Page 32 of Power and Possession

Had it only been a week? Perhaps two? I’d lost count of thedays, and I found myself not worrying about it. I’d already lost my job with the Harringtons, and there was nothing left for me back in the states.

Steele pulled up to an expensive looking restaurant, and he handed his car keys to the valet.

“So now you’ll let someone touch your car?” I said, raising my eyebrows.

Steele put his hand in the small of my back, gently directing me towards the door. The gesture was incredibly intimate, but it seemed natural.

“I don’t mind people touching my cars. I just don’t trust anyone associated with Lord Stanley—rightfully so,” he replied.

We got up to the podium at the front of the restaurant, and the maître d' just beckoned Steele forward, chattering at him in French. I understood enough to figure out that Steele was a well-known figure at the restaurant. What was even more shocking was the fluency Steele possessed. He responded seamlessly in French, and, for the second time, I wondered about his heritage. He didn’t quite have a full British accent, and he spoke French beautifully.

We were shown to a private room off to the far side of the restaurant. The finest crystal lined the pristine white tablecloth, and a single red rose was in a vase on the table. Once we were settled with our menus, I gave Steele a look.

“Yes?”

“You own the restaurant, don’t you?”

He looked a bit sheepish, which was an odd expression to see on his usually stern face.

“It’s nice,” I said, glancing at the menu. I picked a salmon dish, and Steele chose a filet. The waiter poured a glass of scotch for each of us, and then left us alone.

“So, what made you choose Cambridge?” Steele asked, and I realized it was the first time we’d had a normal conversation.

I took a sip of the scotch, letting it warm my throat. “Honestly? It was the farthest university away from home that my father agreed to pay for.” I dipped my head when I mentionedmy father, but Steele remained emotionless.

“Your mother passed?” He knew the answer before he asked it. He obviously assigned people to dig up information on me, probably before he even thought about taking me.

“Yes. She was really my best friend. When she was gone, there wasn’t a reason to stick around.” I grabbed a slice of bread from the basket on the table, slathering it with butter. It tasted incredible, and my mouth watered as I waited for the main course to arrive.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He seemed sincere, and it made me wonder about his family.

“Are your parents alive?”

He drummed his fingers on the tablecloth, one hand on his glass. “No.”

I was disappointed that I didn’t get a long backstory, so I tried again. “Lord Wethers?”

He smiled, and I grinned back.

“I’m titled. Even though I’m technically a bastard.”

“That I knew,” I smirked.

He actually laughed aloud, and the sound was so jovial that I wanted him to laugh more.

“You rarely hear that word used in the actual sense anymore,” I said, taking another drink of scotch, as he polished off his first glass.

“My father was the next Earl. He died young, but not before he knocked up my mother. She was from a prestigious family, but when they found out what happened, she was disinherited and forced to live on the streets. She became a prostitute to provide for herself.”

I squirmed in my seat, uncomfortable with this revelation. Bits and pieces of this man were coming together before my eyes, and it humanized him.

I wanted to ask more, but at that moment our dinner came, and I attacked my plate. I hadn’t had a decent meal in forever, even before I was taken hostage, and the smell alone was heaven.

Steele cut into his filet, but instead of focusing on it, he watched me eat.

I should have tried to use some manners, but I was too starved to show any kind of restraint. The fish was so incredibly tender that it fell apart in my mouth and I groaned under my breath. Steele caught my look, his eyes meeting mine, and I knew he hungered, not for the food in front of him, but for me.

I was starting to worry because I shared the exact same desire.

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