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1
London, two years later
“Iunderstand you won me in a game of cards.”
Leo looked up at the beautiful young woman standing outside his office, unsurprised to see her. She slammed the door behind her, hard enough to make the small painting on his wall tremble. Lady Masterson appeared as if she were about to launch herself at him. Even her fists were clenched.
Georgina had a temper. Leo had witnessed it a time or two. Lord Browden could also attest to her ability to throw a punch. To be fair to Georgina, Browden had tried to grope her in one of Elysium’s many hallways. A mistake on Browden’s part in more ways than one. The earl had since been informed that Lady Masterson was under the protection of the owner of Elysium and Lord Welles. If he meant to keep his membership, Browden should give her wide berth.
“I absolutely did not,” Leo replied, returning to the papers on his desk. “I’m very busy, my lady. If you’ll show yourself out.” He discreetly slid the letter opener on his desk beneath one of his ledgers. Just in case.
It wasn’t an unusual occurrence for Leo to have someone in his office accusing him of all sorts of disreputable things. Such was the life of a gambling hell owner. He’d already had to explain to Lord Nivens tonight that the cards at the piquet table weren’t marked, he was only a terrible player. Yesterday, it had been Lord Halifax who’d wagered, stupidly, that his grandfather, a duke, wouldn’t see another winter and now wanted the wager erased from the Red Book in which it was recorded. Earlier, Lady Lowell had appeared to announce that someone had told her husband she was using one of the rooms on the second floor to service her lover.
Leo had been the lover in question.Had.He thought the lady more upset he’d lost interest in her so quickly. But very few women held Leo’s attention for very long.
Except for the one before him.
She’d had his attention and that of his cock every day since he’d met her.
Georgina came further into his office in a whirl of wool cloak and feminine fury. “I’m rather disappointed in you, Mr. Murphy.”
Wasn’t everyone?“I own a gambling hell, my lady. Disappointment bleeds into the walls.”
“Your sarcasm is unnecessary at the moment.” She blew a puff of air at a golden curl that had fallen against her cheek. “I’m not overly fond of it to begin with.”
That bloody curl. He longed to wrap the tendril around his finger. Tug on it. When he’d taught Georgina how to play whist, he’d found his attention on the curl and not the game. She’d managed to nearly win their final hand.
“You’ve never mentioned your dislike of my wit before.” He pushed the letter opener further beneath the ledger. Best not to tempt fate, not with Georgina. Though he’d been doing so for some time. Leo would resolve to stay away from her and then find himself with his nose nearly nuzzling against the side of her neck.
This has to stop.
She looked up at the ceiling as if hoping for divine intervention. “You are so flippant. I’ve always found it annoying.”
“Again, I’ve known you almost two years, yet you’ve never mentioned these deficits in my personality.” A long, agonizing two years in which Leo had never once touched her, constantly reminding himself of all the reasons why he should not. He’d thought his obsession with her would fade with time, but now it had only grown worse. After careful consideration, Leo had decided he’d been going about Georgina completely the wrong way.
“You’ve a marker with my name on it, Murphy. I dare you to deny it. I can’t believe you haven’t returned it to me.”
Blood rushed between his legs, his cock thickening as he took in the hints of her generous form, well-hidden beneath the cloak. Thankfully, he was seated, the evidence of his arousal safely hidden. As was the letter opener.
“A marker.” He pretended to ponder her statement. Had he been a better man, hewouldhave returned it.
She moved closer, bringing with her the scent of those damned wildflowers that seemed to hover only around her. Not roses or violets. Nothing so sedate. But a much wilder bloom.
“No answer? Is it my accent, Mr. Murphy? Perhaps you can’t make out the words.”
Certainly that had been the ploy used on Georgina during a gathering held at Lady Talbot’s the previous year. Lady Talbot, snobbish and dismayed to be hosting a woman she felt was beneath her, had declared to hear a goose honking on the lawn each time Georgina spoke. Tony had been in attendance and had told Leo all about it.
Lady Talbot had since been denied entry to Elysium.
“I understand you perfectly well, Lady Masterson.” Leo, unlike nearly everyone else in London, craved the sound of Georgina’s flat American accent. Cravedher. When Tony had noticed Leo’s fascination with Georgina, Tony had warned him away from her.
“Why?” Leo had snarled. “So you can have her?”
“No.” Tony had been taken aback. “Because she reminds me of Phaedra. Impetuous but easily wounded.”
Well, Georgina most definitelydid notremind Leo of his youngest sister. He wanted her.Terribly. If he had just bedded her that first night or on any of the dozens of nights that had followed over the last two years, Georgina would be out of his system. Abstaining, in this case, had not helped matters.
She angled her chin. Mutinous. Stubbornly defiant. Shooting daggers from her dark eyes.
