Falling for the Rebel Falcon

His manner was slightly too hard to be called warm but it wasn’t unkind. She guessed he wasn’t a patient man, but neither was he entirely unsympathetic. His eyes were dark, shadowed, hinting at fascinating depths full of mysteries. But also hinting at something else, lighter, possibly interesting.

And he was the brother of the man she’d come here to study, she reminded herself. Professional efficiency demanded that she prolong this moment.

‘That’s kind of you,’ she said softly. ‘Especially after I gave you so much trouble.’

He made a sound that was half a sigh, half a groan.

‘Look, I’d better tell you, I’m not just being nice. There’s something in this for me too.’

So the attraction wasn’t just on her side, she thought. She held her breath, longing for him to say the next words, and slightly shocked at herself for wanting it so much.

‘It’s like this,’ he said.

But before he could speak there was a knock at the door. He scowled. ‘Are you expecting anyone?’

‘Nobody,’ she said.

He opened the door, revealing an attractive young woman.

‘Sorry to barge in,’ she said. ‘But I’ve got a message for you, and I saw you carrying a woman upstairs.’ She glanced at Perdita, lying in bed. ‘I haven’t … er … interrupted anything, have I?’

‘You have,’ he said ironically. ‘But not what you’re thinking.’ He pulled her close for a kiss on the cheek.

Perdita sighed. So that was that.

So much for false hopes.

The young woman was in her twenties, well-dressed and modestly attractive without being a great beauty.

‘Where did you vanish to?’ she asked Leonid. ‘We were all of us about to go to the chapel but suddenly you weren’t there.’

‘Sorry, Freya, I remembered something I had to do.’

‘Are you going to introduce me?’ she said, indicating Perdita.

‘Freya, this is Erica Hanson. Erica, this is my stepsister. My father is married to her mother.’

‘And we bicker like a real brother and sister,’ Freya said cheerfully. ‘Hello, Erica. It’s nice to meet you. Very nice indeed.’

She said the last words with a mysterious significance, and a glance at Leonid that was laden with meaning.

‘I’m off to the chapel,’ she said. ‘They’ll be starting the rehearsal soon. Are you coming, Leonid?’

‘I’m not sure for the moment—’

‘Don’t worry, Amos won’t be there. He hasn’t arrived yet. Anyway, I’ll see you later at the family gathering. Erica, I look forward to seeing you there.’

‘Well, I don’t know if I—’

‘Of course you do. Bye for now.’

She hurried out, but not without turning in the doorway and giving them a thumbs up sign.

‘What was that all about?’ Perdita asked.

‘I’m afraid it means that my family is trying to take you over for its own purpose,’ he said ruefully. ‘Freya has a problem. My father has five sons but no daughter, and he wants to see Freya married off to one of us so that she’ll be more than just his stepdaughter. But he’s rapidly running out of sons. Darius is already married, Marcel is marrying Cassie tomorrow, and that just leaves three of us.

‘We all like Freya but we don’t fancy being dictated to. Luckily she doesn’t like it either. That’s why she was so glad to meet you. She sees you as protection.’

‘You mean if your father thinks—?’

‘That we’re a couple, yes.’

‘That will make Freya safe?’

‘Safe from me. There’s still Jackson and Travis.’

‘But isn’t Travis—? I mean there’s been a lot in the press about his latest love. Surely she’ll be here with him?’

‘I don’t know. Probably, but nobody’s really sure about them. We’re not even certain that Amos is coming. He’s annoyed with Marcel for daring to choose his own wife. But if he does turn up we’re all in danger, Jackson, Travis—and me. Unless—’ he looked at her with meaning ‘—unless some guardian angel will be my shield.’

Perdita’s lips twitched. ‘You mean stand between you and your father and divert his scheming to your brothers?’

‘Exactly. I think Freya rather misunderstood the fact that she saw you in bed.’

‘But don’t you have a girlfriend back wherever you live? From your accent you sound as if you come from a great distance.’

‘I live in Moscow.’

‘How exciting. And I’m sure you must know a lot of women.’

She had a sense that the question displeased him. His voice was edgy as he replied, ‘I have many acquaintances but none that I’m close to in that sense. Otherwise I’d have brought someone with me. Are you attached to anyone?’

‘No, I’m a free agent too.’

‘So you’ll stick with me while we’re here, this evening and at the wedding? I’ll look after you.’ He gave a wry grin and indicated the damp patch on his suit. ‘After all, you owe me a favour.’

‘Yes, I suppose I do.’

‘So you’ll be my “shield and protector”?’

She thought no man had ever looked less in need of protection. There was a formidable air about him that contrasted oddly with the flickers of warmth and humour that had begun to appear in his manner.

‘Unless you’ve got other plans,’ he added.

‘Hardly,’ she said, pointing at her foot.

‘No, you’re going to need me to act as nurse and carer,’ he said with a hint of mischievous triumph. ‘In fact this suits me so well that you might almost think I caused your fall to suit my own purposes.’