"It's not that." She cleared her throat. Later. Now was certainly not the time for this discussion. "See? You're doing it again. I should be thinking about how I'm going to get my hands on this caterpillar mushroom, but instead I'm thinking about...."
"About?"
Your soft mouth, and the way it tastes.... "Caterpillar mushroom!" she cried. "I am thinking about caterpillar mushroom, and where I can find it." Turning in a rush of skirts, Ava rubbed her arms. Good lord, what was wrong with her?
"Well, one doesn't sound half as interesting as the other," Kincaid teased, "but so be it. I'll make you a bet," he insisted. "Winthrop lied. I think he knows exactly what this caterpillar mushroom is, and I think he's even got some on hand. I want a look through the rest of his shop, to see just what sort of secrets Major Winthrop is hiding. We'll break in tonight-"
"Break in?" she squeaked.
"Well, he's hardly going to give us the guided tour." A thought clearly occurred-one he didn't like at all, judging by his sudden frown. "You, perhaps, but there's no chance in hell I'm letting you go back in there unescorted."
"Gemma would. She'd give him a smile and a wink, and Winthrop would be spilling his secrets before he even realized what she was doing."
Kincaid stopped in his tracks and shot her a dark look. "No."
"Well, she would."
"You're not Gemma. And that's not a bad thing. But it does mean you're vulnerable to attack, when she is not. She's a trained spy who knows how to kill a man. Aye." He caught her flicker of horror. "You admire her for her confidence, and her beauty, but you never considered the flip side of the coin. Gemma does whatever is necessary to get the results Malloryn desires. She leads a darker life than you do-and sometimes I see the toll of that in her eyes-so pray you never have to lead the life Gemma does.
"As for Winthrop, we know nothing about what sort of man he truly is, except for the fact he worked for the Company, and he imports black market items."
"Black market-?"
"Trust me," Kincaid said. "I know the sort. What if Winthrop's working with our enemy? What if he overwhelmed you, or even killed you? No. And that's final."
"And if I'm right?" she challenged. "If Major Winthrop has nothing to hide, what then?"
Kincaid leaned closer to her, smiling dangerously. "If Major Winthrop is innocent, then I will put a ring on your finger, and give you the wedding of your dreams."
"You sound very certain." The color drained from her face. "I'm not sure I want to be right."
"And if you're wrong, Ava...."
They shared a glance.
"If I'm wrong?" she whispered, breathing a little faster.
"Then you owe me a favor."
"What sort of favor?"
Far, far too easy to walk willingly into his trap. He buffed the back of his knuckles down her side, skimming the lace, and Ava shivered. "I want to see what you're hiding beneath all of this fabric."
She considered it for a long, breathless moment. "Deal. I guess we shall find out tonight. But I don't want you to marry me if you're wrong." The thought was ridiculous. Kincaid.... No. Panic swelled inside her at the thought. She wanted marriage, but she wanted her husband to love her. Not marry her because he enjoyed kissing her.
Or because he'd made a bet.
"No?"
Ava swallowed, feeling a nervous little flutter fill her. She hesitantly traced her gloved fingers down his waistcoat. "I want to see what you're hiding beneath all of this fabric."
The look on his face warmed her from the inside, and she knew she'd remember this moment for the rest of her life-the moment she learned to spread her wings.
Then she turned and walked away, before her nerves got the better of her.
Fourteen
IF YOU WANTED something done properly, then you had to do it yourself.
Ghost moved through the back of the shop like his namesake, listening to the major complain to the Tibetan girl he'd taken as mistress. Ghost silently cursed the dhampir initiate he'd sent to deal with Major Winthrop, who had returned empty-handed. Following the loss of Zero, he and three others were all that remained of the original dhampir Dr. Erasmus Cremorne had created, and the new group of blue bloods he'd carefully selected to go through the serum trials were a complete and utter failure so far.
"-place is filthy! What have you been doing all day? Sniffing incense and-"
Pausing for a moment to make sure the man and his assistant were alone, Ghost cleared his throat.