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He was uncertain how long they sat there in silence, but sensing so hi him in surprise

"Are you finished here?" he asked in low tones

She gave a slow nod of her head "Yes"

Gently running his hand over the girl’s tangled locks, he reluctantly set her onto her feet and watched as she hurried toward the other children Only then did he rise to his feet and fall into step beside Miss Kingly as she made her way back to the door and out into the street

Realizing that she was still regarding him with puzzled surprise, he abruptly caaze squarely

"What is it?"

"Annie"

It took ato the child he had held on his lap

"Is that her na minx"

"She is very wary of adults Indeed, I have never been allowed even to come close to her,"

the maiden confessed

Lucien smiled at her puzzleentleood with children

"Perhaps she was felled by htly "Females find it quite irresistible, you know"

A reluctant srateful you coaxed her into eating her dinner Although the older children do their best, she is easily overlooked"

Lucien reached up to tenderly cup her chin "It is no hardship to be kind to children"

A faint treh her at his touch, and his heart quickened as she reached out to tongue and moisten her lips

"I wish that all shared your senti closer, he allowed the passions that had been so long suppressed to course through his blood In the soft night his blood ran hot

"That is enough for this evening, Miss Kingly," he said in husky tones "You have done your duty and it is ti the sudden heat in the air, her eyes widened "What enjoyable pastiave a low chuckle "You shall soon discover, Miss Kingly"

Four

Jocelyn shifted uneasily on her chair as she cast a covert glance at the elegant gentleman seated across the small chessboard from her He should appear ludicrously out of place in the shabby roo in the golden strands of his long hair Even the delicate beauty of his features was a direct contrast to the harsh surroundings He surely was a creature of Mayfair

And yet there was no hint of discoentlea spinster

Instead, a wicked shly distracted Jocelyn fro her intense scrutiny, the golden gaze abruptly lifted to regard her with open amusement

"Checkmate," he announced in soft tones

Startled out of her odd distraction, Jocelyn glanced down at the chessboard to discover that she had indeed been properly cornered

A disgruntled disbelief flared through her at being so easily bested

"Iently back in his seat,no effort to hide his satisfaction "I did warn you that I am quite skilled"

"I am known to possess a certain amount of skill myself," she retorted with a hint of annoyance

"You have skill," he conceded before allowing his gaze to deliberately drop to her full a to risk all to capture victory"

It would be ie that he spoke of led to hide that absurd prickle of awareness that raced through her

"Risk can as easily bring defeat"

If possible, his smile beca Anyone can aze returned to pierce deep into her wary eyes "Ah, but one who is willing to boldly strike out without knowing if he is destined to taste success or falter in failure is truly a aa chess or facing an ene a woman

And in truth, she had once been very much like him Confident, brash, and utterly confident that she was iht her a bitter lesson in assu that she could play with fire and not be burned