Eden's Voice by Catherine Stein

Author:Catherine Stein [Stein, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, historical romance, steampunk, steampunk romance, historical fiction
ISBN: 9781949862119
Publisher: Catherine Stein, LLC
Published: 2019-09-17T04:00:00+00:00

23

“Mm-hmm.”

Eden nodded and smiled as she finished the last of her dessert. She didn’t even know what Tagget was talking about anymore. Some drink he’d tried in some city he’d been to, or something equally boring. By this point he’d probably mentioned every single place he’d ever visited, telling her how much she would like it, as if he intended to take her vacationing.

Maybe he did. Between his excessive babbling about himself and his over-the-top compliments of her, she had begun to think him a little… well, odd.

“I trust you enjoyed your dinner?” His question was casual enough, but his expression betrayed the feelings beneath. He wanted her approval. Fascinating.

“Yes, it was quite good,” she replied.

He beamed.

Oh. Oh, dear. Perhaps she ought to have paid more attention to his chatter. She did that babbling thing, too, because she wasn’t good at making conversation with people she didn’t know well. Tagget was genuinely trying to befriend her. He was simply… bad at it.

And, of course, his motives were still suspect. He’d hardly glanced at Vox the entire dinner. A calculated move, no doubt, meant to put her at ease. Which she was, after a glass and a half of wine. But at ease didn’t equal careless. She was confident he posed no danger to her. She couldn’t say the same for Vox.

A waiter whisked away the last of the dishes, and Tagget walked around to help her from her seat, a custom which Eden didn’t understand in the slightest. Even in the long skirt she’d worn today, she had no trouble getting herself in and out of chairs.

“Do you find that fancy ladies in the fanciest dresses need help to sit and stand?”

He chuckled. “Not in my experience. I help them nonetheless.” His voice dropped. “I enjoy being of service to lovely ladies.”

Eden’s eyes widened. That was an innuendo. Only days ago she wouldn’t have recognized it.

“I’m sure you do.”

His brow furrowed. “Er, quite.” He slipped back into his customary facade of composure. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Miss Randall. May I drive you home? Or would you prefer I walk you there?”

“I can go home on my own,” she answered. “If you have something you’d like to talk about in private, we can go up to your hotel room.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You feel we have something private to discuss?”

You want my dragon. I want to know why.

“This is a nice hotel, and I imagine you have the nicest room, but it’s no place for a millionaire. I want to know what you want so badly you’d rather stay here instead of returning to your fancy home in New York.”

Tagget took his time before answering. “Very well. We shall have a talk. This way, if you please, Miss Randall.” He offered his arm and escorted her to the nearest staircase.

His room was large, with a wide bed, a generous sitting area, and a sturdy desk for conducting business matters. In all, she guessed it to be about three times the size of Bruce’s hotel room.

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