Page 16 of Her Wicked Longing
“Oh… Miss Sheridan,” Jonathan’s voice was as smooth and rich as honey toherears.
Damnation!She’d hoped to escape before hearrived.
“Mr. St. Laurent.” She recovered quickly and stepped back, allowing him to enter. When he was out of the bright light and she was able to see him better, she saw he wore buckskin trousers that clung to his lean, muscled legs and a maroon waistcoat that made his sandy brown hair gleam. His green eyes always glinted devilishly, as though he knew secrets she’d give anythingtoknow.
“Pardon me, I was justaboutto—”
“Flee?” he suggested, one dark gold browraised.
Was he accusing her of running away? She inwardly cursed. He was right, shewasfleeing him, but she didn’t like to think he was able to read her soeasily.
“I was not fleeing,” she replied archly. “I have things to do and cannot have tea with everyone.” She started to walk around him to leave, but he caught her arm, holding hercaptive.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked, his voice still soft and husky, a tone more suited to a lover’s whisper in the bedchamber. The air between them was thick with unspoken words and a tension that sent shivers through her as that forbidden desire rose upwithinher.
She glanced down at herself, thenaround. “No…”
He rolled his eyes. “A chaperone. You need one. Where’s Gillian?” His hold on her arm tightened and her body hummed with hungers she’d vowed to ignore no matter how badly she wanted to indulge them. Anger flared inside her at his words. Yet again, he was chastising her like a child while he made her feel wildandhot…
She narrowed her eyes at him. “A chaperone? I most certainly donotneed one, and Gillian is running errands for me. Now good day.” She tugged her arm free and stalked in rather unladylike fashion down the steps to the street, and waited for her hired hackney to comecollecther.
Bloody rogue!I shouldn’t have to be watched everyinstant.
She did not look back, not once, even when the hired cab stopped in front of her and she told the driver her destination as she climbedinside.
Foolish,odiousman!
Audrey stared out the window and tried to focus on the lessons she was about to have. Her tutor was Evangeline Mirabeau, the former mistress of Jonathan’s half- brother, Godric. That information had been surprisingly easy to obtain; the mistress of a duke tended to have a reputation, after all. What Audrey had been most interested in was not Evangeline’s relationship with Godric, but rather how she’d come to England and made a life forherself.
Most ladies would be scandalized even speaking a courtesan’s name, but Audrey was not most ladies. Evangeline was French, and she knew much about the trouble on the Continent. She had been forced to flee when her aristocratic family had been killed. She’d fought her way to England, only to become a courtesan in order to survive. Rather than judge her, Audrey respected her for herstrength.
As the coach stopped in front of the Midnight Garden, Audrey shivered. She’d never been inside a house of ill repute before, but this was the best place to meet Evangeline. The patrons of the Garden would keep her identity a secret, just as she would keep their names private, since none would admit to being present. One might call it mutually-assureddiscretion.
The driver stopped at the entrance to the mews just between the Midnight Garden and the next townhouse. She exited the coach and paid the man to return in two hours. Audrey squared her shoulders and rushed down the narrow mews to a door which was opened by a man after just one knock. The servant was a handsome man with a ready smile that made Audrey’s heart skip. She had been warned before by Evangeline about the servants of the Garden and how seductive theycouldbe.
“Welcome, my lady,” the man purred. “Have you chosen your pleasure for this afternoon, or may I offer my services?” The man gestured for her to follow him into a sitting room down the hall. Everything in the room they entered was red. She blushed as she remembered that her sister had once sneaked in here to meet with Lucien. That particular rogue adored the color red. Was this where he had found his love of thecolor?
“I have an appointment with Miss Mirabeau.” Audrey’s body reacted as the man leaned down to where she sat on the couch and caressed the back of his knuckles over hercheek.
“A female? I am most disappointed. It has been ages since I’ve tasted a young, pretty peachlikeyou.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while longer.” A dark growl came from the doorway behind the handsomeservant.
Audrey gasped as she moved to the side, leaning past the man to see who had spoken. It was just as shefeared.
She had beenfollowed.
Chapter2
Jonathan St. Laurentwalked up the steps to the Sheridan townhouse, his heart racing.Shewas inside. The little sprite who had fueled too many fantasies of late. Her dark-brown eyes gazing into his, the deep rich coils of her russet-brown locks spread out over a pillow, her lips parted as she gasped and moaned his name. She was a woman full of passion—and she scared the bloody hell out of him. She was the only woman he’d ever met who seemed to know exactly who she was and what she wanted out of life. She’d never want a man like him, not really. Her interest in him was no more than a gametoher.
And I’m the fool who wants to marry her, if she’llhaveme.
He paused at the closed door, hesitating. Sweat gathered in his palms as he fought off a rush of nerves. He tugged on his riding gloves, trying to prepare himself to enter. Jonathan paused as he stared hard at the iron lion’s headknocker.
Last Christmas he had made a mess of things, but to be fair, she’d caught him off guard. Lucien had been fighting with Horatia, and he’d encouraged Jonathan to take a firm hold of Audrey and take her up toherroom.
It hadn’t gone wellatall.
