Page 29 of An Unexpected Earl

Pearce bit out, “You and I have never—”

“What a shame that is, too.” Another long sigh, this time accompanied by her hand going to her bosom and toying with the fold of the robe lying between her breasts. “I’d bet that you would be utterly magnificent.”

At that, Merritt’s brow nearly shot off his forehead.

Christ.

“In fact, Ihavebet on you—which is how I got that bracelet. I bet on you to win a fight about six months ago.” She ran her fingers up his arm. “I came across the bout quite by accident, but there you were, stripping down and stepping into the square. Of course, I had to linger and watch.”

“Of course,” Merritt echoed earnestly.

Pearce tightened his jaw in aggravation.

“No one else knew who you were, but I did.” She squeezed his bicep, and the hard muscle tensed beneath her fingertips. “How could I not wager every ha’penny I was carrying that you’d win?”

“I might have lost.”

“Not you,” she purred knowingly. “You never lose at anything—or anyone. Do you, Brandon?”

His breath hitched. She didn’t know about Amelia. Couldn’t possibly have known what had happened between them all those years ago and was so carefully covered up by Gordon Howard. Yet the irony of her comment bit into him.

He stepped back, putting his arm out of her reach.

She let her hand fall away with a soft laugh of victory that she’d pricked him.

“Unless there’s something else I can help you gentlemen with—” Her gaze traveled back to Merritt and teasingly lingered at his crotch as she reached down to slowly unfasten her robe and let it fall open again. Like a shop merchant displaying her goods in a window to entice customers to buy. “Anything at all.” She decadently licked her lips, then turned away with a disheartened sigh at the futility of what she was offering. “Then I must return to my business. You may see yourselves out.”

“Madame Noir.” Pearce’s call stopped her as she opened the door. “Thank you.”

“This conversation never happened, do you understand?” Her hard gaze moved between the two men. “If anyone asks, you paid me to service both of you, which I did eagerly and with so much relish that you felt generous enough to leave an extra sovereign.”

She lifted her chin in challenge.

Pearce grudgingly tossed her the coin. She certainly knew extortion, all right.

“And if Amelia Howard ever asks to borrow another dress from you,” he warned, “you’ll tell her that you’ve nothing in her size.”

Madame’s eyes glinted with amusement. “Of course.” She palmed the coin and sashayed from the room. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

She left with a throaty laugh, and for several long seconds, the two men stared after her, saying nothing.

Then Merritt drawled, “Amelia Howard, hmm? Frederick Howard’s sister.”

Pearce grunted noncommittally.

“Borrowing dresses from a brothel owner. And you upset about it.” Merritt slid a sideways glance at Pearce. “Do I even want to know?”

“No.”

Wisely, Merritt let the subject drop and asked instead, “Do you want me to assign men to follow Miss Howard?”

“No, I want you to put them on her brother.” Pearce strode from the room. “Amelia is all mine.”

Nine

Amelia did her best to pretend that she was listening to Frederick as he paced the rear room of her shop, and directly behind her as she was attempting to work at her desk in the slant of afternoon sunlight falling through the window. But sweet Lord, he was bothering her to no end! And right when she was so terribly busy, too, with inventory to take, window displays to arrange, a plan to formulate for convincing Charles Varnham to overlook whatever Freddie had done, and Pearce to avoid at all costs.

Especiallyavoiding Pearce. He’d already come far too close yesterday to learning the truth. At one point, she’d almost capitulated and told him everything, a part of her longing for the protection he’d offered. The thought of being able to confide in him stirred a comforting warmth in her belly, a familiarity of being with him that colored memories of her childhood and made her ache once again for that same closeness. Andthatwas dangerous, because she still didn’t know if she could trust him with her secrets.