Society in the city is split between the Upper and the Lower. Elis Scott was an orphaned brat from the Lower, but managed to crawl and fight his way out with the help of a minor slum lord turned entrepreneur. Now Elis is one of Mullen’s men, helping those who cannot take their problems to the authorities.
Despite finding his feet, Elis has a secret which threatens all he’s achieved. Not only is he attracted to men, something he’s tried to repress for years, but he also detests his need to submit. Suppressing his desires, denying who he is, manifests in rage he struggles to control. But his self-denial is rendered pointless when he meets Lord Victor Latham.
Having recently inherited his title after the death of his father, Latham is coerced by his estranged uncle to hire Elis to protect him from possible fortune hunters. Despite his blindness, Latham is stubborn and fiercely independent and rails against the necessity of being guarded. Yet when Elis confides his suspicions about his uncle’s true motives, Latham agrees to let Elis look into the matter.
The friction between Elis and Latham is more than their equally obstinate personalities rubbing against one another. It brings out Latham’s dominant tendencies, to show Elis how it could be if he gave into his desires. However, old family secrets, outside threats, and Elis’s fear of his growing feelings keep them from exploring the true extent of their attraction.
“Tea?”
Elis hesitated before saying, “Please.”
He expected Latham to call for a servant, but instead Latham perched on the edge of his seat to reach the small table on which rested a tea tray. Elis would never have guessed Latham was blind as he poured the boiled water into a cup. Stranger was watching a noble serving his own tea. He asked after Elis’s milk and sugar preferences and offered the cup to Elis. Elis had to fight the chair cushions to reach it.
Elis found himself watching Latham’s hands. “You’re very capable,” Elis said, enjoying Latham’s twitch of surprise.
Latham’s lips quirked. “And you’re very straightforward, Mr. Scott.” He sipped his tea then put it down to reach inside his trouser pocket and produced the envelope Jonah had delivered. “Is this your idea of winning over my trust?” He pulled the check free, threading it through his fingers, reading the embossed number through touch.
“No, my lord.”
“Stop with the my lord, especially if you only use it to mock me.”
“What should I call you then?” That smacked of familiarity and spoke of future meetings.
“Latham will do. Now, explain why you are so persistent in working for my uncle. What has he promised you? Is this not enough?”
How much was he willing to pay to snub his uncle? “You’re most generous, but I am not here on behalf of your uncle.”
“No, you’re here because I invited you.”
“True.” Latham’s eyes were so close to meeting his. Elis found himself shifting, trying to catch his gaze though he never would. It burned him on the inside and he didn’t understand why, why he craved it so much, why he was so disappointed. He told himself it was because he could not read Latham well and it would make it harder for the man to trust him.
“What is it you want?”
Elis was staring. He wet his lips, watching Latham closely. “I want to protect you.”
He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. The last thing he wanted was for Latham to think he pitied him. He could have phrased it any number of other ways, but he hadn’t. Latham’s presence was disrupting the signals in his brain. Latham’s stoic features and stern voice were all affected by Elis’s attraction to the bloody man, heating his blood, making it hard to breathe. Elis swallowed, his heartbeat thumping loudly in his temples.
After a long, painful pause, Latham said, “How?”
Elis cleared his throat and moved his focus from the carnal path it was treading. “As your guard. Your uncle hired me to protect you from possible fortune hunters now you’ve inherited your father’s title and money. But from what I’ve seen, it’s evident you and your uncle aren’t close. So I asked myself, what is it Hargate wants, now you’ve come into your inheritance? What does he want now which he couldn’t get while your father lived? In short, I want to protect you from your uncle and whatever his true motive might be.”
“How virtuous of you,” Latham said with that twitch of a smile. He laced his fingers together on his lap, his pale eyes hooded.
Elis found himself staring, recalling how those hands had held him down over the desk. He shook himself. “I would not call it, or myself, virtuous. I am simply a man who is good at what he does and as such recognizes when he’s being lied to.”
“And what if I decide to use you instead? How can you trust me anymore than my uncle? If I were naive, I would think you pity me for my affliction.”
“I accepted this job before I knew you were blind and I’d already guessed your uncle was lying. Though, I will admit if it served my purposes, I would willingly use your blindness to my advantage. As I say, I am not virtuous.”
Latham gave a small satisfied smile and nodded. “I see. Do you wish to take advantage of my blindness for your own ends?”
“I don’t think I could.”
“Why not?”
“You had me pinned to your desk without much effort.” Heat rose in Elis’s cheeks, but he managed to keep it from effecting his voice.
“You were taken by surprise. No doubt you could subdue me easily with a little forewarning.”
Elis felt the phantom press of Latham’s body along his back, the heat and power which he could still recall making him shiver. He grimaced, disgusted with himself.
“Care to try?” Latham said into the silence.
People Also Bought:
