Damn, but he was handling this badly! He didn't want to make it worse now by insulting her, or hurting her any more than he already had. But he didn't trust himself to keep his hands off her, no matter how stupid an idea it was.
Then again, if.he angered her sufficiently, she would be the one to avoid him.
He didn't like*the idea, yet given the messy circumstances of their acquaintance, it seemed to be the best option open to him.
So he answered her question though he no longer believed his own words. "When it comes to protecting your idiot brother, you have already shown yourself to be bolder and more daring than any woman I've ever met. It can be no wonder, then, that I assume you would be willing to buy your brother's safety with the use of your body."
She slapped him.
He deserved it. But though he wanted to apologize to her, he did not. This attraction between them must be killed. It had begun too abruptly. It would have to end in the same manner. So he stepped back from her and gave an abbreviated bow. "I'll leave you now."
When he reached the door, however, she called out. "I'm not turning back, Lord Hartley. You can't scare me off so easily as 3JI that."
He did not think he had. But Harrison kept his own counsel. He did not look back at her or respond in any way. He left and sought his own room where he and a bottle of whisky proceeded to spend a long, restless night together.
How was he to get rid of the difficult Jinx Benchley? He'd kissed her, a stupid move, given who she was and the circumstances of their relationship. He'd seen her naked and run his hands over her delectable body, compounding his stupidity tenfold. Still, he'd not totally compromised her. Somehow he'd managed not to do anything he could not undo.
He stared up at the ceiling, disgusted with himself. He wanted her even though he knew she was not the sort of woman a man could seduce with impunity. But logic fell short when it came to his reaction to Jinx. Though he should put her out of his mind, he could not. He wanted her still.
He heaved a great sigh and lifted the whisky glass once more to his lips. The only solution was to get rid of the difficult and delicious Miss Benchley before he gave in and did something that he could not undo.
Chapter Five
She should have slept the sleep of the dead; she'd been that exhausted. But Jinx was too upset to sleep. Too agitated and bewildered and furious.
By midnight she was seething. How dare he burst into her private chamber?
By two A.M. she was ready to commit murder. How dare he kiss her, then turn around and accuse her of trying to distract him!
By four o'clock, she was sick with shame. How could she have risen, wet and naked from the tub, with him right there? How could she have kissed him so passionately? And why should he not question the purposes of any woman who behaved so?
When the downstairs clock chimed half past four, she decided she must do something, else she would tear her hair out in utter frustration. So she dressed in her wrinkled, barely dried riding costume, pulled on dry hose and wet boots, then wound her hair into a serviceable knot and tied on her hat. She would not subject herself to Harrison Stirling's distracting presence one moment longer. Nor him to hers. She would go on alone. According to their hostess, Scotland was another two-day ride-assuming the weather cooperated. With the slower carriage, Colin could not be too much ahead of her.
The hove Match
Perhaps she might even catch up with him today.
She paused at the door. Lord Hartley would be furious and he would be after her with the same vengeance he felt for Colin. He was not a man accustomed to being thwarted. But that only intensified her resolve. He deserved to be thwarted. He deserved to have his sister wed someone he refused to approve.
Jinx's brow creased in a frown. In a way it was ironic, for in theory, her goals and Lord Hartley's were the same: prevent the union in marriage of their respective siblings. But her primary reason for wanting to prevent it was to avoid Lord Hartley's revenge upon Colin. If his nature were not so vengeful, she would not be so opposed to Colin marrying his sister.
But why should she help the arrogant Lord Hartley achieve his aim? Why should she seek to prevent Colin and Alice marrying? They were adult enough to make their own decisions, and if they were in love, who was she to gainsay them? Rather than join with Lord Hartley in thwarting them, it behooved her to rush to their aid- and thereby thwart Lord Hartley.
Her hand tightened on the ceramic doorknob. She would find the wayward pair before he could, she vowed. And if necessary, she would hire Bow Street runners to protect them. And she would laugh in Harrison Stirling's face and bring his sister home to Benchley Manor and all its charming follies.
Feeling much better than she had in hours, Jinx shoved the door open-and promptly sent a tower of pots clattering onto the floor.
"Lizard legs!" she swore as one of the metal vessels careened down the hall. So much for making a silent getaway.
When the last lid stilled its wobbling spin, she heard the creak of a door and the thud of footfalls on the bare wood floor. But Jinx did not want to hear the triumph in Lord Hartley's voice, or see the gloating look in his eyes. She slammed her door, then leaned back against it, breathing hard. Blast the man for foiling her escape. And blast him for being the most difficult, frustrating, stubborn oaf she'd ever had the misfortune to meet!
"Good try." His voice came through the door, and she jumped like a startled cat. "Good try, but you can't escape me that easily," he continued.
If it weren't that his voice was so unnervingly husky, Jinx would have snapped some sharp retort at him. She would! The trouble was, his voice was unnervingly husky. It was dark and warm and as luscious as velvet pouring over her naked skin.
"Bee's knees," she breathed, afraid for her own sanity. She lurched away from the door, one hand at her throat, the other holding on to her valise with a death grip. This was insane. Insane! She could not be having such an improbable reaction to this man. Such a primitive and visceral reaction.
But she was. There was no denying it. And that, more than anything else, kept her somber and silent in her room the long remainder of the night.
The farmer's wife came at dawn with a tray. Jinx ate because she knew she must. The stable lad brought the horses around to the front door, but still she sat in the room. Only when Lord Hartley knocked at her door did she rouse. "Go along without me. I'm not accompanying you any further."
He came straightaway into the room, as she should have known he would. "Are you ill?" he demanded to know.
"Yes. Ill," she responded, refusing to look at him. She was afraid to.
At once he pressed his hand to her brow. Jinx leapt back, a difficult feat, considering she was sitting on the bed. She glared at him. "Who taught you manners? This is not your room, nor am I your concern. Go." She waved her hand. "Go on about your fool's errand. As for me, I am returning home."
"To Hampshire? To Benchley Manor?" he asked, fixing her with a suspicious gaze.
She nodded. Now that she was looking at him, it seemed she could not look away. He was so tall, and so beautiful, she conceded, in a harsh, masculine sort of way. Why must he be the one man to move her?
By rights he should be the very last man to attract her. Other than his manly appearance, he had nothing to commend him. He was too arrogant, too high-handed, and too rich, and she had no inkling whether he possessed either intellect or common sense, both of which she admired in a person.
But he is a loyal brother, the small voice of reason reminded her. Rightly or wrongly, he took his sister's welfare most seriously.
Too seriously, she decided when he crossed his arms and stared down at her. "I am not fool enough to leave you here alone, Jinx, neither for my sake nor your own."