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“You’ve gone mad,” she answered looking up at him. Or, the other possibility was that he was brilliant as he once again completely caught her off guard.
Will shook his head. “We could discuss your father’s wishes in the library but then how will you search my room for your mother’s jewels?”
She stopped again, disbelief making her feet heavy and dull. How could he possibly have known what she’d been searching for last night? “What is happening?”
He started her moving once again. “Meet me after the noon meal.”
Shaking off her confusion, she looked over at him as he pulled her around a hedge of roses. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s dangerous enough under the cover of darkness. Besides, if you had anything valuable, you would have hidden it before you issued this invitation.”
“Clever girl,” he whispered close to her ear. “Do you like chess?”
“Of course I do.” She stamped her foot. “But I can not come to your room.”
“I have something you’ll want to see.” He crooned in a lilt that was almost a song.
Curse him, but she was tempted. She did want to search his room, and the promise in his voice made her tingle with anticipation. She liked being alone with him. But he was completely and thoroughly ruining her plan to watch from afar. He always had the upper hand. “Fine,” she whispered back “But you are to promise to keep your lips to yourself.”
He chuckled, low and deep, and it sent shivers racing all along her skin. “I swear it. But I’d like you to know, you are the first woman to ever make me promise such a thing.”
“Pish,” she replied back, though she believed him. It was taking all of her energy to resist him. It left so little ability to remember her actual goals. “You’re are not nearly as irresistible as you think.”
His lips, which had been close to her ear, placed a soft kiss on the sensitive flesh of her neck. She caught her breath. “Is that a challenge?”
She brought her hands up to his chest, intent on pushing him away. When there was distance between them, she could make rational decisions, but with him this close, her mind simply refused to work. Instead of creating distance, she found her palms exploring the hard ridges of muscles underneath them. “It isn’t,” she said in a breathy voice that she barely recognized. He started kissing a trail down her neck. Tingling spread through her body and seemed to center at the apex of her legs. “Why can’t you leave me be?”
His lips stilled for a moment. “That is no fun at all.” Then he skimmed them back up her neck. She nearly moaned aloud. “And in my defense, it was you who picked the lock in my room. But this afternoon, I will do my duty as a gentleman.”
She stilled, sure it was unwise to trust him. But footsteps on the gravel path interrupted the moment, and Will’s head snapped up. “Who?” She blinked, trying to clear the haze.
“Your father,” he whispered before he stepped back.
Disappointment made her ache as he tucked her hand into his elbow and started them down the path again. She’d told him to leave her alone so why did she want his touch again?
As they began walking, he leaned down and whispered again. “After lunch.”
It was a terrible idea. She shouldn’t go, but as his hip brushed hers, she knew that she would. He was too tempting by half and she couldn’t stay away.
Will waited just outside the door of his room, pretending to fumble to find the key. A ploy he’d perfected over the years. He heard the muted footsteps of slippers and without looking up, spotted Rose in his peripheral vision.
His heart thrummed faster. It was strange. As a spy, he’d never considered marriage. He was in too much danger, he was always moving about, and he pretended to be destitute often. The whole of the ton currently believed him penniless. Not easy to do and, if undone, he’d ruin his cover. But pretending to be destitute was not suited to matrimony.
When Prinny had told him he ought to lay low for a while, even consider retirement, he’d dismissed it. Sure, he could allow the entire scandal to pass. And, after a fashion, return to spying, his tarnished reputation only adding to his cover story as a man willing to participate in less-than-noble pursuits.
And though it might be nice join the ranks of his peers as an equal, rather than always appearing the fool, he’d wondered what he might actually do when he was no longer committing espionage. As he looked up to see Rose walking toward him, a few ideas of how he might fill his time came to mind.
Of course, they all involved Rose wearing very little clothing, or none at all, but still. It was progress. And a man didn’t dally with a woman like her without considering marriage and a future. It was a far different life than he had previously seen for himself, but the idea sounded…desirable.
The blue ribbon about her waist accentuated its tininess; he wondered if he could wrap his hands around it. He thought he might and that made him regret his promise not to kiss her. Because not only did he want to test her waist but he longed to run his hand down the flare of her hip. He’d bet her derriere was delightfully soft and supple.
He nearly groaned aloud, trying to remember when a woman had dominated his thoughts so completely. It wasn’t just those luscious curves. It was her tenacity and intelligence.
She reached his side, and he silently opened the door, pulling her in and closing it behind him. “This was a terrible idea,” she said softly as she stood close him. Which she had to do. He was still holding her arm even though he’d already closed the door.
“I disagree,” he rumbled. “We’re going to learn a lot today.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Am I going to learn that you are a man who keeps his promises?”
Her fiery spirit set him ablaze but he released her arm and she took a few steps back. “Search away, my lady.” He had promised to behave like a gentleman while she searched his room. He already knew what she would find.
