Clockwork Blue by Gloria Harchar Page A

predicament .
     
    " What is that silly Glissando doing now? " To Nicola ' s relief, he flew off. She needed all of her energy focused on her clever adversary and didn ' t need a diversion. Turning, she discovered the Earl observed her .
     
    " Working on your father to invite me to dinner doesn ' t mean he will do business with me. " Falcon ' s lips twitched in a superior smile. She longed to rub it away like chalk on her school slate.
     
    " On the contrary, I believe it does, " she said.
     
    " Over dinner? "
     
    " Perhaps not at that precise moment, but soon. And you, my lord, are lucky I ' m here and that I managed to slip away without an escort. "
     
    " Yes , I suppose I am. Although I have the feeling you frequently forgo such proprieties. " He studied her for a few heartbeats. Then his gaze changed subtly, became more … absorbing . He brushed a wayward curl off her cheek. " Let us debate your success with your father in more detail. Come. "
     
    His abrupt command startled her. His tone had turned husky. She realized he was headed for the whitewashed bench overlooking the small lake. He urged his mount toward the secluded area, farther from the frolicking boys at the other end of the park, and she suddenly had the urge to explore dangerous waters as ye t undiscovered. Would she, like the moth, be smothered by the flame? Warily she glanced back toward civilization and the world she knew, with plain Nicola and her work in the millinery and d ye house, always overlooked by men and women alike. Why couldn ' t the Earl ignore her also?
     
    The lads and pixies had disappeared over the rise. Only she and the Earl existed on earth. With deep trepidation and a simmering anticip ation, she drew away from leaning against the barrelabout and took a few steps toward him . Perhaps in the light of day, he would see her and decide the Clockwork Blue wasn ' t worth the sacrifice. In fact , she half-expected him to cry off the whole nasty blackmail scheme, but he stared at her mouth with an intensity that caused her to tingle. Did she have jam on her lips? In a self-conscious gesture, she licked at them but detected none of the strawberry preserves she ' d eaten earlier. " T here isn ' t much more I can say at this early date. So I will see you tomorrow. "
     
    "Not so fast." His eyes darkened as he stared at her for a nother suspended moment before he dismounted. He wrappe d his reins around a tree limb.
     
    " Don ' t tell me you are about to renounce our bargain, " she said flippantly to ward off the buzz of tiny motors under her skin . Nervousness was what caused her to act so strangely. S he felt as if she were juggling keeping Ramsey out of the galleys, her father out of the sickbed , and herself out of an unwanted marriage.
     
    He made his way toward her. " You will have your seven days. But I can use the time to my advantage. "
     
    " What do you mean? Don ' t you have enough advantages? " she asked crossly.
     
    He trapped her hand with his and led her to a wrought-iron bench with wooden slats for the seat . " You can work on softening your father, while I will concentrate on softening you. " His callused fingers lightly rasped against her bare wrist above the edge of her glove. He drew her near. With studied slowness, he peeled the glove away. Her skin prickled with the intimacy of the act. Then he turned her palm up and nestled his mouth within. The heat of his breath burned her. The outline of his lips caused tiny pixies to flutter against her ears and sizzle down her arm.
     
    Sly and devious, she mentally added to his attributes. She screwed the radiator cap against the flow of the delightful sensations and tugged against his grasp. When he let go, she smoothed the folds of her dress, hoping the action would calm the riotous sensations ripping through her.
     
    With a haughty lift of her chin to banish the flutters near her heart she announced, " We won ' t have to wed so the woo attempt isn ' t necessary . "
     
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