The Runner's Enticement (Men of Circumstance Book 2) (5 page)

Chapter 9

Ungentlemanly or no, based on their short acquaintance—and her continued need to thwart him—Nate felt it best to take a truce from Lady Annabel the same as he would from The Viper. With strong suspicion.

Despite several hours passing since her last attempt to sneak away, her daring still had the power to make him snarl in her direction.

Endless hours at the school hadn’t helped to cool his irritation. He’d get nowhere with her—and ultimately his mission—unless he set aside his misgivings and trusted she’d finally come to her senses and accept his protection.

And protection was all he’d give—no matter what his traitorous body had begged for when her slight form had been melded to his chest. Thankfully, she hadn’t the experience to translate what certain parts of his anatomy had attempted to convey.

That he desired her.

That, against his wishes, he found her every curve tempting and wanted to explore each in intimate detail. He’d been powerless to refrain from caressing her hand. The sane part of him knew it was ill-advised and in normal circumstances he’d stay far from her. The truth didn’t stop him from wanting her, though. As if he hadn’t learned years ago what hid beneath such subtle beauty. Maybe not under
her
specific beauty but someone of the same ilk. He felt fairly confident all society belles could be lumped together.

Diana’s appeal might have been more obvious—and the initial reason he’d fallen at her feet—but in the end, she and Lady Annabel had the most important quality in common. Their title.

The daughter of a viscount, Honorable Diana Wilex had been far above him in stature and, he’d believed, his reach. He’d been equally thrilled and perplexed when she’d accepted his attentions. Actually, a more accurate depiction would be she’d invited his advances. Young, and not wise enough to deny his desire, he hadn’t offered any resistance. Hell, he’d panted after her.

If only his cravings had stopped with the need to possess her body. Instead, he’d been a complete fool and fallen in love with her. A deeper love than his customary fleeting affections.

Aware of what his father had thought of his bastard status and assuming her father would feel the same, Nate hadn’t questioned her request to keep their relationship from her peers. He’d been willing to elope to Gretna Green if need be. Anything to be with Diana. He’d have been better off if she’d slapped his face instead of allowing him to take her to bed. At least then he would have escaped with his heart intact.

He had learned a valuable lesson the day Diana declared him a fool. She had no use for a bastard, beyond warming her mattress until she found a man who carried a title worthy of her. She’d confirmed what his father had told him every day he’d denied Nate’s existence; he would never be good enough.

Years later, the claim still had the power to boil his blood. Thankfully his father was dead to the world and Diana was dead to Nate. The lessons he’d learned were far from fading. He clenched his hands.

Unfortunately
.

From his perch in the corner of her office, Nate half studied the current highbred lady in his life as she sorted out the problems of two bickering, older children. As much as he hated the thought, he’d have to concede Lady Annabel hadn’t revealed a lot in common with Diana. He also suspected she’d smack his lips off his face before she’d allow him to kiss her.

Not that she would choose a bastard Runner over someone of equal rank. Fortunately for him, he had no intention of testing her allegiance.

“That will be all,” she instructed the students, finally pulling his attention to the here and now. “I hope, moving forward, you will remember letting trivial disagreements overshadow your main purpose will never help you succeed.”

Watching Lady Annabel in what was clearly her element, a twinge of respect mixed with his displeasure. If he allowed it, her actions in the last twenty minutes might manage to alter his perspective. She’d been fair but unyielding with the two and never once had she lost control of the situation.

However, he had no plans to amend his stance on the infuriating—albeit attractive—Lady Annabel. If he did, he’d never get back on solid ground with her. She’d already destroyed too much of his focus.

He must remember what was important. As soon as he found the culprit responsible for the thefts, he could return to his life before her. And be done with the upper crust.

“Now, back to your class. And I had better not hear word from Miss Harold that you’ve been at continued odds again,” Lady Annabel finished as she ushered the girls from the room.

Two very sheepishly given, “Yes, Lady Annabel,” floated into the room before she shut the door behind the students.

She seemed to have dismissed him from her mind as she relaxed against the closed door, her eyes shut. He shifted in his chair at her long silence.

He was about to clear his throat to remind her of his presence when she spoke with her eyes still closed. “I care for each of the girls but some days they try my patience.”

He had enough wisdom pertaining to women to keep from comparing the students with her equally trying nature. To that end, he remained silent while she drew a breath—which he couldn’t help but notice accentuated her perfectly rounded breasts—and went back to her desk.

“I think that is enough mediating for today. We should be getting back. I’m still worried about Papa after this morning’s discovery.”

Perched on the stool in the corner like a misbehaved youth, he had the perfect view of her tidying her desk. She wasn’t looking at him, but years of experience had trained him to spot the subtle cues a body gave. Although worry for her father might line her delicate frame, there was something more. Something deeper.

He intended to discover what.

Back at the estate, Nate loosened the reins on Lady Annabel. Partly because she’d been behaving since their
agreement
. Mostly because he’d left word with his man Grant, assigned by Nate to the stable. Acting as an extra lookout after the latest theft, Grant was to keep an eye out for any fleeing ladies.

Nate finished his last of many circles around the house to make damned sure the crook wouldn’t find a way in. Unable to determine how the house had been breached the night before still burned, especially after he’d painstakingly secured every entrance before he’d retired. His gut pushed for him to accept the obvious. All the trouble seemed to come from someone on the
inside
. But before he went to the earl accusing the staff, he needed proof.

Not only because obtaining such proof was his job. Being the son of a maid, Nate knew all too well the challenges house staff often faced. He refused to heap false accusations on anyone.

After stopping to check the lock on the last window between him and the front entry, Nate took a step back and surveyed his surroundings. Investigating a theft would typically be a solo job, but with his main focus being the safety of Lady Annabel, Nate had brought his best men with him. He didn’t possess enough eyes to keep one on the ever-fleeing miss, one on the estate, and still manage to explore every avenue presented.

Though tempting, Nate refused to leave Lady Annabel’s protection to anyone else. Even though he trusted his men with his life, he wouldn’t pass the burden—rather,
responsibility
—of Lady Annabel on to one of them.

The fact didn’t keep him from having to swallow a choke of frustration, knowing instead of being able to search out clues, he’d been playing nursemaid at her infernal school.

No matter how fetching his charge happened to be.

As if he’d conjured her to life, Lady Annabel appeared at the front entryway. She wore the same lovely blue day dress he’d painstakingly observed glide across her body with each of her movements at the school.

Despite how happenstance her crossing his path appeared, he remained apprehensive. He was beginning to suspect her wallflower demeanor was a ruse. The miss had a hidden—and calculated—agenda.

If only he could decipher what.

Keeping with their call of truce, he silenced his suspicions and welcomed her with an inviting grin—not ready to forgo the possibility of charming her into compliance.

“Lady Annabel, may I be of service?”

She stopped before him, her eyes narrowing into slivers that reminded him of sapphire tinted ice shards. Suspicious reservation seemed to glint through her crystal orbs at his cordial greeting.

“Not precisely. But the scope of your services is what I wanted to discuss.”

Her gaze became determined, causing a tingle of trepidation to crawl down the back of his neck.
This can’t be good.

“With the disturbances of late, I’ve overlooked an invitation I accepted to a neighbor’s soiree this evening.”

A forgotten gala was hardly ample reason for her to seek him out. If that was the worst of her news, he’d take it.

“Therefore—” She paused.

Ah, they’d arrived at the unwanted demand he’d expected.

“Therefore, your services will not be needed this evening. I could hardly make an appearance with my uninvited bodyguard in tow,” she rushed on.

He stood silent. Was she actually attempting to escape him yet again? Especially after their truce? If not for years of women telling him otherwise, he’d begin to doubt his appeal.

Being it a gathering of her peers, he assumed her avoidance had less to do with his lack of invitation and more to do with his lowly status.

As much as he didn't want it to, it stung to know he’d never be accepted as an equal.

“Uninvited or unwanted?” The words were out before he could stop them. Once spoken, his rising fury took control and didn’t quiet at her look of confusion. “No matter your reasoning, I’m not about to relinquish my responsibilities so you can dance the night away.”

Her puzzlement vanished with a soft snicker.

“What is so humorous, princess?”

“Your impression of my social demand is rather amusing.”

She didn’t expound, leaving
him
bemused. “I don’t follow.”

“Your perception that my evening will be filled with endless dances is inaccurate. While there will unquestionably be dancing, I will not be partaking.”

“A lack of suitable bachelors in the country who met your lofty standards?”

She didn’t even blink at his insolence. “If not for the complete absurdity of your assessment, I’d be gravely offended. My lack of dancing has nothing to do with a deficiency in eligible partners but rather the complete absence of
any
partner.”

He’d like to think he wasn’t such a dolt he couldn’t comprehend simple speech, but at the moment he hadn’t a clue what she spoke of.

“I’m afraid you have me at a loss. Care to explain?”

A faint blush warmed her creamy cheeks, though she didn’t turn away. “In plain speaking, Mr. Frederickson, no one asks me to dance.”

He wanted to accuse her of lying, or at least embellishing, but the palpable tension drifting from her spoke the truth. He also suspected the statement had cost her more than slight embarrassment. He immediately regretted forcing her to reveal it.

She continued in a rush, “Don’t you dare pity me. I have no wish to dance with most of the men in attendance anyhow. They are either too shallow or too conceited to conduct anything remotely close to an actual conversation.”

He released a full laugh that had nothing to do with her adorably annoyed expression. His humor streamed from the absurdity of the entire situation.

Even making her acquaintance a scant day before, countless thoughts of her tempting body had stirred his thoughts. Not to mention the seductiveness of her immensely kissable lips—when she wasn’t spewing insults at his head. What was he thinking? He desired a taste of her lips even then.

Her social sphere had to be filled with the dumbest of men. Maybe she was merely ignorant to their attentions. The entire realm of English lords couldn’t be blind. Could they?

Yes, her allure was subtle, and perhaps her rather haughty behavior extended to all men, but surely
someone
had noticed the potential passion within her.

During his scrutiny she remained completely still, as if cataloging
his
possible appeal. Nate struggled between discomfort under her directness and resorting to form by flashing her a saucy grin paired with a wink.

He settled for doing neither. Some unknown force in him wanted her to see him as someone other than a charmer; more than the man he presented to the world. Which was absurd considering he’d met her only yesterday and he didn’t particularly
like
her.

Hesitant to investigate the unfamiliar notion, he broke the silence. “Whether or not you will be dancing is not the issue. Your attempt to flee my protection, less than twelve hours after our agreement, is disconcerting.”

Any sense of calm drained from her face, which was fine by him. He rather preferred the flash of fire burning hot in her blue-green eyes.

“You, Mr. Frederickson, are a very exasperating man!”

She raised a hand to halt him when he opened his month to defend himself. “Before you begin yet another lecture, let me clarify. My dismissal of your services has nothing to do with escaping your clutches, despite wanting that above all else. I can hardly visit the home of a friend with a bodyguard. My place may be with the other bluestockings and wallflowers on the side of the ballroom, but I refuse to subject my reputation to whatever rumors would sprout from you being my shadow. If not for myself, then for the standing of the school. Families would hardly be encouraged to send their young daughters to an institution of learning run by someone with a less than sterling reputation. That, Mr. Frederickson, is my reasoning.”

He should have felt chastened, and maybe he did slightly, but regardless of her reasoning—possibly valid—there had to be more to it. Only hours earlier, she’d attempted to sneak from the house. Either way he wouldn’t blindly take her word.