Taming of the Beast (Scandalous Affairs #2) - Christi Caldwell Page 0,52

fine family won’t.” He took her by the shoulders and squeezed lightly. “And because you don’t have the sense God gave a gnat to watch out for yourself.”

Surprise brought her eyes wide open as she stared up at the darkly beautiful man now holding her.

“You…”

He was already shaking his head. “No.”

“Care.”

“I don’t,” he said quickly. Too quickly.

But it was enough. He might deny it, but there was no other way to explain his adamance.

“I promise you I shan’t be harmed.”

A strained laugh spilled from his lips, and he rested his forehead against hers. “My God, are you truly so naïve as to believe you can control that?”

But he did not protest any further, and she tamped down a smile, lest he see it and be further offended. “If I’m careful, I can do anything, Mr.…” He narrowed his eyes. “Sir,” she finished on a whisper.

He stared at her for a long while and then shook his head. “You’re mad.”

“I prefer determined,” she said with a toss of her head. “But you? You are insufferable.”

Just then, the door opened and he and Faye looked over.

The two little boys whom she’d met when she’d crawled out of the cupboard stood on the front step. “Do ye need any ’elp wit that one, sir?” the boy John called over.

And then with an ominous-for-his-age gesture, the boy Jack cracked his knuckles.

She sputtered. “Your boys need to learn manners.”

“They aren’t my boys,” he muttered.

Faye planted her hands on her hips, and got to the matter at hand. “If we’re not going back to speak with Mr. Colb, I want to go meet Mr. Oswyn.” She paused. “Now.”

“The hell you are,” he gritted out. “I said we’re done for the day.”

She sputtered.

“Ye sure ye ’ave ’er ’andled?” John asked dubiously.

Smiling at the pair of boys, Faye waved at them. “He most decidedly does not. I’m not one to be ‘handled’.”

Wide-eyed the boys looked to Tynan.

Cursing once more, he looked off to where that hack he’d sent away was now parked.

“We’re visiting Mr. Oswyn’s?” she asked excitedly.

“No.”

“Tomorrow then?” she pressed.

Jack called over. “Sir?”

“Go back inside, boys,” he ordered with more patience in his tone than she believed him capable of. “The lady is just leaving.”

The pair immediately filed inside the house, shutting the door behind them.

And then, like she was a child, and not a woman with a mind of her own, he took her by the hand, and started onward toward the waiting conveyance. This time, she didn’t fight him.

When they reached the carriage, he finally spoke to Faye, however, there was only more of that icy hardness, and none of the surprising gentleness he’d shown to the children. “This is done.”

“Very well,” she said, infusing a calm meant to balance his fury. “Then, tomorrow we’ll see Mr. Oswyn.”

“You aren’t seeing him tomorrow.” He handed several more coins over to the driver, and gave directions of Grosvenor Square. “You aren’t seeing him ever, Faye,” he added, almost as an afterthought. With that, he started back to his house.

She rocked back on her heels as the truth slammed into her with the force of a weight of bricks landing on her. “Everything you promised and pledged has been a lie,” she called after him. His silence confirmed that ugly supposition. And worse… “You’ve merely been indulging me.” He continued on his way, and she thought either he planned to leave her here, or that he hadn’t heard her. All of this, somehow made this betrayal all the worse. He’d given her enough to make it look like he was helping her accomplish her work. All the while, he’d no true intention of offering her anything of meaning to carry through with what she sought to do.

Besieged by a sudden urge to scream, Faye abandoned the hack and raced after Tynan.

Behind her, the carriage immediately snapped into motion, rolling away.

Suddenly, Tynan stopped midstride. Whipping back; he glanced between Faye and the now departing carriage. “You cost me six pence.” Uttering a curse loudly enough that it reached her ears, Tynan stomped over. The menacing set to his hard lips, sent a shiver through her.

Faye took several reflexive steps back before realizing what she did, and then she dug her booted feet into the ground to keep herself planted. Angling her head back, she dared him with her gaze.

Alas, a man like Tynan Wylie could never be dared to do anything.

“No,” he said flatly.

“No, as in…?”

“As in a man like Oswyn, resurrected from the grave, isn’t one that you