The Perfect Temptation (16 page)

Alex looked back at him.,
stunned that he would presume

to override her attempts to
discipline the boy.
"Mr.
Terrell-"

"It'll wait for a
bit," he declared, his brow cocked, the light

in
his
eyes
resolute. "Preeya's room,
if
you would. please."

Now wasn't the time and in
front of Mohan most certainly

wasn't the proper place to challenge
his usurpation of

power. Alex wordlessly
promised him a contest at a later

point and went to open
Preeya's door.

He stood in the doorway and
looked around, nodding.

''Will you also want to see
the attic?" she asked, hoping

he did. The attic would be the
perfect place for them to set

matters straight.

"Does it have
windows?"

"Six dormers," she
supplied.
'Three
on each side, front and

back. And a small round window
in each end. I don't recall the

views from each. That you'll
have to ascertain for yourself."

His brow inched slowly higher
as he considered her. A

tiny smile curved the comers
of his mouth as he said, "For

now, the description will
suffice.
In
what
sort of condition is

your carriage house?"

She blinked, confused by his
sudden change of direction.

''I beg your pardon?"

"Your carriage
house," he repeated patiently. ''The stone

building out back, the one not
the kitchen.
It
has
the wide

Dutch front door."

"I'm well aware of which
building it is," she countered.

"Why are you asking of
it? There's nothing in" it and I can

see absolutely no reason to be
concerned about its general

security."

"We'll take a look at it
before we go," he declared as he

moved past her and back toward
Mohan's room.

''You haven't answered my
question,
Mr.
Terrell."

He didn't look back at her,
but grabbed the doorjambs in

his hands and said, ''Time's
up. Let's go, Mohan." After a

slight pause he added darkly,
"If
you
don't get your rear end

up off that bed and out this
door in the next two seconds, I'm

going to turn you over my knee
and you won't be able to sit

on your royal fanny for a
month."

Alex
was
about to
step forward and intervene when he
re
leased

his grip on the jambs and
said, ''Bring your coat. You'll

need it."

Mohan had surrendered. Alex
exhaled the breath she'd

been holding as her ward
stepped into the hall, roughly yanking

his coat into place and
demanding, "Where are you dragging me?"

"To an adventure,"
Aiden Terrell replied, pointing to the

stairway. ''I'll meet you at
the base in just a moment. Go."

Mohan stomped off, his hands
balled into fists at his

sides. They were both watching
him
when the
man beside

her quietly asked, "Your
bank account ...
Is
it in your name

or Mohan's?"

Her mind raced through the
possibilities and the ramifications.

Knowing the truth gave
him
no
power. It took her signature

to spend any of what they had.
''We each have one:'

she supplied. "I put the
money from the silver trading in

mine. The monies from the Blue
Elephant go into Mohan's.

I'm its legal custodian."

"Perfect." He moved
toward the stairs, saying, "We'll be

in the carriage house when
you're finished buttoning coats,

finding reticules, pulling on
gloves and pinning hats. Try not

to take forever. We have a lot
to do
this
afternoon." He was

halfway down when he added,
"And don't forget to bring

Mohan's letter of
credit."

Alex stood there, considering
the space his shoulders had

filled only seconds before. It
was just after two
o'
clock ...
It

had been just before ten when
she'd walked into Barrett Stanbridge's

office. Just over four hours
ago she'd had complete

authority over this house and
all the people in it Now ...

How could one man so
thoroughly, effortlessly seize control

in so short a time? He barked
and Mohan obeyed. He

made requests and she acceded.
Grudgingly, yes, but acceded

nonetheless. He issued
pronouncements and she accepted

them. What protests she
mustered, he dismissed and

moved around as
if
she
hadn't bothered. And as
if
all that

wasn't bad enough, he looked
as though he might want
to
kiss

her and she wasn't the least
bit insulted, much less repulsed.

It was as if he'd walked in
the door and she'd taken
im
mediate

leave of her senses. How could
he do that? What

was wrong with her? At court
she was renowned for her refusal

to
be
submissive to any man. She'd sent officers of Her

Majesty's Army running for
cover. Even the raja walked

softly around her, for God's
sake! But not Aiden Terrell. Oh,

no, he just plowed his way in
and through and over and

didn't give her resistance so
much as a passing note.

What was it he'd said? That he
was born to command?

That he did it well? He
certainly hadn't been lying or even

stretching the truth. He'd
also said that he could go toe to toe

with anyone and that she'd met
her match when it came to

being willful. That also
appeared to be true. He really was a

most infuriating man. It
didn't help that he was also devilishly

handsome and thoroughly
charming when he wanted to be.

That just-out-of-bed tousled
hair of his, that dimple when he

grinned ... Those incredibly
green eyes. How wondrously

the light danced in them when
he laughed.

Alex mentally shook herself to
dispel the debilitating images.

If
she
had any self-respect left at all, she'd walk back

into the salon, sit down, and
pick up a book. She'd refuse

to
find her coat and trot dutifully and obediently
down to

the carriage house. And
if
she did
that. he wouldn't bother to

come looking for her. No, he'd
simply look back at the house,

shrug, and then take Mohan off
to God only knew where to

do God only knew what.

He'd managed to very
effectively strip away her choices.

With an exasperated stamp of
her foot. Alex gritted her teeth

and went to get her things.

Aiden pulled open the latches,
swung open both sections of

the carriage house door, and
then paused, watching Mohan

peer into the shadowed
interior.

"It
is a
dirty
place."

And the boy was trying hard
not to be fascinated by it.

Grinning, Aiden walked past
him, saying, "It's actually in

very good condition. A bit of
sweeping up and an airing out

would do wonders." He
motioned off to his left. "If you'll

open the windows on that side,
I'll get those on the other."

Holding his thumb and
forefinger about
three
inches apart,

he added, "Roughly this
wide."

''What is this place used
for?"

Aiden lifted the window sash,
his smile broadening as he

heard Mohan doing the same on
the other side. "It's a carriage

house and stable."

''We do not have a carriage.
And, as you can see, there are

no horses, either. Why is it
that we are opening the windows

of an empty building?"

Because,
Aiden silently answered,
I have a
plan.
"Well,
if

you were a horse," he
posed, ''would you want to go to a new

home that was stuffy and
stale?"

''We are acquiring
horses?"

Ah the sound of too studied
disinterest Aiden moved to

the
next
stall,
the next window, the next step of his course.
.

''Five of them.
Three
for
riding and two for the carriage."

"Are
we acquiring a carriage, too?'

Moving on down the line of
stalls, Aiden didn't look at

the boy as he answered,
"It
would be
rather pointless to have

carriage horses and no
carriage, wouldn't it?"

''Will
it be an open one so that we can be admired when

we drive about town?"

A little less restraint than
before. Aiden chuckled, remembering

how easy he'd been at that
age.
''If
that's what

you want. But do
bear
in mind
that,
if
that's
what you

choose, it's going to be a
cold ride for the next few months."

"I am
to
be
allowed to choose the carriage?'

And the restraint was gone,
evaporated in the gleaming

allure of whirring wheels and
adult power. ''With a bit of

guidance," Aiden
qualified.

''Miss Alex knows nothing of
carriages," Mohan offered,

a decidedly wary note shading
the observation.

Aiden opened the last window
on his side. ''Then it's a

good thing that I do, isn't
it?"