Free His Wicked Kiss by Gaelen Foley Page A

the outer corners of his deep-set eyes. He had kind eyes, she thought, and wondered if he knew it.
    “ Eden ,” he said softly. Her name sounded delicious on his tongue. “You’re staring at me.”
    Caught
. She bit her lower lip and blushed. “But, Lord Jack,” she replied just as gently, “you’re staring, too.”
    He knew, of course; his slow grin was decidedly sly.
    A hot wave of pure, visceral attraction rushed through her, a fevered contagion that she caught directly from him.
    Fighting to maintain her wits, she cast about for a neutral topic. “How do you intend to get past the Spanish?”
    “Oh, I have my ways.”
    “I’ll bet you do,” she murmured.
    He leaned closer. “You’ve got very good hands.”
    Eden held her breath, her pulse racing. As he stared into her eyes, she thought he was actually going to kiss her.
    She was motionless, dazzled—waiting—but then, with a look of regret, he eased back in his seat again.
    It was another moment before she could breathe, let alone continue. She scoffed privately at the foolish staccato of her pulse, and the twinge of disappointment that the notoriously bad ex-pirate had decided to be good.
    Of course, a real lady should have considered his attentions outrageously rude. Cousin Amelia, a proper young miss of the Quality, would have fainted by now. Dismayed that she could not even manage to feel properly offended, Eden lowered her head with renewed concentration and finished removing his splinter.
    She caught the tiny shard of wood between her tweezers, and, maneuvering with gentle precision, finally got it out.
    “Good news,” she announced, looking at him again with well-recovered poise. “You’re going to live.”
    “More’s the pity. Eden ?” he said abruptly. “Why does he keep you hidden away like this?”
    “You mean Papa? Oh, he thinks he is protecting me.” She tidied up the small incision with a splash of brandy on a cloth. “He isn’t a genius in all things, Lord Jack, especially matters of the heart.” Saddened by the admission, she stood up to put her things away.
    “But it’s a crime, his stranding you here like this.” His stare tracked her with an intensity that she could feel from across the room. “You should be in Kingston , being worshiped by the sons of wealthy planters.”
    She turned around abruptly, shocked and flattered and above all thrilled to think that, at last, somebody understood. Why, she had just met the man and somehow he knew her heart better than Papa did.
    She stared at him in amazement.
    Folding her arms across her chest and leaning her hip against the table, Eden was wildly encouraged all of a sudden to think that if he liked her so well, then surely he would help her.
    There could be no doubt that lordly male chivalry would compel him to escort her safely home to England , if she only asked. He was obviously a gentleman, no matter what the rumors said; he could have kissed her moments ago, after all, but had done the decent thing and refrained. Besides, she had just done him a favor, hadn’t she, removing his splinter and possibly saving his hand? Surely he would be happy to do a good deed for her in return.
    Yes, she thought, she could ask him now. Pirate or no, her excellent instincts told her that she could trust this man.
    She bit her lip and summoned up all her nerve. “What would you say,” she began slowly, “if I asked you for a favor?”
    “A favor?” His eyes narrowed in sudden wariness. “What sort of favor, exactly?”
    Her confident smile did not waver, though her heart was in her throat. Eden lifted her chin and squared her shoulders: “Take me with you to England .”

Chapter
Four
      
    Take her
… ?
    Jack stared into her hope-filled, emerald eyes, thought of his vital secret mission—his highly illegal secret mission—and let out a curse.
    “No.” He shook his head and rose with a shudder. “Absolutely not.”
    “But why?”
    “Because it’s a mad idea!”
    “No,