“I really shouldn’t,” she whispered, taking a half step back before his massive hand wrapped about her much smaller upper arm. “I need to see my—” She’d been about to say sister…. Drat. This was unraveling rather quickly.
“I’m not asking.” Then he tossed the thief forward, sending the man crashing into a table. “You too.” He pointed at Eliza. Then he began dragging Isabella toward a dark hall.
She swallowed down a scream.
Man, his ass, Bash thought as he pulled the little minx behind him. Well more precisely, her ass. When she’d stood that had been the final tell. No man had an ass that sweet, round, and plump.
His little ruse of tackling her had given him several bits of information.
He’d confirmed what he’d already known. This was a woman.
Despite being thin, she had an unmistakable softness. A slim waist and flared hips gave way to a soft stomach, silky skin, warm supple thighs that had instinctively cradled him and him hard as granite in his trousers.
And she was beautiful too.
He was certain the woman posing as her lover was a relative. They had the same warm, chocolate brown eyes that tilted ever so slightly at the corners. It gave his little imposter the look of a vixen when the rest of her features were delicate. Pure.
He thought the shape of her eyes to be her most truthful feature. Any woman willing to pose as a man, gamble the night away, and then engage in a small brawl had to be a vixen.
“Please,” she whimpered, attempting to tug her arm from his hand. “You’re hurting me.”
He loosened his hand but didn’t let her go. How could he have thought her a man for even a moment? He stopped in the hall and turned to look at her.
Her eyes had grown larger as they made their way down the dark hall, her lips parted in what was likely fear but made her look…kissable.
If it weren’t for the shadow of whiskers…
Taking out his handkerchief, he scrubbed at the dark spots on her face, smearing them more than anything else. He told himself he was revealing her ruse and he ignored the voice that said he just wanted to see her without the powder on her face. Was she as lovely as he imagined?
The other woman stopped just behind them. “You’re only going to spread the dust around and make a mess.”
His eyes flicked to the other one. The one Menace considered so beautiful. She was nearly perfect, but somehow, even dressed as a man, the girl he held was softer, more vulnerable, more appealing.
His gaze rested back on her large eyes once again. “There’s no need to be afraid. We just need to talk. That’s all.”
“Then stop pulling me about like a beast,” she snapped back and yanked her arm from his grasp.
He smiled at that. “I’d not have pulled you, but I was fairly certain you’d run.”
“Why would I do that?” Her chin notched higher. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
He smiled at that. “Somehow, posing as a man doesn’t exactly seem right, now does it?”
“I mean I didn’t steal.”
“That’s good to know. I hope you’re willing to explain that to my associates as well.” And then he turned back to continue down the hall.
“Associates?” Came her strangled cry.
He stopped. Hearing her fear. Why the hell did he wish to comfort her? She was obviously swindling him. Why else would she go to such elaborate lengths to hide her identity?
“You should have thought of how afraid you’d be before you attempted to fool and cheat us.”
“Please,” came the other woman’s snort. She didn’t sound the least bit frightened at all. “We would never cheat such a place.”
“Really?” He looked back at his little vixen. Truth be told, he couldn’t seem to keep his gaze off her.
She nodded. “What was your name? Bash?”