“If that’s true, she did an exceptionally poor job of it,” he said with a laugh. “Did she say anything to encourage you to reconsider my suit?”
“I suppose not, but she didn’t really need to. And she was wrong anyway—Lord Gregory is more than suitable, and he’ll make someone a fine husband. Just not me. He is not the man of my dreams, and someone I respect and admire once told me I shouldn’t settle for less than that.”
“You’ve decided what the man of your dreams should be?”
“He’s the man who’s made all my dreams come true. Dreams I didn’t even know I had. I thought I wanted freedom—and I did. I didn’t want to feel trapped and alone like my mother did. Cassandra once said to me that a marriage with love was the best freedom a woman could hope for. I think she might be right.”
He drew her into his arms, pulling her deeper into the shadows. “If you aren’t talking about me, say so now.” His lips hovered over hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Of course, it’s you. It’s only ever been you.”
Their lips met, tongues and teeth clashing as they kissed with a new and desperate abandon. Nothing stood between them now, just clothing and a rather inconvenient location.
She pulled her mouth from his. “This is where I kissed you the first time.”
He glanced around briefly and grinned. “So it is. I may have a plaque placed on this very spot.”
Giggling as he kissed her jaw and neck, she asked, “What would it say?”
“Don’t get caught.”
He devoured her laugh with another kiss, turning her body until he pushed her up against the door in the wall. Yes, exactly the spot. She thrust her hands into his hair as he kissed down her neck and licked along the rise of her breast above her neckline.
“Should we go back inside?” she asked between rasping breaths.
“Where inside?” His voice was low, dusky, and made her want to beg him to kneel down between her legs and repeat what he’d done to her last night.
“To the ball.” She gasped as he cupped her breast, pushing it up as he suckled her flesh.
“I suppose we should, but there is a bedroom—a few, actually—on the second floor of the men’s side. Or we could wait until we get home…” He kissed up to the hollow of her throat, making her body quiver until she wanted to whimper.
“Except your grandmother is there,” she managed.
“Bollocks.”
She reached inside his coat and pulled him against her as she licked the edge of his ear and whispered, “Upstairs it is.”
His hand moved behind her, and the door gave way. He didn’t let her fall, holding her close against him as he propelled them into the other garden. Closing the door swiftly, he set the latch before taking her into his arms again and kissing her thoroughly.
Weak-kneed, she clutched his hand as he led her to the back of the building, seeming to trace the same path they’d taken the week before. He was cautious, looking from side to side and up at the thankfully empty terrace before taking her into a side door that led into a back stairway.
Fiona held onto him as they walked along a narrow corridor lit with sconces. “This is convenient.”
“We sometimes have parties in the garden. This provides direct access for the employees to come and go from the kitchens downstairs with food and drink.” He inclined his head to the stairs that led down, moving quickly to turn the corner where he took her upstairs.
She hesitated, pulling on his hand. “You know far too much about this club to be an ordinary member. You must be on the membership committee. Don’t bother denying it.”
He turned, the light from the sconce illuminating the resignation in his features. “I’m supposed to deny it. The committee is very secret.” A smile teased his lips. “How did you know?”
“You’ve said things that made me wonder, but I really should have known the day that I was here as a maid. You said there was a meeting to decide if a member’s family could attend assemblies. How would you know that if you weren’t part of the Star Chamber?” She dipped her voice as she uttered the last two words and shook her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it then. Was everyone else who was here also on the committee?”
“That I won’t say.” He pressed his lips together, then led her up to the second landing. As they ascended, he continued, “And you must promise to keep the secret. If not, Lucien may toss me out.”
“My lips are sealed.”
When they reached the landing, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a wicked smile. “For this, I would ask you to unseal your lips.” He kissed her again, his tongue licking into her mouth with delicious strokes. She moaned softly, eager to get wherever they were going. They needed to be fast. They would be missed if they were gone too long.
Except their absence was likely already noted. Could they explain it away as a lengthy promenade in the garden? Naïve as she was about most of what went on in London, Fiona had no idea. Nor did she particularly care in this moment. It was hard to be concerned about rules that had never applied to you before.
Tobias swept her into his arms, and she let out a soft squeal. Laughing, she encircled her arms around his neck as he dashed up the rest of the stairs. At the top, he set her down gently and put his finger to his lips before opening the door carefully.
Glancing about, he took her hand once more and quickly guided her to another closed door. “Please let there be no one inside,” he murmured.
Before Fiona could protest, he ushered them both inside. Throwing the latch, he turned, only for her to shove him lightly
