Page 11 of Irresistible
“Of course,” Evie answered, providing an excuse for their meeting. Which Lucien had neatly given her, because he knew the real reason for Jess’s visit.
“You have my favorite flower cakes,” Lucien said, eyeing the tray. “Are they almond?”
“The yellow and orange are, but I believe the purple and blue are lavender.”
Lucien picked up a yellow daisy and took a bite. “Definitely almond.” His eyes rolled back as he ate the confection. “Divine,” he murmured after he swallowed. “Evie, I’ve a few Phoenix Club matters to discuss, if I can trouble you?” He cast an apologetic glance toward Jess.
“Perhaps Miss Goodfellow would like to take a turn around the garden with me,” Fallin suggested, his dark eyes meeting Jess’s.
“That would be lovely, thank you.” Jess took the arm he immediately offered, and they departed the drawing room. A sarcastic comment about how he hadn’t recoiled that time rose to her lips, but she didn’t think that would improve his disposition toward her.
They walked downstairs, then out through the library at the back of the house. The garden was small but glorious, with an abundance of flowers. Though she’d only met Evie today, it was precisely the type of garden Jess expected her to have. “This is so pretty,” she said.
“Everything about Evie is beautiful and exquisite,” he noted in a somewhat perfunctory manner. “I trust your appointment with her today has gone well?”
“Yes, thank you.” She realized immediately that he seemed different from last night, less agitated. She wanted to ask about Evie’s concern for him.
“I can feel you are tense,” he said. “You’re gripping my arm with more force than necessary, and there are two lines between your brows forming the number eleven. You’ll need to learn not to do that.”
Damn and blast, she thought, borrowing her grandfather’s favorite curse. “I didn’t even realize.”
“I don’t blame you. For being agitated, I mean. I wasn’t very amenable last night. I was tired from the journey.” He glanced toward her as they walked to a stone bench beneath a small ash tree. “I was also taken by surprise to learn of you and the specifics of our assignment.”
“I take it you haven’t had a fake wife before?”
He smiled, and her breath snagged. She’d thought him attractive, but that vaulted him to an entirely new level of handsome. “I have not,” he responded. “In fact, I’ve never had a partner at all.”
No wonder he’d been annoyed. “Would you prefer to be doing this alone?”
“It doesn’t matter what I prefer. This is required.” He guided her to sit on the bench with him, his gaze holding hers with a tender longing that almost had her believing that what he told her was true.
“You’re quite good at this,” she said softly. Lifting her hand, she touched his jaw. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. She dropped her hand to her lap, thinking she’d gone too far. She also wondered what had prompted her to be so bold. “I will learn.” Heat infused her neck.
“You were doing well. I wasn’t expecting it—as with last night. I won’t let that happen again.” He shook his shoulders out and took her hand. “Try again. But something different that I’m not expecting.”
Jess took a deep breath and opted not to attempt another caress. She’d done it without thinking, and honestly, it had surprised her too. But then, she had almost no experience touching a man’s jaw or any other part of him. Instead, she looked into his eyes and parted her lips, staring at him for a moment as words formed in her mind. “You are the moon to my sun, the ocean lapping at my shore, the petals of my flower.” She realized, too late, how ridiculous that sounded.
Fallin bit his lip. His shoulder twitched.
“Oh, just laugh already,” she said, wondering if his behavior last night had been an aberration. She hoped so.
He did precisely that, chortling and then putting his hand over his mouth to stop himself. When he lowered his hand, the hint of a smile lingered. “You are not a poet.”
“Do I need to be?”
“No, just an excellent cryptographer. Are you?”
“Someone thought so.” Jess answered him perhaps a bit too defensively. She was eager to prove herself.
He didn’t react to her tone, thankfully. “Do you know who that someone is?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I was working on a riddle in the British Library one day, and a gentleman approached me. He gave me a cipher he said he wasn’t able to solve.” Too late, she wondered if she ought to be discussing this with him.
“You didn’t learn this man’s name?”
“I don’t think—” She took a deep breath. “That is, I’m not certain I should be discussing this with you.”
A flash of appreciation lit his gaze. “You’re smart to be wary. You’ll find that sharing of information is typically discouraged by the Foreign Office. However, in this case, we are to be partners. It’s important for the success of our mission as well as our safety that we are open and honest. Do you agree?”
