Excerpt of Passionately Yours by Cara Elliott

“One would almost think you were going out of your way to avoid
speaking to me.”

“We’re speaking now,” he pointed out.

“I would call it verbal sparring.” Caro edged around
impatiently, forcing him to look her in the face. “But now that
I have you alone, I’d rather not keep trading thrusts and
parries. I would rather discuss far more important matters—such
as whether you have learned anything new about the attack on
your sister?”

Pursing his lips, Alec shifted his stance just enough to allow
him to return to his perusal of the lettering on the column.
“Not really.”

“Ye gods.” She restrained the urge to take hold of his arm and
give him a hard shake. “What sort of answer is that?”

“The only one I intend to give,” he replied calmly.

“Fine.” Caro watched the breeze ruffle his long hair, causing a
tangle of red-gold strands to curl around his ear and dance
down the freshly shaven line of his jaw. The faint scent of bay
rum tickled at her nostrils.

“Fine,” she repeated, after forcing herself to exhale. “Then
I’ll just have to do a little poking around on my own.”

That got his attention. He looked around abruptly, his gaze
narrowing to a slitted stare. The movement was quick, but not
quick enough to hide the sudden darkening of his eyes.

“That wouldn’t be wise,” he growled. “The only thing I will add
for now is that you should stay well away from Edward Thayer.”

“Why?”

“Because…” He let out an exasperated grunt. “Must you always
plague me with questions?”

“I wouldn’t have to if you would stop treating me like a
feather-headed wigeon.”

Alec’s scowl became more pronounced.

“Haven’t I proved myself trustworthy and capable?”

A small muscle on his jaw twitched. “I am not at liberty to
give you any more details right now. All I can say is that…” As
he drew in a breath, he seemed to change his mind about what to
say. “Thayer is a charming fellow. No doubt his smooth words
are more to your liking.”

Deciding Alec deserved a bit of teasing, Caro pretended not to
notice the roughness edging his voice. “Yes, he’s exceedingly
charming.”

If his storm-blue stare squeezed any tighter, it would be
sharper than a razor’s edge.

“And scrupulously polite,” she added.

Alec was becoming more flustered. Small sounds were beginning
to rumble in his throat, like the growling of a bear. “I do not
have Thayer’s gift of making myself agreeable. He has a honeyed
tongue, which seems to appeal to all the ladies.”

“Honey is, after all, a great deal more palatable than
vinegar,” Caro pointed out.

He now looked utterly nonplussed.

Caro let him stew for a moment longer before huffing an
exasperated sigh. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, give me some credit
for having a brain, Lord Strathcona! Of course I don’t find
Thayer appealing. When honey drips that freely, it ought to
catch naught but flies.”

The growls ceased.

Caro waited for him to speak.

Ever so slowly, Alec shifted his feet, stirring tiny puffs of
pale dust beneath his boots.

The flicker of dark leather caused a momentary spasm of doubt
as she recalled her chilling encounter in the churchyard.

Alec as evil? She couldn’t explain how, but she knew with a
certainty that resonated right down to her very heartbeat that
it couldn’t be true.
“Are you saying you would trust my word over his?”

“Yes, you big lummox! I don’t know why I should, but I prefer
your snaps and growls.”

A dappling of sunlight seemed to catch on the curl of his
lashes, gilding them to a gleaming gold.

“You are forthright, you are honorable in your own maddening
way,” she went on. Oh, no man ought to have such beautiful
eyes.

She found herself staring, and at that moment, all rational
thought seemed to dance away in the breeze. His face was
utterly intriguing—a mix of chiseled planes and well-defined
features that hinted at hidden secrets.

“And… well, you are quite the most interesting man I have ever
met.” Her legs suddenly seemed a little unsteady, so Caro
reached out and caught hold of his lapels.

Looking up, she found his mouth was only inches from hers.

“Oh, bosh—I shall probably regret this…” Standing on tiptoes,
Caro kissed him. Not a mere feathering of flesh against flesh,
but a hard, hungry embrace that she let go on for far, far
longer than any proper young lady should dare.

“There, I have no doubt shocked you.”

The tip of his tongue traced along the swell of his lower lip.

“I imagine you think me a wanton hellion, and I suppose I am.
It must be my eccentric upbringing. I don’t care very much for
rules.”
Caro knew she was babbling but she couldn’t seem to stop. “You
may consign me to the Devil. But at least I shall dance a merry
jig on my way to perdition.”

Was that finally a hint of smile?

She finally dared pause to take a breath. A long, shuddering
breath. Now was the time to flee, before she made an even
bigger fool of herself.
But Alec suddenly shifted again, blocking her way.

“I, too, shall probably regret this,” he said as he slowly
circled his arms around her and pulled her close.

She opened her mouth. To protest?

Before she could make any sense of what she had set in motion,
their lips met again, setting off a fierce jolt of fire.