Page 145 of The Rogue's Last Scandal
Later, after a discussion of their new estate in the north, and a long visit by Perry, who claimed insomnia, they were able to get away. Tucked in the high bed with Gracie beside him, Charley drifted into sleep.
“Charley.” Gracie’s breath tickled his ear.
“Mmm. Best sleep. Reina will be up soon.”
“I’ve been thinking.”
He didn’t have to fake a groan.
“This is important. I have an idea.”
He rolled to face her and flopped his arm over her.
She giggled. “Can you tell me, is your father quite well?”
“When he wants to be. When he needs to be ill, he is.”
“He looked very gray tonight.” She swept her thumb over his cheek, and he felt it all the way to his loins.
Sighing, she looked away, and he dived in to nip at her neck, just like one of Francisca’stlahuelpuchis. She giggled, tasting like good soap and rosewater.
“He was thinking about Mother’s death,” he murmured into the dip above her collar bone.
She wriggled against him. “Oh. That tickles. Yes, well, I’ve decided we should not leave yet. You should not leave him. Not yet.” She pushed away to look at him. “What years he has left, you must treasure them. And then we shall go later.”
“And if later comes a very long time later?”
“That will be a good thing, won’t it? He has had a rough patch tracking down spies and killers. Perhaps he will settle quite happily into a retirement. When my father returns, he won’t stay long, and perhaps once the Spanish and the pirates are defeated, he can return to a more regular sort of shipping.”
“Will that be after you return the book and the dagger to him?”
She blinked and studied him for a long moment.
“Do you have any more secrets you haven’t shared with me, my love?”
She looked up at the canopy, blinking furiously.
“I promised Papa.” She took a deep breath. “The Duque…he is still very dangerous.”
“Look at me, Gracie.” He touched her cheek and turned her toward him. “I love you, and I will protect you. Trust me when I say that my father is not done with the Duque.” He kissed her nose. “And your secret is safe with me.”
“Is it safe with your father?”
He fell back to the pillow laughing. “Yes. Most definitely.”
“Well, then, when my Papa returns to his ordinary trade, we can sail with him and I can show you that world. For now, we will stay here and you will spend time with your father. Is that not a good plan? What do you think?”
“I think it is marvelous.” He touched his lips to hers. “And I think since you have woken me to share plans,” he rolled her onto her back, “I have an excellent idea.”
Her eyelids fluttered and a smile touched her lips. “You’ve had this idea once already tonight.”
He covered her with his body and breathed into her ear. “Am I not a genius?”
He stopped her laughter with a kiss.
