The Secrets of a Lady

his indiscretion. His relationship with the other man was already strained of late. Of course, that didn’t stop Griffin from asking Audrey to come to his bed. Somehow his desire to have her with him was stronger than his need to protect his lifelong friendship with her brother.

Refusing to ponder that troubling thought further, he smiled. “It’s difficult to keep secrets amongst spies.”

“Or friends,” she corrected as she released his arm.

“Then when will you come to me again? Tomorrow?”

He couldn’t believe he was practically begging her to come to his bed, but didn’t stop. He needed her, now more than ever. Just one taste wasn’t enough to satisfy him. He wanted more.

Her face darkened a shade and Griffin felt as if she had erected a wall between them. Why? Why would she shut him out now?

She turned away. “Tomorrow evening Wellington will be presented to Queen Charlotte. We’ll all be at the ball until late.”

“Then come to my room after everyone has retired for the evening.” He took a step closer in the hopes she’d open herself to him again. “Please, Audrey.” Her eyes lifted to his face at the plea, softening in the dim light of the fire. He could see how much she wanted to acquiesce, but something stopped her.

Her eyes met his in an intense stare. “Perhaps you won’t want me tomorrow. So much can change within a few hours.”

“What can change?” he asked, confused and a little hurt at her resistance. “The way you feel for me? Will you no longer want me tomorrow?” She drew back as if the thought were a completely foreign one. “Griffin, I’ve wanted you for more than five years. For a lifetime, it seems. One more night will change nothing about how I feel for you. But circumstances…” “If how I feel won’t change and how you feel won’t change, everything else is inconsequential,” he interrupted, reaching out to run his fingertip along her cheekbone.

She shut her eyes and shivered, but she didn’t answer. As the moments ticked by on the clock on the mantle, Griffin wondered if she would answer.

“Yes,” she finally breathed. “If you still want me after the celebration tomorrow, I will come to you.” Leaning down, he felt his own hot breath reflected back from her smooth lips. “Good.”

She lifted her mouth to meet his kiss with no hesitation. As his lips claimed hers, he felt none of the desperation that had been present in the carriage. There he’d believed if he didn’t have her, he might never get another chance. Now he knew she would be his again. So he took his time exploring her lips. When she sighed and drooped against him in surrender, he pulled away. With a promise for tomorrow made, he didn’t want to risk pushing her too far tonight.

“Until tomorrow,” he whispered.

She blinked twice, then gave a shaky nod before leaving the room. He was pleased to note her step was much more unsteady than it had been when she entered.

“Tomorrow,” he repeated, this time with a smile he couldn’t suppress.

Chapter Fourteen

“What do you have there?” Noah asked as he stepped into the sitting room.

Raising his head a fraction, Griffin gave his friend a quick glance then returned to the letter in his hand. The handwriting was the small, soft swirl of his mother and the paper smelled faintly of her cologne water.

“It’s from my mother, asking me about your visit,” he explained. “My parents are very interested in why you and Audrey are staying here.”

Noah poured himself a cup of tea with a frown. “What have you told them?”

“Only what everyone else knows,” Griffin replied. “That your estate is under renovation and that you wished to stay in London during the festivities.”

Noah slanted him a hooded look. “And you think they doubt that explanation?”

“I don’t know.” Griffin sighed. “It’s hard to tell with them. Mother seems to be asking me questions without actually asking them. She knows I wanted nothing to do with London society so soon after Luci’s death.”

His friend gave him an apologetic glance. “I’m aware of what a hell these past few months have been for you. I never would have brought you into this mess if it weren’t absolutely necessary.”

Griffin refolded the letter and stuffed it in his pocket. “But you still would have taken the case. Audrey would still be the bait for your trap.”

Noah set his cup down on its saucer with a clatter. “Griffin…”

He rolled his eyes. “I know, I know. You’ve explained it to me several times.”

Noah paused for a moment and examined Griffin with a particularly close stare. “You care for her a great deal.”

He took a long sip of tea with what he hoped was nonchalant detachment. “For whom?”

Noah arched an eyebrow with a half-smile. “For Audrey. How long have you cared for her so much?”

“I care for Audrey as any good friend would. And I’ve been her friend for nearly her whole life, haven’t I?”

“No, it’s more than that,” Noah said with a shake of his dark head. “This is more than friendship. More than even lust.”

“You shouldn’t speak of such things.”

Griffin found himself unwilling to discuss his relationship with Audrey, even with his best friend. Especially with his best friend. After all, it couldn’t be proper to tell her own brother that he was obsessed with thoughts of Audrey. That each time she left the room, especially with Douglas Ellison, he was tormented.

“Then what should I speak of?” Noah asked in exasperation. “Very well, Wellington’s presentation to the Queen. Would that be a benign enough topic for you? Will you call Douglas Ellison out, or allow my sister to perform her duty?”

Griffin gave an answering shrug. “She’ll be in a crowded room with the Queen’s guard and both of us standing by. I won’t be happy about it, but I won’t interfere.”

“Good. This will all be over soon enough.” Noah sat down and folded his arms. “And then you can return to your normal life with both our apologies and thanks.”

Griffin frowned at the thought of what his life would be like when Audrey and Noah’s case was over. Audrey would be gone, out of his life as if she’d never lived in his home or made love to him.

And what if there was a child? He hadn’t given much thought to it at the time, but he’d taken no precautions to keep Audrey from having his baby. Right now his son or daughter could be growing within her. If she left, she could easily hide the truth from him in order to continue her life as a spy.

“What’s wrong?”

Griffin started at the intrusion into his thoughts. “Wrong?”

His friend’s concerned frown lengthened with displeasure. “You look sick. What is it?”

“Nothing.” He wasn’t ready to talk about any of his thoughts with Noah. How could he? “I was just thinking about some choices I’ve made. And choices I have yet to make.”

Noah looked less than convinced, but stood up with a shrug. “I should go get ready for the presentation and ball. I’d suggest you do the same.”

Waving his friend off, Griffin rubbed his eyes. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Noah hesitated, then shook his head and left the room without any more comment. With a sigh of relief, Griffin crossed to the window and opened it. Outside the air was warm and still, heavy with humidity as the clouds gathered in the distance.

As the breeze ruffled his hair, Griffin continued to ponder his relationship with Audrey. He’d been wrong to take her innocence with no promise of a future. Yet he couldn’t seem to help himself when she was near. He needed to touch her, to be with her. And not just because he wanted her in his bed, but because he’d grown