I lean in toward her and lower my voice. “In case you’re wonderin’, the man who you were moonin’ over used to call his underwear wiener wear when he was a boy.”
I have the satisfaction of watching the female’s eyes widen and Livingston’s mouth dropping open. “How do you know that?” he says.
I wickedly grin. “You are forgettin’ your sister is my closest confidant.”
He arches a single brow, and my grin fades. “By that logic, your closest confidant is my only sister, and I know you captured a tadpole in the pond while you went fishin’ with your brother, named it Milton, and then cried when it died.”
“Milton lived a short but wonderful life,” I defend as I continue to try to grab my bow back.
“Milton also needed water to live,” Livingston points out, continuing to hold the bow above his head.
“I was eight!”
The sound of the door slamming in the distance causes us to look toward his open bedroom door. Slowly, I turn back to him. “I think your darlin’ just left.”
Livingston narrows his eyes. “Are you pleased with yourself? Your antics scared her off.”
Honestly, I do feel a bit better. I’m still upset about Miles’s will and how Livingston reacted, but I don’t have the burning desire to kill him over it. “So, who was she?” I ask.
“Why?”
“She doesn’t appear familiar to me.”
“Because she isn’t from Charleston.” He scowls. “Care to tell me why you’re smilin’ so?”
Shrugging, I lace my fingers behind my back, and try to ignore how unclothed he is. The first few minutes were okay, but I can’t seem to stop taking peeks at him. “I just find it interestin’ that you’ve been intimate with every woman in Charleston and now have to set your sights on the ladies in surroundin’ towns.”
“Clearly, not every woman.” Livingston’s expression cuts right through me. It’s as if he sees a shapeless woman dressed in a burlap bag. To him, I will forever remain his sister’s childhood friend and best friend’s sister.
“I must say, thank you for gettin’ dolled up for me, le savauge.” He waggles his brows as he reaches the tip of the bow around me and taps the ends of my unbound hair hanging down to my waist.
I swat him away, trying my best to shove down the peculiar feelings that rise to the surface when Livingston gets too close. He simply has a way about him that is so very … male. Even half- clothed and bedraggled from the night before, he still looks charming.
He just had a woman in his bed not two minutes ago!
That does the trick. Instantly, I come to my senses and take a step back. For Livingston’s part, he does the same, and much to my relief, he grabs his shirt, sliding his hands through the sleeves. Livingston knows me too well and keeps the bow behind him. He can have it his way for now, but I will leave with what I came with.
“What is it you must speak with me about?” He begins the process of buttoning his shirt.
This almost feels more distracting than having his shirt off. Clothing yourself is an intimate act that should be done in private. Livingston is so at ease with his body and surroundings. I find myself surveying his room as though this is my first time visiting.
“My brother’s will.” I jab a finger in his direction. “Shall I recite to you what it entails?”
Livingston frowns momentarily, and then his eyes widen before he smirks. “It’s comin’ back to me now. You’re my ward, correct?”
The word ward is like nails on a chalkboard, and I grind my teeth. “No. Not quite.”
“Ah, but I think you’re mistaken. I’ve read my fair share of documents. The will was quite clear: you are under my care.”
“I’m not an orphan child left on the streets!” I burst out.
Grinning, Livingston finishes buttoning his shirt. “That all hinges upon your conduct. If you keep on behavin’ this way to me and bargin’ into my home with weapons, I might have to rethink your future.”
Feeling more at ease now that he’s dressed, I advance on him. “Oh, Livingston, we both know that will is ridiculous, and you control nothin’.”
Grabbing my bow, Livingston jabs it in my direction and winks at me. “Ah, but it seems as though your money is.”
“You can barely place both feet into a fresh pair of pants in the mornin’, so why would I believe you could handle sixty thousand dollars?”
“That is harsh, Red Rainey. I don’t dress in the mornin’. I dress in the afternoon.”
With that said, I rub my temples and suppress a groan. I should’ve known there would be no meeting of the minds, but I have to make one last-ditch attempt. “Livingston. Listen to me. Please. This is utterly insane If I’m gonna marry, it shall be for love.”
Livingston’s brow furrow so tightly they almost connect.
“What word do you not understand? Love or marry?”
“Both.” He shudders as though he’s averse to the very idea of love.
“So you’re not an admirer of love?” I rush out. “That means you don’t think I should be forced to marry someone?”
There’s a pause before he patiently replies, “I did not say that.”
I groan in frustration. “I will marry who I decide to marry not because a dowry is danglin’ above my head. It’s positively barbaric!”
“If any man will have you,” Livingston points out. “Are you forgettin’ that your reputation precedes you, le savauge?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I cock my head to the side. “We don’t need to dwell on reputations. Must I remind you of yours? We need to dwell on this absurd will.”
“Agreed.”
My hands slowly drop to my sides as I stare openly at Livingston with shock. “Truly?”
“No.” My upper lip curls up as I lunge for him. Livingston chuckles, places my bow behind his back, and holds me at arm’s length. “Rainey, that’s what you get for almost shootin’ me in the ass.”
As much as I want to pummel Livingston with my fists, it will get me nowhere. I will not win this battle today. I turn to the door, defeated and angry with myself. All I did was encourage Livingston to be an active participant in this will.
Frustrated at my lack of progress, I shake my head. “What possessed my brother to change his will?”
“Why are you askin’ me?”
I cross my arms. “Why do you suppose I am?”
Livingston’s face remains emotionless. “Rainey, are you suggestin’ I wanted to be in charge of your trust?”
I’m so incredibly desperate for answers that I’m willing to consider anything as a possibility. “It’s a substantial sum.”
“Indeed.” He grabs his boots next to his bed. “But it comes at a price. Dealin’ with you.” Sitting down in the chair in the corner, he begins to put his boots on. He keeps a grip on the bow, but it’s not firm enough. While his head is bent, I make my move and snatch the bow out of his grasp. As he jumps from the chair toward me, I toss the bow to my other hand. Livingston stops within an inch of me, our noses nearly touching. I lift both brows and tsk slowly. “Look what I have.”