To Catch A Thief (Saved By Desire 3)

“I want you,” he whispered, resting his head against hers for a moment.

“I want you,” she replied honestly.

“We can’t take this any further right now. Don’t put temptation there, my darling Sophia. I am not that strong a man that I am able to resist such sweetness.” Jeb forced himself to keep her at arm’s length. Ignoring the slight hurt in her eyes, he nodded toward the sitting room. “Let’s go and sit down before we take things further than we ought. There is something you need to know.”

Still trembling with the force of the need that was rampaging through her, Sophia nodded jerkily and sat on the chaise before her knees buckled beneath her.

Aware that time was short, Jeb explained in everything that had happened with his recent investigation for the Star Elite. He made no attempt to hide the truth from her because to have awareness of the dangers around her would stop her taking risks with her life. Jeb needed her to be wary. He wanted her not to trust anyone but him. He hated to bring Terence Sayers, or Bamber, into Sophia’s life, but he needed her to understand what it was he did for the War Office.

“It sounds incredibly dangerous,” she murmured.

She was dazed; amazed, horrified, awed, and fearful all at the same time. Not for herself, however, but for him because from what he had just told her he placed his life in danger every time he stepped outside of the house. It was horrifying.

“It means my work often takes me away at short notice, I am afraid.” There was a hint of apology in his voice. “It is where I went. I had to follow the man you saw in the village.”

“You found him?” She gasped in shock.

Jeb nodded. “Yes, I found him, and I followed him. He went all the way to London.”

Rather than go into detail right now, Jeb kissed the back of Sophia’s hands. “How has Delilah been? I take it she hasn’t been too harsh on you?”

“I don’t think our association will ever be called a relationship to be honest with you. I just believe that we tolerate each other now. I think that is the best it will ever get now,” Sophia replied honestly.

Jeb sensed there was something she wasn’t telling him. “What is it?”

Sophia sighed and looked at him. He had been honest with her. She needed to be honest with him. Besides, she needed someone to confide in and could see no better person to talk to than the man who had come to mean so much to her.

“Sometimes, I notice her watching me, but it isn’t a nice watching. It is a little odd. While she has stopped dropping hints that I am to leave, she isn’t welcoming either. Our association isn’t acrimonious, just too polite and civil, if you know what I mean?”

“I do, Sophia,” Jeb assured her. “While I am sorry that matters have deteriorated that far, I have to confess that my experience of people like your aunt has proven that they rarely change their ways. I have no doubt that as soon as Delilah has this house to herself again, she will return to stealing again unless someone takes steps to stop her.”

“Hooky has to deal with her,” Sophia sighed. She looked at him a little ruefully. “I have to confess that I was just considering the wisdom of going home. There is really no reason for me to remain in Framley Meadow now.”

“I think there is,” Jeb countered.

“You have your work for the Star Elite,” she replied pointedly.

While she cared about him a great deal, she wasn’t prepared to ask him for a place in his life. He did have his work which, from the sound of it, was extremely dangerous and took up a lot of his life. It was his life. Was there any space left for a relationship? Was a relationship even possible, even if he wanted one? He had certainly never made any long-term suggestions that he might change his ways, or consider a change in his life’s pathway. It felt wrong to just assume he would sacrifice anything to be with her. With that in mind she had to decide what she wanted to do for herself.

Jeb nodded. “My work with the Star Elite is what I do, Sophia. It is not who I am. I thought it was once, but it isn’t. I really want, and need, a home life. While my work sometimes includes having to follow someone at a moment’s notice, like the man you saw in the village the other week, and I can be gone for days at a time, it is a part of my work. I am still a man, and I still deserve a life.”

Sophia completely understood, but didn’t see why that would mean she had to remain in Framley Meadow.

“I cannot just stay in Delilah’s house and wait for you to come back. From the sound of it, you could be gone for weeks or months at a time. There is no possibility she would allow me to remain here indefinitely.”

“I know, I appreciate that,” Jeb replied with a sigh of frustration. “However, I think you and I both know that what we have is something special. It isn’t something we should take for granted. I believe that we need to have a formal period of courtship, but I have to warn you now that there would have to be something significantly wrong with you for me to not want to see us married at the end of it.”

“Me?” She gasped in mock outrage. “What would make you think there would be something wrong with me to put you off the thought of marriage? You could be the one with bad habits. How do you know I wouldn’t be the one who refuses to marry you?”

Jeb grinned. “I won’t allow you to refuse me when I ask you to be my wife. I am a member of the Star Elite; an elite group of fighting men. I will get them to sit on you until you agree.”

“Oh?” Inwardly she was thrilled at his suggestion of marriage, and couldn’t do anything to prevent her delighted smile from breaking out. “Where are they now?”

Jeb laughed, relieved she had no objection to the idea of being married to him, even knowing the type of work he did and what it required him to do on occasion.

“They are using my father’s house as a base and are helping me investigate the deaths. You will meet them in due course. Please don’t tell Delilah any of this because of what she has been involved in. She cannot be trusted, Sophia.” He hated to see her sunny smile dim but had to be honest with her. “She mustn’t know about us.”

“I won’t say anything,” she replied. She would do whatever he wanted her to do, especially where Delilah was concerned. If she was honest, she didn’t trust her aunt either.