“What did you expect?” she asked, her breath coming a little shallow.
His eyes grew stormy again, but rather than frighten her, it excited her. “I expected you to be unable to understand me. That your fear would be too much to cope with. But a bit of fear arouses you, doesn’t it?”
Shame flooded her face with heat. He was right. She had never been in a position before where she’d been truly afraid like she had been last night. It was as though she was waking from a very dull dream, and she was starting to understand who she truly was.
“Lord Morrey . . . ,” she began, but she failed to say much more.
His eyes focused on her lips, and his gaze stoked the growing fire within her.
“I must be a gentleman,” he said to himself. “At least until we are married.”He gave her waist a small squeeze. “And then, if you wish it, I can teach you all the things I know about pleasure, about the wildness of it, the rough excitement, the games of cat and mouse we might play. I can give you what your eyes tell me you need. Do you understand?”
She could only stare at him blankly. His words didn’t fully sink in.
“You don’t understand, not yet, but I’ll teach you, my wild one.” Morrey leaned down that last breathless inch, his warm breath fanning over her face. She could see each of his long dark lashes, and she desperately wished he would seize her for a kiss.
He cupped the back of her head, his fingers twisting in the strands, and her knees buckled at his easy control of her body. She felt helpless, yet she craved it with a hunger she’d never experienced before. Morrey’s heavy-lidded eyes gazed down her body. He made her feel excited and erratic,like a summer storm. How was it possible to want him and yet fear that same wanting?
“Your brother will be waiting for me, wondering where I am, what I’m doing—or more importantly, what I’m wanting to do.” His lips barely caressed hers as he spoke, not quite a kiss.
Strangely emboldened by all that he’d said, she breathed in the scent of this beautiful man and tilted her head back. “Then let him wonder.” She hoped he would give her a kiss that satisfied all the teasing he’d done in the last few moments.
He shook his head, his lips brushing over hers again, enough to taunt her, but not satisfy, then stepped back. A breath of cool air swamped her heated body, and she leaned back against the bookcase to regain some of her balance. Morrey leveled her with a dark, intense look. Then, without another word, he left.
Suddenly, she could breathe again. She leaned heavily against the bookshelf, trying to make sense of all that had happened in the last few minutes. Of three things, she was sure:
Lord Morrey was a dangerous man.
He frightened her.
And she desired him.
Adam carefully read over the marriage agreement while he tried to ignore James’s gaze upon him. He finally lifted his eyes to James and arched a brow. “Done.”
“You took your time,” James replied. He was doing his best not to look worried.
“I met with Letty in the library after you left. I had a word with her before coming to you.” There, he’d let James worry about what that meant.
James crossed his arms over his chest. His frown deepened.“Did you?”
Picking up the pen nearest him, Adam scrawled his name in the appropriate spot on the marriage settlement, then passed the paper to James, who signed beneath him.
“So,it is done.” James blotted the paper, then folded it up. “I will have my solicitor prepare a copy for your records. Then I’ll have my banker begin the transfer of funds, to give to Letty at your discretion.”
“Thank you. Now, if you have no need of me, I shall leave for Chilgrave so I may have time to prepare for the wedding tomorrow.”
“That suits me. I will have Gillian help Letty pack her trousseau. We shall arrive at Chilgrave this evening, if that suits you.”
“It does.” Adam shook James’s hand, then paused in the doorway. “Since I’ve already had a brief discussion with Lady Leticia, I will not need to speak to her again until this evening.”
“All right.” James stood and followed him to the door. “Safe travels.”
Adam collected his coat and hat before heading to the waiting coach. Once inside, he let out the breath he’d been holding, and he couldn’t resist replaying that moment in the library with his future bride.
He had suspected someonewas listening to him and James. He wasn’t sure who he had expected. He had certainly not expected to tug sweet, innocent Letty into his arms a second time. He also hadn’t expected her reaction to the encounter.
Lord, the fire burning in those lovely brown eyes had driven him half-mad with lust. She had no understanding of her reaction—that was painfully clear. But he could teach her. She was a woman who would enjoy excitement in the bedchamber. She would enjoy playing games and would embrace lovemaking.
He realized now that he was a damned lucky man. But he also knew that he would have to be careful with her. A woman as innocent as Letty could easily become frightened and confused by her own passions.
The coach took him to his townhouse first, where he and Caroline discussed his plans at length. After the wedding, Caroline could return to London if she wished; indeed, he nearly insisted on it, because the farther away she was from Letty the safer she would be. This way, he would only have to worry about protecting one woman.
“Adam, you know I can take care of myself, and it is my duty to protect my future sister-in-law. I adore her, and this must be so frightening for her. Having another woman to confide in would help her.” Caroline had stiffened her spine and raised her shoulders. Yes, he wouldn’t win this argument at all.
“Very well, you may stay and guard my new little wife, Caro.”
His sister’s usually solemn face turned impish. “I am so excited, Adam. Truly, she is so sweet and clever. Your babies will be beautiful.”
Caroline had a fondness for children, and for a moment, Adam was lost in a daydream of what those children would look like, andhow completely devoted he would be to them. It was something he had not thought of since John had been murdered.
But perhaps it would be possible. If he could keep Letty safe and protect her, they could have such a future. All that stood in his way was finding and removing the threat against her. He needed to formulate a plan with Avery Russell.
Russell was one of the few spies in England who knew the larger picture when it came to spycraft. Most had only bits and pieces of information,in order to keep their mission as a whole safe. If he had to guess the nature of the French threat, he would wager that the Bonapartist struggles were at the heart of this.
It was a bloody relief that Napoleon Bonaparte had died, but his supporters still gave the French royals plenty of problems. Normally, England was glad to have France preoccupied with its own problems, but Napoleon’s overthrow of the monarchy had ruffled the feathers of every decent Englishman.
Rebellions, uprisings, the killing of kings—England had done it beforeand had no wish to do it again. A country undergoing rebellion was a country exposed, a country that could be easy prey for others. Whether it was France, Spain, or any of the other power-hungry nations of Europe, all would happily prey upon the British Isles if they sensed weakness.