She caught his arm as he was trying to pass. “You’re not going to do anything foolish, are you?”
“Depends on what your definition of foolish is.”
“Asa…” All the uncertainty in the world rested in her gaze. He felt her lack of faith like a blow. Not because he expected her to believe in him blindly, but because she’d believed in him at all. He’d been a fool reaching for rainbows. He’d had no business taking her with him.
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I should have negotiated a sale for you.”
She looked at him, confused. “That wasn’t part of our deal.”
“It should have been. One look at the books and I should have done the right thing.”
She stood. Her hands on his chest prevented his leaving. “You did what I wanted.”
“Yeah, that’s the hell of it. I used what you wanted to lasso a dream.”
“Asa.”
He stepped back. “You were right to distrust me.”
She stared at him for a brief moment, leaving him feeling like he hung over a cliff with nothing to break his fall. “No. I don’t think so.”
He shrugged, facing the inevitable. “You will tomorrow.”
“Because you’re going to confront Aaron?”
“Yes.” She wouldn’t be safe until the man was out of the picture. By the time she realized it, he’d be gone.
“Asa, I don’t believe Aaron would betray me like you say, but I agree it looks bad.”
“Uh-huh.”
The breath she took was audible. “I want to be there tomorrow.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not safe.”
“Even if you thought Aaron would hurt me, which he won’t, what do you think is going to happen with people all around?”
“I don’t want you there.”
“Tough.”
She caught his arm before he could slip out the door. “I’m going to be there.”
“I’m not arguing with you.”
She didn’t seem put off by the finality in his tone. “You can be a bear, Asa MacIntyre.”
“You’re not the first to tell me that.”
Angling out the door, Asa heard her footsteps behind him as he headed up the stairs. The woman was as tenacious as a badger. He paused outside their bedroom door. Somehow, it seemed wrong to sleep with his wife when he knew she’d be kicking his sorry butt out the door in the morning. Two heel clicks and he knew she was right behind him. Asa could smell her scent—woman, vanilla, and a touch of something he had never figured out—as he wrenched open the door to their room. To hell with the right thing. Asa wanted one last night. He’d be paying the rest of his life anyway, what was one more infraction? She wanted a hero? Give him a feather tick and he could be all the hero she needed. It was outside the bedroom he was having trouble.
She was right behind him as he entered the room. No doubt high on indignation. A smile tugged. Sometimes the woman didn’t know when to quit.
He turned and scooped her into his arms when her momentum would have caused her to shoot on past. “There’s a point when you ought to pull back and regroup.”
There was nothing of the turbulence he expected to see on her face. Just a bone-deep satisfaction that softened the edge of her determined smile. “Why?”
Now there was a question he didn’t want to answer. “Because, sometimes, it helps you to see things clearer.”
She looped her arms around his neck. “And here I thought you were going to pout.”
“Men don’t pout.” They pounded walls, or even took advantage of sweet, misguided women, but they never pouted.
“I’m glad to hear it.” She snuggled closer. “Everything’s going to be fine, Asa. When you talk to Aaron, you’ll see.”
“And if I don’t?”
He felt her shrug all the way up his body. “It’ll still be fine.”
He wished he could be so sure. His body reacted predictably to the closeness of hers. His hands, instead of putting some distance between them like he told them to, encouraged her to arch so her hips matched his better. He really was sinking to an all-time low. He hummed as she snuggled closer. “You got something on your mind?”
“I thought a little distraction might be in order.”
Damn. When had she learned to purr like that?
“Distraction?” he asked. He tried to revive his honor, but, as fast as she was slipping buttons through the holes on his shirt and undershirt, he didn’t think honor stood a chance. Elizabeth could be mighty determined.
“All right, not a distraction.” She sighed in satisfaction as she spread his shirt and longjohns off his shoulders. “More of a reminder.”
“Reminder?” That hoarse croak wasn’t much of a deterrent, but damn, she was a quick study when it came to pleasing him.
“Yes,” she answered, her voice strong and confident. “You’re in a strange mood. I don’t like it.”
“You figured seducing me would fix that?”
“Maybe.” She smiled a witchy smile that sent his blood surging through his veins. “But it will surely remind you where you belong.”