Chapter 41

Austin's gaze hardened, his voice edged with frustration."You were grinning far too sweetly at a man who's nothing but a scoundrel."

Brinley finally caught on to what stoked his fury. She lifted her chin, her tone calm but earnest. "That was nothing more than courtesy. Picking a fight in public would have only made things worse."

His brow arched, and the air between them seemed to tighten as he answered, clipped and commanding,"Men like him aren't worth your breath. He should be driven out of Bleron altogether."

The cold authority in his profile sent a shiver skating down her spine.

This was the true Austin-the man who could decide a person's fate with a single sentence.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she replied, <