Page 10 of The Man with the Violet Eyes

He moved even closer. “I’m quite sure you know why, maid.”

“I… I don’t.”

“Sir.”

I swallowed hard. “Sir.”

He moved so close that only a few inches of air separated us. I could smell the oil of his skin, the scent of his body. It was cross between the pines of the forest, the soil of the earth and something spicy, something I couldn’t put a finger on.

“You are the prettiest of the maids,” he continued. “Dare I say… you might even be the prettiest of all the court.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I don’t mean it as a compliment.”

“Then I take my gratitude back, sir,” I answered with as polite an expression as I could manage, but with my heart pounding and my body shivering, I wasn’t sure I managed it.

Nicolo was quiet for a moment before a laugh cleared his lips and the sound was beyond enticing. “My point is this… you must be careful to protect yourself because you will be the desire of any and all men of Woodfall Gath and you don’t want to be put into a position where something happens to you against your will.”

“Yessir.”

He glanced down at my white shift which was now soaked through and my alert nipples stood at attention beneath it. Then he breathed in deeply as he looked at my face again.

Before he could finish, I stepped forward, pressing my body against his while standing on tip-toes as I arched my back and closed my eyes, giving him my best ‘kiss me’ face. I was still trembling from the cold of the water but the feel of his hard, strong body against mine stilled my shaking. A split second later, I felt his mouth on mine. Seconds after that, he opened his mouth and slipped his tongue inside the cavern of mine. I could taste his desire for me on his lips, sharp and urgent.

But in the next instant, he pushed me roughly away, and in the same movement pulled his sword, scabbard and all, from his belt. For a moment, I feared I was about to receive the same fate as all the other assassins who had come before me, but he didn’t draw the blade, he simple brought the flat of the scabbard down on my ass with a smack, making me squeak in an irritatingly girlish way.

“Get out of here,” he instructed, thrusting the sword back into his belt. “And think yourself lucky I don’t tell Mistress Rosana to stripe that pretty little rump of yours black and blue.”

I nodded quickly, my heart pounding through my ears. Then, taking a deep breath, I started to scurry away, with my proverbial tail between my legs.

That had not gone at all the way I’d hoped it would and now I was left feeling much less sure about my tactics and approach. For a while it had seemed as if I had him, but now…

“Wait.”

I turned slowly around, half afraid he might have changed his mind regarding running me through with his sword.

Nicolo stood there, eyeing me with suspicious and narrow eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Charlotte,” I replied.

He nodded. “On your way, maid.”

I didn’t miss his chuckle or the words that hung in the air when I reached the wall.

“Theyarethe color of the roses.”

I headed for the wall, a secret grin on my face.

I had him.

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