Heaven Scent by SpursFanatic

they?” Isabel commented, as she watched
the men in deep discussion. “Particularly when that change involves
women.”
    A few minutes later, the men approached
the table to stand in front of Tarin. She glanced first at
Pensworthy, then Rafe. He winked at her with a smile.
    “Well, young lady, where do I sign?”
Pensworthy asked, in a gruff voice.
    Kitty stilled. Tarin knew her eyes were
like carriage wheels. How did Rafe do it? She searched his gaze for
some sign, some clue as to how he had persuaded such a staunch
opponent to change his mind.
    “Right here,” she replied, handing
Pensworthy the pen and pointing at the next available line on the
petition.
    She watched as he scrawled his
signature on the form. “Thank you for supporting our
cause.”
    “You have this young man to thank,” he
replied, handing her the pen and straightening. “He’s made me see
things in a new light. No one can accuse me of being set in my
ways.”
    Turning around to shake Rafe’s hand,
Mr. Pensworthy bid them all a good day and left.
    Tarin stared at Rafe in awe. “I don’t
know what to say…”
    He smiled at her. “Thank you would work
for me.”
    The man was positively irresistible
when he smiled. Tarin clasped her hands behind her back to keep
from throwing herself at him.
    “Thank you,” Kitty said, her eyes no
less round.
    “You’re welcome,” Rafe
replied, smiling at them before turning back to Tarin. “Looks like
you owe me, Miss Worthington. Again .”
    Her heart picked up speed until she
thought it would jump out of her chest. “Rafe Sutherland, you are
not going to try that again.”
    He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Try? I thought I’d succeeded rather well last night.”
    Blushing feverishly, Tarin glanced at
Isabel, then her friend who stared at her as though she wore
drawers on her head.
    “Oh, don’t mind me,” Kitty said with
obvious interest. “I’m just listening.”
    Rafe laughed before giving Tarin one of
his arrogant grins. He enjoyed making her blush, the brute. He
enjoyed making her feel self-conscious in front of her friend. How
could a man be so… honorable one moment, and such a scoundrel the
next?
    “I don’t recall you signing the
petition, son,” Isabel said, pointing at the petition on the
table.
    “Yes, Mr. Sutherland,” Tarin chimed in,
“your signature is suspiciously absent from our
document.”
    Rafe stared at Tarin a long moment, his
eyes leisurely perusing her body in that maddening way of his. The
air was suddenly stifling, her stomach barely containing the
butterflies that had taken flight within it. Why, oh why, couldn’t
she control herself?
    “Looks like Miss Worthington wants to
run a tab.”
    Rafe’s fingers brushed hers as he took
the pen. Tarin snatched her hand away. Just that brief touch caused
her mind to flood with memories of his hands caressing her back,
his soft, coaxing lips on hers, his clean, spicy scent enveloping
her.
    In that moment, she vowed to do
whatever it took to stay away from Rafe Sutherland. He affected her
as no other man before, and at the worst possible time.
    As she watched him scrawl his name on
the petition, she couldn’t help but notice the hues of red in his
rich, chocolate-colored hair.
    Tarin?! Stop
it .
    “Thank you again for what you did with
Pensworthy. No one will believe it.”
    “You’re welcome,” he said, tossing the
pen on the table. His eyes were serious when they met hers. “Tarin,
I - “
    “Rafe Sutherland. Just the man I want
to see."
    Tarin turned to find Dr. Randall Kent
standing close behind her. He was elegantly dressed, as usual, in a
long, blue coat of finest satin, a snowy white cravat and black
trousers. He wore a welcoming smile on his face.
    The middle-aged man was like a father
to Tarin, having taken over care of her father’s gout since the
demise of Dr. Longfellow. He supported her fascination with
medicine by allowing her use of his library and answering any
questions she had.
    However,