Page 2 of Wicked with Him

Roman had already considered what use Amity might be to him, but there was only so far he would go extracting his revenge, of course. He did not ruin innocents.

Not like her brother had.

But Amity was well placed to feed him information about her brother’s interests in the future. He was already well advanced on a way to impact George Sweet’s pocket this week. There was no way to immediately benefit from the woman’s approach, aside from the ruin she asked for.

He would send her on her way for now but perhaps arrange to meet at a later time.

Ever since George Sweet had ruined and married the love of Roman’s life, he had gone out of his way to interfere in George’s private affairs. Roman had spent the last year actively working toward spoiling her brother’s chances of success every time their interests collided. They were enemies. They moved in the same circles thanks to his money, but otherwise ignored each other in public.

And Amity had now come to him for ruin.

He stepped into the dark with her, keen to hear her reasons and to arrange a further meeting far from prying eyes. “Be quick in explaining or you’ll be ruined just standing here alone with me.”

“But that is what I want. Ruin, and tonight.”

She couldn’t be serious. He stalked toward her. “Say that again.”

Her hands landed on his chest to hold him back from crowding her too closely. “I know what he did to you and Melody, and I hate him for separating you from the woman you loved. I could do nothing then. Now I need your help to stop him meddling in my love life.”

Of course, Amity should have suitors by the dozens…but the mention of them irked him. She was beautiful and well-dowered and connected to a powerful family. But her brother, and the rest of her family, had kept any circling fortune hunters at bay up until now. “Whom do you love and not wish to be separated from?”

“That is none of your concern.” Her fingertips scraped his chest as she balled her hand into a fist. “My family have arranged for a proposal of marriage to be made to me tonight without my agreement or encouragement. Before everyone. I will not be a pawn, married off against my will, but they will not listen to me. Not with the Duke of Ravenswood giving his blessing to the union, too.”

Ravenswood, Amity’s uncle, was an influential figure in society, of course. His sons were acquaintances of Roman’s, and more to his taste since they disliked their cousin George almost as much as Roman did. While annoying George Sweet was always a pleasure, infuriating four strapping lords and a duke was not his goal.

“I take it you want them to regret underestimating you by any means available,” Roman drawled.

“Yes,” she insisted.

“I still don’t see how ruining you is anything but a punishment for me. I don’t want to marry you, I’m afraid.”

“I don’t want to marry you, either,” she shot back in a hiss of sound that impressed him for its venom. “I only want your help to make it clear I’ve been ravished…before any proposal of marriage can be uttered. When it’s clear I’m not the paragon they boast about, their choice for my husband will rethink his decision and perhaps they’ll give me peace.”

He inhaled sharply, believing her. But caution was called for. “This is certainly a trap.”

“Only for them, I swear. They’re so pleased with the match, and convinced I’ll just go meekly into this man’s bed, that they can’t conceive I’d try to thwart them. But I will have my freedom, one way or another. Your revenge will be taken in secret as you view George’s public humiliation.”

“Embarrassing for you, too, Sweet Paragon,” he warned, dragging his fingertips up her arms. “Especially when I will not come forward to say it was me who lifted your skirts.”

“I’ll hold you to the promise not to speak up and claim my ridiculously high dowry for yourself,” she whispered, drawing her hands slowly down his chest until she was no longer touching him. “Society is about to find out just how badly their description suits me. It’s beyond the pale that his grace started the rumor that gave me the title Sweet Paragon before I came out, and now no sensible man dares think themselves good enough to come courting without gaining his approval first.”

“Ravenswood started the rumors about your purity himself?”

“I remember the night with perfect clarity. All the family were present. My wiser male cousins all but fell off their chairs laughing at the description. More interesting men have been avoiding me ever since I came out because of a stupid name.”

Amity had been on the marriage mart for some years now. Most of those who’d come out the same year were long married, and a lot had already given their husbands their heirs. “I merely thought you were overly particular,” he murmured.

“My family is. But how would you know fact from fiction when we’ve never spoken before, and why would you have when it was clear you were besotted by your Melody?”

He had been, and had been taunted for missing out on her dowry ever since, too. But that was not why he’d pursued Melody to marry him. He was in love with the sweet, innocent girl, tricked into a similar situation that now faced Amity.

Amity tugged on his sleeve. “Will you ruin me?”

He lifted his hand and brushed hers off his arm. “I’m ruining you now.”

“You think me naïve? I am well aware of the requirements for a tryst. This is a bad location for one. You need to get away cleanly and there are only two exits here, and both lead to the revel makers inside.”

He’d rather not be found with his breeches down around his ankles and Amity’s pale legs wrapped about his waist. He cast his eyes about the balcony and saw that she had a point, there were no other exits unless he wanted to risk breaking his neck in a fall. “I take it you’ve been planning the matter of your ruin quite seriously?”