Love and Other Wicked Games (A Wicked Game Novel) (12 page)

“On come now, you enjoyed it,” Cal said with a twisted smile.

“Fine!” Ellie laughed. “There were a few jabs I could have avoided.”

“I knew it! There
is
a little wickedness in you.”

Ellie gasped. “There is not!”

“There is. And it’s not a bad thing at all,” Cal said with conviction. “But even that doesn’t explain it.”

“Explain what?”

“Why you’re still here with me. Believe me, I understand how tedious life can be and how sometimes you just need to do something to break the cycle before you go mad. But there are other ways of doing that besides running through the slums of Manchester and hiding out with a strange man in a dilapidated inn.” Cal cringed as he picked at the paint on the bedpost. “I told you. I’ve seen bloody brothels with more class than this place…”

“Oh, have you now?”

Cal didn’t even try to skirt his way around that slip of the tongue. “Honest to God.”

Ellie curled her upper lip and crossed her arms with a shiver. “Lovely,” she mumbled. “I thought you were joking earlier.”

“About this place being a brothel? I was. About brothels having more class?” He shook his head and whistled. “A respectable whore would never be seen here.”

“Oh, there are respectable whores, are there?”

“Of course!”

Cal felt a slight pang of embarrassment for the direction he’d allowed this conversation to take. Ellie didn’t deserve this anymore than she deserved anything else he’d put her through in the last two days. He had to admit though, that a secret part of him was impressed with how well she was dealing with it all. For all of her interesting quirks, the poised manner in which she was handling this unconventional conversation and situation was a true testament to her character. She was stronger and smarter than she knew. And he her admired with all of his heart.

“I refrain from explaining how I know that…” he finally added.

Ellie rolled her lips around but was having a difficult time hiding her smile. “No need. I’m sure a wayward acquaintance is the source of your knowledge.”

“Oh, to be sure… But that’s not the point,” Cal continued quickly. “I don’t know you and you don’t know me. What if I’d been some sort of crazed criminal?”

“You’re not.”

“What if I’d been insane?”

“You’re not.”

“Or what if I’d just been cruel?”

“You’re not that either.”

“But how do you know?”

“I—” She shrugged. “I just do. I can always tell what kind of person someone is almost immediately upon meeting them. I’ve always been able to—” she tilted her head in thought, “read people, I guess you could say. Now, I’m not always right. I won’t say that. But more often than not I get it pretty close. And when you walked up to pay for the apple when I was all flustered—”

“Perhaps I only paid for your food because I wanted your favor.”

“No, it wasn’t that either. I mean the idea did cross my mind but only just for a moment. And then I knew. When you—” She cleared her throat and bit her lip. “When you… kissed me, I could tell that in that moment you needed me just as much as I needed you, and perhaps even more. You didn’t have to tell me that you needed me and that I’d helped you for me to know. Just like you didn’t have to tell me what kind of person you are for me to know right then.”

He raised a brow. “And what kind of person is that?”

She reached out and cradled his hand in hers. “A kind person. A good man. Alone and angry at times, and a bit sad.” She patted his hands and looked up at him with a kind smile. “But True. You have a good and true heart.”

His empty stomach turned once more and his chest ached with guilt. If only she knew. He had to figure a way to fix this mess before it became even worse. Each moment he let pass by without saying anything was just another lie and he couldn’t let any more of those pile up.

Cal wasn’t sure where to go from here or what the two of them would do after they left the safety of these walls. He knew that he didn’t want her to disappear from his life, but he’d be damned if he knew how that would ever be possible. If he’d been able to tell her who he was then maybe something could have been worked out. She was an intelligent woman and perhaps she would have understood, but he didn’t want to take that chance. He couldn’t take that chance. Not while they were trapped together in this room and she’d unknowingly professed her hate for him, only to then tell him what a good and true man he was.

Talk about irony.

Talk about his life…

And where did all of this leave them?

He knew the simplest solution, the right solution: when they left this room that would be the end. They would continue on life as if none of this had ever happened. They would forget each other and move on. But deep inside Cal knew that was no longer an option. They were connected to each other now, in some way he could not yet explain. He had to make this work. He had to. Whatever
this
was.

“What if I told you there is something you can do?” he said before he allowed himself to think and change his mind. “Something that we can do?”

Ellie tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“About the mills. And the workers.”

“What is it?” Her eyes began to sparkle again in a way they hadn’t done since he’d first taken hold of her hand and carried her away. “Tell me. Please.”

“Well, I’m not sure what we will actually be able to do…”

“That’s fine.”

“And there is the possibility that it may be a bit dangerous as well…”

Ellie squared her shoulders. “That’s fine as well. Remember what I said about fear?”

“I do remember.”

“Then yes. Please tell me what I can do. I want to help. However I can.”

“Well, alright then.” Cal looked down and took a deep breath.

He didn’t like the idea of potentially putting her in danger, certainly not if his only motivation was seeing her one more time. But that was not the case, he decided, as he thought it all over again. Her caring presence and an extra set of eyes and ears were bound to be beneficial. There was real potential that she would be able to help him make a difference.

And he didn’t know if he actually was in danger. He didn’t think he was anyway now that he had a better idea of who was following him and why. It was an inconvenience more than anything and while he would remain exceedingly cautious, he would continue to treat the situation as nothing more than an inconvenience until he was given a reason to the contrary.

Besides, Ellie was not some shrinking flower. That was one thing he knew for sure. Dangerous or not this seemed just the sort of thing she would have undertaken on her own had she known what to do with the information she collected.

Cal looked back to her and grinned and she returned one in kind. Her smile was so sweet that it made his mouth water.

“How would you like to go to a rally?”

This day was continuing to surprise her and Ellie was over the moon.

A rally. A rally she could go to. A rally where she might even be able to help.

Her. Ellie. Making a difference.

Had she ever heard of anything so wonderful?

Joyous energy overtook her body. She wanted to laugh and scream and dance all at once. Throw her hands above her head and run even, but she decided it was best not to call that much attention to herself until she was safely out of this part of the city.

Cal had left her a few streets back, reluctantly, to continue alone on her journey home.

She’d hugged him and then smiled as she walked away waving.

“I’ll be just fine,” she’d called to him when she saw he wasn’t walking away too. “Now go! Before I change my mind!”

“Would that be so awful?” he’d called in response as he took a few steps backwards and then turned away with a wickedly enticing smirk.

And for just a moment she almost
had
changed her mind. She’d almost run back to him as fast as she possibly could. If he’d looked at her for one second longer or said one more word then she would have, without a second thought.

His arms just felt right around her and she felt right in them. Peaceful and comfortable and safe. It was like being wrapped up in a sheet fresh off the line that had baked in the summer sun. This definitely wasn’t something she’d expected when she first met him, to feel this way, but then again she hadn’t expected any of this. Certainly not these feelings. And as shocked as she was to realize it, out of everything that had happened since yesterday she was most surprised by the way she felt when she was around him.

It was new and it made her tingle in a way that was entirely inappropriate, even to think about. Yet, she
was
thinking about it now as she walked home. And she remembered how she’d thought about it at the inn too.

The first time the feeling struck her she was sitting next to him after he told her all about the rally. She was wishing he would hold her again as he’d done before, wondering if he knew what she was thinking and wondering if he was thinking about it as well. It was almost too much to stand, this ache she felt inside, but it was a good ache. Like the feelings that ran all through her body after a brisk walk.

She thought about telling him. Just saying it and seeing what happened even though she had nearly no idea what that might be. She only knew it would be wicked, and that in this moment she was perfectly alright with that.

But just as she worked up the courage to raise her head and part her lips, he looked down at her and said, “It’s time.”

“What?” she asked dreamily.

“It’s time for us to go.” Cal pulled a rather shiny watch from his pocket and looked inside. “As I thought. We’ve been here nearly three hours.”

Ellie shot straight up. “
Three hours!
Oh, Lord. My mother’s probably sent out a search party by now.” She uncurled her legs out from under her and stretched. Then she leaned over and slipped her shoes back on her feet.

“Oh my. Then let’s not keep them waiting any longer. That’s the last thing I need…” Cal stood up and stretched too before reaching out his hand to Ellie and helping her up. She tangled her fingers in his. She didn’t want to let go.

“Well, I’m sure she hasn’t actually sent anyone. Not really, anyway. But I’m sure she’s worried sick.” Ellie said, her hand lingering in his for just a moment longer than necessary. “And I’m bound to get an earful from Mandy by the time I get back to the shop. She’s like a second mother to me now and she sure doesn’t put up with foolishness anymore…”

Cal put his hands on his lower back, stretching again, and then looked around the room. “I’ll miss this place.”

Ellie reeled a little, not immediately understanding his meaning. “Which part? The smell or the décor? Because I’m having a hard time deciding which is more memorable. And don’t forget the patrons downstairs or in the next room! They were quite the colorful bunch as well.”

“That they were… But I was referring to the present company.”

“Oh, yes. That.” Ellie smiled and then blushed, for the thousandth time, but when she tried to hide it he stopped her.

“Don’t,” he said placing one tender finger below her chin and tilting her face up. A few stray hairs fell in front of her eyes and he brushed them away, gently rubbing the pad of his thumb on her cheek. “It suits you.”

She smiled again and so did he. It was a warm smile, a comforting one, but she could see a hungrier and wilder emotion peering through. A devious glisten shone from his now slit eyes and it made her heart jump up into her throat. His smile became languid and then he bit the right side of his bottom lip, tilting his head, as if he was trying to make a very important—and scandalous—decision.

Kiss me!
she shouted. But not out loud.
Wrap me in your arms and kiss me now!

And he did. He took her face in his hands, drew her to him casting their bodies together, and kissed her square on the top of her head. She shivered. She felt his lips smile against her crown.

I should have been more specific, but I’ll take that.
Her legs wobbled as he released her and she held her hands out to steady her balance.

“Shall we?” he held out his arm to help her, the satisfied grin now wide across his face.

She took his arm, knowing full well she wouldn’t want to release it and knowing that he knew this too. But she’d deal with that when she had to, which was definitely not right now. Right now she would just enjoy the feel of him. Right now she would just enjoy the moment.

And she did. So much in fact that she didn’t even realize they left their sanctuary, or that they were downstairs, or that they were nearly out the door until she heard Cal yell “Shut up!” to the downstairs patrons when they made snide remarks about how long the two of them had been upstairs.

Ellie decided she could now add blushing to the list of her normal personality characteristics since she seemed to spend all of her time lately doing it. But this time she just let it happen.

Then sometime, though not too much later, they were forced to part ways. Her parents’ dress shop was on the south end of the city while wherever Cal was headed was on the north end. Neither of them wanted to part and they stood there at the cross roads looking at each other in silence; her arms swinging to and fro, his hands in his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

That was when she decided to hug him.

“I’ll see you shortly,” Cal whispered, his voice ticking her ear and her senses.

She couldn’t wait. And from the sounds of it, neither could he.

But they would have to wait because the rally wasn’t until tomorrow night. And Ellie honestly wasn’t sure which she was more excited about.

“What’s a rally?” she’d asked, scooting just a bit closer to him on the bed. As she slipped back into the memory she realized her voice sounded a bit on edge. Probably because at this moment, all she could think about was how desperately she wanted to see him again after their adventure was over.

“Oh, yes. I suppose I probably should explain what I’m talking about instead of just inviting you along, shouldn’t I?”