Silence Is Golden (Storm and Silence 3)

‘Aahh!’ The little minx stretched her legs. I felt my fingers twitch, itching to wrap around…what? Her throat? Other, more intriguing places? Concentrate! Gold. Diamond. Rubies. ‘Much more refreshing like this, don’t you think?’

‘I-cannot-agree,’ Karim managed to get out between clenched teeth. He was holding one hand clamped over his eyes, and the other outstretched towards Miss Lillian Linton, as if to ward off evil. Ridiculous! She was far too evil for that to work. ‘Put those back on now!’

‘Oh, I don’t know.’ Making a little pirouette, she glanced down at her new attire, a spark twinkling in her eyes. Warm eyes. Mesmerising eyes. Damnation! ‘I like it like this. Nice and breezy.’

‘You…you…ifrit! Temptress! Demon in human form!’

I couldn’t agree more.

She raised an enquiring eyebrow. ‘How would you know? You haven’t taken a good look at my form yet.’

I have. Trust me, he’s right.

Karim only muttered a string of Punjabi curses. Clearly not considering being insulted in a foreign language a matter for concern, Miss Linton turned her back on him and turned her sweet smile and lack of trousers on me.

‘And you, Sir? What do you think?’

What I think right now is not fit for a lady to hear, Miss Linton.

For she was a lady. There was no doubt about that now. No amount of my calling her ‘

Mr Linton’ would burn from my mind the image which met my eyes when I looked at her. I didn’t even want it burned from my mind. I wanted it burned into me, seared deeply like a brand that would never disappear. My eyes slid down her form, taking in everything as if I were a bank vault and she a substantial cash deposit. Finally, I managed to tear my eyes away and meet her gaze, teeth gritted. Midas, Croesus and Mammon! It shouldn’t be legal for her to walk around like this.

Well, it probably isn’t. But why would she care?

‘What in the name of all that is properly attired do you think you are doing, Mr Linton?’

She gave me a smile as bright as diamonds. ‘Why, simply adjusting to the climate, Sir, as you suggested.’

‘I didn’t suggest for you to run around displaying your unmentionables to the world!’

‘The world?’ She raised an eyebrow, playing the innocent. ‘But it’s the middle of the jungle. There’s no one here except Karim-’ A groan came from the direction of my long-suffering bodyguard, which she completely ignored. ‘-me, and of course…. you, Sir.’ She gifted me with another sweet smile. I had never trusted gifts.

‘You can’t have anything against seeing my legs, now, can you? After all…’ She stepped closer. Damn her to hell, she stepped closer! So close that our bodies were almost touching. Leaning forward, she whispered: ‘It wouldn’t be the first time, would it?’

I swallowed hard.

‘Are you going to continue with this lunacy?’ It cost me all my power to speak. All my power to look at her, and not reach out towards her. ‘Or are you going to remember what behoves a decent young English lady and give up now?’

‘I don’t really think wearing these-’ she told me, holding up her trousers ‘-is what most people think behoves a decent young English lady, Sir - but I’m doing it anyway. Besides…’ She grinned at me impishly. ‘Have you ever known me to give up?’

I felt my left little finger twitch. Probably my hand was considering mutiny, itching to wrap around her throat and…

I cut off that thought before it turned from homicide to more dangerous ideas.

‘Karim!’ I barked.

‘Yes, Sahib?’

The bodyguard snapped to attention, his hand still firmly clamped over his eyes.

‘Take your paw away from your face, man, and get to the front! I’ll be guarding the back from now on.’

And she had better guard her tongue, or I’ll…I’ll…

‘Oh, Sahib! A thousand blessings upon you! Thank you! May your soul be saved and find its way to the Garden of Eternal-’

My soul isn’t what’s on my mind right now.