Free Desire and Deception by Nicole Jordan Page A

treed kitten. But he wouldn't give up. That air of vulnerability that surrounded her had aroused his chivalrous instincts—not to mention that her haunting loveliness was still playing havoc with his masculine urges. Besides, he was more than a little curious about the mystery she presented.
    He supposed that had they met under more normal circumstances, he would have found her just as intriguing. But the circumstances were not normal. And it seemed that he didn't have much time to convince her that she needed his help. He couldn't keep her locked in this room indefinitely. She would likely find a way to escape, and at any rate, he had other obligations to fulfill. He had been spared the visit to Cornwall, but he still had responsibilities to his crew and country. His ship was due to sail from England within a fortnight, and it was out of the question for him to take her with him.
    Moving away so he wouldn't be distracted by her nearness, Jason swirled the wine in his glass as he pondered the problem.
    Lauren interrupted his musings. "It wouldn't work,
    Captain," she said, causing Jason to wonder how much she had read of his thoughts. "You couldn't keep me here against my will."
    Jason gave her a disarming smile, displaying the slashing masculine dimples that always won female hearts. "I'm aware of that. However, I was considering another alternative."
    "Such as?"
    She was immediately on her guard, he noted. He took a deep breath and gambled. "You could always honor the arrangement and marry me."
    "What?"
    "Now," he added, hearing her sharp inhalation. "At once. Without allowing your guardian a say in the matter."
    He couldn't complain now that she was avoiding his gaze. She was looking at him as if he had completely lost his senses. Grinning inwardly at himself, Jason wondered if it were true. But he suspected he was in complete command of his faculties, and still he wanted her for his wife.
    Had he been given the chance, of course, he would have wooed her and won her, and after a discreet interval—mainly because of her age rather than any reluctance on his part—he would have wed her. But now that she was running away, especially since she was running from him, he would have to take responsibility for her.
    Marriage would provide the best opportunity for her protection, of course. And if he were to marry her secretly and hide her away at his small estate in Yorkshire until Burroughs could be investigated, he could then be assured of her safety. He would even exercise patience in the matter of conjugal duties, Jason thought with a mental groan, for despite her enticing figure and her regal carriage, she was still inexperienced. He had recognized her innocence the moment his lips had touched hers, even if she had denied being a virgin when she had propositioned him. And although it wasn't unusual for a young woman her age to have married or even to have borne a child, he wouldn't press her or expect her to share his bed until she was entirely ready.
    "I asked you to marry me," he said more easily this time, feeling more comfortable with the idea that fate had somehow taken command of his life.
    Lauren stared at him, her poise completely shattered. "You are joking, of course."
    He repressed a smile at her bewildered expression. "Not at all. I've never considered a proposal of marriage to be a joking matter. And it's by far the best solution to this situation."
    Lauren ran her tongue over her suddenly dry lips, trying to sort out her reeling thoughts. Marriage to him was impossible, most assuredly. He believed she was Andrea Carlin, the heiress to a shipping empire. He wanted her dowry, of course. Why else would he want to marry her, a girl with no future, no fortune, and no name, unless he wanted the Carlin ships? But even if she were willing to marry him—which she never would be—she couldn't endanger his life by making him a target of Regina Carlin's murderous ambitions.
    Lauren searched Jason's handsome face, her