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here.” Stiveton pushed to his feet. “I’ll send your bride in to see you.”
    Sin wasn’t all that certain he wanted to see her. As attractive as his prize was, he didn’t like being cornered. But, short of leaving England and abandoning his search, he was going to have to marry Lady Vixen Fontaine. He slouched in the straight-backed chair.
    It was his own bloody fault, really. He scowled. He’d been a damned fool, and now Stiveton was using his momentary lapse of sanity to rid the Fontaines of their own scapegrace.
    For his family’s sake he had meant to marry, after he’d found Thomas’s murderer and dealt with him. Not now, though, and not to someone he didn’t knowand didn’t trust. This was going to complicate things, and he didn’t need any more blasted complications right now. “Damnation.”
    “I said the same thing when my father informed me that you were here.”
    Lady Victoria Fontaine strolled into her father’s office, her expression as calm as if she were discussing the weather. Sinclair stood. He’d meant to remain in his arrogant slouch, but as he had noticed last night, he tended to become erect in her presence.
    Coming around the back of the chair, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Good morning, Lady Victoria.”
    He liked touching her. When she didn’t pull her hand away, he brushed his lips across her knuckles again. She continued gazing at him, her violet eyes the only part of her that didn’t look completely composed. Even in a muted gray-and-green muslin gown she drew his eyes, his attention, and—even more strongly than last night—his desire. Finally she freed her hand and turned to the window, and his blood stirred as he watched the silken sway of her hips.
    “My father says you accepted his terms for the marriage,” she said, leaning against the deep sill.
    “They were generous.”
    Victoria nodded. “He has never been one to quarrel over details.”
    Sinclair looked at her for a long moment, absorbed by the fast-beating pulse at the soft curve of her throat, until he abruptly remembered that he was Sin Grafton, dedicated rake and hedonist. “You seem to make up your mind fairly quickly, as well.”
    “I wanted you to drag me off to the garden,” sheadmitted, blushing, “but I didn’t know you were going to attempt to render me naked.”
    She had wanted him . “You didn’t seem unduly disturbed by it—until your father arrived.”
    The pretty color in her cheeks deepened. “I’ll admit, my lord, that you kiss well—but I imagine you’ve had a great deal of practice.”
    Amused at the supposed insult, Sinclair swept a bow. “I’m pleased all my hard work’s gone to good use.”
    “Too good, according to my parents.”
    “I’ll apologize for the public setting of our embrace, but I won’t apologize for kissing you.” He stepped closer, as drawn to her this morning as he’d been last night, despite the marriage noose. “You’re delicious.”
    She cocked her head at him. “Are you still trying to seduce me?” Victoria pushed away from the window, and walked toward the door, saying in a raised voice, “That’s hardly necessary, Lord Althorpe; you’ve already won my hand in marriage.”
    Curious, Sinclair watched as she softly closed the door and faced him. “If you want to continue what we began last night, my lady,” he murmured, “I am a willing participant. Exceedingly willing.”
    “The only thing I want to participate in is getting us out of trouble,” she countered, lowering her voice again. “You can hardly want this marriage any more than I do.”
    “What do you propose—pardon the pun—to do about it, then?”
    She clapped her hands together, abruptly all business. “You’ve spent the past five years on the Continent. No one would think twice if you decided to return there.”
    So the little spitfire thought she could dictate terms. Her father was right about one thing, anyway: she was definitely trouble. “Probably