Alexandria blew out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes. Her cheeks were red and mouth was pinched in a fine line. Julian could see she was tired of this evening already. So was he. Too bad they couldn’t figure out a way to end it quickly.
“More champagne, Miss Templeton?” he asked holding out the tray to her.
“I thank you.” She glanced at him before placing her empty flute on the tray and taking another. “You cannot fathom how much I need this right now.” She sipped the drink.
“I could tell you did, Miss Templeton.”
She passed him a smile before looking away. His hopes sank. In a way, he wanted her to notice him, but it wouldn’t be good if she had.
He frowned and prepared to step back, but then she inhaled abruptly and snapped her attention back to him. Wide eyes met his and she slid her gaze over his face in close perusal. Gradually, the color in her face faded and she shook her head.
“You should not be here,” she whispered.
Gladness filled his heart and he smiled wide. “I couldn’t stay away.”
She shifted her attention and scoped out the room. “What if someone notices you? What if Martin—”
“Shhh,” he said and gently touched her arm. “If we don’t make a scene, nobody will believe I’m not who I present.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Only a few minutes.”
“You need to leave.” She sipped her drink.
“Can you sneak out of the room for a moment?”
“Don’t be silly,” she said with a chuckle. “Being the only woman in this room, I think I would be missed if I left.”
“Tell Martin you are going to use the chamber pot.”
Alexandria’s face turned dark red. “Grey,” she whispered. “I highly doubt this is a proper conversation—”
“Just do it.” He winked. “I’ll meet you down the corridor just before you enter the music room.”
He turned and made his way out of the party, not looking back to see if Alexandria was coming...only because he knew she would.
THE HEAT IN ALEXANDRIA’S face grew to the point of making her head throb. Sometimes Grey could say things that would take her unawares and leave her tongue-tied. However, she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed his company, and she loved how he could make her smile and laugh.
Although it embarrassed her greatly, she informed Martin that she was stepping out to visit the chamber pot. Once she was out of the room, she hurried down the hall. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she moved in the direction Grey had given her. With each step, her heart hammered faster, and she became more anxious.
When she neared the music room, she slowed, listening for any sounds around her, especially those voices from Martin’s acquaintances. Thankfully, no one took it upon themselves to follow her.
“I’m in here.”
She swung her head toward the door of the music room. It opened enough for her to see a section of Grey’s face. She hurried inside and closed the door behind her. When she finally was able to get a good look at him, she nearly laughed. He was dressed as a servant—minus the glasses he wore earlier—but not any servant she had ever encountered. The taut material of his servant’s shirt outlined every muscle of his shapely physique even as his every movement threatened to burst the seams of his pants in a most indecent manner. To think none of Martin’s guests even questioned why a servant would wear ill-fitting clothes.
“This has got to be the worst decision you have made since we met.” She shook her head. “Grey, do you know how dangerous it is for you to be here?”
He grasped her hands and pulled her closer until she had to tilt her head back to look at him.
“Lexie, I thank you for being so concerned about my welfare.”
She sighed. “How can I not be concerned? You have done so much to try and protect me. It’s only natural I should return the gesture.”
He caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “I watched you from outside and you were putting on a great performance. When I overheard you talking to Mr. Lyttle, I wanted to laugh. I believe, my blossom, that you were throwing the men off quite nicely without my help.”
She ran her palms up and down his arms. “As much as it thrills me to hear you say that, I’m still worried you will be discovered. I think you need to leave. I don’t want you getting caught.”
His dark eyebrows lifted. “In the music room? Pray, how am I supposed to get caught when no one knows we are in here?”
Chuckling, she shook her head. “You never know who will want to sneak through the house. Perhaps one of the servants, or it could be one of Martin’s very intoxicated friends who becomes lost.” She shrugged. “I just don’t want to take that chance.”
He nodded. “Then I shall take my leave because I don’t wish to worry you.” He touched a finger to the tip of her nose. “But before I go, I want a kiss that will last me throughout the night.”
Her heart melted as she slid her hands around his neck, leaning in closer. “An enduring kiss you shall have, my dearest Grey.”
Their mouths joined in unison, and as before, excitement shot through her. She didn’t know if it was because this incredible man was kissing her again, or if it was the prospect of being discovered. Yet, it didn’t matter. She didn’t want anything to disrupt her happiness right now.
In the other times before, he started their kisses soft, but now he kissed her as though he was hungry for more. A spark of desire and longing took over in her soul, and she wished she could keep him with her all night. Forever, in fact.
His hands moved with urgency over her back, and suddenly she wanted to touch him the same way he was stroking her. Hesitantly, she slid her hands over his back, and then around to his chest. Her hands had rested against his wide chest a few times before, but she had never really caressed him. Curious, she couldn’t stop herself from doing so now.
When her palms met with his tight muscles, she sighed in awe. Tingles erupted throughout her, and instead of wanting to push him away from embarrassment, she embraced the overpowering feeling.
Still keeping his mouth on hers, he withdrew slightly to give her hands more room for exploration. Indeed, this servant’s shirt was too small for Grey’s body, and when she brushed her fingers across the top buttons, they immediately came apart. Her fingertips connected with his warm skin, and with the dust of hair across his chest.
Oh, good heavens! This was so wrong, and yet the excitement pouring through her only intensified. As she touched him, it seemed to stir some kind of urgency inside of Grey, because his kisses turned wild.
Improper ideas filled her head, and she tried to push them away. She wasn’t married to this incredible man. Being intimate with him like this would create such a scandal, and if caught, it would ruin her reputation for good. Men in his standing usually jumped such disgraces with ease, but there was no way a woman could avoid such gossip.
Before she could muster up the courage to break the incredible kiss, the floor outside the music room squeaked and the door swung opened. A loud gasp hit the wall in a thundering surprise, ricocheting around the room.
Alexandria jumped in Grey’s arms, but he didn’t remove his hold. Instead, they both faced the intruder, ready for battle.
SIXTEEN
Julian’s heart raced. At this moment, he didn’t know if it was more from the pleasure he felt while kissing Alexandria or because he’d just been caught in a very intimate embrace...not to mention his shirt had come undone.
As he focused on their unexpected visitor, he regulated his breathing and his mind. He needed a clear head in order to figure out a way to get out of this mess.
“What is going on here?” Lord Senwick exclaimed angrily.
Silently, Julian groaned. Of all people to catch them, why did it have to be this man—a man from Julian’s past he hadn’t ever wanted to see again. And why hadn’t he known the lord was at Martin’s party? Julian knew for certain he hadn’t seen him.
&n
bsp; Before he could get any words out, three more men entered the room. Gasps bounced off the walls as shocked faces judged the couple still wound in each other’s arms.
Julian cursed to himself. For certain he and Alexandria had been ruined. All because of his lusty impulses.
“Lord Julian? You are alive?” Lord Senwick’s voice lifted over the mumbles in the room.
Alexandria gasped and her body stiffened. She snapped her head up to look at him, but he couldn’t meet her stare. Not yet. Of course, she would now realize he’d lied to her. But once he explained his reasons for deceiving her, he was certain she’d understand.
Julian cleared his throat and straightened. “Actually no, my lord. I’m now the Duke of Linden, if you must know.”
The older man huffed. “I don’t care who the devil you are,” he snapped. “I can see you have ruined another woman, yet again.”
Once more Alexandria inhaled sharply, her eyes widening by the second. He gritted his teeth. How could he shut this man up before he said too much?
“Lord Senwick, I think you need to let the past rest,” Julian said with a growl.
“Why should I? You were the reason my sister’s name was dragged through the mud, and you are the reason she has not yet married.”
“I’m sure that is not my problem,” Julian said quickly, realizing the man had said too much already, “but as I mentioned before, that has nothing to do with this current situation.”
“I beg to differ, Your Grace. Ruining a woman’s good name is not how you treat a woman you are betrothed to.”
Julian didn’t like the way the other man snickered his title.
“This just proves that you will never change,” Lord Senwick continued. “You are still a disgrace to your family and an insult to other nobles.”
Anger rushed to Julian’s head and he moved away from Alexandria. In two large steps he stood in front of the insipid man. “Enough, I say.” He glared at the lord. “I will not be insulted in my own home. If I wasn’t a gentleman, I’d call you out to the dueling field for my satisfaction. As it is, I realize you have been drinking too much and you don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Oh, tosh! I have just arrived and I haven’t been drinking at all.”
No wonder Julian hadn’t noticed him before. If he knew this particular lord had been invited, Julian wouldn’t have come in to check on Alexandria.
“What in the devil is going on here?” Martin’s voice boomed through the room as he hurried inside. The moment his gaze landed on Julian, his face lost color. “Julian? You are....alive?”
“Indeed I am, cousin.” Julian moved away from Lord Senwick and walked to Martin. “And I’m here to take back my title as the rightful Duke of Linden. As for my first order of business,” he glanced at the intruders, “I want all of your friends out of my home immediately.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Martin muttered as he ushered his friends out of the room.
“Martin?” Julian said in a stern voice. “Once they are out of my house completely, I want a meeting with you.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
Julian waited until Martin had left and closed the door before he turned to Alexandria. She appeared to have crawled back in her wallflower shell, because she stood with her hands clutched together, pressed against her bosom, and her eyes were downcast. He knew this wouldn’t be an easy thing to explain to her to make her understand what happened. He also needed to repair the damage to her reputation...if only he could figure out a way.
He approached her cautiously. The tears trailing down her pale cheeks made his chest hurt and all he wished to do was brush them away...to see her smile. He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “Lexie, my blossom—”
She pushed his hands away and turned her back toward him. “Leave me alone,” she said with a choked voice.
“I cannot, my dear. I must make this right.”
“You can’t. It’s too late.”
“Nothing is ever too late.” Hesitantly, he touched her back. “I will do everything I can to repair what happened a few minutes ago.”
“I’m not referring to that,” she snapped, swinging around. Her eyes were laced with confusion and pierced right through him.
“You aren’t?”
“No, Your Grace. I want you to explain to me why you thought it necessary to lie to me all this time. Why didn’t you tell me who you really were?”
“It’s complicated—”
“And let’s not forget about what Lord Senwick said, either. Why did you not tell me? And...is there any further information I need to know that you are purposely keeping from me?”
A pain of remembrance throbbed in his forehead and he rubbed it. He’d rather not talk about it. “’Twas nothing that happened with Senwick, my dear. The man was muttering foolishness that wasn’t even important.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Indeed? Well, it certainly sounded important, and obviously, he thought it was imperative or he wouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“The reason he mentioned it was because he thought I’d wronged his sister.”
“Who was your betrothed at the time, apparently.”
He nodded, feeling more and more frustrated. “That was a long time ago—before I entered the military.” He took hold of her arms again, this time he wasn’t going to let her break free. “Lexie, what happened in the past doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me. I feel as though...you kept the truth from me on purpose.” She dropped her gaze to his chest again.
“Forgive me for not telling you my real name, but I was only trying to protect you. I couldn’t tell you everything about my life.”
Her gaze bounced back up to his. “And why not? I told you everything about mine.”
He held his breath, trying unsuccessfully to control his frustration. She was overreacting, and he didn’t like it one bit. He also didn’t like how she gazed upon him now. Before she looked on him as a hero, but now...he detected loathing in her expression. It made him feel less than a man.
“You really expected me to tell you everything? Why, Alexandria? We just met a few days ago. I was taking the time to get to know you, and hoping you’d be patient in getting to know me.”
“How could I get to know you when you weren’t even honest with me?” She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “Forgive me, Your Grace. I thought you felt something more, as I did. I thought...I thought...” She pushed away from him and hurried out the room.
He took a step to go after her, but quickly stopped himself. She was too distraught right now. He’d wait until she calmed herself before he discussed this with her again. She had quite an upset tonight, and rightly so. Not every day a wallflower was caught in a man’s embrace while sharing a steamy kiss.
He groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. And what a kiss that was. He’d almost forgotten how it had literally shut down his mind to where all he could think about was kissing her endlessly. And when she caressed his chest, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven.
Yet it certainly felt like hell right at this particular moment. He had wronged her, yet he didn’t know what to do about it.
The door opened and Martin strolled in, his shoulders drooping. His frown made lines appear around his mouth and on his forehead.
“I’m here, as you had requested, Your Grace?”
Julian motioned his hand. “Please close the door.”
Once Martin had done as instructed, Julian folded his arms behind his back and paced, allowing the silence of the room to weigh uncomfortably on his cousin before saying, “I’m sure seeing me alive has come as quite a shock to you.”
“Indeed it has. I had heard rumors that you might be alive, but the authorities hadn’t found your body.”
“As you can see, I am alive.” Julian stopped directly in front of Martin. Julian leaned closer and added, “And I don’t expect to die anytime in the near future.”
“I’m certain most of
us feel that way.”
“So, in light of what’s happened, I want to resume my life, which of course means taking back my title.”
“I understand.” Martin frowned and stared at the floor.
“I would like you out of the house as soon as the servants can pack your things. I trust you have someplace to go?”
Martin nodded. “Joanna still has her family’s house in Cornwall. I’m sure we can go there.”
“Is your wife not ill?” Julian asked.
His cousin raised his gaze to Julian. “Yes. She has been for several days already.”
“Then I suggest you leave her here until she is well enough to travel.”
“What about her sister?” Martin asked with a touch of malice in his voice.
“Miss Templeton can stay to help take care of her sister, of course.”
Martin flipped his hand. “I had assumed that, but I was referring to the scandal you created tonight. Some of my associates tell me they found her in your arms in what appeared to be a very intimate embrace.”
“Indeed, they did.” Julian groaned inwardly, realizing once again that he really needed to fix this particular issue.
“What are you going to do about it? Or are you going to take care of this problem as you have done the last several women you’ve compromised?”
Julian bunched his hands into fists by his sides. The one thing he absolutely hated was feeling trapped, and Martin was accomplishing that this very minute. “What I plan to do about Miss Templeton is my own business, not yours.”
The other man shrugged. “Considering she is my sister-in-law, I feel responsible for her because her parents are dead.” He straightened his shoulders. “So, being that I’m her guardian, I insist you repair the damage you have caused tonight and marry her immediately.”
Pain gripped Julian and threatened to suffocate him. This was the same emotion he’d experienced when Lord Senwick had demanded Julian do the right thing and marry his sister, Theresa. Julian had gotten out of that sticky situation easy enough, but he didn’t think he’d be able to worm his way out of this one.
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