Belatedly, she thought to take a step back, but his hand had whipped out to stop her. She’d never felt anything like it—or been so brutally aware of a man’s touch. His grip was like iron, and she could feel the press of every finger like a vise wrapped around her skin.

Mother Mary, he was strong! And those hands . . .

She might have shuddered.

She’d almost forgotten that they were standing before the mercery in the middle of the high street until he dragged her a few steps around the side of the building. He’d obviously realized that they’d been attracting attention.

“I am not a traitor,” he said roughly. “I had my reasons.”

She was sure he did—just as she had hers. Ignoring the fierce race of her heart, she lifted a challenging brow. “And I am not a harlot.”

The words seemed to take him aback. He frowned. “I never said you were.”

“Didn’t you?” She reached up with the arm that wasn’t clamped in his grip to pull aside her cloak. “But look at my gown.”

He looked down, and just like that everything changed. The anger firing in the air between them turned to something else entirely. Something hot and charged and even more dangerous.

The weight of his gaze on her chest was as warm and heavy as the palm of a hand. Heat flooded her breasts with even more heaviness, and her nipples grew tight and hard under his steady perusal.

His jaw tightened.

Her belly clenched . . . low.

The tic below his jaw began to pulse and those tiny white lines reappeared around his mouth.

He wanted her, but he didn’t look happy about it, and something about that stung. It stung quite a lot, and brought out a streak of heretofore unknown wickedness in her. Wickedness that made her want him to eat his words. Every last one of them.

If he thought her a whore, so be it. He was just like all the rest. People always let you down. Why would she have expected more?

She leaned into his hold, pressing her body against his. “And what of you, Sir Alex?” She blinked up at him coyly. “Although I’m sure a chivalrous knight like yourself is too principled for tumbling out of alcoves.”

Senses Alex didn’t even know he had exploded at contact. It had been hard enough holding back his desire when those incredible breasts had been displayed only inches away for him to admire every mouthwatering ripe curve, every delectable point, and every tantalizingly deep crevice.