Heaven Scent (7 page)

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The humid night air was stifling inside
her heavy, dark cape. Rain had fallen again today, causing Tarin to
curse the ruin of yet another dress.

How utterly ridiculous. She had spoiled
one dress already and had the hem of another replaced with lace.
Why should a woman have to sneak into a men’s seminar on
midwifery?

What could Dr. Gregory possibly say
that he wouldn’t say in the women’s seminar? Having a child was a
woman’s natural process. Men would never experience it first
hand.

Why the separation?

Curiosity ate at Tarin like an
acid.

With her back against the side of
Templar Hall, Tarin peeked around the corner. Mr. Wallace guarded
the door like the entrance to The White House. Blast the
man.

She had tried to sneak in on several
occasions with no success. She had come close twice but had backed
away when latecomers brought Wallace to the door.

If Tarin was caught sneaking inside the
men’s seminar, she would ruin her chances of becoming one of Dr.
Gregory’s first students at the college. Yet, how was she supposed
to be a competent midwife and eventual physician when knowledge was
kept from her because she was a woman? How did she know what she
missed by not being a man?

Tarin peered in the window
behind her. Dr. Gregory had a great crowd tonight. It thrilled her
to know his lectures were so popular in Boston. They had caused
quite a stir since his publication “
Man-Midwifery Exposed
” was
released.

She turned back to peek around the
corner. A hand clamped over her mouth. Her heart stopped. A silent
scream rose in her throat and held. She tried to turn, but the
attacker held her head motionless in one hand.

Tarin lashed out, kicking her attacker
in the shin. His hand on her mouth tightened before he pulled her
back against his chest. She could feel the heat emanating from him,
the incredible strength, the immense height. She felt as though she
were in shackles, her arms locked at her sides. Tarin was helpless
except for her legs, which were hampered by her skirts. Her kicks
were futile against his strength.

Father had warned her about wandering
the city alone. So had Kitty.

And Rafe. Her stomach clenched into a
ball. Why hadn’t she called him? He had offered to escort her
wherever she needed to go. And heaven knew walking on the strong
arm of Rafe Sutherland was a pleasure only the most fortunate of
women experienced. But he would have never approved of her
attendance at this lecture and would have prevented her from
coming.

Now she was in the clutches of a madman
just outside a hall full of men and they did not know her
plight.

What Tarin did know was that she could
not stop fighting. She stomped back on his foot. Perhaps he would
eventually tire and let her go. She had to try.

“As soon as you are through kicking me,
I’ll let you go.”

Rafe
. She relaxed against him, feeling a brief sense of security
before anger took over. That dirty, rotten
scoundrel
. Tarin’s heart started to
beat again, rapidly, for a totally different reason. She was going
to kill him.

Rafe turned her around to face him. His
face was half hidden in the light shining through the window behind
him. He held a finger to his lips as he glanced towards the hall.
She couldn’t lash out at him or she would be heard.

But oh, she wanted to curse as she had
never cursed before.

“You rogue,” she cried in a heated
whisper, as she hit him on the arm. “You terrified me.”

“Serves you right for wandering around
at night alone. I could’ve easily been someone else,
Tarin.”

Ignoring the lead weight of guilt in
her stomach, Tarin tried to summon up her life’s practice to stay
pleasant in any situation. But, heaven help her, she wanted to
throttle Rafe Sutherland as she had no other person.

“How did you know I was
here?”

He had the nerve to grin at her. “I
followed you.”

“You did not follow me,” she accused.
“I was careful to watch for anyone behind me.”

“What kind of spy would I be if you
spotted me?” he asked. “Besides, with that perfume of yours, I
would find you anywhere in Boston.”

“You could
smell
me?”

He nodded.

Tarin wasn’t sure if he’d just insulted
her or not. “Why did you follow me?”

“I told you not to wander out alone at
night.” His clutch on her arm pulled Tarin closer, his grin
arrogant. “I could’ve been an unsavory character rather than the
dashing hero that I am.”

Tarin rolled her eyes. “You have quite
the ego, Mr. Sutherland.”

“Quite.” His smile disappeared beneath
a dark frown. “What are you doing here? What’s going on in there?”
He nodded back towards the window.

Blast it. Now she had to confide in
Rafe and risk him revealing her tomfoolery. If he revealed her
secret, all of her plans would be ruined.

“Well, if you must know, I was trying
to sneak into the hall.” She lifted her chin.

Rafe leaned around her to glance at the
front door. “What’s going on in there?”

“They are conducting a men’s seminar on
midwifery.”

That superior, arrogant
frown appeared on his face again. “A men’s seminar. So what
are
you
doing,
trying to get in? You are certainly not a man.” His eyes ran down
the length of her as though she were there for his
benefit.

Ugh, he irritated her to no end. She
felt as though she were revealing all of her innermost secrets to
the world.

“I want to hear what Dr. Gregory has to
say that is not said in the women’s seminar.”

Rafe studied her a long moment, her
eyes never wavering from his. Tarin waited for the imminent tirade
that was sure to come. The “if women were meant to hear it, they
would have been invited” speech, the implication that men were
superior to women, and that the subject matter was offensive to her
delicate, feminine ears.

“I’ll get you in.”

His sudden grin stunned her. Tarin
stilled, unable to believe her ears. “You will?”

He nodded. “But just as long as we are
clear on one thing - ”

A thrill ran through her. Finally, she
would get in! “Anything,” she said without hesitation.

“I am
not
responsible for what is said
inside.”

Excitement bubbled inside of Tarin. She
could not believe he was going to help her. “Of course. Why would
you think that?”

“How do I say this… ” he paused, brow
wrinkling. “Men tend to be more… direct in their conversations and
comments.”

Was that all? “I’ll be fine.” She
turned, eager to get inside before the seminar started. “Let’s
go.”

His grip on her arm held her back.
“What’s it worth to you?”

Tarin planted a hand on her hip. She
should have known there would be a price. “I should’ve realized the
chivalry you showed the other evening was an uncommon
occurrence.”

“Need I remind you, Miss Worthington,
that if I were a gentleman, I would not be sneaking you inside in
the first place.”

Touché
. Tarin dropped her hand. “So what kind of compensation are we
discussing?” Surely, he would not expect her father’s
shipping?

“I’m not sure,” Rafe replied, closing
the distance between them. “Any suggestions?”

Tarin swallowed hard as their eyes
held. Oh no, no, no. A kiss would not be wise. Not when he was
proving to be more desirable by the second.

She was already entirely too attracted
to him. To engage in a kiss in the moonlight would surely find her
completely at his mercy.

“N-No, no suggestions…”

He took her chin in his hand. His thumb
grazed her jaw. “None?” he whispered.

Heaven help her, she couldn’t think
when he touched her. Not when her body screamed for a kiss that
could only bring her trouble.

“What kind of woman do you take me
for?”

He devoured her mouth with his eyes.
“An intelligent, beautiful woman who’s passionate about her
interests.”

Oh, he was sinful. Downright evil.
Tarin wanted to grab him by the shirt and show him just how
passionate she could be.

“So you propose a kiss, then?” she
asked, her voice shaking.

He hesitated, brows drawn low. “Did
I?”

Heat exploded in her face. Tarin had
never felt so mortified. “Never mind –”

“Okay, I accept.”

Her gasp was lost in Rafe’s mouth as
his lips covered hers. All coherent thought vanished. He was not
demanding or forceful as his arrogance would dictate, but gentle
and coaxing as he feasted on her lips thoroughly, nipping and
tugging with excruciating ease.

It was she who brazenly wrapped her
arms around his neck and pressed him for more. While his low moan
encouraged her, it became obvious to Tarin that Rafe would not be
rushed.

Under the cloak of night, with only the
stars as witness, the kiss was the most moving, sensuous indulgence
she had ever experienced. His obvious skill made her heart race as
he maneuvered them into a thrill well beyond Tarin’s
imagination.

Large, strong hands caressed her back
inside the cape, causing a tingling sensation to race down her
spine. His tongue toyed with hers, tasting, sucking as though he
had every right to do so.

Tarin could not contain the groan in
her throat, wondered at the swirling heat low in her belly. She did
not understand what he did to her, knew it felt incredibly sinful,
but was helpless to stop him.

There would be other seminars, she
thought in the back of her mind. She would sooner stay here all
night, kissing Rafe Sutherland in the moonlight.

Applause from inside startled her. Rafe
broke away with a harsh frown, his finger to his lips again,
reminding her to be quiet.

Tarin's legs shook. She did well to
breathe, much less speak. She planted a hand against the brick wall
to support herself.

Inhaling a deep breath, she
stomped her foot in the dirt. She knew it.
Knew
the man had the ability to make
her forget her goal. Just seconds ago, Tarin was willing to forego
the seminar for a few kisses from Rafe Sutherland. Was she
mad?

Rafe motioned for her to stay put while
he went around to the front door. Nodding, Tarin watched as Mr.
Wallace greeted him enthusiastically.

She saw Rafe look inside the hall over
Mr. Wallace’s shoulder. He started to enter then said something to
Mr. Wallace as pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

Surely, he hadn’t told Mr. Wallace of
her presence?

“What are you doing?” she asked, when
he came back to her side.

“I told Wallace I had to relieve myself
and then I’d be back. I told him to go in without me – I’d get the
doors.”

The man was smart, if not
gauche.

“There’s a small closet off the lobby.
You will have to stand in there. I will stand outside of it to keep
watch.”

“Won’t Wallace be
suspicious?”

Rafe shook his head. “I told him my
wounds got stiff if I sat too long so I preferred to
stand.”

“Brilliant!”

He grinned. “It’s the
truth.”

Before she could remark, Rafe snatched
Tarin’s hand and dragged her along behind him. A moment later, she
was safely ensconced in the closet. With the door slightly ajar,
she could hear Dr. Gregory remarkably well over her pounding
heart.

Tarin listened as Dr. Gregory covered
the same, convincing material he had in the ladies seminar.
However, his talk of the immoral tendencies and results of
employing men as mid-wives surprised her. The men’s resulting crude
comments and questions shocked her, but Tarin remained steadfast in
her silence.

Dr. Gregory’s thorough and uncouth
details of a love affair between a lady of French descent and her
physician brought an unconscious gasp from Tarin’s lips. Rafe’s
chuckle outside the door raked along her skin like a silver fork on
china. Tarin knew he thought she should not have sneaked in. But
damn him and all men, she could not help it if they were all
heathens.

As soon as applause began, Rafe
snatched her from the closet and whisked her out into the night.
They were blocks away before Rafe slowed their pace. Anyone passing
them on the street would think they were out for a leisurely
stroll.

“Did you believe the tales he told,
Rafe?” she asked, still trying to catch her breath.

“Yes,” he replied, his voice firm. “Men
have urges, Tarin. Some just don’t have the honor or morals to
control them appropriately.”

Based on what Dr. Gregory said, neither
did some women.