Free The Perfect Temptation by Leslie Lafoy Page A

this
particular situation, was
    most definitely a blessing.
Preeya's refusal to learn English
    meant that she didn't know just
how inept her mistress was
    at fending off persistent men.
     
    "He doesn't know how to
hunt, to fish, or to sail either,
    does he?"
     
    Well, he was indeed predictable. "Mr. Terrell," she said
    on a sigh, "Mohan is going to be a raja someday. He doesn't
    need to know how to do those
things."
     
    "He'll be the most
boring-and bored!-man to ever occupy
    a throne," he countered, his
tone that of a man of clear
    and unshakable convictions.
"More importantly, at the moment
    he's an exceedingly bored little
boy. He behaves badly
    simply because it's something to
do that affords some degree
    of excitement. God knows there's
nothing else that
    qualifies in his existence. Why
has he been so boxed up? Is it
    that you can't afford to hire a
riding or a sailing instructor?"
     
    What was it about the men who
carne through her life?
     
    Were all men determined to be
overbearing? Or was there
    something about her in particular
that attracted such men?
     
    “We have considerable financial
resources, Mr. Terrell," she
    answered, squarely meeting his
gaze across the length of the
    table.
     
    "It's a matter of Mohan's
safety. Lal--the guard who recently
    returned to India-maintained that
Mohan would be
    considerably easier to kidnap or
harm if he were out and
    about in the city, that he was
far safer when within the walls
    of this house. I happen to think
that he's correct."
     
    "Well, if I were bent on
kidnapping him," he quipped, "I'd
    certainly appreciate knowing
where I could always find him."
     
    "And there is the matter of
protecting him from accidental
    injury," Alex went on,
committed to making him see the wisdom
    in the pattern of their lives.
"He could be thrown from a
    horse and break his neck. He
could fall out of a sailboat and
    drown. We will not even venture
into a discussion of the
    types of injuries commonly
suffered by the reckless, self-destructive
    fools who play football or rugby.
I promised his
    father that I would keep him safe
from all harm."
     
    "Then you'd best tell Preeya
to put out the cooking fires,"
    he instantly countered, his smile
wide and altogether too confident,
    "because every time she
lights one the kitchen stands
    a chance of going up in flames
that could very well spread to
    the house and kill the boy."
     
    Preeya, in hearing her name,
looked back and forth between
    them in obvious distress. Alex
hastily assured her that
    the argument had nothing to do
with her and then turned her
    full attention back to Aiden
Terrell. "You're being ridiculous,"
    she accused. "Absolutely
ridiculous."
     
    And, just as she expected, he was
ready with a rejoinder.
     
    ''No more so than you are, Miss
Radford. Life is risk. You
    can't avoid it. Simply opening
your eyes and climbing out of
    bed every morning is fraught with
peril. You could slip on
    the rug, fall, and bash your
brains on the bedstead."
     
    ''Did you not notice the bed in
your room?"
     
    "Don't split hairs," he
countered, cocking a brow. "You're
    an extremely intelligent woman
and you know full good and
    well the point I'm trying to
make. You can't-and most importantly,
    shouldn't treat Mohan as if he 's some
fragile
    piece of porcelain.
He needs to be treated as a normal child
    and allowed to take reasonable
chances. If you do, his gen eral
    attitude will be much improved
and you won't be nearly
    as frustrated with him."
     
    ''I'm not frustrated," she
lied, putting down her fork,
    afraid that he'd notice that her
hand was trembling.
     
    ''The hell you aren't."
     
    She blinked at him, not so much
shocked by his language,
    but more for the fact that he so
clearly understood how she
    felt deep down inside. She'd
tried very hard to keep it locked
    away, hidden from the casual
observer. That she'd failed was
    more than disturbing, it was
frightening. Alex swallowed and
    forced herself to take a breath.
With what she hoped