She bit her bottom lip.
“Have I pushed you for more than you are willing to give?”
She lifted her chin, met his gaze.
“Have I taken anything from you other than an hour or half hour every evening during which I follow your lead, speak of what you wish to speak of?I didn’t even touch you until?—”
“Shh!”Her gaze flashed to where he held her wrist, where his thumb swept in little arcs.Soothing, he hoped.
Not soothing him.Rousing him.Her silky skin ignited his alchemist’s heat, threatened a roaring inferno.
“You are touching me now,” she said.And… did she sound a bit breathless?“I have not initiated that.”
The corner of his lips curled up.Yes, yes she did.“Tell me to stop.”
An inhale, then she exhaled slowly.Astopwould flow out with that breath.
But it didn’t, and she did not flutter in his hold to escape.
“Let me tell you what you can expect, and then you will decide what to do.And I will abide by your wishes.”
She nodded.
He leaned closer to whisper in her ear.She smelled of the shop now—fresh and minty, of the earth.But something sparked like an electric storm deep beneath her skin.The scent of metal in the soil he knew so well.Something like.It called to him.
He inhaled deeply, feeling the tickle of her hair against his nose, before saying, “Except for me, my family does not socialize with the ton.They will have no one to gossip over you with.And even if they did, they would not.Alchemists are secretive, as you know.As are your people.If I bring you home, they would see you as mine and by extension as their own.That means your secrets are theirs to keep.But, if you wish, we can use a fake name for you.Atemporaryfake name.”
He could not, after all, marry her by any name other than her own, and eventually they would have to make their marriage public, tell the king, tell the ton.Everyone would know.Fordham would know.But Temple could protect her from a single foul-minded man.
“What say you?”he asked.
“A false name might be good.”She chewed her bottom lip, deep in thought.He’d caught her.“The one I use here.”
“Excellent, Miss Smith.Now let me warn you: My parents and siblings are a rowdy bunch.There will be a good, hearty meal and much discussion of intellectual issues.My youngest brother may attempt to climb the curtains.Or you.He likes heights.He’s almost three years of age and is more akin to a wolf cub than a human child.My other siblings will pester you with questions, but you may merely tell them no, as you do so well to me.My sister Helen will insist on dancing, and I will be honored if you save a waltz for me.But Helen’s twin, Helios, will likely want a waltz, as well.And you are certainly to use your favorite word with him.”
“Puddle?”
He laughed, and he almost wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, almost dragged his lips across her cheek to find her lips.He almost kissed her, tasting that lightning somewhere inside of her.
But he stepped away instead.He tapped the tip of her nose.“No, Diana.You tell Heliosnowhen he asks to waltz.And then at the end of the evening, I will return you here.With Sybil as chaperone if you like.That is why I’ve brought her this afternoon.I did not want you to feel threatened.Or scared.It is difficult to feel scared around Sybil.”
Diana chuckled.“She is… buoyant.”
“That is one word for it.Will you come?Or do I return home empty-handed?”
She looked across the shop toward Sybil, who was inspecting a wall of plants.Sybil reached out to pluck at a leaf, and the entire pot fell to the floor, soil and roots breaking free of the clay pot.“Bloody hell!”Sybil bounced down as she cursed and grabbed the plant, stuffed it back inside its pot, and tucked it back onto its shelf, looking every which way to see if she’d been observed.
Diana’s laugh was fuller this time, brighter.“I’ll come with you.”She looked down at her gown and apron.“I need to change my clothes.”
Temple breathed more easily.“Excellent.We’ll wait here.”
When she’d disappeared upstairs, Temple left the shadows and settled against a wall at the front of the shop.
Sybil wandered over and leaned close.She whispered, “I was expecting some poor, lost kitten.But she has claws, I see.”
He nodded.
“You’re clearly playing protector, though.Is that a good reason to marry a woman?”
