“I’d rather have you,” she said truthfully.
He heaved a breath. Raked a hand through his hair. “Christ, what am I to do with you?”
Elation flooded her. His conflicted yet hungry look told her that she’dwon. She would have the chance to convince Bennett that she was the woman of his dreams.
“Get to know me?” She edged closer to him. “Work with me to save my family?”
Slowly, as if he couldn’t help himself, he reached out, tracing his thumb along her cheekbone.
“A loyal sprite, aren’t you?” he murmured.
“We Blacks are always loyal.” She shivered with pleasure when he brushed her lower lip before letting his hand fall. “Why do you call me that?”
“Sprite, you mean?”
She nodded.
“Because you’re wee and mischievous…”
She wrinkled her nose. Zounds, that didn’t sound attractive.
“…and also adorable.”
He thinks I’m adorable?
“Adorable? Me?” she breathed.
His mouth quirked again. “When you’re not getting me arrested or embarrassing me with farting contraptions or ruining my boots? Aye.”
“I’ll never play a trick on you again,” she said ardently.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
Entranced by his crooked smile, she lifted her hand, traced her fingertip over the scar in his eyebrow. The one she’d always wondered about. “How did you get this?”
His smile faded. “A blasting accident. I got trapped under rock.”
“Blood and thunder, that must have beenterrifying.”
“I’d had better days.”
“Is that why you stopped working as a navvy?”
“I suppose.” He hesitated. “To this day, I don’t like being trapped in tight spaces.”
“I don’t blame you—”
A rustling sounded outside the chamber. Heart thumping, Tessa whirled around, saw the departing swish of skirts. Just one of the housemaids passing by in the hallway. Nonetheless, it broke the spell, reminded her of where they were, what they still needed to do.
“We don’t have much time,” she said in a rush, “but I have a plan for finding the villain behind the hellfire attacks. First, we’ll locate the taverns where O’Toole, Knight, and Garrity gather.” She chewed on her lip, working out the details as she went along. “Nighttime would be preferable for reconnaissance, and I’ll disguise myself, of course—”
“The hell you will. You’ll be staying here.”
At Bennett’s implacable tones, she stiffened. “We’repartners. I’m not going to stay here whilst you risk your neck spying on those scoundrels.”
“I’m not going to spy on them. That plan is risky, and you heard your grandfather. Ming’s been tracking them for weeks now to no avail.”
Bennett had a point. “Pray tell, Professor, do you have a better plan?”
