He held out his hand. The standoff lasted about two seconds before Joan acceded to the inevitable and handed it over—but not without a scowl.

He grinned. But gracious in victory, he stepped aside, allowing her to pass. They walked in companionable silence through the gate. She liked him, she realized. Too much. As was becoming more and more evident. He was getting harder and harder to resist. She felt the noose of inevitability tightening around her neck, knowing that if she didn’t do something soon it would be too late.

“From the weight of this bundle,” he said, “I’m going to guess that you and your cousins finally made it inside the mercery?”

Normally the jest might have made her smile, but she was feeling too much like a cornered hare. “Why are you doing this, Alex? I’ve told you how I feel.”

The smile fell from his face, and his expression drew hard and impenetrable. “I don’t think you have. I think you lied. What I want to know is why.”

Heat flew to her cheeks. “Your arrogance is truly astounding. I’m sorry if I’ve hurt your pride, but I assure you it’s the truth. We would not suit.”

He grabbed her by the arm, and mindful of the people bustling around them, he pulled her around a building—the infirmary, maybe?—before hauling her up against him. “This has nothing to do with my pride, damn it. And we would suit perfectly. You know that as well as I do.”

From the way their bodies practically locked together, she could hardly argue the point. God, he felt incredible. The warm solidness of his chest against her breasts, the strength of his arms wrapped around hers, the hard press of his manhood between her legs and against her stomach . . . everything fit perfectly.

Desire flooded her senses. Her mind was spinning in a thousand different directions. She had to stop it. “Is that what this is about?” She moved her hips against him in a way that could not be misinterpreted. She hadn’t counted on having it affect her, however, and the shock of sensation nearly made her knees buckle. Somehow she managed to remember she was trying to get rid of him. “Haven’t you heard? You do not need to court me to bed me. If that’s what it will take to be rid of you, why don’t we just get it over and be done with it? If your room is not convenient, I’m sure we can find an alcove somewhere.”