There was something about her that had called to him from the very beginning, even from a distance. That need had not been assuaged, no matter how many ladybirds he tupped. And now here she was—fallen into his streets, into his lap, and without a protector. The wolves would have eaten her alive if he hadn’t stepped in, and they still would if he threw her aside. It sounded as though she had nowhere to turn to, no one to look after her. Henry’s body ached; he already wanted to run upstairs and lay claim to her in the most primal way possible.
She’d be a virgin—not just untried, but completely innocent.
Completely his.
Any other woman and he would not have been interested, but it was her. The phantom, who had haunted his dreams and thoughts for days, was within his grasp.
“Thank you.” Opening a drawer, he pulled out some pound notes for both men. Today’s service deserved an extra reward. Grinning, they took them and left, already knowing they were dismissed.
Leaning back in his chair, Henry steepled his fingers and stared blankly into the air, his mind churning with possibilities.
Lady Delilah Darling
She did not know when she fell asleep, only that she did. When her rescuer—she was still unsure what to call him—laid her down on the bed, she was too frightened to move, even after he left. Pretending she was asleep was the only defense she had, and he seemed to accept it. After he was gone, she no longer wanted to move.
Every inch of her body still ached from her run, especially her legs and feet. She was unused to such exertion, and her shoes were not meant for running through the streets of London. She felt hollow on the inside, the uncertainty of her future yawning before her, waiting to swallow her up. She could not possibly return to Lady Felton’s house. The mere thought made her want to weep and scream. There was no telling what the woman would do to her. A thrashing would likely only be the beginning, and even after that, she did not think the twins would cease their efforts to torment her.
But what other option did she have?
Lord Greene was her appointed guardian, but she had no money and no resources to make her way to his estates. Perhaps she could write him a letter, but would he even want to hear from her? Even if she did write him, likely he would have already heard from Lady Felton, and Delilah could only imagine what she would have said. Surely, he would believe her over Delilah, too, as she was his aunt. Delilah was just a ward who had been thrust upon him, and he had already fulfilled his duty to her as best he could.
She had no friends among the ton who might offer her refuge. She had never met any family members if there were even any about. She was completely alone, and she had nowhere to go.
And she was so numb, so adrift, she could not even shed a tear.
3
Lady Delilah Darling
The door opened, and Delilah could not help but look before quickly shutting her eyes. She was on the bed, exactly where he’d left her, quaking with fear, she’d be punished for something. Anything. She heard him approaching... then a hard grip wrapped around her ankle, yanking her toward him across the bed. With a shriek, her eyes flew open, the taste of fear drying her mouth. She stared up at him, confused when she realized his expression was almost gentle.
“Hello, pet.” Keeping his fingers wrapped around her ankle, he stroked the soft skin there, his deep voice soothing, coaxing. The kind of voice she might use on a frightened animal. The comparison rankled, yet she could not deny how fitting it was.
For a long moment, they stared at each other before she gathered what little was left of her courage. Or perhaps it was desperation pushing her.
“What do you want with me?”
Dark eyes met hers with a piercing gaze as if he could see past her physical form and dig out her deepest secrets with just a glance. Delilah lowered her lashes and bit her lip, wishing she had not spoken. Was she so desperate to meet her fate?
“I think, pet, the real question is, what do you want from me?” The mild question shocked her, and her gaze skittered back up to his. The expression on his face was implacable, although his eyes were as intense as before, lit with a fire from within.
“What do you mean?”
Amusement flashed. “What do you want, little pigeon? You are running, yes? So, tell me what you need. Protection? Room and board? A place to belong?”
Her breath caught in her throat. All of those things. But how could he possibly provide? While Lady Felton would likely not pursue Delilah on her own accord, she could scarcely go and tell her nephew she had lost his ward. Even blaming Delilah’s flight on her own actions, there would be questions. Uncomfortable ones. Lord Greene took his duty very seriously, even if his focus was currently on his pregnant wife. He would not take kindly to Lady Felton losing Delilah in the streets of London.
“You cannot protect me. Not from... a countess.” She said the words with bitter despair before a wild hope welled up inside of her. “Perhaps... perhaps you could help send me away? Send me somewhere out of the reach of London?” That was her only hope. It would have to be somewhere she was unknown. After a few weeks in Lady Felton’s care, living a simple life in the country, even if she never married, sounded greatly appealing.
Her hopes plummeted again when he slowly shook his head.
“No, pet, I don’t think that will do. I cannot protect you if you are off elsewhere.”
“I just told you, you cannot protect me anyway! I’m the ward of an Earl. The... the woman I am running from, she will not let me go.” She looked up at him, pleadingly, even more confused as his fingers continued to stroke her ankle, sliding up several inches to just below her calf as he chuckled.
“They have no power here in the Warrens.” The confidence with which he said it nearly made her believe him. “I am the only real power here.”
“But... an earl. A countess.”
He laughed outright. “I am the Tramp. Dukes dance to my tune when I demand it, pet. An earl is nothing.”
The statement made no sense, yet she could tell he was sincere. Her entire world felt as if it was upending in an entirely different way than before. A title not mattering? The ton would scream blasphemy, but the idea appealed to Delilah in a manner she would have never thought possible. If titles did not matter to him, if he really could order around a duke, maybe he really could protect her. He seemed so certain.
“You can protect me?” she whispered, still not quite able to believe it.
“I can.” His eyes glinted, and he pulled her ankle again, much slower than he had the first time, slowly drawing her across the mattress to him. Her heart began to pound, but in a different manner than when the terrible twins and Lady Felton had made her pulse race. The very air thickened, time slowed, and her skin tingled with unprecedented sensitivity as if her body had just woken up. “Now that I know what you want from me, we can discuss what I want from you.”
“What do you want?” Her heart began to pound, mouth going dry. A bargain with the devil was what this felt like.
He loomed over her, her skirts around her knees, yet she could do nothing but stare up at him. The dark brown pools of his eyes consumed her, blazing with something she didn’t understand.