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“Do you feel a physical attraction for me, Max?”

“You’re direct, aren’t you?” he retorted “Yes, Marietta, I do feel a physical attraction for you”

She shted with his answer

He felt like s back

Despite his present circuht to revere gentlewomen as precious objects that must never be sullied by a man’s basest desires Gentlewomen were destined to be wives, pure and perfect, raised upon the pedestal of Victorian womanhood But Max was a man, too, and he needed to release those base desires When he did so it ith the sort of woentlewomen

But Miss Greentree confused him On one hand she was a pure vision of womanhood, and on the other hand she was the sort of woman he felt he could happily and unrestrainedly take to his bed The best of both worlds, in fact

“I ht Is that the way these bargains are normally sealed? A si first?”

A saht, but he reined it back in “In such circumstances I trust you to know your business and you trust me to know mine”

Marietta Greentree thought about this “Well, I knowfor you, Max”

The pert ave an angry laugh “I am not an inexperienced boy, I’ll have you know”

She widened her eyes as if she was impressed, but it was all show

“Are you goading me, Miss Greentree?”

“Not at all, Max, but I do think I should test the truth of your claims”

I’ht, and yet she couldn’t see to be a courtesan then I must practice, and Max seems so perfect… She wasn’t afraid of him, she realized with surprise Perhaps it was because of the balloon ride, when he had protected her during the rough landing, but she felt as if Max would always keep her safe, whatever she said and did It gave her a res with him

“Very well,” he said, a deterlint in his eye, “you asked for it”