Sybille's Lord by Raven McAllan Read Free Book Online Page A

have been through? Give them some credit.”
      “I do, but you don’t understand.” Damn the
pathetic, whiny tone.
    “Try
me,” he said, inviting her confidences. “I do not tell tales. I’ve known of its
provenance for long enough. Remember also, it is a very good fake. There is no
need to worry. No one will tell unless they had it tested.”
    He
smiled reassuringly. Sybille gritted her teeth. Little did he know it did the
very opposite. “I hope you’re right and no one tests it then. However I have to
worry.   Sadly, you’re mistaken.”
    Thom
raised one sculpted eyebrow. Sybille saw the long lashes show dark on his
eyelid and scowled. It was so unfair a man should have such a natural beauty
aid and she had to resort to charcoal.
    “Why?”
      Oh how she’d hoped never to have to admit her
failure. “Because it’s now in the hands of that cad Bankfoot.”
    Sybille
watched, fascinated as Thom started, and his fingers clenched into his fists,
just once.
    “Ah.
Then I agree we may have a problem.” He took three strides across the room and
swung round to face her.
    “What
in Hades—” His voice rose to a roar.
    Sybille
put her finger over her mouth in a ‘be quiet’ gesture. “Hush, do you want
everyone to hear you?”
    He
scowled but moderated his voice.   “You
said the nearby rooms are vacant.”
    “They
are but you shouted loud enough to wake the Francomes in the house three doors
down, let alone this household.”
    “Then
if you do not want the street to be privy to our conversation, tell me, what
pray, is bloody Bankfoot doing with it? For that matter, why the hell did your
papa not let me replace it with the real string? Stubborn...” Thom shook his
head and took a deep breath, which stretched his shirt and pantaloons to their
limit. “Right… why do I wonder what you have to do with this mess? Perhaps you’d
better tell me. Sit down again. Do not move.” He pointed to the chair. “And
talk.”
    “Then
don’t tower over me,” Sybille said. “Sit on the bed, or the floor, or get the
stool from my bathing chamber. But don’t stand there like an avenging angel.”
    He
snorted. “That’s the first time I’ve been called an angel. It’s usually a
devil.”
    “Angel,
devil, what does it matter,” Sybille said impatiently. Now she’d garnered the
courage to tell him the story she wanted to get on with it. “Just please do as
I’ve asked.”
    With
a grin she could only think of as belonging to the devil himself—wicked and
evil but with a hint of a challenge—Thom sat on the end of her bed and lifted
one stocking-clad foot to rest on the knee of his other leg. Sybille’s mouth
was dry, and she swallowed. Why was his stance a challenge?
    “It’s
not often I sit on a lady’s bed fully clothed. It’s a novelty I’m not inclined
to repeat too often.”
      You’re not fully clothed,” Sybille said. “You
have no boots on.”
      “It’s still several layers too much. Right,
before the thread of our conversation goes awry again—talk.”
    ****
    His
cock ached, and as he looked at her worried expression so did his heart. Thom
had long known he favored Sybille and had a fondness for her he’d never experienced
with anyone else, but this emotion went beyond that. To be sat here, in an
intimate room, with a lady in such filmy clothes and not to take advantage of
it was unusual.
    Would
a lady who had invited him to her room, not expect to be taken advantage of?
      Ah, the difficulties.
    Sybille
cleared her throat. “Thom? Did you hear me? I said this does not show me in a
good light.”
    The
candles behind her gave lie to the statement but he knew it was not the time to
flirt. However he couldn’t let her comment go unremarked upon.
    “I
could say, I beg to differ, the light shows you to perfection.”
    She
giggled nervously. “I er…”
    “Oh
you do…. perfectly.” He winked and then sobered. “I‘m sorry, Sybille, I couldn’t
resist teasing you. Go