She nodded. "I know."
So she had been unable to sleep, too.
"That's it then. I'll just have to proceed with my investigation as planned and hope that nothing happens to Uncle Ashby in the meantime." She tried to sound confident, but he saw the fear in her eyes.
He couldn't resist touching her. Placing his hands on her arms, he pulled her toward him. She didn't resist, which surprised him. When he had her snug against him, she shuddered and wrapped her arms around his back.
"I missed you." Her words came out in a broken whisper.
Bloody hell. She needed to make up her mind. Either he was a cruel-hearted monster she couldn't marry or someone she couldn't live without. He couldn't be both. Didn't she realize that?
Apparently not.
He rubbed her back, trying to infuse her with his strength. "It's going to be all right, sweetheart. We'll find the thief and he'll tell me who his cohort is on the island. Nothing is going to happen to you or Merewether."
He'd do a better job of keeping this promise than he had the one to find her attacker. He had to.
"You're still going to help me?"
Caught in his own determined need to keep her safe, he didn't at first understand her hesitant question.
When he did, he had a good mind to shake her. "What the hell kind of question is that?"
She pulled away from him. "Don't shout at me."
"Do you know me so little, Thea? First you accuse me of being a cruel bastard like your father and then you imply that I will leave you to fend for yourself once we reach England. Next, you'll accuse me of seducing your maid."
She laughed and the sound cut through his anger as nothing else could have.
Her smile was like the sun coming from behind the clouds on a storm-ridden day. "I can assure you, I will never accuse you of seducing Melly."
He released Thea completely and stepped away from her, but felt an answering smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "I am relieved to hear that."
Her amusement dimmed. "I did not mean to insult you. But I realized that since I have refused to marry you, you might not wish to help me pursue my investigation."
Just like that, the anger was back. "Damnation. Let us get a few things straight."
She nodded, wisely remaining silent.
"One. I am going to help you find your thief."
"Thank you."
"Two. You will be staying with my aunt while we are in London so I can keep an eye on you." When she looked ready to protest, he glared her into silence. "Think of it as insurance for your maid's safety. You must realize that if you are in danger, so are the people close to you."
Her eyes rounded in understanding and he knew he'd made his point when she bit her bottom lip. "All right."
"Three." He stopped and took her chin into his hand. He wanted her full attention for this one.
She met his gaze with her own, her eyes dark blue in their intensity.
"Three," he repeated. "You are going to marry me because although I may be hard, I am not heartless—and though I may be strong, I am not cruel."
"Oh, Pierson." She said nothing else, but he took her lack of argument as a definite step in the right direction.
* * *
Chapter 11