thoroughness.
He was the one who set her away from him at last, though he did so with the deepest reluctance.
"I am sorry," he said. "This is probably not very thrilling for you, is it, when you had expected a free night. And I cannot even pay your fee, whether it is sixpence or a hundred pounds. Besides, I like you and would not take advantage of your good nature."
He saw what might have been bewilderment in her eyes and then something else. She dipped her head down to rest on his shoulder, and he allowed her to come down on top of his chest again. Her hair teased his cheek and his nose.
He was going to suffer for this foolishness, he thought. He had owed her better than this. He would be fortunate if their friendship-and there was a sort of friendship between them-survived this night's doings. But even before he could suffer tomorrow's regrets there was this evening's discomfort to deal with. He was hard with need for her.
He had no way of knowing how long he had been without a woman, but it felt altogether too long. Not that just any woman would do, he suspected. Deuce take it, but he had allowed himself to become too infatuated with Rachel York. He had had nothing better to do with his time and energies, he supposed.
"I was not thinking about any fee," she said. "And you were not taking advantage of me."
"It must have been the other way around, then," he said chuckling softly, trying to make light of the situation. "You were taking advantage of me."
"Because you are weak from your injuries?" She lifted her head, supported herself with her hands on his chest again, and looked down at him with troubled eyes. "Did I do that? I did not mean it. I will go away immediately."
Damnation, he thought, he had hurt her. He ought not to have made mention of her profession. Clearly she was not plying it here. She knew he had nothing with which to pay her.
He grasped her by the arms when she would have got up.
"Rachel," he said, "don't go. Please don't go. I just wanted to know that I was not offending you-but I seem to have done it anyway. Forgive me?"
She nodded and he set one hand behind her head and drew her downward to kiss her again.
"Stay with me?" he asked against her lips.
He heard her swallow.
"Yes," she said.
"Does that door lock?" he asked her.
"Yes."
"Lock it, then," he said. "Let's be sure of privacy."
"Yes," she said again, and got to her feet to cross to the door.
She stood with her back to the room for a few moments after he heard the click of the lock. He was going to make love to her, he thought, and not feel guilty about it. She had just said she had not thought of a fee, meaning that she genuinely wanted to be with him. Very well, then. If she wanted him as he wanted her, they would enjoy themselves together and part amicably as soon as he was fit enough to leave. They would leave each other with pleasant memories.
But as she turned back toward him and he saw the color warm in her cheeks, it seemed to him that she looked like the innocent she sometimes pretended to be, and he felt ever so slightly sinful for wanting her so badly.
CHAPTER VII
I T WAS ONLY AS SHE STOOD AT THE DOOR AND turned the key that she realized fully what she had just done and what she was about to do.
He had warned her that he was going to kiss her, but she had not stopped him. She had not wanted to. Now he had asked her to stay and she had said yes even though she had been in no doubt of his meaning.
He was going to bed her.
And she had said yes.
Was she mad? Was she utterly, out-of-her-mind insane? She scarcely knew him. Indeed, she did not even know his real name. Soon he would be gone from her life, gone forever despite his promise to find her one day so that he could repay some of the debt he felt he owed her.
He believed her to be a whore. He thought this was nothing more to her than a pleasant little fling on the side with no money involved.
It was not too late. Even now she could tell him no, unlock
He was the one who set her away from him at last, though he did so with the deepest reluctance.
"I am sorry," he said. "This is probably not very thrilling for you, is it, when you had expected a free night. And I cannot even pay your fee, whether it is sixpence or a hundred pounds. Besides, I like you and would not take advantage of your good nature."
He saw what might have been bewilderment in her eyes and then something else. She dipped her head down to rest on his shoulder, and he allowed her to come down on top of his chest again. Her hair teased his cheek and his nose.
He was going to suffer for this foolishness, he thought. He had owed her better than this. He would be fortunate if their friendship-and there was a sort of friendship between them-survived this night's doings. But even before he could suffer tomorrow's regrets there was this evening's discomfort to deal with. He was hard with need for her.
He had no way of knowing how long he had been without a woman, but it felt altogether too long. Not that just any woman would do, he suspected. Deuce take it, but he had allowed himself to become too infatuated with Rachel York. He had had nothing better to do with his time and energies, he supposed.
"I was not thinking about any fee," she said. "And you were not taking advantage of me."
"It must have been the other way around, then," he said chuckling softly, trying to make light of the situation. "You were taking advantage of me."
"Because you are weak from your injuries?" She lifted her head, supported herself with her hands on his chest again, and looked down at him with troubled eyes. "Did I do that? I did not mean it. I will go away immediately."
Damnation, he thought, he had hurt her. He ought not to have made mention of her profession. Clearly she was not plying it here. She knew he had nothing with which to pay her.
He grasped her by the arms when she would have got up.
"Rachel," he said, "don't go. Please don't go. I just wanted to know that I was not offending you-but I seem to have done it anyway. Forgive me?"
She nodded and he set one hand behind her head and drew her downward to kiss her again.
"Stay with me?" he asked against her lips.
He heard her swallow.
"Yes," she said.
"Does that door lock?" he asked her.
"Yes."
"Lock it, then," he said. "Let's be sure of privacy."
"Yes," she said again, and got to her feet to cross to the door.
She stood with her back to the room for a few moments after he heard the click of the lock. He was going to make love to her, he thought, and not feel guilty about it. She had just said she had not thought of a fee, meaning that she genuinely wanted to be with him. Very well, then. If she wanted him as he wanted her, they would enjoy themselves together and part amicably as soon as he was fit enough to leave. They would leave each other with pleasant memories.
But as she turned back toward him and he saw the color warm in her cheeks, it seemed to him that she looked like the innocent she sometimes pretended to be, and he felt ever so slightly sinful for wanting her so badly.
CHAPTER VII
I T WAS ONLY AS SHE STOOD AT THE DOOR AND turned the key that she realized fully what she had just done and what she was about to do.
He had warned her that he was going to kiss her, but she had not stopped him. She had not wanted to. Now he had asked her to stay and she had said yes even though she had been in no doubt of his meaning.
He was going to bed her.
And she had said yes.
Was she mad? Was she utterly, out-of-her-mind insane? She scarcely knew him. Indeed, she did not even know his real name. Soon he would be gone from her life, gone forever despite his promise to find her one day so that he could repay some of the debt he felt he owed her.
He believed her to be a whore. He thought this was nothing more to her than a pleasant little fling on the side with no money involved.
It was not too late. Even now she could tell him no, unlock
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