Her words calmed him, eased away tension and doubt, replaced them with deep contentment and a strong faith in the future.An unsteady breath revealed how much her agreement meant to him.
Cupping her chin, he stroked the delicate edge of her jaw with his thumb before leaning in.
A kiss to seal the new bond they’d forged.The first of many to come.A flickering hope of light vanquishing darkness.As long as his world didn’t destroy her.
She’d no idea what she was getting into, and if he were noble and good, he’d warn her, accept the risk of losing her forever.But he wasn’t either of those things.If what he intended to do when he returned home proved anything at all, it was that he was utterly ruthless.
* * *
A dull ache permeated Samantha’s entire left side.It would take days for it to subside and more than a week for the wound to heal.The brandy Harlowe had given her when she returned to Clearview was a soothing balm.
She took another sip and considered Harlowe’s somber expression.He’d met her and Adrian in the foyer, his attention going straight to the torn fabric of her spencer before he’d ushered both of them into his study.
“I don’t believe an explanation is too much to ask for,” he said, his cool blue gaze on Adrian.“Within the course of two days, Samantha’s reputation has been ruined beyond compare, yet you still declared a desire to wed her.Surprising, though not as much as her getting shot immediately after.While in your company.”
“We were—”
“Not you,” Harlowe snapped, cutting Samantha off.“I want to know what Mr.Croft has to say about this.”
Adrian’s entire bearing changed in response to Harlowe’s sharp tone.He drew back his shoulders and pushed his chest forward.His dark eyes reflected the light from the oil lamp on Harlowe’s desk, the overall appearance that of a dangerous cat ready to pounce.
“I’ll explain,” Adrian said, his voice terrifyingly smooth.“But if you ever raise your voice to Samantha again or disrespect her in any way, you’ll make a permanent enemy of me.Is that clear?”
A stubborn gleam entered Harlowe’s eyes, but he eventually nodded.
“As my fiancée,” Adrian went on, “she’s under my protection.Apologize to her so we can move on with our discussion.”
Samantha froze.She’d never heard anyone pressure Harlowe before.Adrian, it seemed, had zero qualms about doing so, which made one thing blatantly clear.He was confident enough in his power to know he could force other men to yield.It was that threat of what he might do, the suspicions of what he was capable of, that could bend other men to his will.
Concrete proof of his involvement in criminal conduct could strip him of that control.
As his wife, she’d be in the perfect position to find any evidence that might be used against him.If she desired to do so.Harlowe and Kendrick would both expect her to stay on mission, but neither of them truly cared about her, whereas Adrian did.
A deciding factor that shifted the balance.
Going forward, her loyalty would be to her husband.
Harlowe slid his gaze over to her.His jaw worked, clenching against the words he’d have to utter.“Forgive me for interrupting you in such a curt manner.It was inconsiderate of me and shan’t happen again.”
“Good enough,” Adrian said.He leaned back, the movements he made with his glass causing his brandy to swirl.“Samantha was shot while helping me track down the Mayfair Murderer.She and I devised a plan, part of which included last night’s scene with Marsdale.I’m sorry about the disruption that caused to your evening.”
“You were attempting to bait the killer,” Harlowe said, his voice hardening as he spoke.“In doing so, you deliberately put her in harm’s way.”
“A regrettable outcome.”Adrian’s comment contained no hint of the open distress he’d shown in the moment.Had she not experienced it first hand, she’d have thought him indifferent.“Unfortunately the killer proved more cunning than we expected.I…wish our efforts had led to his capture, but…”
Samantha’s mind raced in the wake of the lie, even as she made every effort to hide her surprise.Was Adrian testing her to see if she would stand by him no matter what?Or were his plans for Newton such that he didn’t want anyone tracing what might happen next back to him?Perhaps a bit of both?
“You mean to say he got away?”Harlowe asked.“After everything you put her through, he slipped through your fingers?”
“I wasn’t about to leave Samantha wounded and alone while I chased down the villain.”Raising his glass, Adrian took a moment to let the remainder of his brandy slide down his throat.“No need to worry, though.Her wound will heal soon enough and her reputation will be restored once she and I wed.”
“Might I suggest a special license and an imminent union in order to speed that along?”
“Of course.I’ll see to the special license in the morning.If all goes well, we should be able to speak our vows as soon as tomorrow evening.”He glanced at Samantha.“Unless you desire more time to plan, in which case we might be able to wait a few days.”
“No.”It felt like the walls were caving in on her.Everything was happening so fast, her head was spinning.But with Kendrick’s deadline nearly up, it was imperative that she place herself in a position to keep Adrian safe.A hasty wedding would do precisely that, so she forced herself to look excited.“The sooner the better.”
The edge of his lips dimpled – a swift hint of approval before he told Harlowe, “As for the Mayfair Murderer, one can only hope what happened this evening will force the scoundrel to go into hiding.”
