He cleared his throat.“No harm done,” he said in a deep rasp before, eyes dropping away from hers, he took up his fork and dug into his food, shoveling it into his mouth as if he could not eat fast enough.It was as loud as words: He wished to eat quickly and get back to work.
But Heloise, finally back to her senses now that the charged moment had passed, was not going to give up this chance so easily.
“It appears I do not have to make good on my promise to Mr.Teagan after all.”
Food halfway to his mouth, he glanced sharply up at her, eyes hard.The bit of egg impaled by his fork quivered in the air.“Promise?”he demanded.“What promise?”
She blinked.That was most assuredly not the reaction she had expected.More than a little baffled, she nevertheless tried for a smile.“That I should make certain you eat.It seems to me you are making good progress yourself without any assistance from me.”
He looked at his fork and then at his plate blankly, as if he had not even realized he had been eating.“Ah,” he finally said.“Yes, I suppose not.”
“It is kind of Mr.Teagan to wish to make certain you eat.”
He shrugged.“It is of benefit to him, and so he does what he must.”
That took her aback.“Of benefit to him?”
Again a shrug, his mouth tightening at the corners as if in pain.With his fork he began pushing about the remainder of his food.“It would not do anyone any good if I were to keel over from malnutrition, would it?”
The comment was rough, self-deprecating.As if the man could not imagine that anyone could worry about him for himself alone, as if he fully believed that people could care for him only due to what he could do for them and how he benefited them.
It should not affect her as much as it did.Even so, pity for this man settled in her heart.
Though her stomach was still quite ready and willing to partake of the fare before her, she moved to the chair closest to him, placing her hand on his sleeve.“I’m certain Mr.Teagan, and indeed everyone at Dionysus, thinks much more of you than you believe.”She smiled.“Their loyalty is commendable.”
He looked at her hand, his expression unreadable.When he finally did raise his gaze to hers, she sucked in a sharp breath at the pain in his eyes.In the next instant, however, it was gone, like a mirage, leaving only cool disdain in its place.As he continued to stare at her with something akin to defiance, she searched his face with increasing frustration for a hint of the emotion she had unintentionally seen, even as she asked herself why she wished to uncover itagain.
“Do you always have such an optimistic view of others, Mrs.Marlow?”
She gave a startled laugh, pulling back from the faint censure in his voice.“I hardly think anyone would call me optimistic.But I don’t think my observation of how the people around you view you is based solely on optimism.I’m merely stating fact.”
He lifted one heavy, dark brow.“And you have managed to observe that after only two days?”
She shrugged.“Oftentimes it does not take even that long for one to get the scope of a situation.I daresay it did not take me above five minutes in your case.”
That, finally, seemed to pique his interest.He placed his fork down on his plate and turned more fully toward her, the sardonic line of his brow turning to one of curiosity.
“You must be a good judge of character, then.”
There was something almost soft and amused in the statement, as if he were teasing her.It took her aback, that tone; it was one she had never expected from him.Nor had she expected that his features would subtly rearrange themselves, transforming them into something even more compelling than the aloof handsomeness she had grown accustomed to.
Instead of becoming flustered, however, she felt herself relax, her stomach releasing the tension she had not even known it was holding, her posture easing.“I would not say that,” she hedged with a small smile.“But I can usually quickly understand a situation.”
His gaze roved over her face, as if he were trying to read something there.“Then tell me, Mrs.Marlow,” he murmured, “what is the situation you believe you have read here at Dionysus?Do you believe it is all rainbows andgoodwill?”
She rolled her eyes.“You tease me, sir.”
“No, I am truly curious.Tell me, what is it you see?”
She pursed her lips, considering him.Yes, he was teasing her.But there was a genuine desire to know beneath the light question.“Very well,” she finally said, leaning back and crossing her arms.“You are a hard man, who demands the best from those around him.Yet you have not only a partner who is concerned for your well-being and makes certain you eat—”
“Which as we discussed is not due to any love for me,” he interrupted.
She held up a hand.“So you say.But if you would allow me to continue?”
He crossed his arms over his wide chest, brows drawing low again.But there was no aggravation in the action, especially when his full lips—so incredibly full—tightened at the corners in an obvious attempt to keep from smiling.An expression that made him much too attractive for her peace of mind.
“Please do, madam,” he said.
