“Can I not?” Green eyes full of challenge pinned her to her seat. “I seem to remember from the very first night of this little exercise telling you that I could, if you wanted my help.”
“For matters that required it for the case.” She bit her lip as she stretched the truth. She clearly remembered the conversation and he was correct. But she’d been afraid of him then. How different the feeling of security made one act.
“Desperation breeds strong capitulation, and you capitulated, my dear.” He tipped her chin up and ran his fingers down her throat. “With your stained dress and gaunt frame. Your desperate eyes.” His hand moved against her nape.
“You were already strong and fierce. But food, comfort, and security have given you even more. Hopefully it didn’t clear your memory.” His fingers worked into her hair, cradling her head as it tipped back. “I said that you will do exactly as I say throughout the task.EverythingI say. You agreed, if I recall.”
Her memory was perfectly intact. Security gave her the nerve to keep arguing. “You aren’t being reasonable. This is my brother we are talking about. Both of my brothers. You think I would willy-nilly my time away on some mad woman’s journal if I didn’t think it was pertinent?”
Strong lips captured theentin pertinent. It was a scorching kiss, and she moved further into him. He was right. She didn’t deny it. Along with the food there’d been comfort and a sense of security. A strong sense. It made her feel powerful, not powerless, for once.
She’d never felt quite as safe as she did when he was close to her. And wasn’t that a scary thought? To entrust those feelings to a man who already held all the power. Even when they were arguing about a silly journal—
She pulled away, pushing into the chair’s back. Every thought purged from her head by a few skillful kisses. Manipulated.He manipulates women with little effort. When had she forgotten that the statement applied to her as well? A burgeoning friendship with the devil himself? “Whenever you don’t want me to do something, you seduce me!”
“As if it is that easy. The snap of my fingers and you are seduced?” His face was a mixture of irritation and something else. Guilt?
“With your kisses! With your proximity and searing looks.” The thoughts started to roll out faster and faster. “You are trying tocontrolme. My God. Could my emotions have confused things that badly? I thought I wassafe.”
She was feeling a little hysterical as one thought crashed into another and her safety net ripped like a web dashed from its bindings.
His eyes were hooded, his face dark. “You know little of what you are talking about.”
“I know exactly what I am talking about. You are good, fantastic at it, I’ll give you that. How many women have told you no? Very few, I’ll bet!” Hysteria built. Sharp and uncontrollable. “And to a one, I’m sure they were very happy with their choice. But I won’t allow myself to be controlled by you!”
“Interesting.” He circled her. “So you will deny yourself the pleasure because you want to be the dominant one?”
“There you go again with your games and dominance.” Frustration surged into her hysteria and she craned her neck to see him as he passed behind her. “I don’t know what you are on about, but why can’t you just benormal?”
A lopsided, broken smile lifted his mouth, reflected in his eyes as he stopped in front of her. There was something in that smile, in the self-loathing gaze, that made her want to snatch back her words, even though she was so light-headed she felt close to passing out, erratic energy coursing through her.
“Yes, why can’t I be normal? It’s an excellent question. One I ask myself frequently.”
He turned. “Until the morning.” It was clipped, polite, informal. Like a butler to the mistress of the house.
It wasn’t until she heard his door click closed down the hall, sealing her out, that she realized he had taken the journal with him.
Chapter 13
Marietta looked straight ahead while she walked, trying not to sneak glances at Gabriel. Her shop girl skirt snapped as she tried to keep pace with him.
She disguised a look at him by pretending to watch a carriage click past. The sun was on a downward pitch and the rays caught his profile, setting half of his features in the light and half in shadow.
The cityscape changed to a dingy gray as they entered the edges of the East End. Gabriel was dressed again as a longshoreman, but the cocky walk he had adopted previously was clipped and edged.
He had retreated into the cold man he’d been when they’d first met. She fought to keep from rubbing her eyes. The night had been wretched. And alone. Muddled and confused thoughts vying with irritation and betrayal. Why had she suddenly thought he would be different from every other man?
And was she being unfair? The last thought had made her toss and turn. Just remembering the look in his eyes before he left the room had left her numb. But he had to give hersomething, allow her to understand what he was thinking, or else she was going to continue to feel used. After they finished their business here, she was going to work up the courage to face his stoicism and ask.
The numbers along the street increased until they were standing before a drab three-story building that matched the address written in Abigail’s note.
The walk-up was dirty. Papers and food littered the cracks and crevices in the stairs and against the rail. She followed behind Gabriel as he strode up the steps. His fist rose to knock on the door, but before his knuckles made contact with the wood, the door opened.
A man with a long scar beneath his chin stood in the frame, obviously on his way out. He opened his mouth to say something, perhaps “Pardon me” or “Good day” or some equivalent. Gabriel cocked his head to the side to receive the comment and his body moved fractionally to allow the man to pass.
Then their eyes met.
The moment suspended.
