He frowned. “You will not let me spoil you?”
She lifted her chin a mutinous notch. “I should not want society to get the impression I am your mistress. I have worked hard to obtain an unsullied reputation.”
Cordell wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “I understand that, but you cannot imagine that our affair will not ever be noticed.”
She began to don the rest of her clothes, but she paused in the middle of fastening her dress. “You promised that as long as I stayed under your roof we would be discreet.”
He slipped on his trousers and fastened them. “And that is true, but what about when we are out in the public eye? Should I act as though we are strangers to one another?”
Her green eyes flashed. “I expect us to act professional.”
He threw his arms in the sleeve of his shirt. “And what if someone approaches you with a proposition?”
“I will say what I always have, that I’m not interested.”
“You wish me to just stand aside and not defend your honor?”
Fully dressed, she set her hands on her hips. “I have said before that I am not a damsel in distress. I do not need you to save me. I am capable of surviving on my own. I have managed it thus far.”
“Indeed?” He allowed his shirt to hang free as they conversed. At this point, he was too angry to bother with his waistcoat and cravat. “What of the night you came to my door? It seems to me that you were not that confident in your ability to defend yourself then.”
The instant the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could retract them. He saw the way she recoiled and he knew he had allowed his anger and frustration to take him too far. “I can see that it was wrong of me to implore upon you since you insist on tossing it back in my face that I had a temporary moment of weakness following a close friend’s death. Forgive me for troubling you, Mr. Steele. I can certainly rectify the situation immediately.”
She started for the door and Cordell uttered a curse as she threw it open. He was still trying to get his boots on when she left. At least the one good thing about being in a brothel was that no one would raise any eyebrows if he wasn’t properly dressed as he took off after her.
Chapter
Fourteen
Men.
Aislynn was fuming as she headed downstairs, intent on finding Mary Spade. How was it that men had the uncanny ability to be so caring and considerate one moment and then turn into a positive ass the next? It was a talent for sure, or more accurately, a curse.
She spied Mary in the parlor, but as the evening was starting to progress into a bit of revelry with the arrival of Spade’s exclusive clientele list, Aislynn attempted to get the attention of the owner without drawing any undue attention to herself.
“What sort of treat do we have here?”
She failed.
Reluctantly turning to the voice, her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the speaker. “Ah, Miss Sims.” The Earl of Parkson was smiling at her in a lascivious manner, the ever-present Lord Wrexville at his side with a similar expression that did not bode well. “I did not realize that you were a… guest at this establishment.”
“I know Miss Spade through a mutual acquaintance,” she muttered, annoyed that she should find herself in a situation that was infinitely worse than the one she’d just left.
“I am sure you do,” the earl murmured with a decided lick of his lips, as if he was about to feast on a tempting treat. And he had targeted her as part of the menu. As if on cue, a feminine laugh pierced the air from the curtained room. “Shall we retire to someplace more quiet?” “No, thank you,” she returned frostily. “There is nothing I could offer you that would be worth either of our time.”
She started to skirt around him, but his companion blocked her way. “I doubt that is true, Miss Sims,” the earl returned smoothly. “Come, there is no need to play coy. Although I do enjoy a good challenge.” His eyes flashed and Aislynn’s arm was captured by Lord Wrexville. She knew that she was in serious trouble if she didn’t take immediate action.
“The lady is not part of this evening’s fare.”
The possessive growl came from behind the earl. The two men turned to Cordell and within moments, Aislynn was released. Cordell had Lord Wrexville’s arm twisted behind him at an angle that made an anguished howl escape.
“Mr. Steele. What an unexpected pleasure,” the earl said flatly.
“I doubt that,” Cordell snapped. He shoved Lord Wrexville at the earl so hard that the two men stumbled and very nearly collapsed to the floor.
“An outrage!” the earl spat. “Mrs. Spade will hear of this slight against a peer of the realm!”
“By all means,” Cordell returned evenly.
