his chest, and he tore his mouth from hers in surprise. Her lips shone softly in the candlelight, and her eyes were dark with passion.
He stepped back, and the cold air rushed into the gap between them. It was not far enough. He could not take her. She was not a courtesan; she was his guest. He could not take advantage of her gratitude. It would be unforgivable. She started to move closer to him, but he stopped her with splayed fingers in the air.
“I… I…” He shook his head, raking his hair back from his forehead. “Forgive me, Miss Marten.” Without looking at her or saying another word, Mike grabbed his candle and disappeared into his bedroom. The click of the latch sounded like a gunshot, and he thumped his closed fist against the table by his bed.
He was an ass. A lecherous ass.
***
She stared at the shut door, wondering what in the holy hell had just happened.
Her bare toes started to go numb in the drafty air of the corridor. When she wrapped her brain around the fact that, yes, Mike had kissed her and, no, he wasn’t going to open that door again, she picked up her candle and padded silently back to the Lemon Room.
Baron poked his head up out of the covers when the door squeaked open, but lay back down when he saw it was Jamie. She didn’t go to bed. Instead, she grabbed the slippers that rested in front of the fire and stuck them onto her feet. When she left the bedroom this time, she could hear the dog’s even breathing once more.
As she passed Mike’s bedroom, she stopped for a second. She pressed her ear against the cold wood of the door. No noise inside the room. She shook her head, inwardly berating herself for her continued stupidity.
Maybe Mike’s right , she thought as she made her way to the music room. Maybe you are a fool. Know what? No maybes about it. You’re a dumbass, Jamie Marten.
After checking to make sure she was completely alone, she let the music room door click shut behind her. She set the candle down on the side table and sank down onto the bench.
Her fingers on the piano keys played as soft as a whisper, but the confusion and pain were plain in her song. The house was large enough that no one should hear her faint notes down in the secluded room. Music was her only solace in this strange world, and even at whatever the hell time it was, she had to have some relief from the swirling emotions eating her up inside.
Ten
It wasn’t easy to avoid Mike for the next few days, but Jamie was determined. She stayed in her room until she saw him leave the house, hiding behind the curtains like a princess in a tower. Acting like a chickenshit wasn’t the best course of action, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t face him yet. Muriel smuggled books up to the Lemon Room for her, so she wouldn’t go bored out of her mind. Jamie started to get a newfound appreciation for Shakespeare. Those plays were as tawdry as any episode of CSI she’d ever sat through.
Mrs. Knightsbridge kept up the countess lessons, but Jamie thought the housekeeper knew that her heart wasn’t in it. Jamie didn’t tell her about the ill-fated kiss in the hallway, but it seemed kind of obvious that something had happened between the earl and his uninvited guest. After a few fruitless sessions of prodding Jamie for information, Mrs. K let it go.
But when it came to the dancing lessons, the diminutive housekeeper was as ferocious as an ogre. She forced Jamie down into the music room, talking her ear off all the while. Without regard to propriety or her fancy duds, Jamie flopped down on the settee beneath the window while Mrs. K chattered.
“Come now, you must do this. A proper countess must be able to perform the country dances, and it will be acceptable for you to waltz once you are wed…”
“Mrs. K, for the billionth time, there’s not going to be any wedding. Mike has zero interest in me. None. He can’t stand me, and the feeling is very much mutual.”
Jamie had never been the best liar, but
He stepped back, and the cold air rushed into the gap between them. It was not far enough. He could not take her. She was not a courtesan; she was his guest. He could not take advantage of her gratitude. It would be unforgivable. She started to move closer to him, but he stopped her with splayed fingers in the air.
“I… I…” He shook his head, raking his hair back from his forehead. “Forgive me, Miss Marten.” Without looking at her or saying another word, Mike grabbed his candle and disappeared into his bedroom. The click of the latch sounded like a gunshot, and he thumped his closed fist against the table by his bed.
He was an ass. A lecherous ass.
***
She stared at the shut door, wondering what in the holy hell had just happened.
Her bare toes started to go numb in the drafty air of the corridor. When she wrapped her brain around the fact that, yes, Mike had kissed her and, no, he wasn’t going to open that door again, she picked up her candle and padded silently back to the Lemon Room.
Baron poked his head up out of the covers when the door squeaked open, but lay back down when he saw it was Jamie. She didn’t go to bed. Instead, she grabbed the slippers that rested in front of the fire and stuck them onto her feet. When she left the bedroom this time, she could hear the dog’s even breathing once more.
As she passed Mike’s bedroom, she stopped for a second. She pressed her ear against the cold wood of the door. No noise inside the room. She shook her head, inwardly berating herself for her continued stupidity.
Maybe Mike’s right , she thought as she made her way to the music room. Maybe you are a fool. Know what? No maybes about it. You’re a dumbass, Jamie Marten.
After checking to make sure she was completely alone, she let the music room door click shut behind her. She set the candle down on the side table and sank down onto the bench.
Her fingers on the piano keys played as soft as a whisper, but the confusion and pain were plain in her song. The house was large enough that no one should hear her faint notes down in the secluded room. Music was her only solace in this strange world, and even at whatever the hell time it was, she had to have some relief from the swirling emotions eating her up inside.
Ten
It wasn’t easy to avoid Mike for the next few days, but Jamie was determined. She stayed in her room until she saw him leave the house, hiding behind the curtains like a princess in a tower. Acting like a chickenshit wasn’t the best course of action, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t face him yet. Muriel smuggled books up to the Lemon Room for her, so she wouldn’t go bored out of her mind. Jamie started to get a newfound appreciation for Shakespeare. Those plays were as tawdry as any episode of CSI she’d ever sat through.
Mrs. Knightsbridge kept up the countess lessons, but Jamie thought the housekeeper knew that her heart wasn’t in it. Jamie didn’t tell her about the ill-fated kiss in the hallway, but it seemed kind of obvious that something had happened between the earl and his uninvited guest. After a few fruitless sessions of prodding Jamie for information, Mrs. K let it go.
But when it came to the dancing lessons, the diminutive housekeeper was as ferocious as an ogre. She forced Jamie down into the music room, talking her ear off all the while. Without regard to propriety or her fancy duds, Jamie flopped down on the settee beneath the window while Mrs. K chattered.
“Come now, you must do this. A proper countess must be able to perform the country dances, and it will be acceptable for you to waltz once you are wed…”
“Mrs. K, for the billionth time, there’s not going to be any wedding. Mike has zero interest in me. None. He can’t stand me, and the feeling is very much mutual.”
Jamie had never been the best liar, but
Similar Books
Space Station Crisis: Star Challengers Book 2
Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, June Scobee Rodgers
