Without waking her, Nate slipped from the bed. As she snuggled into the pillow he’d vacated, a sharp stab of longing slammed in to his chest. At one time, a life with someone like Anna was all he’d wanted. Before life had taught him he had little to offer as the by-blow of the sixth Duke of Wesbrook.
He didn’t want just any woman. He wanted Anna. She might be a lofty society miss but he’d also witnessed how she cared for her students, her dedication to the school, and her patience with her father. Combined with how her delectable body stirred his loins, he knew he’d found something incredible.
Dressed, he stood by the bed, regret pulsing through him. Not for the night of loving her body. For the future he could never give her.
More determined than ever to finish the case so he could return to the life he wasn’t sure he wanted anymore, Nate extinguished the candle and slipped from her room.
Chapter 22
It was mid-afternoon before Anna realized their roles had reversed. Nate had become the elusive one. Every day, without fail, she hadn’t been able to step sideways without colliding with him. Today, the day after their lovemaking, Nate had finally done what she’d wanted.
He’d made himself scarce.
Only she wasn’t sure she desired his absence any longer.
Anna tossed the school ledger she’d been unsuccessfully attempting to study back into her secretary.
“Foolish men and foolish wandering feelings,” she muttered to herself.
Her mind had been absorbed by thoughts of Nate, and the wonderfully wicked things he’d done to her. To the point she couldn’t focus on Mr. Rollins and his unreasonable demand.
It had to stop. Especially since Nate and their night together was something she didn’t know how to qualify. And when she tried not to picture him in all his naked glory, sprawled in her bed, she knew it was time to vacate her bedchamber.
Needing to find something to quiet Mr. Rollins, Anna had elected to forego traveling to the school. It was too late to change her decision when, without the distraction of the students, her mind had betrayed her and kept Nate firmly in her thoughts.
Without contemplating her destination, Anna descended the stairs and headed straight to her father’s collection. Personal conflict aside, if she was going to save the school—and herself—she needed to do what had to be done.
If she had any sense left, she would consider Nate’s absence a blessing. Without him hovering, she might have a chance of actually meeting Mr. Rollins’ order.
At the sight of her father sitting behind his desk, carefully cleaning a statue, pain grabbed hold of her heart. How could she continue to do this to him? If only she could go back to the beginning and find a different way to fund the changes at the school.
But regret wouldn’t change the situation. She was already beholden to Mr. Rollins and if she stopped now, he would not only expose her deceit, he would take her school.
Forcing a smile on her face, Anna crossed the room to stand before the desk. “Hello, Papa.”
Easy affection shone from his eyes when he lifted his head. I’m a wretched human being.
“Annabel, dear. I’m glad you are here. I need your opinion.” He turned the statue around so she could view the front. “Do you think this would be fitting for the dining room? Such a striking piece should be on display.”
She couldn’t contain her genuine smile. At least he hadn’t asked for her professional opinion on the rather ugly statue of a long dead Egyptian ruler.
“I’m sure the dining room will be perfect.”
He stood so fast his chair wobbled on two legs before righting itself. “I knew you would agree.”
Statue in hand, he didn’t pause on his way out the door. Instead of being insulted by his wordless departure, his simple easygoing nature warmed her the same time she cursed herself for being the eventual reason he would come to hate her.
A nervous lump lodged in her throat as Anna forced herself to accept the opportunity presented. With no time to study each item, she quickly found a trinket she could hide in the folds of her skirt, hoping it would be enough to pay off Mr. Rollins’ obvious extortion.
Despair at what she’d lowered herself to burned her eyes. Through unshed tears, she ran blindly from the room. She didn’t make it two steps past the door before she plowed into a wall of muscle. Muscles each of her fingers had traced hours before.
“Steady, princess.”
Nate caught her upper arms and righted her. Instead of removing his hands, his fingers tightened when he noticed the misery written on her face.
“Anna? What is it? What happened?”
His concern—not to mention the weight of the stolen relic still in her hand—almost undid her. All she wanted was to throw herself in his arms and have him make it all go away.
Except that would never happen. She couldn’t forget Nate was a Runner. The very person who couldn’t help her out of the predicament she’d created.
Blinking the tears away and plastering what she hoped resembled a smile on her face, she freed herself from his hold and answered, “Oh, it is nothing. I simply stubbed my toe on the bottom of a chair. I really need to watch where I’m going.”
His eyes narrowed, his disbelief evident. “Where were you headed in such a hurry, and injured as well, I might add?”
She tucked her hand, holding the hidden object, further into her skirt. If pressed, she could probably think of a plausible excuse as to why she had it, but if he became aware of the item, she’d have to return it. She didn’t have the time to pilfer something else.
“If you must know, unwilling to be found crying over my bruised toe, I was in a hurry to return to my room so I could wallow in private.”
His scrutiny eased, though she doubted he trusted her story. Without outright calling her a liar, there wasn’t much he could do about it. By the look on his face, he knew it.
Her tears under control and his questioning exhausted, the air around them shifted. It seemed their nightly deed now stood between them. She recognized the very moment his thoughts had returned to their lovemaking. The blue of his eyes deepened and a muscle in his jaw flexed.
His reaction wasn’t what startled her. It was hers. Of its own will, her body swayed toward him. She had to fight the urge to move closer.
Last night may have taught her feelings she thought forever lost to her, but apparently it hadn’t satisfied her curiosity. Every inch of her—outside of her common sense—still wanted him. If only her body would listen to reason and understand.
What had happened could never happen again.
Nate was a very real threat to her future. Anna wasn’t sure he even liked her all that much. She was hardly her best with him. Discounting when her naked body was writhing against his and he had her moaning with pleasure, getting close to him was too dangerous.
He seemed to come to the same conclusion as his eyes cleared and he took a step back. “You didn’t go to the school today.”
Considering he’d never cared for her trips to the school, she couldn’t fathom why he’d point out the obvious. “I had other things to attend to,” she replied.
Such as saving myself from a villainous crook I chose to do business with. Oh, and not to mention, trying to understand exactly how I ended up in bed with you, then wished for nothing more than to return.
The last point twisted her insides . . . and not in an unwanted way. Nate had always stirred her emotions. Today the ones he churned up the most centered on recreating the pleasure he’d taught her.
“We still need to talk.”
She froze at his command. She couldn’t talk to him about the time spent in his arms. Mostly because she had no valid explanation. Not one she’d be willing to give him anyway. There could be nothing worse.
“You owe me some an
swers. Don’t think you can evade them this time.”
She’d been wrong. There was something worse. She should have known better. He’d returned his attention to the thefts. The dull corner of the relic she’d just borrowed from her father, digging into her palm, reinforced how dire the situation was.
There would be no way to escape him. As much as she’d enjoyed their intimacy and secretly craved more, she didn’t need him reappearing in her room uninvited. There she had no power to resist him . . . and resist him she must.
His steady gaze remained on her and there was no mistaking his thoughts. He expected her to elude him again.
As much as she desired to, she couldn’t avoid him forever. It was time to get it over with. As soon as she unburdened herself of the evidence in her hand.
“Very well. Allow for me to attend to my throbbing toe and then I shall answer your questions. Meet me on the south lawn under the largest tree in an hour.”
His eyes narrowed, hiding the light blue. She couldn’t decipher if it was in response to her continued lie about her injury, or if he didn’t believe she was ready to answer his questions.
Truly, she couldn’t fault him. At times, the truth was murky even for her.
He stalked closer. “This had better not be a trick, Anna. Need I remind you I know where to locate you?”
Her body tingled at the heated promise of his words. She fought the urge to provoke him to see where it would lead. As much as she wanted to explore these emotions further, until she could make sense of everything, formality would have to be paramount with Nate.
That didn’t mean she’d relent. “I will be there. If not, you’ll just have to employ your so-called Runner skills and find me.”
With her parting shot she turned, and with a slight limp to simulate her aforementioned wounded toe, retreated to her room.
Chapter 23
Nate fought a battle with himself. As he paced beneath the largest shade tree on the south lawn, he wavered badly.
He wanted Anna to meet with him so he could finally learn the identity of her mystery man.
And he needed her to avoid him so he had a reason to visit her chamber—and her bed—once more.
He gave his head a hard shake. Regain control of yourself. With a job to do, allowing a highbred miss, no matter how alluring, to distract him was not an option. He might be on the verge of ending his own career but if he did, it would be a decision made by him. Not something he did in disgrace because he couldn’t solve a simple robbery case.
If a hidden blackmailer couldn’t derail Nate’s dedication to the case, he certainly wouldn’t allow his ill-advised feeling for Anna either.
Nate’s thoughts drifted to the latest letter he’d discovered upon his return to his room after leaving Anna’s bed. As before, it had contained a single line.
Don’t forget, I’m watching and hunting . . . and you are my prey.
Absorbed in his thoughts, he didn’t notice Anna’s approach until she spoke from behind him. “I told you I’d be here.”
Ignoring the shot of disappointment that he wouldn’t be using pleasurable means to coax his answers, Nate turned to her. “Forgive me for having my doubts. You have become quite effective at avoiding my company.”
She blushed at his direct accusation. “Yes, well, I could hardly encourage a repeat of last night.”
He froze. It was the first time either of them had mentioned their night together.
His cheeks abruptly warmed, something a man of his experience didn’t do when reminded of his sexual encounters. Anna might be small in stature, but she had spirit. He couldn’t help craving her more because of it.
Thinking it best to leave last night where it was for now—behind them—he didn’t take her bait. Instead, he asked, “Would you care to sit?” He gestured to a nearby bench.
“I’d rather stand.”
“Really? I thought you’d like the chance to rest your injured toe.”
She blanched and he knew he had her. She’d been lying. He just couldn’t imagine why. The tears he’d seen in her eyes and the misery on her face had been very real, so why the deception? Unless it had to do with him. Could she regret last night?
He was an idiot. Of course she did. Not only had he taken her innocence and the chance to someday present her virginity to her husband, he was a lowly, bastard-born Runner. She probably feared he’d offer his hand in consequence of what they’d done, and then she’d be trapped in a marriage with a commoner.
He tamped down the rage igniting in his gut. Yet again, a lesson in how inadequate and unwanted he was. He might be good enough to warm her bed but he’d never be sufficient for anything else.
Knowing he was losing focus and his one chance to obtain answers, he brushed aside his folly.
As hard as he tried, his words still carried a bite when he finally asked what had been uppermost in his mind since the Witterson’s. “Do you have a secret paramour, Anna?”
Her eyes widened until the deep turquoise became surrounded by white. “Excuse me?”
He was being unfair and slightly cruel since the very evidence she’d had no other lover had been wrapped around his cock. Nonetheless, after witnessing her regret at what was probably the most amazing night of his life, it was impossible for him not to voice the unjust accusation. “I saw you, Anna. At the Witterson’s. There is no point in lying.” He gave her just enough to incriminate herself.
Instead of looking guilty, her delicate hands fisted and anger poured off her. “I was right. You are a horrible investigator. What were you doing at the Witterson’s? Hadn’t we agreed your services were not needed?”
Her continued denial fueled his fury. “That had been your plan all along, hadn’t it? Feed me some excuse to keep me away. All so you can dally with your lover in the garden.”
“I was wrong. You’re not incompetent. You are insane.”
“Princess, there is no denying it. Despite your unwillingness to have me present, the fact remains I was there. I witnessed everything.” In for a penny or a pound, he decided. “Even discounting your assignation, I caught him leaving the estate. Imagine my surprise at finding the very man you had a tryst with—in a dark garden—slinking away from your father’s house. Too much of a coincidence for me.”
She sputtered, as if she couldn’t form words. A peek inside her head at this moment would no doubt provide the answers he sought. As of now, all he had was her self-righteous anger.
Anna took a noticeable breath and briefly closed her eyes. “I’m going to ignore the inanity that after last night you have the nerve to accuse me of having a lover. Outside of that, who I spend time with or speak to while at a gathering is none of your concern.”
Her display of boldness—and the word ‘lover’ flowing from her lips—stirred his cock. Unfortunately, with the current level of rage flashing in her eyes, he wouldn’t be indulging in more pleasurable sparing with her any time soon. What the hell was he thinking? There would be no more intimacy with her. Ever.
Not getting anywhere with their current level of animosity, he changed tactics. With firsthand knowledge this man couldn’t be her lover, still his instincts blared Anna’s relationship with the stranger was far from friendly.
His voice calm, he asked, “If he isn’t your lover, why his hasty retreat from the estate and his desperation to avoid me?”
Anna relaxed, though her eyes retained the heat. “Unlike you, I don’t presume to know anyone’s state of mind. I can only assume if a stranger was intent on running me down, I’d do all in my power to evade him.”
She had a point. He had gone after the man rather vigorously when he’d spotted him ridding away from the house. Nevertheless, even after spying the man from a distance at the Witterson’s, he knew something wasn’t right about the fellow and his connectio
n to Anna.
“How about something as simple as his name? Can you at least offer that?”
She paled, her unease apparent. There was certainly something there. If only he could discover the nature of this man’s association with her. Did she harbor such an aversion to him that she couldn’t trust him to help her? Even after last night?
Nate took a step toward her. “Anna, let me help you.”
A struggle waged in her eyes before she blinked the turmoil away. Instead, she regarded him with a clear determination. “I don’t know what you are referring to. I have no need for your help. And I will not be giving you his name so you can accuse an innocent man of some unjust crime.”
He studied her silently, hoping his weakness that begged for her to confide in him remained concealed. The last thing he needed was for her to know how far she’d dug her superior little claws into him. He had a feeling after Anna his life would never be the same. Probably because he’d be in jail for strangling her stubborn neck.
“So be it, Anna. I’ll find my own answers.” He stepped close to her, finding he appreciated the way she lifted her head to meet his eyes. Her body might be petite and possess a subtle beauty, but there was nothing timid about her. All of which heated his blood.
He resisted the urge to smooth his thumb across her cheek. “Just know, despite what you think of me, you can trust me. If you need my help, simply ask. Let me help you.”
Her eyes searched his in silence.
About to lose his control and haul her into his arms to taste the sweetness of her lips, he took a step around her and trudged to the house.
Chapter 24
The Runner's Enticement (Men of Circumstance Book 2) Page 13