by Amelia Grey
“That is a possibility. I had a conversation with Sir Welby not too long ago. He remained firm on his story. Perhaps I should have another. I’m finding it peculiar that the Season is half over and no one has made any attempt to harm the twins.”
His hand slid down to the velvet around her neck. His fingers and thumb raked back and forth across the soft ribbon, sending trills of thrills coursing through her.
She was spellbound by his touch and steady, searching gaze on her face, but managed to keep from falling into his arms by saying, “My thoughts exactly. I was talking to your sisters today. They, too, also seemed to think the rumor had more to do with you than with them.”
His hand stilled on her throat. His features hardened. “You told them about this?”
“No, of course not,” she hurried to say. “I forgot to mention that one of the young ladies at the garden party today mentioned the gossip to them.”
“Which one?”
She had to be careful. “I promised not to tell you all that was said today. Young ladies must have some privacy.” That wasn’t exactly accurate but it wasn’t quite a prevarication either. She added, “How they know isn’t important anyway, is it?”
An easy, attractive smile formed on his lips, and her stomach tightened. His hand slid over to her ear. He caressed the lobe between his thumb and forefinger, occasionally letting his other three fingers caress the soft, sensitive skin behind her ear.
“So now you are keeping secrets from me for my sisters.”
“No.” She frowned and shook her head. It was difficult to think straight with him touching her so gently, so intimately. “I mean yes. I suppose I am but it’s—they aren’t bad secrets. It’s just that they must trust me. And you must trust me that they aren’t worried or dismayed about this whatsoever.”
Griffin lifted her chin with the pads of his fingers and looked deeply into her eyes. Esmeralda felt as if she could melt away to nothing. “I trust you.”
“So you won’t force me to tell you, will you?”
They both knew he could. He had that power over her. She was his employee. He was a duke. If he demanded it, she would have to reveal all that was said. Her breaths became dangerously shallow while she waited for him to answer.
With his middle finger he lightly drew a path from her ear over to her chin, down her chest to her cleavage, where he let his finger nestle. A light fluttering sensation attacked her chest. Lace from the cuff of his sleeve tickled and tingled her heated skin. She wondered if he knew just how heavenly it was to be so near him. Did he know that right now, she was very close to reaching up and kissing him?
“I would never force you to do anything, Esmeralda.”
His voice was husky. His expression was caring as he started drawing a pattern across the swell of her breasts with his finger, moving from one side to the other and back again. He wouldn’t force her, but he was definitely trying to seduce her.
And it was working.
“Thank you,” she said on a loud intake of excited breath as his finger dipped beneath her gown and raked across her nipple. The movement was shocking and arousing. Esmeralda gasped at his boldness even while her lower body squeezed deliciously.
“The color you are wearing tonight shows just how beautiful you are, Esmeralda.”
At last, he decided to make mention of the new gowns. And just in time too. She didn’t have the willpower to step away from the sensual plunder of her breasts, but she desperately needed something to distract her from his seduction.
“Does it?” she challenged with a slight lift of her chin.
He nodded while his fingers continued to make her body grow tighter and tighter.
“It’s about time you said something about my new clothing. I’ve worn a new gown every other night for over two weeks and you haven’t once said a word. After all your complaints about my wearing gray, I’d say it’s past time you said something about them.”
A low, attractive chuckle passed his lips as his arm went around her waist and caught her up against his chest.
Yes, that is what she wanted.
“You’re miffed at me for waiting so long to tell you how stunningly beautiful you are.”
Yes I am.
“No, I’m not.” Her words were a whisper because his embrace was so divine she could hardly breathe let alone speak. “I’m just surprised you’ve never once noticed after you railed at me for wearing gray.”
He laughed softly again. “I don’t fret. I don’t rail, Esmeralda. But I do notice. I notice everything about you. Somehow, I’ve managed to keep my hands off you until now, but surely you know I haven’t be able to keep my eyes off you.” He bent his face close to hers. “Do you want to know what else I’ve noticed?”
“What?”
“It’s been two weeks, four days, and approximately eighteen hours since I last kissed you.”
You missed a day.
He touched his nose to hers. “I want to kiss you again, but contrary to what you think of me, I’m not a man without honor. I’m not going to kiss you unless you ask me to.” With that, he turned her loose and took a step back. “You are free to walk away from me. Free to go right now.”
“No, Griffin, I can’t,” she whispered on an impatient sigh as she jumped into his embrace. Strong arms caught her. Her lips claimed his for her own.
Desire flamed hot and urgent between them. He hugged her tightly. Tremendous joy filled her. Her arms circled his neck as she melted against him.
Their kiss was moist, warm, deep, and long. Esmeralda parted her lips. His tongue slid inside, tasting the depths of her mouth. Immense pleasure washed over her, filled her to overflowing, and settled into her soul.
“I like the way you say my name,” he murmured. His lips left hers and he kissed his way over the bridge of her nose and up to her eyelids.
“You prefer it to Your Grace?” she asked while her hands explored the width of his back and shoulders.
“I am Your Grace for others. I am Griffin for you.”
Griffin’s mouth and tongue ravaged hers in slow savoring kisses, time and time again. She loved the way they made her feel, the way they made her want more.
He placed soft raindrop kisses on her forehead and along the edge of her hairline before kissing his way across first one cheek and then the other, teasing her skin with his tongue as he went. His lips slid over her jaw, along the column of her neck to her chest. He lingered over the swell of her breasts that billowed from beneath the neckline of her gown.
“You’re so soft,” he whispered. “I must have a taste of you. I have waited past my endurance.”
Quickly, his hand slid around her midriff to cup and massage her breast. He lifted the plump flesh from her gown and quickly covered it with his mouth. Esmeralda moaned a gasp of pleasure. It was such a glorious feeling. His lips on her breast sent chills of pleasure skipping along her spine.
She closed her eyes, and leaned her head back to enjoy the delicious sensations. Wave after wave of desire crashed and tumbled in her stomach.
A longing ache started between her legs and rose up to spread throughout her abdomen and skimmed along breasts. Her hands roamed down his shoulders to his slim hips. And then farther, to his buttocks. She grasped the firm mounds in her hands and pressed his hardness against her as he continued to caress her softly, deftly.
“Yes,” he whispered as his breathing grew faster.
Esmeralda smiled against his lips. There was no place she didn’t want him to touch her. No place she didn’t want to touch him.
Yet, through the fog of desire, Esmeralda remembered they were not alone in the house. She fought the desire not to stop what was happening between them, but her sensible self kept urging her to show caution.
“I mustn’t get caught in your arms,” she whispered. “Sparks or the twins could walk in and see us behaving like this.”
He chuckled against her skin. “How are we behaving, Esmeralda?”
“Like two people
who are so desperate to taste every inch of each other they are being reckless.”
He bent his head and captured her lips in a fierce kiss of passion before whispering, “Oh, yes, you do know exactly what I’m feeling.”
“Yes,” she murmured in return. “But we must deny what is happening between us.”
“Being reckless doesn’t frighten me. What I am feeling right now does, but it’s worth the risk.”
“It would devastate Lady Sara and Lady Vera to see us like this.”
“They won’t. I’m listening for footsteps and voices in the hallway,” he answered as his mouth found hers again.
Griffin’s mouth and tongue ravaged hers in a slow savoring kiss, time and time again. His hands caressed her breasts, and then moved down to her waist, over the flare of her hip and around to her buttocks, lifting her against his hardness again.
Esmeralda’s couldn’t fight the sensations her body was craving. She raised her hips up to meet his demand. She felt him shudder. A soft moan of pleasure passed his lips. He dipped his tongue in her mouth, deeper, farther. They kissed again and again. Harder and then softer. Slower and then faster. Each kiss was building to something, but Esmeralda didn’t know what.
She gasped with each new place he caressed.
Quickly Griffin lifted his head and stepped away from her. His breathing was fast and erratic. “I hear the twins coming down the stairs.”
“For the love of heaven!” she whispered, whirling away from him. “What madness came over me to allow this?”
Griffin combed through his hair with his fingers and straightened his coat. “Passion, Esmeralda. The raw passion that we have been fighting since the first day we met. And it was as powerful between us as I knew it would be.”
“We could have been caught,” she stressed while straightening the neckline of her gown.
“But we weren’t. I’ll go out and meet them while you catch your breath. I’ll tell them you are checking on something for Lady Evelyn.”
His gaze caressed her face and he smiled so sweetly her fears melted away.
“No hurry,” he said. “Join us whenever you’re ready.”
Chapter 24
Don’t ever think life is easy.
MISS MAMIE FORTESCUE’S DO’S AND DON’TS FOR CHAPERONES, GOVERNESSES, TUTORS, AND NURSES
Esmeralda sat in a chair near the doorway that led into the drawing room, looking at her book. There was no way she could read it. Even though it had been over a week since their last kiss, the Duke of Griffin was the only thing she could concentrate on.
It was a blissfully quiet afternoon—except for Napoleon barking in the back garden as he and Josephine frolicked. He must have sensed a cat nearby or another dog because he was being unusually noisy. If he didn’t quiet soon, she’d have to talk with Josephine about him when they came inside.
Lady Sara and Mr. Lambert were on the settee, a respectable distance apart, having a quiet conversation. If she’d tried, she probably could have understood most of what they were saying, but she had no desire to intrude and listen in on their intimate conversation. Though Griffin continued to have his misgivings about the young gentleman’s intentions toward Lady Sara, Esmeralda didn’t. From all she could tell, Mr. Lambert was smitten with Lady Sara and had been since he first saw her. And it was easy to see she’d grown quite fond of him in the few weeks they’d been seeing each other.
Lady Vera and Lord Henry were off for a ride in Hyde Park in his fancy curricle. They’d left shortly before Mr. Lambert had arrived. Lady Vera’s rejection of Lord Henry’s first invitation for a ride in the park didn’t deter him from asking again. That it had taken Lady Vera until the fourth week of the Season to get Lord Henry to this point in her objective hadn’t bothered her in the least. She insisted she knew what she was doing and what it would take to get the very handsome but equally elusive earl’s son ready to propose to her by the end of the Season.
It had certainly made Esmeralda’s job easier since she hadn’t had to worry about the twins competing to win the affections of the same beau. Esmeralda still had her doubts that Lord Henry would be ready to take Lady Vera to the altar by the time the last dance was held, but Mr. Lambert just might be ready to make a match with her sister.
Life was moving along more quickly than Esmeralda wanted but there was no way to slow it down. Once again, after their last kisses, Griffin had fallen into the routine of not coming inside when he picked up Esmeralda and the twins nor when he delivered them home. She knew what he was doing. If they weren’t alone, there would be no chance of passionate kisses, earth-shattering caresses, and desires she had that were too intimate to contemplate. She didn’t know whether he was simply trying to be an honorable man and not touch her again while she was in his employ or whether he simply did not want to kiss her again. That was a disheartening thought, but one she had to consider. Maybe because she had allowed him to touch her so freely, he no longer had the desire to do it.
In less than two weeks, she and Josephine would pack up and return to live at the agency. What she didn’t know was if the duke would forget about her or would she have to forget the duke. A heaviness settled on her chest. Not seeing him again would be heart wrenching. Esmeralda sighed, uncrossed her legs, and then immediately crossed them in the other direction. She would make herself go mad if she thought about how her life at the duke’s house would end, in the not too distant future.
Esmeralda folded her book in her lap and let her thoughts drift. Even if he never came to see her when she returned home, how could she ever forget him? How could she ever forget his soft touch, his whispered words of passion, or his heart-stopping kisses? The taste of his mouth, the scent of his soap. Not that she wanted to, but it would be impossible even if she did. She smiled to herself. Why would she want to forget all the wonderful feelings she’d experienced with him? Those sensations were meant to be enjoyed, and she would enjoy them every time she thought about the duke.
The back door opened and quickly slammed shut, making Esmeralda jump. Lady Sara and Mr. Lambert jumped too and looked around at Esmeralda. Rising from her chair, Esmeralda looked down the corridor. Josephine leaned against the door. Her eyes were unusually wide and her cheeks looked red and blustery. Napoleon stood at her feet and barked up at her.
“Josephine, what are you doing? You know that’s not the proper way to close a door.”
“I know,” she said breathlessly. “I didn’t mean to close it so hard.”
“All right. You and Napoleon have been playing too hard. Go to the kitchen and get water for both of you. And find a way to keep him quiet for a while.”
The two of them disappeared around the corner. Esmeralda turned back to tell Lady Sara and Mr. Lambert all was fine, but they were already back into their quiet conversation and, Esmeralda noticed, sitting a little closer together than they were before the distraction. She smiled to herself. The book was a good ruse, so she settled back into her chair and opened it.
A short time later, she heard a loud knock from the front of the house, and soon after male voices. She didn’t let it disturb her thoughts of the duke. It wasn’t unusual for people to drop by throughout the day and leave their calling cards for Lady Evelyn, the twins, or sometimes the duke because some people weren’t aware that he didn’t actually live at his Mayfair home when his sisters were in London.
It wasn’t long before Esmeralda heard someone coming down the corridor. She looked up to see Sparks lumbering her way. His expression was grim. She rose when he stopped in front of her.
“There’s a gentlemen here you need to speak with, Miss Swift. A Mr. Verney Chambers. He lives a few streets over.”
“I can’t speak to him now, Sparks.” Esmeralda quickly glanced over at Lady Sara and Mr. Lambert, who were paying no attention to what was happening in the doorway. “I can’t leave Lady Sara. He’ll have to come back at a later time.”
Sparks dire expression didn’t change. “I’m afraid he says it’s urgent, and
I believe it is.”
“Oh.” Suddenly fearing this might have something to do with the employment agency, she said, “I can’t leave Lady Sara unattended. Would you mind staying here while I go speak to the man?”
Sparks’ eyebrows rose considerably, clearly signaling that what she was suggesting was outside the boundaries of his duties in the household.
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes,” she whispered under her breath. “Ask the man to come here. I’ll speak to him from the doorway.”
He nodded, and a few moments later the butler returned with a short, rotund man with graying hair and an overly long mustache, stomping down the corridor behind him.
“Miss Swift?” the man asked before he even reached her.
“Yes,” she answered.
“I’m Mr. Verney Chambers,” he proclaimed loudly. “I’m here for the dog. The butler tells me I’ll need to speak to you.”
A shiver of something akin to foreboding skittered up Esmeralda’s spine. Her breath hitched with apprehension. “What are you talking about?”
From the kitchen Napoleon started barking. Josephine yelled, “No!” as the Sky Terrier came running down the corridor as if hellhounds were nipping at his back paws. Josephine was right behind him, screaming his name. The man bent down, and Napoleon jumped into his arms and started licking his face.
A cold chill shook Esmeralda as Josephine skidded to a stop beside her.
Josephine’s face was set with a stern expression. Her angry eyes were fixed on Mr. Chambers. Her small hands lay clutched into tight fists at her side. “You can put him down, now,” she said. “He’s my dog.”
The man rose and looked at Esmeralda with a beaming smile. “No. Spook is my granddaughter’s dog.”
“No, he’s mine!” Josephine yelled loudly at him. “And his name is Napoleon.”
The man’s back bowed. “I won’t be spoken to like that by a child,” he said indignantly.
Instinctively, Esmeralda moved to stand behind Josephine, placed both her hands on her sister’s shoulders, and held firmly. “I’ll take care of this, Josephine.”
