Prudence and the Professor

by Sibelle Stone

  “What the hell?” William Templeton stood up, shock clearly evident on his face. “Professor, is Mrs. Worthington injured?”

  “I don’t know,” shouted Gerritt. “We were in the mine and the Mecho attacked her.”

  “That’s impossible,” objected Alfred Heisman. “The steam engine hasn’t been fired today. It’s not capable of moving.”

  Gerritt settled Prudence onto one of the straight backed chairs facing the desks then rounded on Heisman with a vicious snarl. “I know what I saw and the instant I put the operating plate into its back, the Mecho took off after Prudence.” He paused and glared at both men. “And the son-of-a-bitch tried to kill her with the sledgehammer. How the hell do you explain that?”

  His answer was shocked silence from both men. “Find out who’s been in that part of the mine today, and I want answers!”

  Alfred and William scrambled to get out the door as Gerritt fell to his knees and studied Prudence’s face.

  “I never intended for anything like that to happen. I just wanted to show you that I’m not a hair-brained dreamer coming up with crazy ideas.”

  She blinked at him, then pulled the cotton handkerchief from her mouth. The corners of her lips lifted into a quirk of a smile. “I’m not sure you proved that, Professor. In fact, after your demonstration, I’m starting to believe you just might be a mad man.”

  Then she amazed him with a burst of shaky laughter.

  “I’ve never been so frightened in my life, but now that it’s over, I have to admit your mech-man is quite an amazing invention.” Her voice trembled and she was shivering.

  Gerritt hurried over to a cabinet, pulled a bottle and glass from the shelf and poured her a shot of whisky. He held it out and she shook her head.

  “I don’t imbibe strong spirits,” she objected. Her gaze lifted to meet his and he could see the tears collected in the corners of her eyes. Damn it all, he’d made a fine mess of his first attempt at impressing her. He’d wanted to give her a tour of the town and show off one of his inventions. Instead she’d nearly been killed.

  Something nagged at the back of his mind but he was too concerned about Prudence to consider it.

  He pushed the glass into her hand. “Think of it as for medicinal purposes.”

  She did as he ordered, but gasped when the liquid fire hit her throat. She handed the glass back to him and he refilled it.

  This time she didn’t finish it off in one gulp, but took several dainty sips. He refilled it once more and after she drank it he could see she was calmer.

  She stood and then immediately sat again.

  “My head is swimming,” she protested. One finger touched her lips. “And I bit my tongue when I fell to the ground.” The pupils of her eyes were huge and she wore a dazed expression.”

  Considering how very close she’d been to being murdered by the rampaging Mecho, she’d come through the whole thing fairly unscathed. He didn’t voice that opinion though.

  “I’m going to carry you back to the house,” he said. “You’re to lie down and rest for the remainder or the day. Your system has endured a tremendous shock.”

  He lifted her into his arms, congratulating himself on the fact that at least he was now enjoying the opportunity to hold her again. He adored women with nice round posteriors and Prudence had a prime specimen. She was voluptuous and soft in all the right places, and holding her like this made him aware of how much he’d like to repeat their encounter in the bathhouse.

  They were close to the house when she gave a deep sigh and put her head on his shoulder. Gerritt fought for control of his body, because the instant he set her down, his obvious arousal would be quite apparent.

  He inhaled, the scent of lilacs filled his nostrils. He’d never again see a bush in bloom with those flowers and not think of Prudence.

  He climbed the stairs with slow, measured steps, taking special care with his precious cargo. Her eyes were closed and she’d stopped trembling, so the whisky had calmed her a bit.

  Her bedroom door was open, so he carried her over the threshold and placed her on the bed. He straightened and made an effort to shift his trousers to ease his discomfort.

  “Please don’t go,” Prudence whispered, stopping him as he turned to leave. “Sit down on the bed for a few minutes and stay until I feel safe again.”

  “That wouldn’t be proper,” he objected, although not strenuously. He didn’t want to leave her alone until he was sure she’d recovered a bit more from the attack.

  He kneeled on the floor and removed her boots before taking her hands in his. She seemed paler than usual and her skin was too cool, so he pulled the blanket at the foot of the bed up to cover her. He would have liked to loosen her stays, but he realized if he started to undress Prudence, it might be impossible to stop himself from seducing her.

  Especially considering his current state of arousal. He cursed his inability to keep his carnal appetite under control when he was this close to Prudence.

  “I never thanked you for saving my life,” she said. Her eyelids fluttered open and she frowned. “But why did your machine do that?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’m going back into the mine to find the plate I put in the Mecho’s operating slot. I believe the information on that plate might provide an explanation.” And he needed to consider the ramifications of two apparent attacks on his little secretary. It seemed to be more than a coincidence.

  She shuddered. “Please be careful, I’m growing rather fond of you, Professor. I wouldn’t want that murderous machine to injure you.” Her voice was fading.

  He kissed her hand with tender care and tucked it beneath the covers. Her breathing told him she’d slipped off to sleep. As he gazed at her, the meaning of her words hit him. He grinned and leaned forward, pressing his lips to her forehead.

  “I’m growing quite fond of you too, sweet Prudence.” He gazed at her for another long moment. In fact, thoughts of her were beginning to plague him night and day. He knew it was going to continue to be a struggle to resist his beguiling secretary and the desire to engage in more sensual games. He was finding her quite irresistible.

  But his life was filled with danger and secrets. The last thing he needed was the distraction of a relationship or the danger it might pose to the woman he cared about.

  Despite his assurances to Prudence, he was growing concerned about the attacks upon her. He’d dismissed the rattler in the bath house as a coincidence. The snake was seeking warmth and had somehow found its way into the building. That had never happened before, but snakes were part of the Montana landscape, so he’d brushed it off.

  But the attack on her by the Mecho was a blatant act designed to scare, or even injure, her. Someone wanted her out of his house, possibly out of Jubilee, and the mere idea of that gnawed at him.

  Prudence Worthington was becoming dearer and more precious to him every day.

  And that could put them both at risk.

  Chapter Five

  Of Mechos and Men

  Prudence drifted up from the bottom of a deep, dark shaft toward the sunlight. Her body felt light, as if she was flying. She was almost to the top, almost free—when a huge mechanical arm reached out from the darkness to grab her.

  Her scream woke her, as she bolted upright and a moment later realized she was in her bedroom at Gerritt’s house. She swallowed and put her hand to her throat, working to control the galloping beat of her heart.

  The door to her bedroom slammed open and Gerritt stood there, his braces were hanging down at his sides and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. She should have been scandalized to see a man bare-chested, but instead she wet her lips and considered how very, very nice his chiseled body looked. She’d felt the strength of his arms when he’d held her, but the sight of the thick, heavy muscles made her want to run her hands over them and enjoy every hard, firm inch of him.

  If her tongue wasn’t hanging out of her mouth like a dog being offered a juicy bone, it wasn’t bec
ause she had any actual control over her response to this gorgeous man. Gerritt was a mouthwatering as any drawing of a Greek god she’d seen in books.

  He rushed to the bed and kneeled down next to her. Close enough to touch, and the temptation to do that was overwhelming. She clutched the edges of the blanket to keep her hands from doing just that.

  “What’s wrong,” he asked, fear creasing his handsome face as his eyes scanned her body, as if searching for a wound.

  She was trembling and he probably thought it was from fear. It was actually excitement tinged with an all-out ravenous lust.

  She tossed her head, causing her hair that had fallen out of its combs while she slept to cascade down her back. “I had a nightmare, I was in the mine and there was a Mecho…” Her voice trailed off as she realized she still felt the effects of the powerful dream.

  Gerritt leaned forward and put his arms around her. She could smell the spicy scent of soap and male musk. He must have been shaving, getting ready for dinner. She inhaled as she put her head on his shoulder. Her pulse raced as she touched his bare skin, her cheeks burning hot, a shiver of delight slamming through her. A wild, rampaging lust flashed through her body, making her breasts feel heavy and tender. A need, a hunger she’d never before experienced created heat and wetness at the tender spot between her legs.

  “I can’t ever apologize enough, Prudence. I wanted to share something special with you. I never imagined such a horrible thing would happen.”

  Her heart thumped an extra beat. His strength gave her strength. His touch made tiny ripples of desire dance along her skin.

  He started to pull away but she clung to him, reveling in his nearness, intoxicated by his scent and trying desperately to stay focused on his words. “Did you find out what happened?”

  He shook his head, his expression dark. “The plate I put in the Mecho’s back was fine. I gave Alfred the hammer, just to be safe, and fired the machine up again. It just stood there, didn’t even move its’ arms.”

  She leaned back to study his face, trying to ignore the flash of heat now blazing through her blood. “But, why did it do that when we were in the mine?”

  He seemed reluctant to answer her, pausing for few moments. “Because the plate I found wasn’t the one I put in the Mecho when we were down there. Someone stole the other plate.”

  Prudence felt her blood chill at his words. “Why would someone do that, I could have been killed.” Realization smacked her.

  “That snake in the bathhouse and now the Mecho. Someone doesn’t want me around and they don’t care how I leave Jubilee— just as long as I’m gone.”

  Gerritt grasped her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. She worked to keep her gaze from dropping to the expanse of chiseled chest within a fingers reach. This magnificent, half-naked man was making it difficult o concentrate.

  “Alfred is going to make a list of all the men on duty at the mine earlier and he’ll talk to every one of them. Someone must have seen something. I’ll figure out who’s responsible for this, because I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Prudence. I swear it”

  “Maybe I should consider leaving,” she said, shuddering. “Before someone sends me home in a pine box.”

  “I promise, I can protect you and keep you safe.”

  Prudence blinked at Gerritt, then gave him a slow, easy smile. “You have managed to come to my rescue twice, which in feudal times would make you my knight protector.”

  He grinned at her. “Yes, I did. So just get any ideas about running away from me right out of your head.”

  “Do you think you might use some of your prodigious charm to convince me to stay?”

  He made a noise like a growl deep in his chest. And she couldn’t help once again admiring his sculpted chest with the fine, downy pelt of dark hair that feathered down his body to disappear beneath the waistband of his trousers. She rather liked the animal comparison and visualized him as a wolf, prowling through the forest in search of his mate. His leaf green eyes seemed to turn almost feral as he studied her. There was a wild, exhilarating flash of attraction between them.

  “I made a promise to leave you alone.”

  “What if I don’t want to be left alone?”

  “It could be dangerous.”

  She licked her lips. “I certainly hope so, because up until lately, I’ve always lived a very circumspect, practical life. I’ve always done what others expected me to do. Done whatever I should, whenever I should. I’ve always tried to be the good girl.”

  She was finding it difficult to control her breathing and her heart thumped a staccato beat. She’d never flirted with a man like Professor Gerritt Rhinehart. A man so devastatingly handsome, so virile, so dangerously irresistible.

  He arched a dark eyebrow. “And now?”

  She succumbed to temptation and stroked the tip of one finger down his chest. The muscles were firm and as solid as a granite wall. He swallowed and she could tell he was affected by her touch.

  “My in-laws were horrified when I told them I’d be moving out and attending a business college. They predicted all sorts of catastrophes when I decided to take this job and travel west.” She paused to consider her next words. “It’s been dangerous and frightening…and deliciously exciting.”

  “Deliciously exciting?” He repeated, his gaze smoldering as he reached out and stroked her cheek with a gentle touch. “I hope you’re not putting the attempts on your life in that category.”

  She traced her hands down his biceps. He swallowed again but didn’t tear his gaze from hers.

  “I’m putting you in that category, Professor. You jump off towers, toss rattlesnakes out the door, fight off mechanical monsters— and I can’t seem to forget what happened the first night I arrived here.” She was nearly breathless, her voice low and sultry.

  There, she’d admitted it; she was a lascivious, brazen hussy who couldn’t control her carnal urges. She wasn’t the prim and proper widow lady he’d been expecting. The kind of woman who didn’t possess all these sensual urges and feelings. He’d send her packing for sure!

  The expression on his face was difficult to read. After a few moments of silence he stood and crossed to the door in a few long strides.

  She’d done it now, he was going to storm out of the room and march down to his office to find paper and pen to write her dismissal notice. Her saving grace was the room was still such a disaster that it would take him days to find anything.

  He slammed the door. When he turned back to her, the image of a very hungry wolf flashed across her vision as he padded across the room.

  He paused above her and she felt his perusal as his gaze moved a slow, sensuous path down her body. She tried to anticipate his next words. Was he going to send her away, or lean forward and kiss her?

  She raised one hand to cover her mouth, afraid if she said anything there would be an embarrassing squeak to her voice.

  “We need to talk, and I don’t want to take a chance Alma will overhear us.”

  Prudence lowered her gaze and twisted her hands in her lap. He didn’t want Alma to hear his tirade about the foolishness of a plain, unremarkable woman like her who should respect her employer and stop mooning over him like a lovesick cow hoping the bull might choose her first.

  She shook her head to clear it. That was a very bad analogy.

  Gerritt crossed his arms over his chest. The movement made the muscles bulge even more. She wanted to look away; she tried to force her gaze anywhere in the room except at the breathtaking man. Her eyes simply wouldn’t obey her command.

  If he did intend to send her away, at the very least she’d have the memory of his gorgeous body to fill her otherwise dreary dreams.

  “I think we need to get a few things clear, right from the start,” he said. His lips were formed into a thin smile that wasn’t deep enough to activate his dimples.

  Too bad, she thought, because the dimples were quite lovely. They framed that beautiful mouth when he smiled
. They made her think of sweet kisses. They reminded her of that night in the bathhouse. She liked his dimples. A lot.

  “Prudence, are you paying attention?”

  He must have asked her a question. Not the one about paying attention. Something else? She wanted to scratch her head, as if that would help her remember.

  “Did you just ask me if I knew why you’d brought me all way out to Montana territory?”

  He unfolded his arms. “Yes, do you?”

  She wondered if this was a trick question, that if she didn’t give him the correct response he’d terminate her employment and quickly dispatch her back to upstate New York.

  “To be your secretary. To assist you in organizing your papers and office. I have skills, such as taking notes with Fonografy, using a typewriting machine and keeping account books. I’m to handle your correspondence, complete paperwork to apply for patents and maintain your files.” She glanced at him. “Once I can create a system of filing from that mess downstairs.”

  That was a bit of a jab, but his office was still an incredible jumble. She could swear he went in there at night and made an even bigger mess while she was sleeping.

  He frowned, which might have made a less handsome man look fearsome. It just made his face more interesting. “Did you memorize the advertisement I placed in the newspaper?”

  Prudence nodded. “Of course I did. I needed to make sure I was attentive to every detail in my letters of response.”

  He grinned, and her heart thumped in her chest. Yes, the dimples were quite extraordinary. She should find every opportunity to make him smile and laugh so she could enjoy them. If she wasn’t being dismissed from the job.

  “Did you ever wonder why an employer would send so much correspondence to a prospective employee?”

  It had occurred to her that the professor must be a very particular sort. In fact, his frequent queries about all aspects of her life had seemed excessive. Then again she had desperately wanted the position.