Page 7 of When the Scoundrel Sins

“I know. My brother Robert is with her,” he explained. “But the groom saidyouwere here, and I thought I’d say hello before settling into the house. So…hello.” Even in the dim light of the fading sunset, his eyes sparkled like the devil’s own. “This feels like old times.”

Old times she very much wanted to forget.

When her eyes darted longingly to her clothes at his feet, he followed her glance. “Are you really…?” He gasped in feigned shock as he reached down to hook a finger in her dress and lift it from the ground. “Goodness, Belle! You all truly do live wild here in the borderlands, don’t you?”

Despite the chill of the water, her face flushed hot. Leave it to Quinn to so cavalierly point out that she was naked.

She sighed in aggravation. And shivered with cold. Her teeth began to chatter, and as she shook, she prayed he couldn’t see it. Or anything else he shouldn’t see. “Would you please—”

“My, my, how careless!” With a shake of his head, he clucked his tongue. “Some wild animal could stumble upon your clothes and carry them off, or the wind might simply blow them—”

“Quinton James Carlisle, don’t you dare!” But her threat lacked all force, since she could do nothing to stop him. And drat him, he knew it, too.

Which only caused his grin to widen. She could see on his face how tempted he was to do just as she feared and walk away with her clothes, leaving her as naked as Eve in the garden. The deceitful snake!

“Same Belle I remember.” He laughed good-naturedly, as if he truly were happy to see her. “Tell me, do you still prefer books to people?”

“Certain people, yes,” she bit out.And especially you.

As if he could read her mind, he nearly doubled over hooting with laughter. The rotten scoundrel actually laughed! When he should have had the decency to be remorseful about what he’d done to her all those years ago.

In frustration, her hands fisted beneath the pond’s surface. “Whymust you always insist on tormenting me? We’re no longer children.”

“No, we’re not.” His gaze darkened heatedly as his eyes fixed on her, a look that proved he was pure man. “But teasing you puts a fire in your eyes, Belle,” he drawled in a silky voice, “and I’ve always liked seeing the fire in you.”

She shivered. This time not from the cold.

But his smooth words couldn’t be trusted. That much about him hadn’t changed, although the rest of him was most definitely different…taller, broader, more solid. And impossibly more masculine. The tight fit of his buckskin breeches accentuated the hard muscles of his thighs and his narrow waist as much as the redingote stretching tight across his back exemplified the wide breadth of his shoulders. Since she’d last seen him, he’d transformed into a golden mountain of man, just like his older brothers, yet retained the same charismatic grin he’d possessed since he was a boy.

If he were anyone else, she would have said he was attractive. Perhaps even handsome. Unfortunately, she knew the Carlisle brothers and was well aware of what lurked beneath their captivating exteriors. Sebastian was the serious one, Robert was the risk-taker, and Quinton…well, Quinn made his way through the world by his charm.

But his charisma no longer worked on her. She’d gained immunity. The hard way.

For a fleeting moment, she was tempted to show him exactly how much fire flamed inside her and simply walk out of the pond and collect her clothes, as bare bottomed as a newborn babe. Wouldn’t she just love to see the startled look on his face! Because she was certain he thought her incapable of doing anything so daring.

She trembled at the enticing idea. Despite the cold, an odd yearning of excitement fluttered up from low in her belly. Certainly the girl he knew before would never have considered it, but the woman Annabelle had become might just do something that unexpected. Something so bold that he—

She sneezed.

“God bless you,” he offered, then trailed his hand through the water at the pond’s edge. “Brrr! That is rather cold, isn’t it?”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. She distrusted herself to speak, knowing this time she really would say something indelicate.

“Better come out now, Belle. You’re turning blue.” His eyes gleamed with enjoyment at toying with her. “Like a blueberry.”

Her breath strangled in her throat.Blueberry.Her eyes stung at his thoughtless words, and her chest panged painfully. To be that unkind to her even now after all these years as to bring up that horrible night—but he only continued to smile at her, oblivious to the cruelty of his offhanded comment. Of course, Quinn wouldn’t think anything of it. His reputation hadn’t been ruined because of a fight. His heart hadn’t been shattered. Buthershad.

Although she could hide her body beneath the water, she couldn’t conceal the dark humiliation gathering on her face like storm clouds.

From his puzzled expression, he’d noted the sudden change in her but didn’t realize the full implication of what he’d said, and she didn’t dare speak past the knot in her throat to explain for fear she might cry. Because she would never allow herself to cry in front of him,nevershow him how much he’d hurt her.

“Belle, are you— Oh Christ.” His grin faded, and his eyes softened apologetically. “I’m sorry. It was so long ago that I’d forgotten all about it.”

But she hadn’t, and never would.

He rose to his full height, then turned his back to her and walked off a few paces to give her privacy. All his teasing vanished. “Come out whenever you’re ready.”

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