Kiss Me at Christmas--Playful Brides Read online

  Regina sat back in the chair and gave him a highly skeptical look. “Louise doesn’t read the paper. She’s swooning over you because you look like a Greek god descended from Olympus.” She clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, dear. I did not mean to say that aloud,” she muttered from behind her fingers.

  A sly smile on his lips, Daffin poured himself another cup of coffee. “You cannot take it back now. You think I’m a Greek god.”

  “No. I think you look like a Greek god. There is a difference, and if you are a gentleman, you’ll forget I said that, too.”

  “I’ll pretend to forget it,” he said with a wink. Damn. Was he flirting with her? He’d forgotten how easy it was. How simple it was to be in her company. She was reminding him of the sweet, funny woman he’d met in Surrey last summer. This was not good. For the next two weeks, he would be in the company of a gorgeous woman who had already offered herself to him and whom he must not touch. The flirting had to stop.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Regina nearly danced to her bedchamber. Daffin had agreed to put the awkward encounter at Bow Street behind them. True, the Greek god comment had been unfortunate, but he couldn’t possibly not know how handsome he was. Could he? Regardless, Greek god faux pas or no, it wouldn’t be awkward being in the same house with him after all. They’d actually managed to return to the lighthearted banter they’d shared in Surrey. Relief swamped her. Her step was light as air.

  She refused to think about the fact that that same banter was what had caused her to proposition him in the first place. She was a grown woman in charge of her faculties and in control of her urges. She could spend multiple nights under the same roof with a man who looked as if he’d been carved out of marble and not pounce upon him. She must.

  “Regina? Is that you?” Nicole called from inside her bedchamber as Regina passed by.

  “Yes,” Regina called back. Her smile widened. Thank goodness. Nicole was awake. Regina could tell her how she’d managed to make amends with Daffin already.

  She pushed open Nicole’s door and stepped inside. Her cousin was still abed and was stretching, her gorgeous red hair splayed out on the white sheets behind her.

  “Good morning.” Regina closed the door behind her and made her way to a lavender velvet slipper chair near Nicole’s bed.

  “How did you sleep?” Nicole asked.

  “Terribly,” Regina admitted. “But things are looking up. I had a private conversation with Daffin in the breakfast room this morning, and he’s agreed to let bygones be bygones when it comes to my, ahem, unfortunate proposal.”

  “Oh, wonderful.” Nicole rubbed her eyes. “I knew he would forgive you. He’s quite reasonable.”

  “Yes, it is good of him.” Regina took a deep breath and blew it out. “Now we can get on with the business of finding this monster who’s trying to hurt us.”

  A sly smile crinkled Nicole’s lips. “I’d much rather work on your plan to seduce Daffin.”

  Regina shot from her seat and put her fists on her hips. “Nicole Huntington Grimaldi, are you mad? There is absolutely no way I’m going to make a fool of myself with that man again.”

  Nicole waved a hand in the air. “Of course you won’t. That’s the entire point. This time you’ll be much more subtle.”

  Regina leaned forward and placed her palm against Nicole’s forehead. “Do you have a fever? Are you hot?”

  “Not a bit.” Nicole laughed and brushed away Regina’s hand. “I’m perfectly fit, and I say your next course of action should be seduction.” Her eyes twinkled.

  “I just made up with him. I’m not about to embarrass myself again. Though I admit I may have told him he looks like a Greek god this morning.” Regina winced.

  Nicole laughed and shook her head. “I saw the way he looked at you last night when he thought you weren’t watching. He’s interested. Besides, I’m not suggesting you tell him you’re seducing him. That’s the entire point of seduction. It’s a subtle art.”

  Regina rubbed her forehead and groaned. “I’m afraid I’m not particularly subtle. My artfulness is also in question. Besides, I’m done with my attempts at taking a lover.”

  Nicole scowled at her. “Now I must feel your forehead. Lean closer. You’re usually not one to give up so easily.”

  “I learned my lesson quite quickly, thank you,” Regina replied with a firm nod. “Soul-crushing embarrassment will do that.”

  “Oh, who cares about a bit of embarrassment? You said he’s already forgiven you. You still want to lose your virginity, don’t you?”

  Regina blushed and glanced toward the door. “Keep your voice down.”

  “Well, do you or don’t you?” Nicole asked in a loud whisper.

  Regina scrunched up her nose and blinked slowly. “No.”

  “You’re lying. You always scrunch up your nose when you’re lying.”

  Regina scowled. “Fine, yes, I do.” She spoke in a loud whisper, too. “But Daffin refused me and there don’t happen to be any more likely candidates.”

  “Daffin is who you want and Daffin is who you shall have. Besides, I didn’t go to all the trouble to get him here only to have you lose your fighting spirit, for heaven’s sake.”

  Regina folded her arms over her chest and stared at her cousin. “I had no idea what lengths you’d go to for my love life.”

  Nicole chuckled. “Anything for my favorite Colchester cousin.”

  Regina’s chest tightened. “What if I bungle it again and Daffin resigns to get away from me?”

  Nicole smoothed the bedclothes over her lap. “He won’t leave us before Mark returns. Daffin’s agreed to protect us. He’s got too much honor to leave.” Nicole leaned forward and put her hands on Regina’s shoulders. “You were nervous when you went to Bow Street. You were out of your element. You hadn’t seen him since summer. I say the first thing you should do is spend some time with him. Become comfortable in his presence. Talk to him. Be normal.”

  Regina snorted. “That’s easier said than done. He makes me feel quite … abnormal.”

  Nicole pulled her hands away. She gave Regina a knowing look. “That is not a bad thing. Once you feel more comfortable with him, you can flirt with him again. It’s quite simple. Just don’t offer money again.” She waited until Regina’s horrified gaze flew to hers before Nicole burst into laughter.

  A knock on the door interrupted the laughter.

  “Come in,” Nicole called.

  Susanna pushed open the door, Nicole’s breakfast tray in her hands.

  Regina stood and started toward the hallway. “I’ll leave you to eat.”

  “Come back at mid-morning after I’m dressed. Bring your fan. I’ll show you how to use it to your best advantage,” Nicole called after her.

  Regina paused near the door. “Absolutely not. I’m going to do something much more important than playing with a silly fan.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m going to ask Daffin how we may determine which one of us is the target.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Daffin inspected each window on the lower two floors of the house. The footmen had done a fine job of securing them, but Daffin found a spot or two that could be shored up. He was halfway through his inspection when he encountered a window in the dining room with a broken lock. He would have to nail it shut. After procuring a hammer and some nails from the lads in the mews, Daffin had started his task when Regina came into the dining room.

  She was still wearing the white day dress she’d had on earlier. She still smelled like apples, and she still made his mouth water. It wouldn’t be easy to ignore her if she kept showing up like this. However, he couldn’t be rude to one of the two ladies of the house he’d sworn to protect. He would just have to be professional and treat her as he would any lady of the ton he worked for. Respectful but reserved.

  It didn’t help that she distracted him by her mere presence, that her eyes were the color of the afternoon sky and her lips like ripe strawberr
ies and— Damn it. This wasn’t good. Not at all.

  “How’s it coming?” she asked in a bright, friendly voice.

  “Quite well,” he mumbled, three nails between his lips.

  She gestured toward the windows. “Is it absolutely necessary to hammer them shut?”

  Daffin pulled the nails from his mouth. “Only this one. The lock is broken. Though the truth is, a skilled criminal can knock out a pane of glass with his hand if he knows what he’s about.”

  She shuddered. “Truly?”

  “Yes, but the windows must be poorly made. These windows are quite fine.”

  Regina leaned over his shoulder. “Show me. How would you knock out the pane if you could?”

  He chuckled and shook his head. He set the nails on the floor. Then he ran his hand along the top of the lower pane and pointed to the two upper corners. “Here and here,” he said. “The glass is oftentimes loose. In a poorly constructed window, you could place the heel of your hand in the middle here. If you knock the wood hard enough, the pane would slide out. Of course, you must be quick enough to catch it so it doesn’t shatter and send someone coming to see what the ruckus is about.”

  Regina peered at the window. “I never knew. It doesn’t make me feel particularly safe.”

  Daffin chuckled again. He pounded the heel of his hand against the window frame. The glass remained intact. “See? Finely made. Nothing to worry about.”

  Regina shifted closer to him and the scent of apples intensified. Ignore it. Ignore it. Ignore it.

  “Is this the first case you’ve taken … like this? Protecting someone, I mean,” she asked.

  He stuck the nails back in his mouth. “No,” he mumbled. There. Curt, short answers might dissuade her from continuing the conversation. He’d already decided the best way to deal with his attraction to her was to spend as little time in her company as possible. He was here with a job to do and a distraction like Regina could impact his ability to do it.

  “Would you like me to … hand those to you?” She gestured to the nails. The hint of a blush stained her cheeks. Was she still embarrassed in his presence? She had called him a Greek god after all. The truth was, she looked like a goddess, only one who blushed and bit her lip in a way that made his breeches tight.

  Daffin steeled himself. He plucked the nails from his lips and carefully placed them in her outstretched hand. Their fingers brushed against each other’s. It felt slightly indecent. What the hell? He’d never been sexually aroused by the mere touch of a woman’s hand before.

  “Thank you,” he breathed, forcing his attention back to his work.

  “Who else have you protected?” She arranged the nails in her hand in a precise straight line. She liked order. Duly noted.

  “I protected a countess once. And a viscountess. Not at the same time.” He’d tried to protect someone else. Tried and failed. He never mentioned it, and he didn’t intend to begin now. Regina’s questions were making him remember, however. Regret gripped him.

  “Were the countess and viscountess run off the road by mysterious carriages?” Regina asked, the hint of a smile on her inviting lips.

  Daffin hammered one of the nails into place before glancing at her. “No. One was fearful of her father, and the other wanted protection for her jewels.”

  The smile remained at the corner of her mouth. “You were hired to protect jewels?”

  He nodded. He couldn’t help but smile, too. It sounded ridiculous when said aloud. He reached for another nail and Regina handed it to him. Their hands brushed again. He blew air into his cheeks.

  “And you took the assignment?” she continued.

  “I did. That particular bit of employment was when I was much younger and would do just about anything involving security for money.” He arched a brow. “I take it you don’t worry that your jewels will be stolen, my lady?”

  She laughed. “Never. I don’t have many jewels, and the ones I inherited from my mother are much less important to me than, say, my friends and family. I would give away every jewel I’ve ever owned to have John back.”

  Daffin nodded. “Of course.” Their banter made it easy to forget the circumstances under which they’d met. She must miss her cousin terribly.

  “Have you ever had anyone close to you die?” she asked next.

  He stared, unseeing, at the windowpane for a few moments. “Yes … my mother.” He shook his head and gestured to Regina to hand him another nail. When their hands brushed again, a current rushed through him and settled in his groin. He turned away from her to study the windowpane. He needed to change the subject. “I’m happy to say that I no longer take on cases involving jewel protection.”

  “Thank you for taking our case,” she said softly.

  Daffin hammered the nail into the window frame. “I’m not about to sit by and allow my friends to be hurt if I can prevent it.”

  Regina nodded. “I hope you consider me a friend, too.”

  “I’d like that.” He turned to her and grinned. “Do you think you can be friends with a Greek god?”

  A smile tugged at her lips. “It shall be a challenge, but I do believe I can manage it.” She gave him the final nail, then rubbed her arms as if she were cold. The fireplace was lit, but it was across the room. “What about the other case?” she continued. “The one where the lady was afraid of her father.”

  “Yes,” Daffin replied. “He’d married her off to a wealthy viscount, hoping to get back some of the purse. His daughter refused to give him any money, however, and he threatened her.”

  Regina sucked in her breath. It was barely perceptible, but he heard it. “I cannot imagine a father being so awful to his own child.”

  Daffin made use of the final nail. He couldn’t imagine a father being good to his child. “I’ve seen my share of fathers be nothing but hideous to their children.”

  “That’s a shame,” she murmured. “I’m sorry to hear that.” To his amazement, her eyes were misty. “Was your father hideous to you?” She searched his profile.

  Daffin clenched his jaw. Why were her tears affecting him? He shouldn’t have been so blunt with her. “In his own way.” Damn it. Why did he say that?

  “He didn’t … beat you, did he?” Regina asked, her eyes wide.

  “No. But if there’s one thing I cannot countenance, it’s a grown man harming a child. I recently put a bloke in the bowels of Newgate for just such an offense.”

  Regina’s arms fell to her sides. She stepped toward him. “You’re noble, aren’t you?”

  His brow furrowed. “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “Yes, you are. You’re a good man, Daffin. I could tell it the moment I met you.”

  Daffin shrugged as if to divest himself of her words. No one had told him he was a good man before. No one had ever told him he was noble.

  “My father was a good man, too,” Regina continued, glancing out the window. “But he died young. Is your father still alive?”

  “No.” Daffin’s throat tightened at the sadness in her voice, but it was better for her to talk about her family than ask about his. “Your mother was the duke’s sister. Is that right?” He hammered the final nail into the window frame.

  She nodded, meeting his gaze again. “Yes. My mother, Uncle Edward, and Mark’s mother, Aunt Mary, were siblings. They each had one child, me, John, and Mark.”

  Daffin whistled. “Not a prolific family, were they?”

  “No.” Regina shook her head sadly. “Now John’s dead. We have only Mark to rely on to carry on the family line.”

  Daffin tested the window frame to ensure it wouldn’t give. The hammer still in his hand, he turned to face her. “What about you and Dryden?”

  “I suppose that’s a possibility.” She sighed and glanced away, rubbing her arms again. “I’d rather not think about it.”

  “Why haven’t you married before now?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath, folding her arms across her breasts. “I never found anyone I cared
for enough to marry. Much to Grandmama’s chagrin. My parents were happy together. I was hoping for a match like theirs.”

  He turned the hammer over in his hands. “And no love match ever came along?”

  She tilted her head to the side, a wistful smile touched her lips. “No love match ever came along.” She shook herself and rubbed her arms again. “Nicole still holds out hope for me, however. It’s one of the reasons she wants to remain in town.”

  Daffin cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

  “Uncle Edward told me I may have until Christmas to find a husband of my own choosing.”

  Daffin whistled. “Is that so?”

  She still looked melancholy. “Nicole and I plan to go to a Christmas ball at the Hillards’ tomorrow night.”

  Daffin lifted his brows. “Husband hunting?”

  She swiped a lock of hair from her forehead. “I suppose you can call it that, though I don’t hold out much hope. I’ve had over a decade to find a love match. I doubt I’ll find one in a sennight’s time.”

  “I wish you luck, my lady. Rest assured, I’ll accompany you to protect you, so you may go about the business of finding a husband without a care.” Why did the thought of her dancing with some blue blood at a ball make his stomach clench?

  Regina shook herself and moved toward the door. “That reminds me. I actually came in to ask you something about the investigation. Is there some way to discover whether this madman is targeting me or Nicole? Without putting Nicole in danger.”

  Daffin put his fists on his hips. “Putting you in danger, instead?”

  Regina put her hands on her hips, too. “I’m not worried about myself.”

  “That’s brave of you.” Daffin rubbed his chin. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about something. Both times you were targeted, you were in your uncle’s coach. Is that correct?”

  “Yes.” Regina nodded. “Do you think it’s a coincidence?”

  Daffin slowly shook his head. “In my line of work, I don’t believe in coincidences. I think you may well be the target.”

  Regina met his gaze. “Very well, then. I want to offer myself as bait.”