Page 72 of Aurelia

Aurelia sighed.

“Why do you make such a pained noise?”

“I do not possess anywhere near your skills when it comes to flirtation, my lord.”

He chuckled and the warm, velvety sound made her stomach clench. How she had missed his easy laughter, craving it the way a starving man fantasized about food. And now that he was back Aurelia wanted to gorge like any glutton.

“You have something far better than flirtation, my dear Miss Burton.”

She bit her tongue to keep from asking what he meant.

“You are interesting—no,” he amended, “captivating is a more accurate word. It is not only your beautiful face and desirable body”—he laughed at the way said body stiffened at his scandalous observation—“but the unique essence that makes you you. You are fierce, dignified, dedicated, clever, empathic, and a dozen other qualities I could list.”

Name them! Name them! the needy, love-starved voice inside her—which Aurelia had always ruthlessly suppressed—begged.

Why is he saying this? the voice of reason demanded, loudly enough to all but smother that other, more hopeful, voice.

He rejected you, left without a word, and stayed away for weeks. And now he has come back and is bored, so he is dallying with you, said a voice that sounded remarkably like her mother.

His arm loosened and his gloved fingers took her chin and shifted her until their eyes met.

They were so close Aurelia could see the lines that fanned out from his eye, the deep grooves that bracketed his smiling lips, and the cruel details of the ragged scars that scored his cheek, chin, and left side of his mouth.

In short, she could see every single flaw on his battered face.

And never had he looked so appealing and so irresistible.

“Your lips are pursed and you are giving me a very severe look, Miss Burton.” His gaze lowered briefly to her mouth, his own lips twitching before his eye slid back to meet hers. “I sense you are struggling to hold back a thundering scold,” he said after a moment, his face wearing the same half-amused look it so often did. “Should I not have told you that I admire you?”

“To what purpose?” she demanded, far more sharply than she’d intended.

His eye widened and he looked considerably less amused. Not angry but perplexed.

Almost… hurt.

Could he really be so obtuse? Did he truly believe that she could engage in lighthearted banter and then simply go on with her day? Was he so thoroughly jaded that nothing disturbed his equilibrium?

Did she really mean so little to him that holding her close had no effect on him at all?

Aurelia gave an exasperated huff and deliberately turned away from him and faced forward. She refused to be toyed with. Not again. Not after girding her heart for weeks on end.

Lord Crewe’s chest expanded, as if he were drawing air to speak, but after a moment he exhaled.

The rest of the brief journey took place in silence, which is exactly what she had hoped to achieve by snubbing him.

And yet, for the life of her, Aurelia could not understand why she felt the urge to cry.

Chapter 15

Aurelia had finished work for the day and was cleaning her brushes when she heard the door to the workroom open behind her.

She heaved a sigh. “What have I said about knocking, my lady?” she asked as she turned. It wasn’t Celsa at all, but Guustin Walker. “Oh! Captain Walker.”

“I am terribly sorry to barge in on you like this. I was not sure which room you were in and have just been opening doors.” He gave her an abashed look. “I can go out and knock?”

She laughed. “I will forgive you this time.”

“You are wondering what I am doing invading your domain and interrupting your work.”