Page 2 of A Remarkable Rogue

A quick tension emanated from her as her fingers toyed with the gold locket dangling from a simple chain around her elegant neck, oddly mixed with a necklace of expensive emeralds. “Then I fear faro is not your game.” Her eyes remained focused on the cards. “Perhaps you’d find more enjoyment playing at something else.”

Had he not just spent the past hour watching her outright dismiss every attempt by a roomful of men to proposition her, Nate might have thought she was inviting flirtation. But he knew better. What she wanted was for him to leave. “My game is here.”

“How unfortunate, then,” she commented dryly. “I don’t believe you’ll end up winning tonight.”

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to find satisfaction elsewhere.”

She froze, and her fingers stilled on her locket. Nate could see that she couldn’t tell whether he was propositioning her or rebuffing her. Truthfully, he didn’t know himself, although getting her attention was all that mattered, and he’d certainly done that.

Her red lips pursed with irritation. She tossed in a coin for the next hand and ignored him.

“This is my first time at Barton’s.” He’d force the conversation onto her whether she liked it or not. “Do you often spend evenings here?”

She lifted her chin, and a stray tendril of sable hair tickled against the nape of her neck. “Occasionally.”

“Then perhaps you can tell me—”

“No.” With a tired sigh, she turned on her chair to face him and unwittingly gave him a full-on view of her low-cut neckline. “I am sorry, sir, but—”

“Captain Nate Reed,” he interrupted with a forced introduction.

She caught her breath. “I am sorry, Captain,” she began again, her words a well-practiced recitation, “but I am not interested in accompanying you upstairs this evening, nor returning with you to your home, nor even enjoying your company for a few minutes in one of the alcoves along the back hall. So if you don’t mind—”

“Good.”

She blinked at his unexpected refusal and repeated as if she hadn’t heard correctly, “Good?”

“I’m a soldier, my lady, not a rake. I have no intention of inviting you upstairs tonight nor to my home on any night.” He turned back to the dealer to signal for cards. “As for a few minutes alone in an alcove, I would never ask a lady to share her pleasures in such a demeaning place.” He slid her a sideways glance. “And be assured that your enjoyment would be for much longer than a few minutes.”

Her red lips parted delicately, stunned speechless.

He punctuated his refusal by tossing a coin to the attendant as the man set two drinks on the table in front of them. But even as Nate silently reached for his cognac, he could still feel her curious gaze on him, as if she didn’t know what to make of him.

Good.That meant he’d captured her attention, and he’d done so by purposefully behaving exactly opposite of every other man in the place who’d approached her.

Fighting Napoleon had taught him the value of taking an opponent by surprise. Tonight, he’d use that to his advantage, even if down deep he was truly no better than the other cads. Even now his cock tingled at the tempting thought of taking her to any place where they could be alone. Including into a cramped alcove.

He would never act on that temptation. He’d never once betrayed Sarah, and he had no intention of doing so tonight, especially with Sydney Rowland, a woman he couldn’t trust as far as he could spit. But he was still a man, for God’s sake, and he still felt the pull of a beautiful woman.

It had been a long time since he’d been in a woman’s bed, that was all. Three years, two months, three weeks…

“My apologies, Captain Reed,” she offered quietly. “I didn’t mean to offend.”

He tossed in a coin for the next round of cards—and another for her, to keep her in the game and in the chair beside him. He wasn’t finished with her yet. “No offense taken.”

“Usually, when a man sits next to me, he’s not interested in playing cards. His intentions lie elsewhere.” She grimaced as she dryly added, “In lying elsewhere.”

Despite himself, he grinned at her clever turn of phrase. She was sharp. “I’m only interested in conversation, I assure you.” He handed her the second glass of cognac. “Now, shall we begin again?”

She hesitated, then took a deep breath. “All right.” She accepted the drink. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain Reed.”

He inclined his head slightly. “Baroness Rowland.”

“No.”

His brow inched up at that. “No? Am I mistaken that—”

“I’m never addressed as ‘baroness’ but simply as ‘lady,’” she corrected self-consciously, her voice low so she wouldn’t embarrass him. “Lady Rowland. I am not a peeresssuo jure.”