Instead of arguing with her assessment of him, or commenting even, he reached onto the floor and then handed her a small package.
“What is it?” She stared at it suspiciously, suppressing her humor from a moment before.
“Open it and see.”
She should not accept anything from this man. She did not even know him, and yet… She’d failed miserably in her attempts to resist his smiles.
She had not received presents from anyone, for anything, since she’d left her mother’s home seven years before. Tamping down the guilt she ought to feel for accepting a gift from a strange gentleman, she steadied herself on the seat and slowly began unwrapping the paper.
“Don’t get excited. It’s not much.” He cautioned her. “But since I may very well have ruined your tea, I thought…”
“Pastries.” He’d purchased a handful of the pastries Mrs. Neskers had served her earlier.
“Mrs. Neskers mentioned you didn’t finish yours.” He shrugged, dismissing any notion that he’d done something so very considerate. “Not sure how long we’d be driving tonight.”
A surprising warmth filled her. He could dismiss it all he wished but such a gesture had been a thoughtful one.
“Thank you, Mr. Bateman.” She ducked her head. “It was very considerate. You didn’t have to.”
“Not that considerate,Princesse,” he uttered. “Thought I might get hungry too… Hand one of those over.”
This time it was Aubrey’s turn to laugh. She withdrew a napkin from her reticule on her lap, wrapped it around one of the flakey confections and held it out for him to take.
Only, this man, of course, didn’t take it into his hand. He leaned forward instead, and like some sort of wild beast, tore off a bite with his mouth.
“Must keep both hands on the reins, Mrs. Bloomington.” He talked around the food in his mouth.
He was unlike any person she’d ever been acquainted with. Aubrey eyed him suspiciously.
Was it truly necessary for her to feed him? She didn’t know a great deal about driving. They had hit several ruts along the way already, however, she reasoned. Now that the sun was mostly set, it was even more difficult to see obstacles that might exist in front of them.
For the moment, she would give him the benefit of the doubt. He was merely being cautious and for that she was grateful. And so, when he leaned forward, she offered him a second bite, continuing to do so until he had claimed the last morsel, his lips and the tip of his tongue brushing her gloves as he did so.
Shaken by her response to him and feeling more than a little ridiculous, she used the handkerchief from her reticule to dab at his lips. A few of the flakes had fallen and embedded themselves in his whiskers. When he appeared to be tidy once again, she folded the cloth neatly and tucked it safely away.
And when she was settled, he moved the reins into one hand, lifted his other, and pointed into the darkness ahead of them.
“Inn up ahead.”
“You-! Why-!”
She didn’t bother to look for the sign, instead choosing to stare at him in astonished wonderment. She wasn’t certain if she wanted to bash him over the head or congratulate him on his ability to get the best of her.
“You certainly are a cocksure gentleman.” She finally settled upon something coherent.
He wasn’t smiling. He didn’t even laugh this time. But a spirited glint danced in the back of those blue eyes, and a dimple she’d not noticed before appeared at the edge of his mouth.
“You’d make a fine addition to my harem.” He smiled at his own joke.
Of all the nerve! This time she couldn’t even sputter a response.
Heart racing, she reached into the bag and withdrew a second meat pie, hopeful that it would be filled with an abundance of sweet juices. She then innocently lifted it to his mouth and just as he parted those sensuous lips of his she…
Smashed it into his face.
He took as much into his mouth as he could manage but wasn’t able to prevent most of the fruity morsels of meat from dripping onto his lap.
It wasn’t as juicy as she would have preferred but she took great satisfaction at the sight of sticky pulp oozing down his face.
