“Why did you stay?” she asked, eyeing him over the top of her cup as she took asip.
“You are quite direct,Elizabeth.”
“People call meLizzie.”
Something about the way she said the nickname made him think she didn’t like it much.“Elizabeth suits you better.” He lifted a brow, challenging her. “Does it botheryou?
The tiny quirk of her lip gave everything away. “No.”
An honest answer. In fact, she liked the use of her full name. He filed that information away for later. He’d already decided he was going to needit.
“What will you do now? Your position?” He sipped the light, fragrant tea as he crossed his legs, watching Elizabeth. She fascinated him. The insipid women who moved in his usual circles held no sway. They’d fuck him if he did nothing more than nod in their direction, but it had been years since he’d found a woman who aroused his more unconventional desires or held his interest for more than a single date. Elizabeth Bennett was born to fill that role. Spirited, with a strong vein of submission running through her. He wondered if she even realizedit.
“I don’t know. No one’s going to hire me a week before Thanksgiving. The busy season doesn’t start for another two months. I’ll hold out until then. Find somewhere to volunteer through the holidays while I look for work.” She slumped, losing the fight she’d displayed ever since she’d fallen over his feet outside that pitifulcompany.
Alexander drained the last of his tea and then returned the cup to her kitchen. Elizabeth didn’t move from the couch when he returned and stood over her, pinning her with his eyes. Would she look away? No. A smile tugged at his lips, but he schooled his features into a stern mask. Withdrawing a gold case from his jacket, he removed a single business card, setting it on the small table in front ofher.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. If there is anything I can do for you while you look for work, please do not hesitate to ringme.”
“Thank you for your help, Mr. Fairhaven. I’m afraid you did not see me at my best.” She unfolded herself from the couch and held out herhand.
Alexander brushed a kiss over her knuckles. “You will call me Alexander or if you must,sir. Nothingelse.”
Her lower lip caught between her teeth and her breathing stuttered. What would she do? In truth, Alexander did not enjoy being calledsir, but if she used the word, he’d know his suspicions werecorrect.
“Elizabeth, did you hearme?”
“Yes,sir.”
Alexander smiled, intrigued. “I hope to see you again soon, Elizabeth. Lock the door afterme.”
He waited in the hall until he heard theraspof the tumblers. The lock was a joke. He could kick the door in with no effort or pick the lock in under five minutes. Like most boarding school brats, he’d learned how to nick a bit of the headmaster’s scotch from his lockedoffice.
Alexander eschewed the rickety elevator and jogged down the four flights of stairs. Thomas waited on the stoop with the umbrella at theready.
“Where to, sir?” the driverasked.
“Home.” Alexander smiled. He had some serious thinking todo.
