“I promised my father.”
There had to be more to it than that. But rather than press her, he waited.
“And I will, but it isn’t going to be Culpepper.” Her determinization would be admirable if it wasn’t so pitiful.
“You did a good job, fighting him off. I don’t know how he didn’t get the cat away from you.”
“It was all Archie.” She twisted around. “He refused to let go.”
If he’d not been ogling the tops and sides of her breasts, he might have noticed the vicious scratches on her shoulder and back. “Those should be cleaned.”
“After my bath.” She dabbed at one. “He was desperate to get away from Culpepper.”
No wonder she liked the cat. The two of them had a good deal in common. Unfortunately, whereas she was free to return to her family, the cat did, in fact, belong to the duke.
“Perhaps your brother would be willing to buy him for you.”
“I’ll use my own money if I have to.” She was watching him, her head turned and resting on her knees now. “Thank you. For not letting him get his hands on me again. I don’t know what I would do if…”
“You’re safe with me.” And he meant it.
“I know.”
“And you have my word that when we’re back in London, it’ll be like none of this happened. I promise.”
“Thank you.” White teeth tugged at her bottom lip. “In that case…”
“Yes?”
“Would you mind pouring a pitcher of water over my head? I haven’t washed properly since leaving London.”
She was trying to kill him. Stone inhaled. Personally, he had never kept a valet, nor had his younger brothers, and so her lack of ability to accomplish something as simple as washing her hair without having a servant to do it was both pitiful and… sort of adorable.
Spying two pitchers on a handy shelf, Stone pushed himself to his feet and then winced as he chose one. An hour ago, he’d wanted nothing more than to eat and then sleep, and somehow this minx now had him playing lady’s maid.
He was standing behind her now, getting a peek at more skin than was good for his libido as she seemed less concerned at this point for her modesty than for her ablutions.
“Tilt your head back.” His voice sounded thready in his own ears.
She relaxed her head on the rim of the tub, eyes closed, rose pink lips parting with a soft sigh. Forcing his eyes to focus on her face, he noticed dried streaks where a few tears had escaped earlier, leaving a salty trail at the edge of her eyes.
His jaw ticked. It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to being around naked women. It was that he had no business being aroundthisnaked woman.
Gripping the pitcher, he drizzled a slow trickle along her hairline and watched as the blond strands turned a burnished gold. He increased the flow, and she exhaled a soft moan.
“That feels heavenly.” His gaze flicked to pale bare skin peeking up from the water, and this time he allowed it to linger longer than he had before. He was too tired to fight his natural urges and found himself discreetly adjusting his trousers. Because damned if he couldn’t keep from imagining her throaty words in a far less innocent situation.
“I saw some soap earlier.” Her eyes were pinched closed as she twisted around and, God help him, Tabetha Fitzwilliam’s breasts were even prettier than he’d imagined. Creamy and full, the skin was translucent enough that he could see a few tiny blue threads reaching out from dusky rose tips—turgid dusky rose tips. “Beside the pitchers.”
If he remained hovering over her like this much longer, he was going to have to do more than adjust his trousers.
He quickly located the soap and pressed it into her hand. Did she not realize?”
“Thank you.” She relaxed into the water again. “The whisky feels warm in my belly.” Pink flushed up her neck, and he realized she was more embarrassed to have mentioned a part of her anatomy than she was at him assisting her in the bath.
“Hold onto that thought.” He abandoned her to retrieve the bottle and refill both of their glasses. He downed his in one swallow and then filled it again. When he stepped around the screen again, he found her awkwardly scrubbing soap into her hair and over her shoulders.
He handed her the glass. “I’ll pour the second pitcher and then leave you to finish.”
