Page 27 of The Milliner and the Griffin Rider

“I don’t care,” he growled. “They already think I’m an oddity—the Griffin Duke, who captains a griffin squad despite his rank. The griffins accept you, so I couldn’t care less about high society.”

For all she loved griffins, Chloe wasn’t quite so ready to face social ostracization. But maybe everyone would forget about her brief stint as a milliner. She had been born a lady, after all, even if Harrison didn’t know it.

“I was actually born a gentleman’s daughter,” she murmured, speaking her thoughts aloud. “So maybe they’ll come around.”

Harrison’s brows rose. “That makes sense of a few of your stories. And the way you talk. But you haven’t actually answered me, you know. Do I need to kiss you again to convince you?”

He lowered his face toward hers, and she was tempted to say nothing and let him start kissing her again. But they were standing in the middle of the street! Surrounded by guards!

She laughed instead and gave him the answer he was seeking.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, if you’re so very desirous of my doing so.”

He pulled her close and murmured against her hair. “You’re the first woman I’ve ever wanted to ask, and I can’t imagine ever wanting anyone else.”

She flushed, glad the darkness and noise hid both his words and her face. But he pulled back abruptly, frowning down at her.

“But you’re never to do something like that again! How could you have risked yourself like that? What if I’d lost you?”

Chloe frowned back at him, her earlier confusion returning. “But you were the one who sent me the egg and asked me to give it to Gannon. This whole thing was your plan.”

“Me?” His hands tightened on her waist. “You think I sent you here! I would never have put you in danger like that! If we’d been a minute or two later…” He broke off shaking his head.

“But Sage said Ranger gave her the egg,” Chloe protested. “She said it was the squad who worked out that someone was behind my original plan, and it was the squad who wanted me to follow that person. So I thought…” She trailed off at the expression on his face.

“So naturally you thought the order came from me.” He sounded dangerous. “You thought I would send you to—” He turned his thunderous look on Ranger.

It was necessary, came the deep voice of Ranger in her mind.

“Necessary!” Harrison growled. “Sage and the egg are valuable to them, so they would have been safe enough, but they could have killed Chloe!”

But they did not. Because we were watching over her.

“You planned this!” Harrison growled. “You came to find me, saying that Sage was gone and we needed to go after her, because you’d sent her.”

Of course. It was necessary.

“I know we wanted to find these blackguards, but—” He broke off, clearly assailed by a sudden thought. Whirling on Fletcher, he growled. “You!”

Fletcher strode toward them, looking entirely unabashed as usual. His eyes lingered on Harrison’s arms around her waist, and a grin spread over his face.

“The griffins did not pack that egg for transport.” Harrison held Fletcher’s gaze, his own ice cold. “And when I called for you, you were ready awfully fast.”

“No, they didn’t pack the egg,” Fletcher said cheerfully. “I thought it was quite a good plan when Hunter brought it to me.”

Harrison dropped his hands from Chloe’s waist, taking a step toward his second-in-command. Chloe lunged after him, seizing his arm.

“It was a good plan,” she said fiercely. “Look how it turned out.”

Harrison stopped, glancing at the guards who had their prisoners on their feet and lined up. Yet more guards led released creatures out of the warehouse prison. The cacophony of sound they created between them was going to bring any nearby residents out onto the street at any moment.

Harrison shook his head, his expression one of disbelief. “They even had one of the royal pegasus herd in there. Those men are going to find themselves facing the full power of the law. I suppose I can’t complain about the result, at least.”

Fletcher slapped him on the back. “In more ways than one, old friend. I didn’t agree to the plan only to find these criminals, you know. I could see you needed a bit of help, and I’d pledged your fair lady that I’d do what I could.”

He grinned broadly at Chloe and winked.

“Fletcher!” she cried. “That was outrageous of you!”