Her Every Wish Read Free Page B

eyes. Crash was a man who had mastered the speaking glance. This one could have been an epic saga. It was the unshakeable look that a farm lad gave to his sweetheart when she was sentenced to be fed to a dragon. Don’t worry, it promised. I’ll save you. I’ve a plan.
    It was the kind of look that would have that blushing farm girl spreading her legs for her love in the barn the night before she was condemned to die. She’d give up her virginity, her trust, her love, her future in one trembling hour. When she bid her swain farewell through tears and kisses, she would believe in her soul that he was going to kill the beast. She’d believe he would save her until the dragon crunched her between its teeth.
    Even now, even knowing Crash as she did, a flush of heat blossomed along the back of her neck.
    Daisy’s mind knew all about Crash, even if her body pretended ignorance. She’d already given him everything. She’d had that trembling hour. All these months later, Daisy had no virginity, no trust, no love, and her future was chock-full of dragons.
    â€œAha,” Crash said, coming to a temporary halt. He snapped his fingers. “Right. Of course. I forgot. I’m to address you as Miss Whitlaw now.”
    He gave her a teasing smile, arranged the cloth at his neck into a mockery of a cravat, and shifted his tone. When he spoke, he sounded almost proper—the way Daisy’s mother sounded at her most querulous. The way Daisy spoke when she wanted people to take her seriously.
    â€œMy dear Miss Whitlaw,” he said in that distinctive, plummy-sounding voice, “I know you’ve little desire to speak with me at the moment. But I have a business proposition to put before you.”
    â€œYou may recall,” Daisy said severely, “that I do not care for your line of business.”
    That smile on his face flickered. “My line of business is the business of making people happy.”
    Ha. “Yes,” she said. “A great many people.”
    â€œA great many people,” he agreed, instead of getting angry at her implication like a normal person would. “I’m here to offer my services.”
    â€œI had your services once,” Daisy snapped. “I don’t need them any longer.”
    â€œServices,” Crash said with a slow grin. “Is that what we’re calling it, now? It’s a good thing you don’t need them any longer . You couldn’t find services any longer—or thicker—or harder than mine.”
    Her cheeks flamed in memory of long and thick and hard . “Crash. Please don’t say things like that.”
    He shrugged. “It’s simple. I saw what happened back there. They’re planning to make a joke of you, you know. All they want is to laugh.”
    â€œI know,” Daisy said through clenched teeth.
    â€œYou should give up now.”
    â€œI know.” Her teeth ground against each other.
    â€œBut you won’t.”
    He knew that, too. His knowing things about her had fooled her thoroughly. She’d thought she was special. She had thought he actually cared. She’d been such an idiot.
    As these things are reckoned, you are a complete waste of a woman. That was what she had to remember him saying. Her teeth gritted.
    â€œAnd since you won’t give up,” he said, “then you cannot leave them with one single thing to laugh at. You know that’s how it works, yes?”
    â€œI know,” she whispered.
    â€œYou will have to be brilliant to win.” He looked at her. “You won’t be able to hesitate. You’ll have to make them believe that nobody will be able to survive without your…” He frowned. “I couldn’t actually hear. Your…emporium, was it?”
    She was not about to be inveigled into a conversation with him.
    â€œThat means you will have to practice.”
    â€œI know all these things,” Daisy muttered.