“What happened last night,” she muttered, withdrawing her hand. Her reluctance to broach this subject couldn’t be clearer, if she’d shouted it from the rooftops.
“Yes. Can you bear to talk about it?”
“If we must.”
He studied this woman who proved more complex—and more interesting—by the minute. “What happened, Jane? Tell me, so there are no misunderstandings.”
He liked it when she blushed. The pink rising under her clear white skin made her look about sixteen. “I hadn’t expected…”
He waited patiently, although he guessed what was to come.
Jane bit her lips and cast him a nervous glance before she looked out the window again. He’d wager that this time, she didn’t see much on the busy street. “Must I say?”
He decided to help her. “You felt desire, and it scared you.”
When she looked back, her gray eyes were troubled. “Of course.”
“It’s good that you desire your husband.”
“Not when…” She bit her lip again, then went on in a rush. “Not when we’re strangers.”
Garson bit back a curse, although he’d diagnosed the issues pretty accurately. The question of how to solve them remained. “You’ve known me all your life, Jane.”
“But not like…this.”
No, not like this. His hunger had shocked him, and he was a sophisticated man. Jane was a complete innocent. No wonder she’d recoiled from a fire that threatened to rage out of control.
“I’d like to make a bargain.”
The wary look remained. “Oh?”
“Yes, another bargain.” Despite the fraught atmosphere, he hid a smile. “One that I hope you’ll like better than the one we made three weeks ago.”
“I don’t dislike that bargain. I just had a…a failure of nerve.” She sounded as if she faced the hangman. Avoiding his eyes, she plucked at her skirts.
“I rushed you into this.”
“You’re sorry that you married me?” She looked stricken. “I can’t blame you. I’m acting like such a ninnyhammer.”
“Oh, sweetheart, no,” he said urgently, catching those busy fingers. “I’m pleased as Punch with my choice of bride.”
Typical of Jane, she didn’t look convinced. “You’re just being kind.”
Garson squeezed her hand. “On my honor, I mean it. Now I have to convince you that you’ve made the right choice.”
“It’s too late to change my mind.”
He winced theatrically. “That sounds bad.”
“No, I mean that I intend to make the best of our situation.” She raised her chin. “I won’t be difficult tonight.”
“Damn it, Jane,” he bit out, resenting the stony purpose in her tone.
She pulled her hand free. “I don’t understand what you expect,” she said sadly. “I thought I did when you proposed. But everything has changed.”
Because he’d discovered he wanted her. He believed that if he was careful and clever and lucky, he could make her want him back. Good God, she’d wanted him last night. Otherwise she wouldn’t be so skittish.
“Is that necessarily a bad thing?”