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  Looking deep, she thought she read something else within his eyes. Sadness. Longing, perhaps. Sadness she understood, but what would a man such as he long for? Certainly he had everything he wanted, if not he was known to take it by force. Rose tucked that issue into the back of her mind for future discussion. There was something of grave importance that needed to be addressed at that moment. From things she heard, normal men feared the Black Knight, but she was not a man, nor did she consider herself normal.

  Without flinching, she leaned forward, held her face to within millimeters of his and returned his glare.

  “Sir Alessandro, Black Knight, the king is in danger. A plot has formed which aims to gift him with death. Those were the words overheard by my own ears.”

  For a moment, Alessandro refused to move. Unintentionally his anger got the better of him and he knew it showed in his eyes. But this frail creature had not backed down. Instead, she leaned in as if to attack. No man ever faced him down. But then again, she was no man.

  “Sir Alessandro.”

  Alessandro snapped upright and turned his attention once again to her father. His gaze narrowed on the slight man. Where was he while his daughter was harmed? Before he asked, Kade interrupted.

  “It is obvious those men attacked your daughter.” Kade nodded toward Rose with a sympathetic look in his eyes. “Pray tell, what happened that gave cause to believe of a plot against King George?”

  “I left Rose alone but for a few moments in the dining hall. When I returned she was gone. As soon as I realized that the three men were also, I went in search of her.”

  When Rose clasped her father’s face in her hands and shook her head profusely, Alessandro’s gut wrenched. He sensed pain mixed with shame rippling off her. A dreadful scenario flashed in his head, increasing his desire to hunt and kill the men who may have hurt Rose.

  “I must my dear, if they are to believe our plight.” He gathered her hands in his. “Besides, I think there are reasons our secret is safe with them.” He turned and glanced from Alessandro to Kade, then back to Alessandro. The look made Alessandro more suspicious of the little man, but instead of attacking him with questions, he allowed him to finish.

  “When I reached the stable, I overheard a man. I snuck closer and remained in the shadows, hoping to catch sight of Rose. All I saw was the back of this one man. He discussed their good fortune in finding something they could use in their fight.” Smythe paused and licked his lips. “He seemed to be in command, because he ordered them to find it. The three of them got on their horses and rode out. The swing of the door opening nearly knocked me down behind it and hid me from their view. Before I could move, the fourth man walked out carrying a bag with the edge of something hanging out of it. I stayed hidden in the shadows, following him, until I saw what that something was.”

  This time when Smythe stopped, he ran a shaky hand through his hair. It was as if he were torn with the decision as to finish his tale or not.

  “What was in the bag?” Alessandro’s patience thinned. If it were not for Rose’s presence, he would have pressured the old man to hurry his tale. As it was, he heard no reason other than Rose’s proclamation that she’d overheard a threat.

  “It was the lace from Rose’s dress.”

  Rage flared to life in his soul, his fears confirmed. Another man had touched Rose’s flesh, her breasts and quite possibly her… Alessandro shot to his feet, sending the chair toppling behind him as his fists smashed down on the table. Though he held no true claim to her and knew nothing of her, every ounce of him wanted vengeance. But why? Confusion warred with his unsuppressed anger as Alessandro grappled for control.

  Kade instantly stood at his side and laid a calming hand on his sleeve. Alessandro refused to acknowledge it. Deep inside he needed to know the extent to which these men deserved death. Nostrils flaring, he glared down at Smythe.

  “Tell me, old man,” he spat out on a heated breath. “In what condition did you find Rose?”

  “I did not find Rose, no matter where I looked.” Smythe stood with his shoulders squared and his unwavering gaze directed at Alessandro’s. “You see, she found me later that night.”

  Though her hand landed light upon his sleeve, pure heat shot up his arm from her touch. She had moved to stand at his side. Alessandro lowered his gaze to hers. The golden flecks within those large brown eyes seemed to glow and he choked back his anger.

  The sight of her tongue darting nervously across her lower lip turned him instantly hungry to trace its path with his own. God, what kind of spell had she cast upon him that he ached for her like a young squire did for his first sword?

  Rose’s fingers brushed against his chin, brought his gaze from her lips to her eyes and he swore he saw laughter in them. “Sir Alessandro, if you can keep your thoughts from my mouth for an instant, I have but one question that I need to know the truth of.”

  The fact that she seemed to know his thoughts startled him, but did not halt the words that rushed from his mind. “With a mouth as beautiful as yours, you make it hard to think of anything else.”

  “No wonder the ladies do not fall for you, if that is the poetry that you spout,” Kade quipped, then let go of Alessandro’s arm and sat down.

  Alessandro shot a sideways warning glare at Kade but it didn’t have any effect on his wayward cousin. Shaking his head, Alessandro turned back to Rose. “Ask your question and receive the answer that you seek.”

  Without hesitation, Rose asked him the one question he had not expected. “Are you the black panther who was on the bed when I woke?”

  Alessandro straightened and his jaw went slack as he stepped back. He needed a moment. Never had anyone asked him that. Very few outside of his innermost circle of confidants had even seen him change. Yet, here stood a woman with a question he hungered to answer but could not.

  Staring directly at her, her eyes held no judgment, no fear. But would that change if he gave her the truthful answer she sought?

  Kade’s robust laughter echoed in the quiet great hall as he relaxed in his chair. “What is the matter, cousin? Cat got your tongue?”

  It wasn’t so much the taunt as it was the wicked smile on his face and the devilish gleam in his eyes that made Alessandro want to strangle him. If he were not kin, Kade would have been dealt with for his insubordinate actions long ago. But Alessandro could not find it within himself to make his cousin suffer as he had in his youth. No man should know such pain.

  “It would serve you well if you learned to control the looseness of yours,” Alessandro grumbled between clenched teeth, which only earned him a wide grin and a shrug of Kade’s shoulders.

  “Sir Alessandro, if I could have a word with you in private. There is something I wish to show you and you alone,” Rose interrupted.

  Alessandro met her steady gaze. Her expression gave nothing away. What did she wish to show him that could not be shared openly? His eyebrow arched and questions churned, but he did not speak them. From her stance he read her nervousness, though she tried valiantly to hide it. Something had her ill-at-ease and if it took a private audience to discern the answer, then so be it.

  “Very well, Rose. We shall adjourn to the study.” He nodded then held his arm at the ready to guide her. The light touch of her hand upon him made him stand tall with pride. Pride? From what? Alessandro’s gaze fell upon the mark on her neck. Rose would make a fine mate. The words whispered through his thoughts. He had not meant for the mark to stand out so boldly, but on her pale flesh it had the distinction of a black eye after a brawl. But that did not make her his. He marked her for her own protection, not as his mate. He held no claim to her, even though his inner beast hungered for her.

  Though he knew being alone with her would test his willpower, he led her toward the doorway. Primal urges simmered within him, urging him to complete the mating ritual as soon as they were alone. When they rounded the table, Rose stopped and turned to look at her father.

  “Poppa, I hope that you wil
l understand my actions and forgive what I am about to do. It is for the safety of the king. Remember that.”

  Alessandro sensed she attempted to block her words from him, but failed. A glance at Kade and he knew Kade had not heard. Why had he? Was it because they stood side by side, or was it the connection of her hand to his arm that gave him this greater insight into her mind? He took a breath and forced an inner calm to tamp down his rampant desire, but it did nothing for the ache in his ballocks. Her words repeated in his head as she turned, smiled up at him then started to lead him toward the door.

  What was she about to do that needed her father’s forgiveness?

  Alessandro shielded his thoughts and spoke with Kade. “Find out what proof of this plot Smythe has other than the word of a woman.”

  “And where will you be?”

  “With the lady.” He shot Kade a warning glare that told him not to ask. After excusing himself from Smythe’s presence, he attempted to guide Rose toward his study, but she shook her head.

  “What is required in this matter is total privacy, Sir Alessandro. The possibility of interruption in your workplace is greater than in your chambers.” Without giving him a chance to reply, she released his arm and started up the stairs.

  For a few seconds he stood befuddled, watching her backside ascend. Did she understand the implications of her actions? Surely her mother taught her proper etiquette of society’s rules between a man and a woman. Alone with him in his chambers would compromise her virtue.

  At least in his study he would have left the door open and kept the desk between them. They could have spoken as if it were a normal business discussion. But in his private chambers… Alessandro’s insides twisted in anticipation and his cock tightened the front of his trousers. He had to make her understand her choice in location was not suitable.

  “Rose, I must insist we convey in the study.”

  She halted and without looking his way stated point-blank, “No.” Then continued.

  Alessandro sensed his inner beast’s lust rise. He reached deep to stanch the flow of desire through his veins, but felt his slim hold slip when he followed her. The gentle sway of her hips mesmerized him and held his eyes glued to her bottom. Whatever she had to show him, he hoped it lay hidden beneath her skirt. Alessandro swallowed hard, trying to decrease his growing hunger to taste the tender morsel taunting him. Why he agreed to this private discussion, he did not know, and sensed they both would regret it.

  As they reached the door to his chambers, he closed his eyes and prayed for the resolve to remain in control. When they entered the room, she closed the door behind them. They were completely alone in his bedchamber. This would do her reputation no good.

  “Rose, you must not close the door. It is not proper for a maiden to be alone with a man in his chambers. We should take this discussion…”

  Rose stopped his babbling with a touch of her fingers to his lips. Pure need washed over him and it was all he could do not to take those slender morsels into the heat of his mouth and suckle the salt of her skin.

  “The need for privacy in this matter is more important than the idle chatter of others concerning my virtue. Besides…” Rose slid her fingers from his lips to the spot of his mark upon her neck. “I think my virtue was already compromised when you placed this mark.”

  Alessandro’s jaw dropped open when she swirled around, placing her back to him and added, “If you would kindly loosen the laces of this dress. What I have to show you is done best when undressed.”

  For a moment, he couldn’t move. She asked him to undress her. “I…”

  “Sir Alessandro, I am sure a man of your stature knows how to undress a lady.”

  Though her words were taunting, the innocent hesitation was clear in the gaze she gave him over her shoulder. Alessandro clasped her shoulders and turned her to face him.

  “Rose, what is this about? You need not taint your virtue with me. I am not a man deserving of such a gift. You have my word that I shall help you and your father in this matter. There is no need to give yourself to me in exchange.”

  The slender shoulders in his hands stiffened. The defiant tilt of her chin and the nervous lick of her lips made his gut knot. Why had he turned down the very thing he wanted? A taste of Rose in his bed, on his lips and wrapped around his cock.

  The tremble of her lower lip almost brought him to his knees. Inwardly, he shuddered against the building desire he carried for her in his soul. Why he felt this way, he did not understand and it kept him on edge. Being this close to her, confined in his bedchamber, had him rock hard and hungry for her. But she was something unattainable for a man such as he. This he silently reminded himself. She was a lady, a delicate, beautiful woman and he… He was a beast.

  “I-I,” Rose stuttered, dropping her gaze to the floor. “I have misled you, Sir Alessandro.”

  “No,” Alessandro whispered as he cupped her chin and tilted her face to meet his gaze. Tears sat perched on the verge of falling and it was all he could do to restrain from kissing them away. Swallowing hard against the lump in his throat, he smiled, then continued. “It is I who am wrong here.”

  He took her hand and led her to the chair beside the small open window. He lowered to a less intimidating position on his knees at her feet, which brought their faces level. The sight of sunlight brightening the elegant features of her face warmed his soul as he knelt at her feet. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Watching Rose tilt her face into the sun and stretch her neck made him smile. This little action only added to the nuance of gentleness that was Rose.

  “Sir Alessandro…”

  Alessandro cut her off with a simple nod. “My name is Alessandro. Alex if you would like.”

  “Alessandro. Alex.” He liked the way she whispered his name inside of his head. Never had an unspoken word sounded so sexy to him before. When she stated that she preferred Alessandro, he simply nodded his acceptance.

  “I am different,” Rose said as she held her gaze unwavering on his. “I did not mean to offend you by asking you to help with the laces. It is just that I did not wish to ruin your sister’s dress.”

  “Rose, I doubt you could ruin anything.” Alessandro smiled at her.

  “But I can,” Rose stated. “I escaped the attack of three men in the stable at the inn in Falmouth by doing the only thing I knew how to do, and that destroyed my favorite dress.”

  Her face paled of color as she spoke, causing a tightness to form in his chest. Obviously it pained her to speak of the matter. Both hands were held knotted in her lap.

  “You need not speak of this.”

  “I have to.” Though the words quivered as she spoke, Rose continued. “I was in the dining hall when I overheard these three speaking in whispers in the far corner. Since the illness, I have not been able to speak but my hearing is impeccable. They spoke of a plot against the king and how he would pay for taking what was rightfully theirs. When they noticed I listened, I pretended not to be able to hear as well as speak, but they had other ideas.”

  Rose paused, took a deep calming breath then continued. “Though I tried to run, they caught me. One of them threw me over his shoulder and carried me out to the stable. There were so many hands all over me, tearing at my dress, trying to lift my skirt, I…I could not breathe.”

  The heat in Alessandro’s gut immediately went from a simmer to a full-fledged boil. These men hurt his Rose. Though he shouldn’t think of her as his, at the moment he couldn’t stop himself. Those men would pay with their lives when he found them.

  “You need not—”

  “Alessandro, please, I must finish. I must tell someone.” The pleading look in her eyes and the pain-filled tone of her voice nearly broke his heart in two. No one had ever confided in him and for some reason, he sensed Rose needed this.

  Alessandro sat back on his heels and nodded. She continued and all the while he kept her hands wrapped tightly in the warmth of his.

  “I fought against t
hem, but they were stronger. When one forced his way between my legs I decided I would suffer no more. He could not have that part of me. I would not let him. It was then that I…”

  Visibly shivering, Rose stood, turned and folded to her knees, landing with her back to him. Without thought, Alessandro loosened her laces and helped her from the dress. She rose to her feet. Every faint bruise showed when she slipped out of her layers and turned to face him. A band of handprints encircled both upper arms and her wrists. With her completely naked, trembling in front of him, Alessandro couldn’t breathe. Though light bruises spotted the skin across the left side of her rib cage, she was glorious to him.

  Perky breasts peeked from beneath the arms she held crossed as if she were embarrassed at being naked before him. The tender flesh of her abdomen came level with his face. Her scent enveloped him with its raw wilderness aroma. Fisting his hands at his sides, Alessandro fought the urge to caress her and show her the meaning of being worshiped by a man and not abused.

  Unable to stop, Alessandro nuzzled his face against the soft, silky honey gold curls of her treasure and heard the subtle hitch of her breath in her throat. She was that to him, a treasure. The instant her hands tangled in his hair, he forced his face from her heaven and lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. Pure heat shot through him at the sight of wondrous lust in her eyes. Slowly, he slid his hands up her calves, the back of her knees, along the length of her thighs until they rested on her hips. Baby bearing hips flashed inside his head but he shook the idea off. That was more than he could ever hope for…a child.

  He gently caressed every inch of skin he dared touch. When he grazed the tip of one nipple with his palm, Rose’s eyes closed as a sigh escaped and her head tilted back. He couldn’t resist. Alessandro stretched upward to her nipple and suckled it gently into his mouth. Her gasp urged him on. He swirled the tender morsel with his tongue. Her breathing increased and he moved to distribute the same care to the other breast. The taste of her skin made him hunger for more. He needed her mouth upon his.