Midsummer Magic (Magic Trilogy 1)

“Well, I think that spot at the base of your spine is very endearing.”

His smile faltered a bit. He could almost feel her soft mouth traveling down his back. “Touchd,” he said.

“I even like the hair on your legs. It feels all crinkly and soft and very ... disturbing.”

“I said ‘Touché,’ Frances.”

“Not to mention those seductive muscles over your belly.”

“Frances!”

She giggled and quickly regretted it. She sobered, recalling his perfidy. His sin of omission. “You are still a dragon, however.”

“But you haven’t said a word about how fascinating my dragon’s tail is,” he said, drawing her.

“Hawk—”

“Finish your dinner, love, and we shall speak of it. If you don’t mind, my father should join us—that is, unless the two of you have already solved our mystery.”

Frances sighed. “No, unfortunately.”

She toyed a bit with her mashed turnips, then said quietly, “Why do you call me ‘love’?”

“It is more appropriate than ‘hate,’ I think.” Why did she have to ask? he thought, feeling irritated. She was pushing him, but he wasn’t ready yet.

“Father told me you had sent Amalie money to leave London.”

“Yes,” he said.

“She is returning to France?”

“Yes, to marry. His name is Robert, and he is a farmer, and, I might add, a very lucky man.”

“Do you believe that your sister is involved, Hawk?”

“I don’t know, Frances. I pray she isn’t.”

“I like Edmund. Perhaps he knows nothing of this.”

“Perhaps.”

“Who on our staff could be disloyal to us?”

“Belvis is vastly interested in discovering the man’s identity.”

Frances took a bite of her peahen, then said, “I still wish to go to Newmarket.”

His reaction was immediate and forceful. “No, Frances, it would be ridiculous. We shall take no more chances.”

“Then you might as well sell the damned horses to Edmund!”

“You will not question me on this, Frances!”

“Ah,” she said, giving him a creditable sneer, his own patented sneer, he realized. “So you are back to being my overbearing lord, my keeper, the arrogant master!”

“Don’t push me on this, Frances, or I won’t be tempted to compare you to a summer’s day.”

“You will not dictate to me, Hawk!”