Love and Other Wicked Games (A Wicked Game Novel) (2 page)

Her stomach twanged. Again. She cleared her throat. “I’m—I’m sorry. I just…”

“No. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“What are you sorry fo—”

And then he did it and it stopped her cold. And hot.

He looked at her, his emerald eyes opening up in invitation, and he slowly pushed his breath out through his nose, letting it dance over her skin. The hairs on her neck shot up all prickly and she shivered again, but that shiver was quickly quelled by his strong hand at the base of her head, pulling her in. She was powerless to resist.

She didn’t have time to react, or rather to protest. Not that she would have if she’d had even just a moment to make that decision. Instead she let it happen. She let this moment happen. A moment so completely out of character for even her most impulsive self. In front of the vendors and the animals and the crowd pushing past, she let him press his lips against hers and pause. Just there. For just a moment. A pause.

Her ears began to ring and she felt heat rush into her head with every pounding pulse of her heart. She breathed in through her nose, the ringing escalating in frequency, and the heat closing in on her with a powerful flash. For one instant the world stood still. For one instant the world was completely silent.

And slow. Her breath, her thoughts, even her heartbeat. Everything seemed to slow down.

Then he moved his lips and everything came rushing back full force. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, as if she’d just been drenched with ice water. It was like a slap, strong and stinging, but it heightened everything and made it bright and real. His lips curled up into a smile as he cupped the back of her head tighter and pressed against her more firmly. The coarse hairs on his upper lip tickled her face as his tongue mimicked the same feeling at the corners of her mouth. She was breathless and breathy all at once as she chanced a moment to open her eyes and look up at him.

Her eyelids fluttered, just enough to realize how close kissing actually brought two people together. This was the closest she had ever been to another person in her entire life. It was exhilarating and frightening and somehow pure. She moved her gaze upward just in time to see his eyes open too, and she thought she felt him fall into her.

This was the moment. The one in her dreams. The one she’d thought about since she was a young girl. Or so she let herself believe for just one pleasurable second before his eyes darted away yet again, and she resigned herself to the truth. As pleasing as this moment was—and Lord, was it pleasing—it was not exactly right. And something was missing.

Him. His complete attention. His complete devotion. His love.

And his name.

“Who are you?” Ellie asked as she pushed away.

His eyes shot behind her again and then back to look at her. “Well, bloody hell… It didn’t work…”

“It didn’t?”

“Do you like your life?” he asked with real concern in his voice.

“What?”

“Your life. Your day to day existence. Whatever that may be. How you do things. How you live. Your family.”

“Well, yes… I—of course I do, but…”

“Then I’m sorry about this, I’m very sorry, but I’m going to need to ask you to do something.”

“What?”

“Run.”

***

“Why are we running?”

That’s a very good question
, Cal thought. A question that he did not want to answer yet, if at all.

“Why not?” he asked her.

“I’d rather know why.”

Well, damn. She wasn’t just going to let it be. But then again, why should she?

While he’d more than likely saved her from bodily harm with the fruit vendor, he’d then kissed her and now he was dragging her through the streets of Manchester. He felt sorry for her, he really did, but he had to get away from
them
. He’d hoped that little stunt with the kiss would hide him in the crowd for just long enough to escape. It hadn’t. Not even close. The only choice left had been to run, and to take her with him.

He looked over his shoulder for his pursuers and caught a glimpse of the woman. Her auburn hair was coming loose in ringlets around her face and her delicate blue eyes were wide and wondering. And she was smiling. Lord have mercy, she was actually smiling. An upwelling of excitement caught up inside of him and he quickly looked ahead to subdue the emotion.

“But
why
are we running?” he heard the woman call once more from behind him.

It was bad enough he’d had to take her with him to prevent her from being questioned—both for his sake and for hers—but it now appeared he might also have to give her an explanation.

That was something he hoped to avoid at all costs. This woman didn’t deserve to pay for his choices so it was better he just kept her in the dark about the entire situation.

He tried to pretend he couldn’t hear her through the commotion of the crowd but she was having none of it.

“
Why are we running?
”

“It’s good for the constitution,” he said, trying to buy time. “It improves the lungs and the brain and the overall health.”

He turned to look at her once more and steal a glance—for some reason he was curious if this silly answer would make her smile again—and nearly ran into a young woman peddling flowers.

“Whoa!” he shouted jumping to the left and pulling the woman along behind him just in time to avoid disaster.

“Then surely you don’t need me,” the woman said though heavy breaths as they wove through the masses of people.

“What do you mean?”

“For exercise. If we’re running for exercise and constitution then surely you don’t need me.”

“Oh, no?”

“Exercise is a solitary pursuit, is it not?”

His mouth twitched. He felt guilty but he had to take it there. And besides, he could use this line of conversation to keep her distracted for a while.

“Is it not?” she pressed.

“Sometimes, I suppose.”

“What?” He could hear her voice raise an octave with confusion.

“Exercise. I’d say that it’s only sometimes a solitary pursuit. There are times when a companion can be quite advantageous.”

“Whatever do you—what sort of exercise is—” he heard her take a sharp intake of breath and felt her hand stiffen in his. “Do you—do you mean—”

He looked back just in time to see her mouth twitch, which filled him with a surprisingly satisfying warmth.

“Well, I—I don’t know firsthand about—about those—those companion—
exercises
—” she cleared her throat, her words caught in deep breaths “—but if you think that you’re going to convince me that
this
—that
we
—that
I
would—with
you!
—well then—”

“Oh, good God!” Cal couldn’t hold in his laughter and the combination of that with the running caused him to cough and choke.

He let go of the woman’s hand and stopped running just in time to keel over and catch his hands on his knees. He held up one hand to her as he coughed a few more times through fits of laughter. He changed his mind. Her reaction was priceless and fresh—it was something he wasn’t used to in his everyday life and something he hadn’t expected, but he welcomed her vibrant spirit. And now he didn’t feel the least bit guilty for taking the conversation in this direction. Secretly, he was glad.

When he was finally able to take a deep breath and breathe properly again he stood up and looked to the woman standing next to him.

She had her hands folded together in front of her waist and she was biting her lower lip. “Should we start running again?”

And Cal lost it once more, laughing and coughing for what felt like minutes before he was able to compose himself once more. “That’s it, then? With everything that’s just happened, everything I’ve just put you through, and that’s all you’re concerned about right now? Running?”

“Well, I mean, it just seemed so important to you and—and—I wasn’t doing anything that seemed nearly as important and well—”

“Oh.” Cal felt a poignant twinge in his chest. Her compassion was melting him. “It was important. It is. Thank you.”

She looked down and tried to hide the rosy color blooming on her alabaster cheeks. “Then shall we—” She pointed in the direction they had been running while a sliver of a smile grew on her face.

“Well...” For just a moment Cal had forgotten the situation he was in. He raked his hand through his hair and turned around in a complete circle, looking.

Bloody hell. He’d lost sight of them but that didn’t mean they had lost sight of him.

“No. No more running right now. I thank you for your time and for putting up with my eccentricities. But it’s time to part ways.” Cal was surprised by how much these words upset him, but he’d put this unusual and kindhearted woman into enough trouble for one day.

“Oh,” she said in a soft voice. He was even more surprised by the way that sound made him feel.

“Well, good day then,” he managed to say through his surging emotions. “And thank you once more.”

She nodded with a frown and turned, slowly walking away, but she soon stopped and pivoted to face him. “But why were we...”

Cal shook his head.

“And your money. How shall I return it?”

“There’s no need for—” but Cal couldn’t help himself and he changed his mind. “Same time tomorrow, same place we met today. Two pence,” he said with a smirk. “Now go. Before they see us together again and get a better look at you.”

“They?”

Damn. It was definitely time to go. He turned and sprinted away as fast as he could.

“But—but you said no more running!” Her voice called after him longingly.

Cal smiled to himself but he didn’t dare look back or else he may have run into her arms.

“What
happened
to you?” Amelia asked the moment that Ellie finally came through the door of the dress shop. Her tiny frame glowed with a mix of amusement, disgust, and savage curiosity. She hopped up from her chair and ran to Ellie, golden hair bobbing, and inspected her up and down like she was some sort of side-show amusement.

“Amelia…” Mandy reprimanded, before looking up from her sewing. She wiped the loose gray hairs away from her eyes and then winced ever so slightly. “Oh my.”

“And a good day to the both of you too.” Ellie reached to her chin for the ties of her bonnet only to realize that her bonnet was no longer there. She patted her head with a frown. Not only was her bonnet missing but so were most of her hair pins, causing several pieces of her reddish-brown hair to fall around her face. She hadn’t even noticed. What a sight she must have been making her way back to the shop in such a disheveled state. She didn’t blame Amelia or Mandy for the way they were looking at her right now but that didn’t mean she liked it. “I doubt either of you would look much better after the morning I’ve had.”

Amelia raised both of her brows and went back to her chair picking up her embroidery, but not yet sitting down. “I can’t say I’ve ever had reason to look that way when coming back from picking up a parcel.” She looked down to the embroidery in her hand but then gasped and dropped it back on the chair. “Unless you were doing something else… or
someone
el—”

“Amelia,” Mandy said again in the same critical tone, cutting her off. “Heavens me, I don’t know why I let you read those books.”

“Because they’re my books! And I would read them anyway,” Amelia said with a smug smile. “Acceptance is easier than fighting.”

Mandy shook her round face then set her sewing aside and made her way over to Ellie. She clicked her tongue as she tucked a few strands of hair behind Ellie’s ear and wiped at something on her forehead. “What happened, dear? As much as I hate to admit it, Amelia’s right—”

“I told you!”

Mandy glared at Amelia who seemed to literally bite her tongue and look back down at her work. “You’ve definitely had a more entertaining morning than should come from retrieving a package of textiles…”

Ellie gasped and put her hands up to her cheeks. “The package. I completely forgot!”

She hurried over to the mirror and began to adjust the pins still left in her hair and blot her face with her handkerchief. She felt guilty. While Mandy, Amelia, and her mother had spent the morning working, she’d been gallivanting around the city with a handsome stranger. And if that wasn’t bad enough she hadn’t even managed to complete her errand and bring back the package of textiles her mother had been waiting for. “If I hurry I can still make it there before the day is out.”

“No, no, dear. No need for that.” Mandy assured her.

“But—”

“But we don’t even need those materials for several days now. And besides, I’m sure your mother would rather we take care of you than worry about Lady Rivenhall’s party dress.”

“Alright.” Ellie sighed and sat down, kicking off her shoes and crossing her left ankle over her knee so she could rub her foot. “If I’d known how today would turn out I would have worn more sensible shoes.”

“What fun are sensible shoes?” Amelia piped in.

“Being able to run without pain is great fun, in my opinion.”

“Run?” both Amelia and Mandy asked.

Oh darn. Ellie hadn’t meant to say that. In fact, she hadn’t even meant to think about the whirlwind of events and emotions that had happened while running through the city with her handsome stranger.
The
handsome stranger, she corrected herself, unsure why she had thought about him in that way. Oh, darn again. She was going to start blushing soon if she wasn’t careful. And there would be no way to explain that away.

“There was another protest again today,” she said trying to change the subject back to the things she could actually talk about.

Mandy took a deep breath and then set her jaw without saying a word. She sat down next to Ellie and rested her cheek against her hand.

“This one was a bit different though,” Ellie continued. “They were blocking off portions of the main roads and forcing us to go in the direction they wanted us to go.”

“And where might that have been?” Mandy asked.

“To where the roads cut through their neighborhoods. They were forcing us to look. I had to take some smaller side streets off of Market Road—nothing too terribly dangerous but rather upsetting…”