“Yes.” Her voice became distant. “I’m beginning to appreciate that more and more.”
Arching an eyebrow, Griffin shifted to look her directly in the face and saw a trace of sadness in her eyes. The look troubled him.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No!” She glanced up at him with a shake of her head. “Far from it. I thought I made that abundantly clear.”
He smiled, but said, “You looked… sad somehow.”
“Oh.”
Pulling from his arms, Audrey sat up and looked around the room, refusing to meet his eyes when she spoke again. “I hate having to go back to reality now that I’ve been in this dream world, that’s all.”
Standing, she groped around on the ground until she found her chemise. Griffin watched as she slipped it over her head, loving the way the fabric moved over her skin.
As she went to work on her stockings, he said, “Then don’t go back. Stay here with me tonight.”
Her eyes flew to his face at his request, surprise evident by the way her lips parted. “You know I can’t do that.”
Standing, he walked over to her, not bothering to cover himself as she’d done. He liked how her eyes dilated with desire, moving over his body in one swift motion before she forced them back to his face.
“Why?” he whispered. “Just don’t go.”
She frowned. “I
He shrugged one shoulder as he watched her hook her stocking with one hand. “I don’t care.”
With a bark of disbelieving laughter, she straightened back up. “You will after my brother pistol whips you. When he calls you out and makes you…”
She trailed off and a blush colored her cheeks as she turned away to find her dress.
“Makes me what?” Griffin asked softly, turning her around to fasten the buttons of the gown.
She pulled away from him as soon as her gown was closed and ran her fingers through her tangled hair with a distracted sigh. “Never mind.”
Griffin knew full well what she meant was that Noah would force him to marry Audrey. After all, he’d made love to her not once, but twice. The honorable thing to do would be to make her his wife. It wasn’t the first time the notion had sprung into his mind, and each time it seemed like the best course of action. Certainly better than letting her slip from his life into the night.
His heart had begun to beat faster somewhere between the time he’d gotten up from the bed and now, and all he could hear was the blood rushing in his veins. It had been a long time since he’d been so out of sorts, but he steeled himself to his task as he yanked his trousers over his hips and buttoned the first two buttons.
“There’s something important we must discuss,” he said, clearing his throat. “About what happened tonight.”
With a sigh, she paced away from the bed, throwing one last glance at the tangled mess of his bedclothes before hurrying back into the relative safety of his dressing room.
“About what happened at the ball?” she asked, though he knew she was only trying to avoid the subject. “I realize you must be very angry. And your parents are in danger, so you must be worried, as well. But I assure you-”
“No,” he interrupted.
He followed her into the sitting room and neatly cut off her retreat by stepping in front of her to block the door. “You know very well that wasn’t it at all. This isn’t about anyone but you and me.”
“Oh.” Her answer came out as no more than a squeak. Her eyes were lit up with anticipation, as well as remnants of desire.
“All I could think about last night and today was what happened between us yesterday afternoon.” Reaching out, he took her hand. “What I knew would happen again tonight.”
“It’s been on my mind, as well.” Her cheeks became a charming shade of pale pink at her confession.
“But…” He drew in a deep breath before continuing. “I shouldn’t have let things go so far between us.”
Her eyes flew to his face once more as her skin darkened further. “Oh.”
“But I did, and now I must do what’s right.”
He cleared his throat a second time. Somehow this entire undertaking was proving more difficult than he’d imagined it would be. Especially when Audrey looked at him with hurt in her eyes.
“You don’t have to make anything right,” she said. “I’m an adult and I made a choice. If there are consequences of that action, I must be the one to deal with them. I certainly don’t need anyone to save me from my own decisions.”
He frowned at the way she held herself, on guard and ready for attack.
“I was the more experienced between the two of us,” he reasoned. “I should have maintained control. Lord knows I tried to…”
A small smile turned up one corner of her lips. “It wasn’t as if I was entirely swept away. I knew what I was doing.”
Again, he frowned. He hadn’t expected her to reason with him, though perhaps he should have. If Audrey could do one thing, it was reason her way into and out of any situation.
Ignoring her statement, he said, “We know we’re compatible in many ways. I respect your intelligence and wit. We have a friendship I value immensely. All these things can make a marriage a great success.”
Her lips parted further and her eyes widened.
“I realize this is sudden,” he hastened to add. “But it is what I must do to make up for my… lapse in gentlemanly behavior.”
For a long moment, she said nothing and stared down at her trembling fingers as she twisted her wrinkled skirt in her hand. “Is that all?”
“What?”
“Are you through?” she repeated without lifting her eyes.
“Yes.” He paused. “You realize I’m asking you to be my wife, don’t you?”
“I’m aware of that fact.” She turned to pace away from him to his window. Her shoulders trembled as she looked down at the street below, silent again for a long time.
Finally, she turned to face him with ashen skin. “No.”
As he drew back, shock raced through him. “
“I won’t marry you.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m saying it myself.”
His pride stung. “Then why are you?”
Pursing her lips, she said, “I will not marry for anything less than love. And I don’t mean love from one person alone. Both the parties must feel the same level of regard for one another.”
Griffin laughed bitterly. “That fantasy doesn’t exist. One person always feels more emotion than the other. We have friendship, esteem and passion. That’s more than most in the
“It isn’t enough for me, Griffin,” she whispered. “So the answer is no.”
Faint anger stirred in his chest at her utter refusal, even in the face of his reasoning. “I can force your hand, you know. I can make sure Noah finds out what happened between us in the carriage and tonight. After he beats me within an inch of my life, he’ll force a union between us.”
At that, her face paled until it was nearly ghostly white, but her hands clenched into trembling fists. “My Mother and Father tried to compel me into a marriage once. I ran. Force my hand, and I’ll do the same now.”
For the first time, Griffin realized just how serious she was. Audrey wasn’t playing coy or blurting out an answer without thought. Whether or not her ideas were valid, she was ready to bolt if he tried to make her follow his order.
As her face began to regain some of its color, she spoke again. This time her tone was much gentler.
“Passion will fade, and we’ll be left with what? A nice friendship? Cordial strangers who share a name?” She shrugged. “I don’t want a man who still loves and mourns his first wife.”
This time it was Griffin’s turn to stiffen in reaction to her words. The reminder of Luci made his blood chill and his head begin to throb. There it was, one more thing his former wife could take from him. Had taken from him for years.
