Heart of Fire. Kat Martin

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СКАЧАТЬ it would seem. I’ll have a chance to meet him, see what he is like. In the meantime, the earl has gone out for the evening. If we’re lucky, he’ll be gone all night—which means I’ll be able to search his room.”

      “His room? But you just said—”

      “When it comes to women, Tremaine is a rogue without conscience. I have to make certain he wasn’t the man who fathered Laurel’s child.”

      Allison eyes widened. “What if he comes back while you are in there?”

      “I’ll stay alert, but I don’t think he will. He doesn’t appear to be the sort to go long without female companionship, even should he have to pay for it.” Which, as handsome as he was, she doubted very much. Corrie ignored a second stab of annoyance.

      “Perhaps I should come with you,” Allison suggested, but the uncertainty in her hazel eyes said she didn’t really want to.

      “I’ll have less chance being discovered if I go by myself.”

      It was true, and relief shone in Allison’s face. “His valet was in the kitchen when I left. He’s an interesting little man. I’ll try to keep him talking until you are finished.”

      “Good idea.”

      “I’ll wait up for you. I won’t be able to sleep until I know you are safe.”

      Corrie just nodded, glad to have a friend there in the castle.

      With a last glance out the window to be certain no lone rider approached, she lifted the skirt of the drab gray dress she had chosen to make her less noticeable and headed out the door.

      Gray rode Raja into the stable and swung down from the saddle next to a sleepy groom.

      “I would ’ave waited up, milord,” Dickey Michaels said in his thick Cockney accent. “I thought ye was gonna be gone fer the night.”

      “I thought so, too, Dickey.” He handed the reins to the sandy-haired youth. “See Raja is watered, grained and rubbed down before you put him away.”

      “Yes, sir. I’ll take real good care o’ ’im.” The boy led the stallion away and Gray started back to the house.

      He’d been on his way to Parkside to see Bethany Chambers when he changed his mind. He needed sexual relief and badly, but somewhere along the route, he’d recalled the lady’s spoiled disposition and constant demand for attention. On a hill halfway to her house, he’d pulled Raja to a halt. Need or not, the lady was just too much trouble.

      On top of that, he realized, he no longer had the least desire for the lovely Lady Devane.

      Dammit to hell and gone. Another female had caught his fancy and it seemed no other would do.

      Gray didn’t really understand it. He was a man of lusty appetites. Why this one had snagged his interest so strongly he could not say. There was something about her he couldn’t quite figure out, and perhaps the mystery drew him. Whatever it was, he wanted her and he was fairly certain she wanted him.

      They were both mature adults. At thirty, he wasn’t too old for Letty—or whoever she turned out to be. It really no longer mattered. She posed no threat that he could discover. Whoever she was, if he had run across her in London, he would have made her his mistress. She needed money. He would set her up in a cottage somewhere near. He would treat her well, see her financially cared for and, in return, she would service his needs.

      Gray almost smiled.

      On the morrow, he would send a note of apology to Bethany for failing to arrive for their intended assignation. In the meantime he would begin his campaign to bring Mrs. Moss to his bed.

      With that thought in mind, Gray headed toward the stairs leading up to his suite in the west wing of the castle. It was dark in the house. Only the gas wall sconces Rebecca had installed were burning, leaving just enough light to find his way. He climbed the stairs, strode down the corridor and pulled open the heavy door.

      The curtains were drawn and an oil lamp burned on the bedside table, the wick turned down low. For an instant, he figured Samir must have anticipated his return in that uncanny way he seemed to have and lit the lamp for him. Gray frowned. Even Samir couldn’t have read his thoughts tonight. They were too uncertain.

      Stepping quietly into the sitting room, he surveyed the interior. The hair prickled at the back of his neck. The sixth sense he’d developed in the army was kicking in, telling him someone else was in the room.

      At first, the space appeared to be empty. Then his gaze lit on the heavy gold velvet draperies and an unnatural bulge there. A pair of feet peeped out from underneath—small, feminine feet, he saw, encased in soft kid slippers.

      The shoes were too fine to belong to a servant, yet a bit scuffed with wear. With a flash of certainty, Gray knew those small feet belonged to Letty Moss.

      What was she doing here? Trying to steal his money or something else of value? Her worn garments betrayed her desperate need. He stared at the curtain, a wicked thought coming into his mind.

      Dressed in his riding clothes, Gray sat down on the stool in front of the dresser and began to tug off his boots. One after the other, they hit the floor with a heavy thud. His coat came off, then his shirt, leaving him bare-chested. Rising from the stool, he started toward the window, unbuttoning the fly of his riding breeches along the way.

      A faint gasp sounded through the curtain as the flap came undone and his breeches slid a little lower on his hips.

      “You may come out, Mrs. Moss—unless you wish to remain there while I finish disrobing.”

      Slight movement rippled the curtain. With a sigh of resignation, Letty stepped out from behind the gold velvet, her chin lifting as she turned to face him. Though she stood ramrod straight, her eyes widened at the sight of his bare torso, the curly black hair on his chest. She spotted the unbuttoned fly of his breeches and her cheeks turned scarlet.

      “Might I ask what you are doing in my room?” he asked calmly, though having her there was making him feel anything but calm. Letty moistened her lips, and heat pooled low in his groin.

      “I, um, got lost. I was out in the garden, you see. I came up the back stairs and I—I must have turned the wrong way when I reached the second floor landing.”

      “Ah…that must be it. Your room is in about the same location at the opposite end of the house.”

      “Yes, it is.” Her relief turned to suspicion. “How do you know the location of my room?”

      He gave her a wolfish smile. “I like to personally assure myself my guests are comfortable. You are comfortable, are you not, Mrs. Moss?”

      Her eyes narrowed. “Not at the moment.”

      He closed the distance between them, stopped directly in front of her. Gray caught her shoulders and felt her tremble, but she didn’t back away. “I want to know what you’re doing in my room, and this time I want the truth.” He gently shook her. “Were you looking for money? I know you have very little. I suppose I could understand that.”

      Her chin firmed. “I am not a thief.”

      “What СКАЧАТЬ