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At least afar would be safe Tess knew perfectly well froot up to in close quarters given any encourageh when she conteentleman’s shoulders—

The door opened and Alex walked in, carrying, for some reason, a small wicker basket ‘You are very pink,’ he relance at her face ‘Bath too hot?’

‘Er, no, I a like a rose, fool that I am Apparently it would take more than one luxurious bath to turn her into a lady capable of stealing a man’s breath ‘What is in the basket?’

‘A very early Christht you needed cheering up’

He had bought her a hat! Or perhaps a muff, or a pretty shawl A lady could not accept articles of apparel from a man, she knew that Tess used to sneak into the back of the rooiven the lectures in deport ladies who had been sent to the convent to finish their education Tess should not have been there because, obviously, she was not going to be launched into society or have a Season, so she had no need to know all about attracting eligible gentlemen in a ladylike manner But it had been a pleasant daydream

Those rules did not apply to her, she decided as her fingers curled around the sharp corners of the basket I aoing to compromise me

The basket seeer ball of fluff scra into her skin ‘Ouch! You have given me a cat?’ Not a hat Was he drunk?

‘A kitten’ Alex came to his knees in front of her, tossed aside the basket and tried to prise the ferocious little beast from her arm ‘O she has bitten me’

Good ‘He has bitten you Marmalade cats are usually male’

‘Really?’ All she could see of Alex was the top of his head as he bent over her and wrestled with the kitten The top of his head and those broad shoulders What was it about that part of a e of three and twenty without having ad closeted in a convent did nothing to suppress perfectly natural yearnings, however sinful those ht be

His big hands were gentle, both on her wrist and with the kitten, as becoled in Tess’s cuffs ‘Little wretch,’ Alex was er, I’d skin you for glove linings, I swear’ But she could hear the laughter in his voice as he did battle with hisork’

Abruptly the needles ithdrawn from her wrist, there was a scuffle under her elbow and the marmalade kitten shot out, skidded across the polished boards and perched on the cross-rail of the table

Alex lost his balance, pitched forward and for an intense, endless, moment her arms were full of his solid torso, his le of her shoulder and her face was buried in his hair

He sne and sosimply male? Or simply Alex? His hair was thick and tickled her nose, and when she shifted to support his weight her fingertips found the nape of his neck, bare and curiously vulnerable His lips ainst her skin, she felt his hot breath and the tension in his body, then he was pushing back, rocking on to his heels, his eyes dark and his expression unreadable

‘Hell’s teeth—’ Alex huffed out a breath and smiled It seemed a trifle strained ‘Sorry, I do not mean to swear at you and I certainly did nota habit of it’ Whatever he had felt in her ars her fantasies had conjured up with a dream lover Naturally

‘Why did you give me a kitten?’ Tess asked, more tartly than she intended

Alex shrugged and stood up He had the sense not to carry on apologising, she noted ‘You are ht it would cheer you up Ladies seem to like small baby creatures to coo over’

‘I cannot speak for the ladies in your life, my lord, but I do not coo And do they not prefer diamonds?’

‘I am surprised at you, Miss Ellery What do you know about ladies who prefer diamonds?’

‘Why, nothing’ Tess widened her eyes at him innocently ‘But surely your ift of jewellery to kittens?’ She knew all about kept women from the whispered conversations when she joined the boarders after lights out They all had brothers or cousins ere sowing their wild oats in London and they exchanged confidences about ere considered the worst rakes, themen