Free No Choice but Seduction by Johanna Lindsey Page B

he’d clapped eyes on her. But this was real. And she wasn’t the spirited, kindhearted young woman he’d thought she was.
    “Those children you sailed with, they weren’t yours, were they? You stole them, too, didn’t you?”
    He wasn’t letting her answer. He didn’t think he could withstand a barrage of excuses from her. He’d end up believing whatever she chose to tell him, and he’d let her go with an apology and a smile. But she was starting to squirm against him. Oh, God…
    He walked across the room, dragging her with him, and kicked an armless chair toward the center of the room. He thrust her into it, then leaned down, putting his face close to hers.
    “You can’t imagine how close I am to ravishing you. Get up from that chair and I’ll consider it an invitation.”
    “You’re making a really big—!”
    He quickly put his finger to her lips. There was enough warning in his eyes that she didn’t try to finish what she had started to say, despite how angry she’d sounded.
    “Do I need to be more explicit in how close you are to ending up in my bed?” he asked as he removed his finger. “Or was that an invitation?”
    She shook her head at him without breaking the virulent glare she had pinned on his face. She had big, beautiful eyes, dark emerald, furious—did she think he cared?
    He straightened up and looked down at her. “Not going to try to get up?”
    She shook her head again.
    “I’m disappointed. If I were thinking clearly, I wouldn’t have warned you, and then we might be bouncing around on that bed over there instead. That’s still an option. Go ahead and stand up. Please.”
    She didn’t move a muscle. He gritted his teeth. He wasn’t sure whom he was more angry at, himself, or her. The rules of decency might be suspended—she was a criminal, after all. But he still couldn’t bring himself to take advantage of that fact, despite how beautiful she was, despite how much he still wanted her.
    She was dressed in a simple light blue frock. With long sleeves and a high collar, there was nothing sexy about it—except it hugged the luscious curves of her body. Her long black hair was in a thick braid down her back. It was how she’d worn it on the ship. She’d even hooked the end of it on her belt to contain it. He’d thought she’d done that because of the fierce wind out on the ocean, but she’d laughed at one of the dinners she’d shared with him and his captain and told them it was to keep her from sitting on it. So why didn’t she just put it up in some fancy coiffure the way other women did? Because she wasn’t like other women!
    He moved around behind her to try to end the visual temptation she was putting him through. It didn’t help at all. Why the devil did he bring her in here? He still couldn’t think straight. He should have carted her straight to jail. He should at least have sent for the local constable. He didn’t move to do either. The idea of Katey Tyler in jail turned him cold.
    He could hie off with her, get her out of England. He owned a ship. It would be easy enough to do. But then what? Enjoy her for a week or two, then let her go at a port on some other continent? So she could get back to her business of child stealing, just somewhere else? When he thought of Roslynn Malory crying all day over the well-being of her daughter, he knew he couldn’t do it.
    Then what the hell was he going to do with her? He knew he was just avoiding the inevitable.
    He hadn’t moved far enough behind her. He caught a whiff of her scent, uniquely hers, a little floral, a little spicy like hot apple pie, a little earthy. He closed his eyes, fighting the urge to touch her again. He lost.

Chapter Eleven

     
    K ATEY WASN’T FRIGHTENED—YET. She’d noticed that Judith had recognized and been glad to see the young man who’d carted her off, so she wasn’t worried about the child. And she’d instantly recognized the man who’d dragged her into this other room. Boyd