Free How to Marry a Rake by Deb Marlowe Page A

matter entirely.
    Handsome, virile male,
shouted her pounding pulse.
Mine,
whispered the thousands of nerve endings in her fingertips, all straining to touch him. But her weak and foolish heart was the worst offender. It was caught up in his easy manner and open expression.
Look,
it insisted.
He’s talking, sharing …
    Listen!
Her beleaguered brain’s last desperate shout jerked her straight in her seat.
    ‘… if you would consider it,’ he was continuing. ‘Wouldn’t it be almost like old times?’
    ‘What?’ Aghast, she blinked, breaking the spell of his clear blue gaze. ‘What was that? I can’t have heard you correctly.’
    For the briefest moment he stiffened. Mae’s heart sank at the familiar posturing—but her anger blazed. Now it would come—another argument. Another metaphorical shove. Just another way to keep her at bay—and from getting too close.
    It was an old dance, one that they’d performedztogether too often already. She cut her gaze away and turned to go.
    ‘Mae?’ Her name was a plea. She glanced back and saw that he’d dropped his battle stance and watched her quietly. ‘I know I should not have asked, but I really need your help. I can think of no one better suited for the job.’
    Mae hesitated while once again her inner landscape went to war. This wasn’t part of her plan! She had her future to arrange. Hadn’t she already proved that she couldn’t afford a distraction like Stephen Manning? Heaven knew this was not the time to risk the sort of doubt and pain that he was capable of inflicting on her.
    ‘No,’ she said flatly. She lobbed the last of the bread. It hit the ground with a
thunk.
Birds fluttered out of the way, then descended on the thing
en masse.
Mae stepped around them, swept around the bench and headed for the safety of the house.
    ‘You know me, Mae,’ he called after her. ‘I wouldn’t ask if my need were not dire.’ He followed in her wake and she tried to harden her heart.
    But this was
Stephen.
Part of her had to look past the drama and the pain of their last encounters and to the years of friendship and camaraderie that had come before. Part of her positively longed to help him—to fix things so he was smiling and lighthearted again.
    Except—she knew that the carefree Stephen was only a mask. The glimpse she’d seen today, of Stephen enthusiastic, determined, worried—that was the most genuine that she had perhaps ever seen him. Her stepfaltered. Could she turn her back on something she’d waited her whole life to see?
    Yes.
For her own sake, she could. She strode ahead again.
    At the first turn in the path, she paused. The very air felt heavy, momentous. She’d reached a crossroads. Suddenly she knew that this moment might for ever define and divide the segments of her life.
    She glanced back. Stephen had given up his pursuit. He turned away, every line signalling his dejection. Her heart sank.
    And her head snapped abruptly up. Her own words echoed in her head.
For her own sake …
    Hadn’t she just this morning vowed to do anything to forward her campaign, to achieve her goals? Surely it wasn’t a good idea to alienate a potential ally? Perhaps instead of pushing Stephen away, she should
recruit
him.
    ‘Stephen, wait!’ she called. Her pulse pounded loud in her ears and she prayed she wasn’t making a huge tactical error. But she couldn’t deny that it
felt
right.
    He’d glanced over his shoulder at her. He stood, one hand gripping the curved seat, hope alight in his eyes.
    ‘I might consider your request, but I propose an exchange,’ she said, coming closer again. ‘My help for yours.’
    ‘My help?’ he asked. Relief visibly flowed over him. ‘Of course. Anything.’ He reached out, grasped her hands. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered. He tugged her back towards the bench. ‘There’s so much to discuss. We must get started right away.’ He frowned. ‘But wait, Idon’t know what your goal was. What was it that you need help with,