Page 32 of A Story of Love

The image was an enticing one and Fast visualized a big red handprint—his handprint, in point of fact—on what would surely be a soft, generous, pale buttock. His cock immediately began to harden. He added a few more handprints to the pleasing mental picture and next imagined her eyes no longer sharp and inquisitorial, but sensual and submissive.

“Why are you looking at me that way, my lord?”

The pleasing image wavered at the edges and then dissipated entirely. “What way?”

She squinted at him, taking a long moment before saying, “I can’t describe it.”

“I thought you could read the language of people’s bodies. Can’t you read mine right now?”

“I think you would hurt me if we weren’t in this crowded room.”

“I don’t hurt women.” He toyed with adding not unless they like it to his statement but recalled her virginal responses to his teasing when she’d crashed into the brothel and decided to spare her blushes.

For the moment.

“Who would have spread the rumor that you rescued men from the Sea Ranger, my lord? It seems like an exceedingly specific accusation to be entirely false.”

“You are tenacious.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment. You put me in mind of a badger, Miss Fontenot—a badger with Parker holding the leash. Tell me, is he your lover?”

Her smile turned brittle. “I thought you’d concluded that I was a virgin the last time we discussed the subject of”—she broke off and glanced around before hissing, “fucking.”

Fast hated the relief he felt at her words. But he loved the fiery pink blush that stained her cheeks.

“Tsk, tsk, that is no word for a little girl, Miss Fontenot. Somebody ought to wash your mouth out with soap.”

Her eyes bulged and a vein pulsed in her forehead. For a moment, Fast really thought she would forget she was in the middle of a ballroom and slap him. Or punch him, rather, as Miss Fontenot seemed far too feisty for a mere slap.

But she collected herself with admirable speed, regarded him with the icy indifference of a duchess, and said, “I should like to see you try it, my lord.”

Fast laughed. But his amusement rapidly dissipated when he recalled the subject of their current argument. “Parker is unethical. By following his direction, you are too. You need to stop this line of inquiry immediately, Miss Fontenot, before somebody gets hurt.”

“Are you threatening me with more Runners, my lord?”

Thankfully the music drew to a close because their heated exchange had already begun to attract interested glances. “Let me escort you back to your—”

“I don’t need your assistance to walk across a ballroom,” she retorted, pulling away from him before he realized what she was doing.

Fast stood on the dance floor, trying not to look like a fool who’d just been arguing heatedly with his dance partner.

He failed miserably.

Chapter 9

“This is good,” David said, looking up from Lori’s article. “But it’s also a serious assertion. If we’re going to accuse Sir Vincent of illegally profiting from his seat on a parliamentary committee, then we must have proof that he is the silent partner in the syndicate that bought the property.”

His lofty words were especially ironic given how little he cared about such proof when it came to any story about Stand Fast Severn.

Wordlessly, Lori handed him the pages of an agreement demonstrating clearly that Sir Vincent was a primary shareholder in the company in question.

David looked at the crinkled, stained parchment and then back at Lori, his eyes widening. “This is a contract for the sale of the property in question. How in the name of God did you get this, Lori?”

The expression of terror on his face was amusing and she was tempted to tease him, but men like David never seemed to have a sense of humor unless they were the ones making the jest.

“Did you break into Lord Vincent’s house?” he demanded when she didn’t answer quickly enough.