Prince of the City by Nikki Benjamin

Author:Nikki Benjamin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2003-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Bill knew he should have expected Eloise to distance herself from him once they were inside the cottage again. She had been doing exactly that—following a pattern, mostly in small ways—since the night he’d taken her to the Mayor’s Ball.

She seemed to want to develop a closer relationship with him. Yet each time he made a move in that direction, she would allow him to go only so far. Then she would retreat behind a facade of sorts, using a polite tone and pretty manners to put him off.

But Bill had thought he’d finally breached the most steadfast of her ramparts when he kissed her on the deck outside the cottage door. She had seemed so relaxed and happy on their long, languorous walk. And she had met his gaze so openly as he’d paused to slide the key into the door lock.

He had been sure, from the look in her eyes, that she had finally begun to trust him. And he had hoped that she understood he would never betray her trust in any way.

He had meant, more than anything, to reassure her of his regard with his kiss. And her obvious disappointment when he’d broken away to get them into the house again, and out of public view, had made him think that he’d succeeded.

But in the moments it had taken him to close and lock the French doors and turn to her once more, she had scurried across the living room, shedding hat, scarf, gloves and, almost reluctantly, her jacket before halting in front of the fireplace.

Holding her outdoor clothing folded over one arm, she turned her back on him and stretched out her free hand to the still faintly flickering flames of the fire he’d laid earlier.

Puzzled by the mixed signals she seemed to be giving, and admittedly even a little annoyed, Bill stuffed his hat, scarf and gloves into his jacket pockets and hung the jacket itself on the coatrack just inside the entryway. Keeping his distance, as she apparently wanted him to do, he stood for several moments, hands on his hips, and tried to decide what to say to her.

Perhaps, he concluded after a last moment’s hesitation, he’d be wise to get his most pressing concern out in the open. He had never been one to play games when another person’s feelings were involved. By the same token, he didn’t want anyone, especially Eloise, playing games with him, either.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asked, unable to hide the very real distress such a possibility had begun to cause him.

Startled, Eloise turned to meet his gaze, the expression on her lovely face one of utter chagrin.

“Oh, Bill, no…I’m not…not at all.” She took a step toward him, then stopped, confusion warring with her continued dismay. “Why would you think that?”

“Because you don’t always seem completely comfortable with me. Like just now. You not only let me kiss you out on the deck, you also kissed me back. But then, as soon as we walked into the house, you couldn’t seem to get away from me fast enough.

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