Page 58 of Love with a Notorious Rake

Aidan couldn’t wait for the day to end; his body thrummed with the anticipation of seeing Cristyn again. He couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms. Kiss her. Touch her. Have her touch him. God, it still felt as if she were gripping his cock. His bold and beautiful angel.

During his meeting with McRae, he’d found it hard to focus on what the loathsome man was saying. He’d laid out a plan to keep Aidan on permanently, and had offered a perfectly adequate salary, one any man of modest means would covet, along with promises of bonuses if Aidan improved production while making cuts to advance profits. In other words, make life miserable for the workers. Aidan acted interested, only half listening, and when McRae began to ask probing questions about Aidan’s family and background, he brought the meeting to an end. He promised to consider the offer.

Meanwhile, Aidan was making plans for his exit. He mailed a short note to Samuel in Hinckley to stand at the ready with the carriage. Aidan was missing his home and his family, and wanted to be there for Riordan.

After consuming a bowl of mutton stew in the tavern room, Aidan paced the floor, awaiting Cristyn’s arrival. Hell, no woman had ever had him in knots like this. Not even during his most intense affair. If only the interfering widow had not interrupted them. He’d barely had enough time to explain. For all his supposed confidence and arrogance, the thought that Cristyn might look at him with repugnance after he revealed everything tore at his insides. His recovery stood on shaky ground. Because of his frail emotions, any rejection would send him reeling, and it concerned him. Briefly, he thought he should keep from revealing his feelings for Cristyn—but he couldn’t. They were overwhelming, frightening, and utterly glorious.

A rap at the door brought him out of his troubled thoughts.

His anticipation plummeted when he opened the door to find Dr. Middlemiss. “Good evening, Mr. Black. A moment of your time?”

Standing aside, he motioned for the doctor to enter. “Come in.”

Once he closed the door, the doctor turned to face him. “I know you’re expecting Cristyn. She will not be coming.”

Aidan could not contain his fury. Grabbing a fistful of the doctor’s cravat, he growled, “You are interfering in a situation that does not concern you. I saw the way you hovered over her at the dinner. Cristyn. Is. Mine.”

The doctor arched an eyebrow. “How territorial of you. Release me at once. I am not your enemy, nor am I romantically interested in Cristyn.”

Reluctantly, Aidan let go. “Then, please, explain yourself.”

“Shall we sit?”

“You will not be staying long enough to become comfortable.”

Middlemiss straightened his cravat. “As you wish. Cristyn will not be coming tonight. It is far too risky. Surely you see this, Lord Wollstonecraft.”

Disappointment covered him. Had Cristyn confided in this haughty doctor?

The look on his face must have been plain, for Middlemiss said, “She told me nothing of your brief conversation but your name. Obviously, you haven’t informed her of the fact you are heir to the Earl of Carnstone.”

“I hadn’t the chance.”

“Mrs. Trubshaw was quite irritated, but also concerned that there was a man in Cristyn’s room. I assumed it was you. I am only here to suggest a more neutral meeting place to continue your discussion, for she deserves to know everything. If you care for her—”

“My feelings for Cristyn are none of your concern,” Aidan snapped.

“Yes, as she has told me. But have a care with her reputation. Meeting in your rooms is not prudent. May I suggest my office, tomorrow night? When does the shift end at the mill?”

“Seven o’clock.”

“Come straightaway to the office on Church Street, two doors down from Mrs. Trubshaw’s. I have a shingle outside the door. You can meet alone, but I will be upstairs in my rooms. That way, if anyone sees you both, you can state you were meeting about mill health matters. My presence in the building will be sufficient for chaperone purposes.”

Aidan’s anger dissipated enough to take the words to heart. Hell, he didn’t want Cristyn to be whispered about—and he should have thought about that before showing up at her window in the rain, and coaxing her to his room before that. And then there was the earth-shattering kiss in the garden shed….

“I will not listen in on your private conservation. I promised Gethin I would look out for Cristyn, but not to the extent that I hamper her independence. Despite our age difference, we’ve become friends. I think of her as a dear niece. Nothing more. But I will speak out if I believe there is sufficient justification.”

Aidan clenched his teeth, holding his temper. “I will take you at your word. Seven tomorrow night.”

“Cristyn is an amazing young woman. I don’t want to see her hurt.”

“Neither do I. We are in agreement.”

“A truce, then?” Middlemiss held out his hand.

“Truce.” Aidan shook it.

Middlemiss headed for the door, bowed slightly, then departed.