“What do you have to offer in exchange, my lady?”

She bit her lip, and Damien felt his gaze drawn to her lush mouth. It required a herculean effort to harden his heart against her pleadings. Lady Wyndham was a celebrated beauty, and he had always been partial to beautiful women. Those dark eyes of hers were luminous enough to drown in, while her hair was a lustrous sherry color, shimmering with the gold and russets of autumn.

But she was calculating enough to have wed for title and property, and during her marriage she had run with a wild set. She could be cut from the same cloth as her wastrel brother and her late husband. Sir Roger was known to have squandered his inheritance while blazing a trail of scandal and debauchery, before meeting an untimely end. If rumor could be believed, his friends had been more than eager to console his grieving widow. Vanessa Wyndham did not seem as superficial and fatuous as other ladies of the ton, Damien admitted, yet she could be playing a role for his benefit.

While her striking eyes were wary, there was awareness in her gaze, a sexual awareness that told him clearly she felt the attraction between them.

“I fear I have little to offer you. My husband’s death left me in rather straitened circumstances,” she acknowledged quietly. “Our home was so heavily mortgaged that there was nothing left when it went to pay his debts.”

“You had best seek a rich husband then.”

He saw her grimace of distaste. “Even were I inclined to wed again-which I am not-there isn’t time for me to find a husband.”

“You do have a dilemma, it seems. But a beautiful woman like yourself can always take a lover. Or perhaps you already have one?” His tone was leading, curious.

Vanessa set her teeth. “I have no lover, Lord Sinclair.”

“Yet you are not above using your feminine charms to gain your ends. I expect the revealing gown you wore last evening was for my benefit?”

Vanessa flushed, but she held fast to her temper.

His gray eyes raked her from head to toe. “It should not be difficult for you to find yourself a protector. You have abundant charms with which to bargain. Use that lovely body of yours to advantage.”

“I am not a lightskirt, my lord.” She said it through clenched teeth, so fiercely that he had to believe her sincere.

Her indignation gave Damien pause. He was accustomed to women throwing themselves at his feet. To her credit, the lovely Vanessa had not tried to ply him with tears or devious tales. She wasn’t attempting to wheedle a favor from him. She was simply pleading honestly with him to let them keep their home.

He had to confess he admired her forthrightness, as well as her courage. He even admired her determined defense of her brother, however misguided it might be.

But it was unwise to allow himself to soften toward her. Vanessa Wyndham was clever, with spirit enough to be intriguing, and beautiful enough even for a man with his jaded, discriminating tastes. Under ordinary circumstances, he might enjoy pitting wits with her, perhaps even engaging in a game of seduction. But these were far from ordinary circumstances. Her brother had shattered his innocent sister’s life and would have to pay.

“Have you never done anything that you regret?” she was saying. “Aubrey was raised with no concept of responsibility. Our father was a poor role model for him.”

“An edifying tale.”

“My lord, my brother is merely a boy.”

His gray eyes hardened. “And my sister is merely a girl, whose life Rutherford callously ruined.”

“I am not excusing his behavior,” Vanessa managed more civilly. “But I should think you would wish to devote your energies to aiding your sister rather than seeking vengeance.”

“I have been devoting my energies toward that end.”

“Indeed? Did you not leave her alone in the country while you returned to London to your life of leisure?”

It was Damien’s turn to set his jaw. “I fail to see how it concerns you, Lady Wyndham, but I am in town to seek a companion for her, if you must know. My chief reason for coming was to investigate employment agencies and interview prospective candidates.”

And to visit your tailor. It was all Vanessa could do to hide her disdain. The mighty baron evidently didn’t wish to be bothered with his invalid sister, not if he planned to shirk his responsibility and palm the girl off on an employee. “Is that not rather coldhearted, to fob her off on a stranger?”

“Is it not rather unwise to antagonize me, Lady Wyndham?” he replied in a silken voice edged with steel.

Vanessa hesitated as she surveyed the storm gathering in his eyes. She had angered him, which was indeed foolish. Lord Sinclair was a dangerous man because of his implacable will. When he moved toward her slowly, it was all she could do to stand her ground. She was too aware of his body, the size and strength of it, of his raw masculinity.

He stopped before her, gazing at her hard. The heat and intensity in his eyes were unnerving. Then his tone dropped to a low murmur. “You are here alone, in a notorious rake’s bedchamber. I could have my wicked way with you, and no one would gainsay me.”

It was a threat, but somehow he made it sound like a sensual promise. Even more unnerving was the way his scrutiny shifted to her bosom. She could feel his gaze like a tangible caress, could feel her breasts tighten as if he had actually touched her.

She stood frozen when his hand rose to her throat. Her breath caught as his elegant finger trailed a featherlight path downward to the vulnerable hollow. “Do I fluster you, Lady Wyndham?” he taunted softly.

“No… of course not.”

“So why is your breathing so shallow, your lovely skin so delicately flushed?”

It was true she was suddenly breathless and overly warm. But if he thought to intimidate her, he would learn that he had met his match.

Vanessa lifted her chin defiantly, returning his gaze. “I had hoped to appeal to your better nature, my lord, but I see you haven’t one.”

Lord Sin smiled coolly. “My nature is quite charming under most circumstances.”

“I have seen little evidence of it.”

“But then you scarcely know me.”

For a moment he stood looking down at her. But then he shook his head, as if recalling where he was. “As much as I enjoy sparring with you, I have an appointment to keep.”

Vanessa gave a sigh of frustration. He was right. This was getting nowhere. With a heavy heart, she made one last attempt at persuading him.

“You asked, my lord, what I could offer you in exchange for returning my brother’s estates. Well, I am willing to offer my services-”

Ah, he thought, irrationally disappointed in her. Now we come to the point of negotiations. “You begin to interest me vastly.”

“-as companion to your sister,” Vanessa continued.

He frowned at her. “Companion?”

“You said you were seeking one for Miss Sinclair.”

“Give me a single reason why I should entrust my sister’s welfare to you.”

“Because I could be of help to her. By all reports, she is faring poorly. I understand she cannot leave her bed and has become a recluse.”

“Your point?”

“Dealing with ladies in poor health is not a new circumstance for me. My mother is a semi-invalid and often confined to her bed, so I have some experience. And I could lend your sister the consequence of rank. I still retain my husband’s title, and I am the daughter of a viscount. No governess-companion could offer as much.”

Damien studied her, trying to judge if this was a ploy. She seemed entirely sincere, yet he wondered how far she would go to sacrifice for her family. He nodded slowly, deciding to test her resolve.

“You have courage, I’ll give you that. But I wonder to what lengths you are prepared to go.”

“I will do whatever I must to spare my family.”

“Is that so?” He smiled thinly. “Well, you are in luck, sweeting. You find me in an indulgent mood. But I have in mind a more intimate arrangement than the one you envision. I shall make a bargain with you. I will offer you the position of companion-but not to my sister. To me.”

“I… don’t understand.”

“Then I shall put it more plainly. I will cancel your brother’s debt if you become my mistress.” From her shocked look, she was clearly taken aback. “It would not be forever. Merely till we tire of each other. Say… for the summer?”

She stared at him. “I cannot believe a man of your reputation would lack for paramours.”

He gave a casual shrug. “You find me between paramours at the moment. The position is yours, if you want it.”

What she wanted was to slap his face for his insulting proposal. He could not be serious… could he? “You are offensive, sir.”

He simply looked at her and smiled a slow, cynical smile. “Come now, sweeting. Your pretense of outrage is a bit overplayed. You’re a woman of the world. You can’t profess to be shocked.”

He closed the distance between them and raised his hand to her breast. When he brushed the nipple with the back of his knuckles, she felt the sensual impact clear through the fabric of her pelisse and gown. The boldness of the gesture alarmed her as much as the fiery sensation it engendered.

Drawing a sharp breath, Vanessa took a step backward to a safer distance.

Graciously Lord Sin smiled in triumph, the slight curve of his lips radiating male charm. She could well understand why his conquests were legion. He had captivated countless women with that wicked, sensual smile.

“So you decline my offer?” he murmured, obviously presuming he had won.