The look she gave him was not one of virginal shock. But neither was she stifling the knowing giggle of a woman who might be amenable to his offer. Instead, she looked thoughtful, as if weighing and balancing something.
Probably the worth of his soul against the effort she’d taken to save his body. ‘You are as horrible as they say,’ she said.
He answered with a resigned nod. ‘It would be a lie to deny the fact.’
‘But I am not,’ she said firmly, as if she’d guessed the contents of his mind.
‘Are you a nun, perhaps? A sister who views her nursing as a vocation and will not allow earthly things to sully it?’
For a moment, her lips quirked in a moue of distaste, a puckered expression that only made them seem more kissable. Then, she said, ‘It is not necessary to take a vow to eschew pornography. One simply needs to be a lady.’
‘A lady,’ he repeated and smiled. ‘Many women are deemed such by merit of their birth. But I have found, when the lights are out, that some of them are women first and ladies second.’
‘I am a lady in word and deed,’ she added, with a direct stare meant to dash his hopes.
‘You have been alone with me in my bedroom for several days,’ he said, speculating. ‘And your virtue is still intact.’
‘Because you have been ill,’ she reminded him. ‘I would not be here, else.’
‘All the same, it is a record of some sort. For both of us,’ he added. ‘I have never been so long in proximity with such a lovely woman without at least making a suggestion.’
She waved the book he had requested. ‘We will have to start your clock again. This was more than a little suggestive. And the answer is no.’
‘It is just as well,’ he said, giving her a winning smile. ‘I am in no condition to treat you as you deserve. But in a day or two, when I am better…’
‘I will leave without anything of note taking place,’ she said, giving him a dark look.
‘We will see about that,’ he said, settling back into the pillows and closing his eyes.
Chapter Three
Sebastian was becoming a problem.
Or perhaps she was the problem. She should be thinking of him as His Grace, the Duke of Westbridge, and not as if she had the right to use his Christian name. But there was something about caring for a person as they faced death that created an intimacy that was difficult to put off once the crisis was over. She felt sheknewhim.
Judging by his behaviour, he felt a similar bond with her. He had apologized for tricking her into opening the book in his night table. But there was something in the way he looked at her, the smile full of mischief and the twinkle in his eyes, that made her think his contrition would not last very long.
For example, she was sure he was quite capable of managing his meals, save for some difficulty cutting his meat. But he was still allowing her to feed him, staring at her with puppy-like devotion and taking bites meekly from the fork she offered.
Worse yet, she was allowing him to get away with it and enjoying the looks he gave her. He made her feel special, more friend than nurse. But there was an innate sensuality in the way his mouth closed over the spoon, then opened so his tongue could lick the bowl. It hinted at something she’d never experienced before that was deeper than friendship.
At the end of the day, when she retired to the cot in the dressing room, she did so with an unfamiliar regret. It had cometo feel so natural being with him that it was hard to go even this short distance away.
The bed he lay in was wide. There was ample room for two. The pillows were soft, the sheets cool and white. She could lie by his side, close but separate. And if, by accident or intent, their bodies touched…
‘Cassie?’
She blinked in surprise as the fantasy dissolved. He was staring at her, probably hungry. The maid had just brought up his tray and she was woolgathering as the food grew cold. She smiled in apology and began slicing the beef into small bites and peeling and sectioning the orange.
And why was she doing it? The cook could do as much in the kitchen, if she asked. His valet could change the bandage if it was needed. The house was filled with servants to attend to any need. It was time for her to admit that the danger had passed and he no longer needed her nursing. Perhaps, after luncheon, she would pack her bag and take her leave.
But not just yet. She tucked a napkin beneath his chin and put a pillow behind his head so he might sit up.
He opened his mouth, dutifully and waited.
She popped a slice of orange into it.
He chewed and swallowed, watching her. Then, he licked his lips.
