Page 71 of Ruthless, But for Her

But there was another way to look at it.

Alys Mercer was worth nothing to anyone. A wool merchant’s widow out of Berwick, a false name spoken to a carter who had believed every word of it.

He had Holden, the village trader who dealt in what came off the road and kept anything with writing because Ashton paid him for it. He had coin. He had a boy who could be paid four times over, and a woman who could disappear better than he could.

There had to be a way to get her out. Not south to her father, who would sell her to another Roland inside a year. Somewhere else. Somewhere no one would think to look for a lady because there would be no lady to find.

Ashton lay awake and worked it through. He didn’t intend to tell her until he was sure it could be done.

The coverlet was still rolled between them.

CHAPTER 40

Cassia

At first Cassia couldn’t reconcile where she was. The space seemed to be smaller than usual. She turned, rolled onto her side. That was when she remembered. She and Ashton sharing the bed, the rolled coverlet, still between them.

She had slept in the same bed as a man for the first time in her entire life. After she was married, when Roland took what he’d said was “his by rights,” he had left for his own chamber. She had always been glad for it.

But with Ashton…she had actually asked for him to stay. And he had.

She didn’t dare move, knowing how lightly Ashton slept. He was like a hare, which was known to sleep with its eyes open because most of the world considered it prey.

Instead, she raised her chin up and peeked over the rolled coverlet at him. It was the first time she’d ever seen him completely unguarded. The hard lines of his face seemed softer now. Still as handsome. Just…not as fearsome looking.

She tried to imagine him as a young boy but had difficulty doing so. Cassia vowed to ask Margot about his upbringing, since it was a topic not easily wrung from him.

“Are you enjoying the view?”

She quickly lay back down. His eyes had been closed the entire time! Embarrassed, she said nothing.

“Cassia?”

She ventured he’d reward honesty, as he had the day before.

“I was,” she said.

He chuckled, a sound so rare that she sat up and looked over at him. The coverlet was to his waist, and Ashton’s chest still bare. He really was magnificently formed…

“Your eyes were closed.”

“I awoke the moment you shifted toward me.”

“But you feigned sleep?”

“I merely saw no need to open my eyes just yet. More importantly, I was curious at what you would do.”

She wasn’t precisely sure what he meant by that, but instead of asking, Cassia swung her legs over the side of the bed, trying not to think of his kiss. As if she could think of anything else.

Before falling asleep, she had turned her back toward him and closed her eyes, reliving the feeling of having his lips on hers until she fell asleep. Then she dreamed about it.

It had simply been the most wondrous experience of her life. One she could never have imagined possible.

“I would give you privacy if you will but bar the door behind me.”

She spun around, surprised to see him already wearing his braies and shirt and putting on his boots.

“You dress as softly as you feign sleep.”