Her Every Wish by Courtney Milan Read Free Book Online Page B

know that my slightly less-than-legal activities are chosen so as not to harm anyone. I’m a reprobate, not a villain. Veloci-probate hasn’t the same ring.”
    Her nose wrinkled. “No. That sounds like an exceedingly swift Court of Chancery.”
    â€œUgh. Nobody wants that.”
    She almost smiled. Almost. “Very well. How does one even get on this…monstrosipede?”
    He wasn’t going to take the bait. Instead, he guided her to a bench, one where she could hop up and reach the seat of his velocipede. It was a simple matter to brace the machine against his hip and gesture her forward.
    â€œSo,” he said. “Get on.”
    â€œWhat, with you holding it?”
    â€œYes.” He rolled his eyes. “With me holding it. Do you think I’m going to let you fall?”
    She gave him a dark look. Her nose twitched. “You might.”
    â€œI might,” he said, returning her dark look. “That’s one of the risks you’ll have to take.”
    She glared at him for a long moment before gathering her skirts to the ankles, awkwardly straddling the metal top bar, and lowering herself gingerly to the seat.
    She shut her eyes instantly, clutching the handlebar. “Oh, God. It’s very high. And extremely wobbly.”
    â€œWell, then,” Crash said sarcastically. “I suppose our lesson is done. We’ll leave the having of trades to men, and you can keep on getting your bum pinched in your flower shop.”
    Her eyes flew open.
    â€œThat’s better,” he said. “Yes. It’s high and wobbly. That’s because you’re not moving. Now I’m going to come round to the side, and you’re going to put your feet on the pedals. Understand?”
    â€œBut…”
    He moved without waiting, and she winced as the machine lurched beneath her.
    â€œYou’re touching me,” she said as his hand landed against her spine. “I said, no—”
    He pulled his hands away and held them up in the air. The velocipede faltered, tilted, and—
    â€œTouch me!” she shrieked. “I lied! I don’t mind!”
    He calmly took hold of her before she fell. “Come now, Daisy. I’m not touching you for my pleasure. If you die, I hang, and hanging is not in my plan. Besides, you have a sweetheart. I won’t do anything that your dear Edwin won’t approve of. My promise.”
    She gave him a baleful glare.
    â€œSo,” he said. “Feet on the pedals. Push first on the top one. No, not to the side—down, smoothly down. Like that. Now the next.”
    It took her a few revolutions to get the gist of the motion. She went slowly; he paced beside her. They started along the canal at a snail’s pace. He kept one hand on the seat, the other on her spine, steadying her as she moved.
    â€œA little faster,” he told her. “I can keep up.”
    A little faster meant there was a bit of wind as they moved. The breeze whipped her bonnet off her head and left it trailing behind her, held in place only by bonnet strings. It stole little tendrils of pale hair from Daisy’s braid. A little faster meant that his hand was no longer steady against her spine. His palm jogged with his pace, up and down, up and down.
    The cold lent color to her cheeks. Her determination gave fire to her eyes. God, he missed Daisy.
    It wasn’t the first time he had missed her.
    It happened at odd intervals. When he heard an amusing story and thought of telling her. When he had an idea he wanted to share with her. When he saw her on the street and accidentally smiled before he remembered.
    He didn’t really miss her. He missed the woman he’d once believed she was.
    But he missed that woman now, almost intensely. He missed the way she gritted her teeth as she concentrated. He missed the way she kept trying, no matter what life threw at her. The way she gripped the handlebar, as if holding on more tightly