Chapter 2
Theo studied Genevieve’s appalled look with grim satisfaction. She might not want a partner, but she no longer had a choice. C should never have allowed her to go into the East End without backup, let alone join the service.
And what the hell had Peter been thinking not to insist she have backup? In the recesses of his mind, he acknowledged how tenacious Genevieve could be when it came to getting her way.
Persistence and determination weren’t the only things that allowed her to convince others to do something they might not ordinarily do.
She had a gift for persuasion that made it difficult for most people to say no to her.
But when her efforts to influence someone with her words were combined with her beauty, it was a rare individual who could refuse her request.
Genevieve wasn’t just beautiful. She was stunning.
Unbelievably so, with her dark auburn hair, warm green eyes, and softly rounded features.
Theo refrained from running his gaze over her full breasts and lush curves.
That he succeeded in his efforts was not due to self-control so much as it was an act of self-preservation, because he’d been hiding his attraction to Genevieve for a very long time.
Even as a young girl, she’d been lovely.
But as she’d matured, she’d become the most exquisite creature he’d ever seen.
There was an innate sensuality about her that enhanced her expressions and movements, while her kindness and good heart made her irresistible.
Theo knew he wasn’t alone in his opinion.
Men flocked around her whenever she appeared in public.
It was easy to understand how she’d managed to convince C to let her work for the foreign section.
The man was just as vulnerable as the next when it came to Genevieve.
“I don’t want you or anyone else for a partner,” she bit out fiercely.
“You don’t have any say in the matter. You’re stuck with me, because unlike most men, you can’t wind me around your finger and make me dance to your tune.”
Theo struggled to maintain a stoic expression as he met her angry gaze.
It was a lie to say he wasn’t easily swayed by her.
But he wasn’t about to give her any leverage to use to her advantage.
The last thing he needed was for her to realize he was far from immune to her.
Hell, at the moment, the woman aroused a lust in him unlike anything he’d experienced even as a boy.
“That’s not true,” Genevieve exclaimed defiantly as she narrowed her gaze at him. “I do not wrap men around my finger.”
“I disagree. How often does anyone say no to you?” he said grimly.
“Other than Peter, I’m the only one who isn’t so bewitched by you that I can be convinced to let you have your way.
And even Peter had difficulty saying no to you on occasion, which is the only reason I can think of that would explain why you haven’t had a partner all along. ”
“Peter trusted me, he knew I understood the danger.”
“More likely, he allowed that beautiful face of yours to persuade him to let you have your way.”
“Be reasonable, Theo. How am I supposed to convince men to tell me their secrets if they see another man with me?” She stepped forward and touched his arm as a pleading expression swept across her beautiful face.
The light touch shot an acute bolt of electricity crackling its way into every cell of his body.
Steeling himself not to be influenced by her entreaty, he shook his head.
“You convinced C to take leave of his senses and agree to your working for the foreign division. I’ve no doubt you’ll find a way to do the same with anyone you’re trying to secure information from. But from now on, you’ll not enter the East End without me close on your heels.”
“Is this your way of keeping me from doing my job? C knows how resourceful I am in bringing him reliable information.” Outrage only heightened her beauty, and Theo fought hard to ignore the fact. With a shake of his head, he disputed her protest.
“You might be resourceful, but you’re reckless.”
“I am not,” she snapped.
“No? What about the other night? You could have been killed.”
“I was not being reckless. I made a miscalculation, and it’s just a scratch.”
“A scar—” Theo’s heart suddenly surged up into his throat, then back down to slam hard into the wall of his chest at the way she’d made light of the injury Wills had described.
The young doctor had made Theo believe it had been far more serious than a mere scratch.
Theo’s muscles tightened with fury at her cavalier response.
“Then show me this scratch.”
In the back of his head, a warning bell clanged a loud warning. Had he just demanded to see her wound? Theo ignored the voice of reason trying to break its way through his fury. Stunned, Genevieve’s mouth fell open in astonishment.
“What?”
The confusion on her face almost tugged a harsh oath out of him.
What in God’s name was wrong with him demanding to see the wound his cousin had stitched up?
The question fell by the wayside as fear and wrath took complete hold of his senses.
Wills had said the knife had barely missed her heart.
Genevieve had risked her life with a recklessness that horrified him.
Genevieve took a step back, silently protesting his demand with a shake of her head. Her mute objection only increased his rage. In two quick strides, Theo closed the space between them, towering over her.
“Your shoulder. The wound. I want to see this insignificant scratch, as you describe it,” he snarled.
“Theo, I…I don’t—”
“Remove your jacket, Genevieve, now.” His low, rough command made her stiffen, and her beautiful green eyes darkened, then narrowed as she pinned her gaze on him.
“Why are you suddenly calling me Genevieve and not Ginny? The only time you’ve ever called me by my full name was the day I slipped and hit my head while we were climbing the cnoc beag with Peter.”
“I was angry that day because you ignored my warning, and Peter’s, too. And at this precise moment, I’m not angry with you. I’m furious,” he bit out between clenched teeth as he met her obstinate gaze. “Now, remove your jacket before I do it for you.”
Something flashed in her eyes, and a small voice in the back of his head said she might be afraid of him.
He cast the thought aside. Genevieve was fearless, far too much so.
In silence, he watched her comply with his orders, then throw the jacket at him in obvious irritation.
A low rumble of outrage passed his lips as it hit him in the face.
With a hard tug, he pulled the jacket off his head and threw it over the back of the rocking chair in an equal gesture of careless disregard. Turning back to her, he swallowed hard.
The only thing she’d been wearing beneath the high-neck riding jacket was her chemise.
The linen garment was almost sheer, and for a moment, his body hardened with lust as he glimpsed the tips of her full breasts.
A second later, his desire vanished as he saw the strip of linen wrapped under her arm, then over her shoulder several times to hold a large bandage in place.
Theo drew in a sharp hiss of air at the sight.
Without thinking, he stepped forward and pushed aside the thin strap of her chemise and set about unwrapping the linen strip.
Despite his fury, he worked with gentle efficiency.
All the while, a voice in the back of his head shouted he was overstepping every boundary a gentleman would never cross.
They were no longer children, and she was no longer the girl whose wet bathing suit had hugged her curves that day at the pond. If anyone saw them like this, she’d be ruined. Not to mention he might not survive the beating the male contingent of Rockwoods would inflict on him.
But that thought didn’t worry him half as much as the danger Genevieve was flirting with every time she ventured into the East End on her own.
Theo draped the long strip of bandage over the back of the rocker, then turned his head to stare at the large gauze square that clung to her skin, no doubt from dried blood.
He stood frozen in front of her for a moment, reconsidering his demand to see her wound. Theo knew what he was doing was scandalously inappropriate, but he was in too deep now to reverse course. The memory of the fear and concern on Wills’s face made him cast aside the objections filling his head.
Theo needed to know if his cousin had exaggerated the extent of her injury or if it was just a scratch as Genevieve claimed.
With great care, he peeled the last piece of gauze away from her skin.
The instant he saw the long gash pulled together by more than a dozen black sutures, Theo choked out an indistinct sound of fury and fear.
It was as bad as Wills had described, perhaps worse. How the blade had missed her heart was a miracle. And she’d actually dismissed the injury as if it was a minor cut. This gash was anything but that. Theo’s gut twisted as if he’d spent the night before in his club, drinking heavily.
“Christ Jesus, Genevieve. Do you…”
Words failed him as he stared in horror at the spot where the knife had sliced into her beautiful skin. She’d have an ugly scar when the wound healed. He slowly reached out in an involuntary movement to brush his fingers over her skin.
Appalled by his injudicious action and his demand to see her wound, he jerked his hand back, then whirled away from her. Knowing Genevieve as well as he did, he should have known she’d make light of the injury.
One hand sliding through his hair, Theo cupped the back of his neck.
Shortly before his death, Peter had made him promise to watch over Genevieve if anything were to happen to him.
At the time, Theo had found his friend’s request odd, but had agreed without hesitation.
What he hadn’t known at the time was that his friend and Genevieve were working for the Crown.