Dauntless (Gentlemen of the Order 1)

He put down his plate and captured her hand. “When I’m with you, I feel an inner peace I never thought possible.”

“It proves the point that beyond dark storm clouds the sun is still shining. Had Howard not behaved so abominably, I would not have come to Hart Street. I wouldn’t have met you.”

The thought left an empty void in his chest. “I’d like to think we would have met somewhere. At my publisher’s office, perhaps. Oh, on the subject of Mr Lydford, he sent word he will meet with you on Friday.”

“Friday?” Her look of delight faded almost instantly. “Maybe I should wait before meeting him. I fear I’ve lost the ability to commit words to paper.”

When one’s mind was diverted, it was impossible to be creative. And Eva had been plagued by a host of distractions of late. “You need inspiration, that is all.”

“That’s easy to say.”

Yes, he knew what it was like to sit at a desk, fingers stained with ink, surrounded by a mound of crumpled paper.

“You could write about a maid who is manipulated by her employer’s brother, and so she sets out to ruin him by clever means. Write a terrifying tale of consequences.”

“A tale of consequences,” she mused. The sudden flash in her eyes said he had piqued her interest. “Yes. It could be a lesson to all gentlemen that one should never underestimate a female opponent.”

“Indeed.” There were many ways to help unfortunate members of society. A poet or novelist had the perfect opportunity to enlighten the upper echelons. “If the message saves one poor maid from suffering Kathleen’s experience, it will be worth the effort.”

“You’re right,” she said, her countenance brightening. “What would I do without you?”

What would he do without her was more to the point.

The thought roused a deep-rooted insecurity. To have happiness snatched from one’s grasp caused unbearable pain, tremendous heartache. Every instinct advised he learn from history. But if working with Cole had taught him anything, it was that a life spent living in the past was a life filled with bitterness. The need to help his friend break the tragic cycle was the reason he had insisted on Lady Adair playing chaperone.

“Hopefully, you’ll never have to face that dilemma,” he said in the lighthearted way that failed to reveal his innermost fears.

Indeed, he was suddenly captured by the beauty of the moment. The sweet smel

l of roses permeated the air. The verdant canopy offered an idyllic haven where a man might indulge his passions. The incredible woman seated next to him on the blanket roused a yearning he needed to satisfy. Satisfy now if she was willing.

“Shall I read a poem?” He took the green leather-bound book from beside the basket. “Is there one you prefer?”

She looked to his mouth and then into his eyes. “It’s hard to choose. I find The Path to Nirvana quite intriguing.”

Minx!

Did she have a full grasp of its meaning? he wondered.

“The Path to Nirvana,” he repeated, thrilled by her choice. “What do you suppose it reveals about my innermost desires, Miss Dunn?”

She moistened her lips, bit down on the plump, pink flesh he was eager to suck. “My godfather said that the maiden riding the stallion to Nirvana is a metaphor for an intimate act.”

Thomas Becker had gone down another notch in Noah’s estimation, not because he was wrong. “And Mr Becker thought that an appropriate conversation to have with his charge?”

“Not at all.” The breeze whipped loose strands of hair across her face, and she laughed as she brushed them back. “He read it to his mistress. I heard him say it was a poem about a path to heightened pleasure. A poem about ecstasy.”

Fool!

“It is a poem about freedom. Freedom from constraints, yes. Strong men are happy to relinquish control. But Nirvana is a place free from worry and external pain.” A place he’d longed to visit. Indeed, he had entered the gates of paradise when nestled between Eva Dunn’s soft thighs.

She considered his words for a moment. “So, left without guidance, the stallion would simply stand in the meadow and eat the sweet grass. He would wander idly.”

“Precisely.” Oh, she understood him so well. “Instead, he is taken to paradise by the only maiden who knows the way.”

Eva swallowed visibly. “The maiden rides without a saddle. She rides bareback.”

“Because he trusts her, and longs for the intimate connection.”