Miss Dunn gave him her full attention. “You were hurt, betrayed by someone you loved.”
Noah’s throat constricted. “Yes.”
His inner torment must surely be evident. But it was wrong to insist she reveal her secrets and demand the right to keep his own.
Miss Dunn’s pretty blue eyes softened. “Then she was a fool to reject you, sir. Your qualities are superior to any man of my acquaintance. A woman would be proud to have you for a husband.”
Though the lady had drawn the wrong conclusion, her faith in him stole his breath. “I—I was not duped by a lover.” No. Were that the case, he might have fallen in love again, been happy. “My mother convinced me all was well hours before she swallowed a fatal dose of laudanum.”
In the crippling silence that followed, Miss Dunn’s breathing grew as ragged as his own. The distress in her eyes mirrored the pain in his heart. Confusion and disbelief hung in the air, as heavy as they had on that dreadful day.
Noah drained his glass, then stood and placed the goblet on the mantel. Staring into the fire’s flames turned his mood reflective. Perhaps he might have prevented the tragedy. Perhaps he could have said something to alter the turn of events.
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. The lady placed her glass next to his—hers full, his empty.
“Forgive me,” she whispered. “I would not have pressed you had I known.”
“Now you understand why I despise secrets, Miss Dunn.”
“Please, call me Eva,” she said in the gentle voice that touched him like a deeply moving melody. “Yes. And I understand your need to help women in distress.”
Despite her comment, he could feel the dark cloud of grief descending. The guilt. The frustration. The never-ending questions. “The irony is I can barely remember her, yet that one incident is like a black stain on my conscience.”
He’d never spoken those words to another soul, not even to his grandfather.
“You were a boy. Innocent. Naive to the ways of the world.”
“And yet I blame myself for that, too.”
Silence ensued.
Her comforting hand never left his shoulder.
“Then never again shall I keep anything from you, regardless of my embarrassment.” She inhaled. “An independent woman should not admit such a thing, but I dressed for you tonight. I wore the red gown because I wanted to show you the woman whose heart is bursting with passion.”
He turned to face her, his grief dissipating. “You show me that woman every time we’re together.”
“But you believe I’m practical and efficient.” She looked up at him through wide, sensual eyes, her full lips parted, just waiting to be kissed.
Noah couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a delightful package of contradictions.” And he wanted her in every conceivable way.
She screwed her petite nose. “A package?”
“A box of wonders.” He drank in her radiant beauty. “Indeed, a man might marvel for hours while examining every gift. You must have been disheartened when Cole arrived to play escort.”
“I doubt I have ever suffered a greater disappointment.”
He couldn’t help but reach out and tuck a stray tendril behind her ear. “And yet in the ballroom, you ran away the moment our gazes locked. Why? Was it my failure to dress appropriately?”
She squared her shoulders as if affronted he should think so. “I prefer a man with a strong mind.”
“Strong mind?” He laughed. “I had no intention of attending, yet could not stay away.”
“Why, because you refuse to relinquish control of the case to Mr Cole?”
“No. You know why I came.” His need to see her had taken command of his senses. The urge to touch her now saw him capture her gloved hand. “Why did you run?”
She swallowed hard. “Because I did not want Mr Cole to witness the change in me, the change brought about by your arrival.”
“Change?” He slipped her white glove past her elbow, sliding it down to her wrist. “Must you insist on being vague, Eva?”
“Y-you leave me breathless, sir.” She watched as he stripped the glove from her hand. “I find my legs struggle to support me when I’m in your presence. Mr Cole is determined to save you from your fleeting infatuation.”
Noah stroked his finger across her palm, following each fascinating line. “Is that what he said?”
“Indeed.”
“We’re like brothers. He knows me better than anyone, fears the bonds may be broken, snatched from his grasp like every good thing in his life.”
“He wishes to protect you, to protect himself.”
“Yes. Our work for the Order has given us a purpose. Cole doesn’t want me to throw it away for a woman.”
“Then you won’t mind if I remind you of your own advice.” She visibly shivered as he trailed his finger to her wrist and drew circles. “The wrong woman might insist you stop these dangerous pursuits. The right woman won’t want to change a thing. The right woman will want you exactly as you are.”
Was Eva Dunn the right woman?
Instinct said so.
“There were so many beautiful ladies at the ball tonight,” she said, flutters of desire evident in every breath. The nervous energy radiating from her was perhaps the reason she kept talking. “You stole their attention the moment you entered the room.”
“I wouldn’t know.” He took her hand and placed it on his chest. “I saw no one but you, Eva.”
They fell silent, but the roaring of their suppressed passions seemed to vibrate through the room. The air was suddenly charged with the need to ease this insistent ache. To satisfy the base desire that kept him awake last night.
“I swore I wouldn’t kiss you again.” And yet he had thought of little else.
She shuffled closer. “Some promises are made to be broken.”
“Things may progress beyond a kiss.”
“I fear I might die if you don’t touch me, Mr Ashwood.”
“Noah,” he corrected as he slipped his arm around her waist and drew her close. “I’m of a mind to satisfy your cravings. To pander
