To Catch A Thief (Saved By Desire 2) by Rebecca King Page B

make everyone more than a little wary. Although he had a very straightforward and practical manner about him, Sophia suspected he was extremely intelligent, and would make a formidable opponent when angry. With that in mind, and with Delilah’s current behaviour hanging over her, Sophia knew it was wise to turn a blind eye to the sternly chiselled jaw, the lushness of his full lips, and his rather incredible eyes. 
    Realising then that this time she was staring at him , she gave herself a stern mental shake and smiled somewhat dispassionately at him as her mind raced for a way to leave before she did something foolish and rash, like simper.
    “If I remember anything I will let you know,” she promised huskily. “Well, I must be getting on.”
    “Let me escort you,” Jeb offered smoothly, blithely ignoring the gentle tug of attraction.
    A muscle ticked in his jaw through his determination not to let his smirk burst forth, but it was a close thing. He had seen that stare and knew she was feeling exactly the same as he did. He almost heard her groan, and smothered a laugh when she looked longingly at the end of the road in much the same way a dog would stare at a juicy steak. Before she could raise any objection, he waved in the direction she apparently wanted to go. “After you.”
    “But you don’t know where I am going,” she protested, but was forced to take his arm anyway.
    “I don’t mind,” Jeb replied unconcernedly. “I will go where you go.”
    He smiled when she sighed, although couldn’t quite work out if she was hiding a curse or a sigh of longing. He suspected that Miss Sophia Carney would be a relatively easy conquest to make, if he wanted to make her a conquest, which he didn’t. Well, not entirely. Well, not right now in any case. Or did he?
    He frowned at that and turned his attention to the end of the road.
    Do you want to make her a conquest? A small voice asked him.
    Sophia wasn’t usually the love them and leave them type. If he did make her a conquest then it would mean settling for a heck of a lot more than a brief tumble. Was he ready for that? Especially with someone he hardly knew? 
    She closed her eyes in a silent prayer and wondered what she would have to do to get rid of him. As they wandered in somewhat stilted silence down the main street toward the posting office, she scoured the path ahead for any sign of someone she might know. Unfortunately, the Harvells were not out and about yet. Nor were half of the village from the look of it because the only two people taking in the morning were her, and the all too good looking Jebediah Hutchinson.
    “I don’t really want to put you out,” she gushed when she couldn’t stand the fraught tension a moment longer. Without snatching her hand off his arm she had no choice but to wander alongside him and try to block out just how right it felt.
    “Where are you going to on a beautiful morning like this?” He suspected from the parchment in her hand that she was off to the posting office, and this was confirmed not but a minute later when she waved the letter.
    “It is to my father. I have to keep him informed of a few things,” she replied evasively. She sensed his curiosity but wasn’t really in a position to satisfy it.
    “Good, then I shall escort you there.”
    As far as Sophia was concerned, they couldn’t get to the posting office fast enough. She tried to quicken her pace only to find herself held back by his leisurely stroll. Without making an issue of releasing her grip on his arm, she had to be guided by him. However, she was aware that if they continued at the pace they were going it would be tea-time before she got back to Delilah’s house. Didn’t the man have anything to do?
    “I hear from my aunt that you come from London,” she said for want of anything else to say.
    If she was honest, she wanted to know more about him. She certainly couldn’t ask Delilah because they were barely on speaking terms as it was