Page 46 of His Wicked Secret
“No, I don’t. Please…” She gripped his waist and pulled him back down. Their mouths met, more gently but no less urgently. He took his time, letting her tongue play against his. He wasn’t sure how long they kissed before he finally raised his head.
“You kiss like a dream,” she said.
“As do you,” he replied.
She stroked a fingertip along his jaw. “Thank you for bringing the doctor.”
He shifted his body so that they lay cuddled up, limbs entwined. “I’d do anything for you.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Would you?”
“Yes.”If only you really knew how I felt.
“I want to believe you.” She sighed, her hand dropping from his face. He nuzzled her cheek, holding her close.
“Audrey…” Jonathan breathed her name, but when she didn’t respond, he glanced at her face. Her lashes had fallen upon her cheeks, and her body grew languid in his arms.
She’d fallen asleep. Of all the gods on Mount Olympus, which one had he angered to allowthisto happen?
He stared down at her, asleep and smiling faintly like a contented kitten. She must’ve been exhausted after the events of the day. Her sister’s frightening labor, their quarrel, and her fighting lessons had all taken a toll on her.
He let go of her, sitting her gently on the bed. She stirred a little and reached out to him.
“Don’t leave me tonight,” she pleaded.
Jonathan cupped her face with one hand and brushed a thumb over her cheek. “I have no intention of doing so. Do you want me to call for a maid?”
“No.” She pouted and struggled a little, trying to offer her back to him. “You may undress me.” Her sleepy tone was still as imperious as a princess’s, but he couldn’t resist grinning.
“As you wish.” He gently unbuttoned her gown and slid it off her. Then he unfastened her stays and helped her out of her slippers and stockings. The rogue in him wanted to enjoy every moment of this, but he did it quickly. If he took his time, he might get carried away.
When he was down to her chemise, she slipped back under the sheets and fell asleep almost instantly. Her trust in him at that moment stunned him. He was going to stay, though not only because of their agreement, or because he had vowed to be her shadow. It was more than that. His brother, Godric, would have a good laugh if he ever learned just how hopelessly smitten he was with Audrey.
He made sure to lock the door. The last thing he needed was for them to be unexpectedly discovered together. Audrey’s marriage to him had to be by her choosing, not forced by scandal.
He removed his clothes except for his smallclothes before he climbed into bed beside her. She rolled into him as the mattress dipped, and he cradled her against his body. Her hair was still bound, and he carefully extracted the pins and set them aside. Her dark brown hair was like silk on his chest, and she snuggled closer.
This… This was what he would give anything to have. A lifetime of nights with her, just like this. And still he feared that it wasn’t possible. She might not want to give up the life she knew to marry down. And if she refused him, it would break his heart.
* * *
Avery Russell stoodin the hall of a townhouse in Mayfair, his hands twitching nervously. He’d received a coded letter with instructions to report to Sir Hugo Waverly, the man he now answered to as a spy for king and country.
Avery hadn’t always been a spy. He began working at the Home Office in 1816, a young man fresh out of Cambridge, but it hadn’t taken long for his talents to surface and his path to become clear.
“Sir?” The butler approached him. “The master will see you now. Please, follow me.”
Avery handed his hat to a footman and followed the butler up the stairs. He was directed to a large study. His brows rose, taking in the yellow wallpaper and rococo plasterwork on the ceiling. A tall crystal chandelier hung above a Rosewood desk, creating an even more elaborate and elegant appearance to the room.
Hugo sat at his desk and glanced up when Avery entered. “Have a seat, Russell.”
Avery took the offered seat, his well-trained eyes noting Waverly’s clean-cut appearance. The man’s dark hair and eyes often made him seem threatening in the darker meeting places where Avery had met him, but with the early-morning sunlight coming through the window, the man merely appeared to be an ordinary nobleman, handsome enough to fit in well with thebeau monde,but not so handsome as to leave an impression upon many people. The perfect look for a spy. Avery wished he looked more like Waverly, but with his somewhat red-gold hair and hazel-green eyes, he was quite unforgettable. There had been a number of times he’d had to color his hair or wear wigs to go undetected.
Waverly set a stack of letters aside a folded his hands, studying Avery. “Glad you got my letter.”
“I’m at your service. You mentioned a mission, sir?”
“Yes.” Waverly continued to watch him. “You started your career at the Home Office, did you not?”
