Another step. Damnation. His back was now up against the wall.
“Would I do that?” A weak reply, he knew. But his brain seemed unable to come up with a more inventive quip.
“I think…” Reaching out, she twined her fingers in the folds of his cravat, “…that you are capable of anything.”
A strange sort of sensation squeezed at his throat.
“Including devious deception.” She leaned in close.
Her scent—that beguiling mix of sweetness and spice—was affecting his balance. How else to explain why the floor seemed to be canting at an odd angle?
“Where in the name of Lucifer have you learned such wiles?” he muttered.
“Oh, here…” Her palm pressed against his chest. “And there.”
“Hell’s teeth.” His voice was muffled by the nuzzling of her lips.
Oh, I am a weak-willed, evil fellow. Abandoning all pretense of restraint, Devlin gave in to his inner demons and kissed her back.
Evil. Evil.
“We have come this far together,” whispered Anna.
Not far enough, said his lust-hazed brain.
“We are comrades-in-arms, so to speak. So don’t you dare try to sneak off and capture the miscreants on your own.”
“Because you need to come up with a swashbuckling scene for your next chapter?” he asked.
“Because…” A flash of sunlight crossed her face, obscuring the rippling of shadows beneath her gold-tipped lashes. “Just because.”
“I would expect a more articulate reason from a famous author.” Hearing her sharp intake of breath, Devlin quickly added, “I am teasing, sweeting. I’ve not yet devised a plan, and when I do, I shall inform you.”
“As a famous author, I am familiar enough with the nuances of language to know that ‘inform’ does not mean ‘invite,’ as in, ‘I shall invite you to come along,’ does it now?”
“Anna, we have an agreement,” he reminded her. “If I deem it too dangerous, you promised that you would stand aside.”
Her chin jutted up…and then slowly sunk. “Drat. Having a strict notion of right and wrong is a cursed inconvenience.”
Smiling, he couldn’t refrain from kissing the tip of her nose. “I wouldn’t know.”
“At least let me help you come up with some ideas of how to trap the traitors. You have to admit that I have certain creativity when it comes to dashing adventure.”
Brave, bold, beautiful—a whole bookful of adjectives could not begin to capture her spirit. Anna was unlike any lady he had met before. Unique beyond words. All at once, Devlin felt a surge of emotion swell up in his chest. The force was so great he thought his ribs might crack.
Fear, lust, anger, aggression—all these he recognized. This was something utterly unknown.
Oh, surely it couldn’t be love.
Clearing his throat, he managed a light reply. “Just as long as you don’t expect me to swoop in on a mechanical eagle and carry them off to the Tower of London.”
“Hmmm.”
A shuffling in the neighboring room of books warned that with the morning hours waning, the castle was beginning to bustle with activity.
“Look, we cannot linger here any longer without attracting attention,” he pointed out. “I’ve agreed to accompany Lord Dunbar on an afternoon ride to the sea cliffs, so I won’t be free to strategize until the evening hours. I suggest that we meet in the deserted wing of the castle after everyone has retired. Unless, of course, you would rather not risk any more creeping through the corridors at midnight.”
“Where?” she demanded.