Vulnerability. That was the sensation that bubbled angrily through his veins, clenched his teeth, and closed his fists. The knowledge that he was exposed, bleeding and wounded, and she was seeing him in this state, turned him into more of an animal than a man. He didn’t turn toward her, keeping his gaze locked on the small window in front of him. He could not show her his weakness, his shame.
“Get out.” His voice was low and threatening.
The floorboards creaked with her steps. “Don’t be stupid, Avery. You’re bleeding. You look like you got hit by a pickup truck.” Concern threaded her words, lending them an almost tender sound despite the insult.
He closed his eyes, trying to get his rage under control. Water trickled and dripped into the basin beside him.
“This is going to hurt. I’m sorry.”
The cloth had barely grazed his shoulder when he gained his feet like a shot. Whirling, he glared at her. “I said for you to leave me be. I’ve asked for no favors from you. These chambers are mine, not yours. If you are discovered here, you’ll be turned out into the street immediately. Besides, I’ve no need of your assistance.”
He backed toward the corner and widened his stance unconsciously, staring at her beneath lowered brows.
She stood motionless for a while, the damp cloth still hanging from her fingertips like a dead creature. He mimicked her stillness, not letting his gaze leave her face.
Sighing, she let the cloth fall back into the basin with a fleshy plop.
“Okay, fine. So you don’t need my help.” She crossed her arms, and he struggled to focus on the throbbing pain in his ribs rather than the way her breasts rounded with the unintended frame. “I’ll just stay over here, quiet and out of the way.”
She flounced over to the only chair in the room and sat, keeping her blue eyes trained on his face.
They stood in silence, a pair of combatants unwilling to give the other quarter. Had she been a man, Avery would have been very tempted to give way to his baser instincts and thoroughly thrash the blighter. But this was Leah. Tall, beautiful, odd Leah, who insisted on helping tend the wounds of a nigh stranger. Despite his best efforts, he could not stay angry with her. Even though she’d invaded his private rooms, he could not ignore the selfless intention behind her reasoning.
“You can stand there and stare at me all you want. That’s fine with me, but it’s not going to stop that drip of blood that’s about to hit your waistband.”
He looked down. Blast it, she was right. He dashed the offending drip away, leaving a smear of blood to mat the curls of hair on his abdomen.
“Come on. Don’t be such a hard ass. If you let me help you clean up, it’ll go much faster, and we can both get down to dinner before Mrs. Harper throws a hissy fit.”
“Surely it is not time for the evening meal?” At her nod, Avery cursed beneath his breath.
She shrugged, looking unconcerned. “They’ll get over my being late. You were hurt.”
“You must go.”
She shook her head vehemently. “Nope, not while you’re still bleeding.”
He gritted his teeth in irritation. “You silly wench, go down to supper. If you’re discovered in a man’s chambers, you’ll be ruined and cast out of the house. Smythe and Mrs. Harper would never allow you to stay.”
Raising her brows, she crossed her arms. “Well, you’d better hurry up then, because I’m not leaving this room until your injuries are taken care of.”
Despite the prickle of unease across his throat, he crossed the room to the basin again. Gripping the rag, he wrung it out and placed it on his broken skin with a hissing breath. Even though he desperately wanted to squeeze his eyes shut, he would not give her the advantage of losing his scrutiny.
“There. My wounds are being attended to. Now you may leave.”
She laughed at him. “This is going to take forever. At this rate I won’t get there in time for dessert, and then you’ll be in trouble for helping me get this job.”
Blast it—she left him no choice. His reluctant decision made, Avery laid the cloth back in the basin. “Be quick about it then. You must attend the evening meal.”
He could not miss the self-satisfied gleam in her eyes as she stood. “Good. Sit down on the bed there.”
He followed her instructions, his already sore muscles tight with apprehension. “This is very improper.”
“Oh stop. I’m a servant, so nobody can give a crap about my reputation.”
“In this household, even the servants are held to an impossible standard. And are you not a servant who has designs on a duke?” He tossed the bitter question over his shoulder and gave a hiss of pain when she probed at his rib cage.
“Yeah. But still. This will only take a minute.” She stood upright, frowning at his rapidly darkening side. “I think you’ve got a broken rib. We’ll need to wrap that up.”
He did not disagree.
Her touch was tender on his wounds, soft and gentle as she cleansed the blood from his skin and bound his aching sides. He found himself relaxing under her ministrations, despite his better judgment. When he’d been bandaged and cleansed to her satisfaction, she cleared her throat.
“So you didn’t say. How did this happen?”
Her question hung in the air, heavy and dark in its innocence. His teeth nearly drew blood from the inside of his cheek. She couldn’t know about his past. She’d hate him like the rest of the servants, and God help him, he could not face that derision coming from her. She was nearly a complete stranger to him, but she’d been so kind. The dark world of the boxing mills and his past was no place for a beautiful creature like her.
“Avery?”
He sighed.
“It is not a tale for a lady’s ears, and it does not signify in any case.”
“But…”
He stopped her with a hand in the air. “It does not signify. But have a care, miss.” He turned to her. “Men are not always what they seem.”
Leah swallowed hard, trying not to let her confusion show on her face. What could he mean by such a cryptic warning?
“Well,” she said, looking down at the basin of water to avoid the seriousness of his hazel gaze, “I’ll remember that.”
With confusion stirring in her brain, she turned to leave the room.
“Miss?”
Her heart fluttered with something odd when she turned to look at his shirtless form again. Even his bruises and bandages couldn’t detract from the muscled beauty of his masculine form, but a half-naked Avery facing her was truly a sight to behold. His arms and chest were lined with muscle, nicely defined with a sprinkling of hair across his chest and thickening in a line down his belly, disappearing into his high-waisted breeches. But his eyes were as serious as the grave.
“Think on what I’ve said.”
Leah nodded, trying to swallow, but her throat had gone dry. “I will,” she rasped.
The door clicked shut behind her. His words dogged her steps as she made her way from the attic down to the servants’ hall. What the hell did he mean? Was he trying to warn her away? But why? She didn’t even know him that well, and she certainly wasn’t here after him.
Leah laughed to herself as she skipped the last step to hop on the landing. It made sense. Of course he’d been concerned about propriety. Leah shook her head with a smile and hustled for the servants’ hall. She didn’t regret helping him at all, but she was grateful for the reminder. This place and time was different than what she was used to, and any tiny misstep on her part could have grave consequences. She’d be more careful.
“I trust,” Mrs. Harper said when Leah entered the room, “that this tardiness of yours is not a habit, Miss
