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She located hilass in each hand and surrounded by wo wickedly beneath the edge of his half h the slasses, and then linked her arm with his Her spine stiff, she led Marcus back to the ballrooone

The duchess took one look at her face, and excused herself with a smile

Marcus chuckled "Thank you, Lady Westfield To my recollection that is the first time I have ever been rescued"

"You have never wanted to be rescued," she snapped, hating that he could be so nonchalant in the face of her upset

He lifted a hand to caress a powdered curl "You’re jealous!" he crowed

She turned aondering, as she often did, how many women in the room knew him carnally as she did

Marcus stepped around until he faced her "What is it, love?"

"None of your affair"

Uncaring of their audience, Marcus traced the bottoloved thu, or I cannot fix it"

"I detest every wo, she lowered her head and waited for his laughter

Instead, his deep, velvety voice swirled around her, encasing her in warmth "Do you remember when I said intimacy and sex can be mutually exclusive?" His head lowered to hers, hisher ear as he whispered, "You are the only woman I have ever been intimate with"

A tear escaped Marcus brushed it away

"I want to take you hoaze hot behind the mask "And be intimate with you"

She left with hiht he was so tender in his love she asked His gentle ardor brought tears to her eyes and afterward he held her in his ar in the world

Every day brought her closer to hi to need hi but for so much more It was a passion that would take a lifetiive her that chance

Chapter 19

"You should not have come to my home"

Christopher St John vaulted into the un presence doy to the air, forcing Elizabeth to retreat into the squabs Glancing out the , she reance of the small townhouse he resided in It was conspicuous in the unfashionable part of tohere it was located However the two burly henchs-on within

He took the seat opposite her "It’s not a fit place for a lady and this ostentatious equipage is attracting the kind of dangerous attention you don’t want"

"You know I had no choice As soon as I learned your direction, I had to co you" She arched a brow "You, Mr St John, have questions to answer"

His full mouth curved wryly, as he leaned back and adjusted his coat "No need to be so foret"

"So you believe lanced around, taking in the opulence of the dark leather interior with one sweeping glance "Such a shahtening of his purse"

"I strongly suggest you find other sport, if you don’t wish to anger me I am not pleasant when I’m cross"

St John blinked, then threw his head back and laughed "By God, I do like you Rest assured, I a of a fa between her brows in a vain effort to ward off a headache, sheof this and I prefer to keep it that way"

St John reached over and opened the slass, he poured two fingers of brandy, which he then offered to her When she refused, he put the decanter away "I realized you hadn’t told him about us when he came to see me However, I did think you would have told hi hi bruise around his left eye and the small scab on his lip "Are your injuries from Westfield?"

"No other ize I had no intention of telling hilected to tell my mother-in-law to keep quiet about it"

St John waved his hand in a dis, actually After years of doing nothing et to business I was glad he found me I was curious to see how he felt about you The ret you are one I cannot exploit"

"What is your grievance with Westfield?"

"The ant, too titled, too wealthy, too pretty--too everything He’s as rich as Croesus and yet he cries foul when I take a tiny bit of his blunt"

She snorted "As if you would have a party should someone steal from you"

He choked on his brandy

"Iforward "It’s drivingwho he was"

St John ree hand "Nigel was your spouse I prefer you to remember the man you spent a year of your life with"

"But I don’t understand If you were close to one another, how could he ith Eldridge without har as traitor?" he finished softly "Elizabeth, I pray you leave such concerns outside the scope of your recollections He was a good husband to you, was he not?"

"So I should only cling to the facets I knew and discard the others?"

He sighed and set his hat on the seat next to hiation reveal information about our father?"

Elizabeth sat back and bit her lip

"Ah, I see it did Touched, they call it A bit off, half mad--"

"I understand"