He frowned. “What are you trying to tell me?”
“It is a good thing he is out of yer house. He is a threat on the streets but a true certainty beneath yer roof.”
He offered a curt nod. “You are not telling me anything I do not know.”
“Good.” She seemed to breathe a bit steadier, some of the color returning to her face as she released him and moved away. She appeared to absently rub at her limp arm. “Ye can find yer lady love upstairs at the end of the hall.”
Cordell wasn’t going to waste any time heading in that direction, but Mary’s words of caution gave him pause.
“Be kind to her, Cord. She has a strong spirit but it could easily be broken. Ye have the power to ruin her.”
Something predatory and protective shot through him. “I do not intend to ruin her.”
“Then what do ye want with her?”
Cordell’s first instinct was to reply that he wanted to save her, but he would be dishonest if he claimed that was the only reason he continued to pursue Aislynn. Instead, he spoke the truth. “I wish to God I knew.”
Aislynn was pacing the interior of one of the upstairs bedchambers when the door behind her abruptly burst open. She turned on a gasp to see a strong, virile figure silhouetted in the frame. “Cordell.” His name left her lips on an exhale and as he strode toward her, she wasn’t sure what to expect. No doubt he was furious that she’d hidden the truth of tonight’s canceled performance from him.
But rather than approach her in frustration, he reached out and grasped her face in both of his hands and brought his mouth down on hers in a commanding kiss that set her midsection instantly ablaze. She whimpered, not from pain or fear, but from the sweet onslaught his caress brought out in her. Just a short time ago she’d been convinced that he was the evil murderer who had stolen the lives of two of her friends, but feeling his emotions bursting with passion, flowing their lifeforce into her, she realized she’d been foolish to suspect him at all. He might have had personal ghosts haunting him in the past, but they had all been justified. He had dealt with such tormented heartache that no one should have to endure. Instead of allowing it to completely destroy him, he’d fought against those demons and struggled his way out of the mire to become the vengeful and courageous man who stood before her. She knew he would do anything to protect her, to see that the real villain was harshly dealt with. He would not stop until he was captured.
When they parted, she saw the fire in his dark eyes. “What the hell were you thinking to take off on your own like that, you little fool?” he whispered harshly. “Do you not recall that someone wishes to end your life?”
“Trust me, I have not forgotten. But I needed to speak to Mary alone, and I knew you would not allow it.”
There was a flicker in his gaze that looked very similar to pain. Guilt swamped her. “Yes. I heard what you thought of me.” He drew back slightly and she had to stop to bring him back closer. “I cannot say that I blame your hesitancy to trust in me. My history has never endeared anyone to me. Mary is the only one who has not looked at me in horror once she discovered the truth.”
This time, Aislynn did not resist the urge to reach out and caress his strong jaw. It clenched beneath her gentle touch. “I have not turned away in horror, have I? It was my own insecurities that caused me to doubt your sincerity.”
“And that bastard, Wolf,” he growled. “We had a chat, and I expressed my displeasure regarding his warning to you. I do not expect him to be there when we return.”
She frowned. “Is it wise to create such powerful enemies?”
He snorted. “It would not be the first time I have done so.” He scrubbed a hand down his face and turned away. Walking a few paces away from her, he set his hands on his hips. Without looking at her, as if it might make his confession easier, he added, “When I was convalescing under my uncle’s supervision all those years ago, the duke was determined not to allow another scandal to smear our name. He knew the whispers would follow us for years to come, and he was right, but he also did not abide blatant sneers. More than once I had to stand in on his behalf because I did not want to see him fighting a battle that I felt had never truly been his. He was just trying to pick up the pieces from his sister’s death and do right by his nephew.”
His words shattered Aislynn’s heart like a hammer against glass. “That is because you are an honorable man. I was blind not to see the truth before but I do now.”
He slowly turned back to face her. He looked so lost, so wary, that tears stung her eyes. It was as though she was looking at the seventeen-year-old boy roaming the streets trying to find purchase after a devastating blow that disrupted his entire world. “Do you mean that?”
“I do,” she replied without hesitation. She moved toward him. “Let me prove it to you.”
He straightened slightly. “How?”
She glanced toward the bed dominating the center of the room. “Undress me and find out.”
His eyes practically flashed fire now. “It is not wise to provoke me. I told you where I stand on that matter, and I will not be swayed from my decision.”
She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “All the same, it seems a terrible waste to allow such a delightful room to go unused.”
Time seemed to stand still. It felt as though all the air was abruptly sucked from the room but it was merely Aislynn holding her breath, wondering what Cordell’s next move would be.
His nostrils flared as he slowly raked his gaze up and down her form. Her body turned hot even as a shiver passed over her. “I believe I will take you up on part of that offer. Take off your dress.”
Chapter
Thirteen
He was going to call her bluff, see how far she intended to take this little seduction. While Cordell wasn’t expecting her to actually disrobe, his throat went dry when she started to do just that. His tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth as each layer was slowly peeled away, each whisper of material falling to the floor in a discarded heap.
