Free Jenna Petersen - [Lady Spies] by Seduction Is Forever

He signaled for the carriage to stop and related the same to his driver.
    Once they had begun to move again, she felt Grant’s eyes on her even though she could hardly see him in the carriage.
    “Why were those men chasing you?” he asked softly.
    Her heart leapt in a combination of fear and excitement. Now that she was no longer physically threatened, she could really ponder everything she’d seen. A false Prince being made up under the watchful eye of Cullen Leary. By God, the ramifications of such a thing! This was enormous. A real case, just as she had been begging for the last few weeks.
    And Emily would be the one to follow through on it. Terrifying as the prospect was, especially after Leary’s violence tonight, the drive to uncover the truth was far more powerful.
    “Miss?” Grant’s voice was sharp.
    She shook off her thoughts. He couldn’t know anything about what she had seen. Until she was alone, her duty remained his protection.
    She shrugged. “If you spend your time at the Pony, you know how it is there.”
    “You’d be a fool to steal from Cullen Leary,” he said as he flicked ash away from her. “And he was certainly after you.”
    “I didn’t steal nothin’ from him,” she insisted and immediately regretted the statement. If she just admitted she’d taken something from the brute, Grant would probably accept that explanation. But she didn’t want him to think that of her, even if the person he thought it of was only a character she had created.
    “The life you lead is a dangerous one, miss.” The carriage began to slow. “You should think of another or you’ll end up dead.”
    She frowned. He was one to talk about safety and prudence. “I think goin’ after a man like Leary with a chair is dangerous, sir. Especially when you had a way to escape without fighting.”
    “Perhaps,” he acknowledged as he reached out to open the carriage door. She moved to exit, but he was faster, leaving the vehicle and turning back to help her out.
    She tensed, dipping her head so the red hair of her wig swept over her cheeks and obscured her face. Now that they were so close, she didn’t want him to recognize her.
    “Thank you for takin’ me home,” she said as she pulled her hand free from his. Touching him only confused the already volatile situation.
    He looked at the house, his face surprised. She bit back a curse. The neighborhood was a little too middle class for the role she was playing. But this had been her only option.
    “G’night, me lord,” she finished and turned to hurry up the lane.
    She heard Grant’s steps behind her as she fumbled to open the door and stepped inside. He was in the entryway before she could shut him out, looking around the plain but neat interior of the home.
    “You live alone?” he asked as he peered around.
    Her chest tightened, but she lit one of the little lamps that hung on the wall beside the door. She could only hope he wouldn’t use it to see the truth.
    “Yes.” Perhaps going to the vulgar would scare him off. Before she had to light too many lamps and let him get a good look at her. “A lady can make a good living on her back, you know. And with investments be very comfortable. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
    “There isn’t a fire lit,” he continued, stepping past her into the main parlor. “Did you not expect to be home tonight?”
    She placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head. “No, sir, in truth I did not. Most nights I find m’self a companion.”
    “Hmmm.” He stepped closer and the scent of him surrounded her. The heat of him after the cold night and the equally chilly parlor. “There’s something not right about you. Something…who are you?”
    She backed away, moving for the stairs. The bedroom had a lock. She might have to use it if Grant wouldn’t go away.
    “I told you, it’s better for a woman of my position not to have a name.” She put her foot on the first stair and retreated. “I didn’t invite you