She stood in the doorway. Her dark hair had slipped out of its pins. It hung past her slim shoulders to her hips. Her gray eyes were wide; her lips were red and slightly swollen from sleep. She was engulfed by Reese’s brown, velvet robe, completely covered from her chin to the tops of her bare feet, yet Reese wondered if he had ever seen a woman look quite so desirable, so kissable. She looked as if she had just come from her lover’s bed. His bed.
“Good morning.” Reese greeted her in a voice that sounded remarkably normal. “Sleep well?”
“Yes, I suppose so. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Faith’s fingers tightened on the lapels of his robe as she studied her toes peeking out from under the hem. She was extremely aware of the intimacy of the situation, of Reese Jordan’s hot gaze, and of her threadbare shift beneath his robe.
David cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Coffee, ma’am?” He indicated the pot and extra cup.
Faith turned a deeper shade of pink. “Actually, I…um…”
“Down the hall, last door on the right.”
Faith managed a grateful nod and hurried out of the suite.
The door had barely closed behind her before David began bombarding Reese with questions. “She’s your lady friend? Your companion for the evening? You spent the night with her?”
“Not exactly. I spent the evening with her. But she spent the night here. With you,” Reese explained.
“And where were you?” David wanted to know.
“Downstairs at the bar. Drinking.”
“You left her here? Alone? With me in the next room?”
Reese nodded. “She was asleep. I figured she was safer alone with you than with me.”
David glared at his cousin. “Did you ever think your confidence in me might be misplaced?”
“You’re a gentleman, David.”
“That doesn’t make me a eunuch.”
“I know,” Reese told him. “That’s why I didn’t wake you when I brought her in. I thought she’d be a lot safer if you didn’t know she was here.”
“What about her reputation? She was here yesterday. I saw her in line with the other women.”
“I saw her, too, when I was standing in the doorway talking to you. She disappeared in the crowd.”
“But you found her at the British embassy? And brought her here?” David speculated.
“No, of course not,” Reese replied, then seeing David’s puzzled face, he began to elaborate. “I rescued her last night. She was walking to the train station when she was accosted by a thief. He knocked her to the ground and snatched her purse. I happen to see it on my way to the embassy. I jumped out to give chase.”
“So you brought her back here before you left for the bar?” David asked, wondering how he had missed them.
“I took her to dinner first. She hadn’t eaten all day. She was hungry and had no money. She missed the last train to Richmond and it was either bring her here or have her sleep on a bench at the train station.”
“I’m surprised she allowed you to bring her here,” David said.
“She didn’t have a choice. She fell asleep in the carriage after dinner.”
“You could have awakened her,” David pointed out.
“Not this one.”
“Why not?”