nightgown, but still he didn’t come.
    She told herself that she was only disappointed to be denied another opportunity to prove that he could not seduce her.
    But she was only deluding herself.

Chapter 8
    D aniel overslept. He washed and dressed quickly with the help of his valet, then rode to the park, because it was too late to surprise Grace at her stables.
    As he watched her ride toward him and saw the look of relief that she quickly masked, he couldn’t keep the satisfied smile from his face.
    Part of his strategy was in the element of surprise, and he wanted her to think about him when he wasn’t there. But the strategy had turned around on him, for he found he’d missed seeing her last night. He wondered what she’d been feeling lying alone in bed.
    And then he’d wondered about her bedroom—and the bed itself. Although this was a challenge between them, he’d found himself more and more distracted by thoughts of her, by concern about what to do to make sure he won the challenge. For now that he’d set himself on this course, he didn’t intend to lose.
    For a man in command, he felt a bit adrift,pulled along by currents he’d set in motion but could no longer so easily control.
    Maybe he would have to look at that as part of the challenge.
    She rode up beside him, and he let himself admire her flawless seat upon a horse used to taking a man’s command. She wore a jaunty cap perched to dip toward one eye, as if she were a gentile pirate. And he wanted to ravish her.
    He noticed that once again, the few riders on the lane were watching them. Grace either didn’t notice, or didn’t mind.
    â€œGood morning, Grace,” he said in a low voice.
    She dipped her head, and the feather in her cap bounced. “Good morning, Daniel. Did you have a late night? I hope you didn’t lose too much.”
    He chuckled. “So you think gambling could keep me away from you?”
    â€œIt is a passion of yours.”
    â€œBut it