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He dragged his attention back inside as Mrs Marberry knelt on the seat beside his He shouldn’t be feeling this weak--da a shuddery breath, he peeled his hand away from the wound in his side and winced The scent of blood flooded his nose, saliva springing into his htly, the warm press of the body beside hi The color drained out of his vision, leaving hiht across the pale skin of Rosa’s throat Instantly the de to drown hiut clenching in need Christ

He grabbed her upper ar to push her away The htened but Rosa didn’t withdraw Lynch loo through him

He shuddered "Devil take you, leaveto sanity by the finest of threads

"Here," she said gri froht as the steae lurched intounscrewed drew his focus and then Rosa was pressing it to his lips

Blood washed over his tongue Lynch caught her wrist in surprise, then tipped the flask up He needed blood Lots of it--anything to focus histhe flask, he collapsed back against the plush carriage seats, panting Rosa took it from him and neatly screwed the lid back on

He could feel her watching him The world see softly in the dark interior Even the pain in his side ebbed to a dull throb as the craving virus began to heal hi there wouldn’t even be a scar, courtesy of his high CV levels

"Thank you," he said

Rosa let out a low breath "I should be thanking you That blade wascloser, she fumbled at his chest "Let loves, she eased the the buckles to his body arht, he caught a glimpse of the scarred back of her left hand and the paler skin My father… He suddenly wanted to knohat the man had done to her but he didn’t ask This was the first tilanced up, he realized that she knew he’d been staring at her slightly thickened fingers

Rosa swiftly glanced down, tugging at another buckle Heat darkened her cheeks as if eive a damn about the deformity, but he would respect her wishes in the matter and not ave way Built to stop a knife or a blow, it had been poor defense against Bleight’s sword

"Why did he do it?" she asked softly Taking hold of his undershirt in both hands, she ripped it up the side, baring his skin to her gaze

Lynch shivered at the chill, feeling the cool blood pulsing down his hip The blade had taken hiertips probed the slash "Attack you Why did he think you had so to do with his son’s death?"

"I told you, Alistair and I were cousins" Lynch bared his teeth in a silent hiss as she touched a particularly tender spot "Bleight has long held the position that I desired Alistair’s place as heir of the House"

"That couldn’t be further fro her expression in the flickering light frohts "Once"

Her silence was al filled her expression "Of course You were Lord Arrondale’s cousin--which makes you the duke’s nephew"

"Third in line to the duchy," he said with a bleak sht were never friends My father was born an hour after Bleight and he never forgot it"

Her gloved thuainst the bare flesh of his side "He wanted you to be duke?"

"He pushed s, to prove ht of birth, but I could overthrow him if I chose All I had to do was duel hie And kill hi for his father, but not that

Lynch looked down beneath his lashes at the soft fingers that unconsciously stroked his hip "I don’t knohy I’ you this"

"You’re weak," she said, her white teeth flashing a quick s back with a sigh, she tugged her skirts up

The sight stilled hilea-clad calves Taking hold of the hem of her petticoats, she tore theut clench

"What are you doing?" he asked sharply

"I’e of you in that way Youthe fine linen into a ball, she tore another long strip, yanking sharply on the material with little care to the fact that his eyes were locked on her ankles

Tossing her skirts down, Rosa knelt on the seat, bending forward Shadows enveloped her upper body, but he could still see the faint outline of her breasts as she pressed herher ar piece of linen around his back and dragged it clear with a determined expression

Her teeth worried at her lip as she worked Lynch watched, entirely frozen He could feel the heat off her body and sense the scant inch between the but darkness and warnited his desire, his dreams And instantly he knew that when he was finally alone, he’d dreaht shocked hiht, but there was so about the shadoreathed woman in front of him that drew him A sense of…tenderness

His own secretary Bloody hell If he was one of hishimself up by the heels

A tendril of hair brushed his cheek in the dark interior of the carriage, silky-s his wound, she barely noticed as he turned his head and breathed in the scent of her Whatever perfume she used, it bathed her skin and drenched her hair as if she’d washed in it He could barely discern her natural scent His ht He yearned to press his face to her throat, to drink in that scent, his body reacting with swift need

"There," sheoff the ends of the piece of petticoat The instant she was done, she tugged her gloves back on as if the lack of theuild"

Lynch sucked in a shaky breath "Thank you You’re most efficient"

"In allin the silvery aze slowly lowered as she sobered "You knew Lady Arrondale"

The words were no question

"Annabelle?" The thought sheared through his desire like a knife

"You were very gentle with her body"