Free The Perfect Temptation by Leslie Lafoy

typically elevated
    to the conduct of Blue Elephant
business. The evenings
    to reading and various board
games."
     
    God, he felt sorry for the child.
If there wasn't anything
    more than that, the boy was
utterly and completely bored out
    of his ... That was it! he
realized. The way to take control of
    this entire mess. Alex would be
grateful and out of that would
    come trust. And trust was the
key. He didn't have to grit his
    teeth and endure Mohan. He simply
had to take control of the
    boy's existence. It was a
brilliant plan. Absolutely brilliant.
     
    Barrett was right; when he put
his mind to something ...
     
    Lord, it was going to be so
incredibly easy.
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
    Alex's stomach turned to lead
even as her heart swelled and
    flip-flopped in her chest. Good
God, the man had a smile
    that could tatter pantaloons at
fifty paces. And those green
    eyes when they sparkled with
devilment ... If she didn't
    steel her resolve, she was going
be lunch instead of the fish.
     
    "Well, no wonder the boy's
beastly," he said with a flourish
    of his fork. ''I would be, too.
In fact, if you made me live
    like that I'd either run away or
slit my wrists."
     
    He didn't give her a chance to
say that she considered the
    assertion overdramatic.
"He's bored out of his skull, Miss
    Radford. Books, business, and
board games? Little boys have
    to run and play. They have to go
and do. They have far too
    much energy to be contained
inside four walls every hour of
    the day."
     
    "Mohan's hardly a
prisoner," she protested, aware of
    Preeya's quick glancing between
the two of them. "We frequently
    venture out into the city."
     
    ''To do what?"
     
    ''We attend auctions;' she
supplied. ''We watch the ships
    come into port and the lords and
ladies parade along their avenues.
     
    We go to the market daily. From
time to time we attend
    a play . "
     
    "Be still my heart;' he
countered dryly. ''I can scarcely
    bear the excitement of it all . "
     
    No, it ' wasn't
exciting, but it wasn't meant to be. It was
    safe and largely designed to
fulfill the tasks required for
    daily living. ''And what would
you have him doing with his
    time instead?" she asked,
not really sure she wanted to know,
    but unwilling to back away from
his open challenge.
     
    "Has anyone taught the boy
to ride a horse?"
     
    Of all the silly notions . ''We
don't have a horse, Mr. Terrell."
     
    ''Does he know how to play
cricket?"
     
    ''With whom would he play?"
she asked . ''And where? In
    the street, between the passing
carriages?"
     
    ''What about football? Or
rugby?" he persisted.
     
    "Good God, no," she
exclaimed, appalled at the very notion
    of Mohan being involved in such
violent, dangerous sports.
     
    He took a couple of bites of his
food, but what hopes she
    had of the interrogation being
over were dashed when he
    asked, ''What about sledding and
ice skating? They're not
    terribly manly pastimes, but
they're something children usually
    find amusing. Especially in the
dead of winter when
    there isn't much else to
do."
     
    ''Mohan isn't interested in
sports of any kind," she announced
    with all the firm politeness she
could muster. "It's
    pointless to inquire after any
others."
     
    ''Does he have any pets? A dog? A
cat? Maybe a lizard or
    a snake or two?"
     
    Slithering things? As pets? Alex
suppressed . a shudder.
     
    "He's expressed no interest
in having one. Or two. Of anything."
     
    Again he paused to eat. This time
she knew ' better than to
    hope. The man didn't relent, he
simply shifted directions
    ever so slightly. She consumed
some of her own lunch, waiting
    for the inevitable resumption of
their contest
     
    Preeya continued to look back and
forth between them,
    slowly eating, but saying
nothing. In the aftermath, the first
    time the two of them were alone,
Preeya would want a summary
    of all that had been said. She'd
also remember specific
    words and ask what they meant Not
that she'd ever do anything
    with them. Which, in