“Wimpole Street Widows Society, a fanciful namereally for what seems nothing more than a harmless group of widows living together.The Viscountess Vastkern began it some years ago.She brings in all manner of women who have nowhere to go after their husbands give up the ghost.”He jerked his head in the direction of the broadsheet on Ethan’s desk.“Mrs.Laney Finch is part of it, too, as well as several other odd females.There’s not a typical one in the bunch.”Again that laugh.“Which I suppose is why they all band together, like a flock of hens.”He paused, tilting his head.“Do hens flock?”
Ignoring the question, Ethan sat forward, resting his elbows on the desktop, steepling his hands in thought.It would certainly explain why Heloise was so close not only to Mrs.Finch but to Lady Vastkern as well.And why she had been given the job of Mrs.Finch’s manager when she had absolutely no experience in the sport.
That relief that had settled in his shoulders sank deeper, melting into his bones at this proof that his suspicions of her had thus far proven completely unfounded.Don’t let your guard down, he warned himself severely.But it was a weak warning, barely heard over the rushing in his ears.
Which was why he forced himself to say, “Look into the Wimpole Street Widows Society.”
Keely, who had been lovingly patting the bag of money in his coat pocket, looked up sharply.The man was not stupid, though he might like to pretend otherwise, and understood far more than he let on.A talent that was invaluable to Ethan, especially in moments such as these.
“Aye,” he said, short and succinct, before he rose and made his way from the office.Ethan remained at his desk, listening to the sounds of his footsteps receding down the hall.Soon those footsteps were overtaken by the noise from below, the evening’s patrons already arriving for their nightof revelry and sin.Which meant Heloise would soon be here.
His heart gave a strange, eager lurch in his chest.He should not be looking forward to her arrival as much as he was.But no amount of stern thoughts could have stopped him from hurrying from his desk into his bedroom, to the large window that looked down onto St James’s and the general chaos of a night just begun.He should be concerned as hell at his actions.He was not some inexperienced green boy.And yet that was just how he was acting, thinking with certain parts of his anatomy that shouldnotbe doing his thinking for him.
Though Keely’s report on Heloise had been innocuous enough, Ethan knew he should not be letting down his guard.He should instead be exercising even more caution than before.Something wasn’t entirely right; he had felt it from the very beginning.And though his suspicions had quieted some—hell, they’d quieted more thansome, and would have disappeared altogether if he had not learned about the peculiar Wimpole Street Widows Society—he still wasn’t totally convinced that she was innocent of all subterfuge.
It should not be so hard, however, to hold on to that doubt.He ran a hand over his face.Mayhap entering into this affair had been a bad idea.He could not afford to lose control of himself like this.Perhaps he should end it.He had believed that, by playing into her hand in allowing her to seduce him, he could force her to let down her guard and reveal what she had planned for Dionysus.Now that he was flirting with the possibility that Heloise was no threat to him and his, however, he should break things off with her, this time to protect his sanity.
Yet when he thought of her, eyes heavy lidded and lipsswollen from his kisses, ending their affair was the very last thing he wanted to do.
He placed his palms flat on the cold glass of the window, looking down at the long line of carriages below but not seeing them.What, was he so emotionally and physically weak that her kisses sent his mind completely packing?Was he so overwhelmed by the idea of holding her in his arms again that he could not think straight?Truly, one would think he was falling in love with her.
He snorted.That right there was the exact reason he should not end this affair, if only to prove to himself that he was most definitelynotfalling in love with her.Yes, he thought as he straightened away from the window, he would continue this affair and squash any idiotic idea that he was becoming smitten with her.He had never run from anything before in his life.He was most certainly not going to start now.
Though, he admitted ruefully to himself, recalling his reaction to her just that morning, perhaps it would be best if he pulled back some.Letting his desire have free rein over him was not necessarily conducive to clear thinking.Tonight he needed to keep his cock in his pants for as long as possible while in her presence.
A faint knock sounded, and he turned to find Heloise standing in the doorway to his suite.If the way his body reacted to her small smile was any indication, it might not be long at all.
17
From the look in Ethan’s eyes when she walked through the door to his suite, Heloise had been certain that he was going to kiss her.The heat
in his gaze fairly scorched her, and she felt an answering flame spark to life deep in her belly.
But no matter how much she might wish for him to take her in his arms—and she did wish it, much more than was at all healthy for her peace of mind—she had come here determined to implement the next part of her plan: leveraging herself into areas of the club where she would not otherwise be permitted, to locate the jewelry for Julia.
But he did not move to kiss her.Instead he planted his feet wide as if preparing for a blow and asked with a strange awkwardness, “Did you come with Mrs.Finch and Lady Vastkern?”
She blinked at his strangled tone.“Er, yes,” she replied, shifting from foot to foot, finding it strangely difficult to keep from rushing to him—truly, what the devil was wrong with her?“They’re in the private gaming room.They’re so thrilled to have been invited, they may make it their second home.”She laughed, but it came out more like the wheeze from the bellows in her forge, so tight was her chest.
He nodded distractedly and motioned to the office behind her.“Shall we have a drink?”
God yes.The answer fairly screamed through her mind, loud and desperate.While she had planned to keep herself from his bed as long as possible, it was growing increasingly difficult as she looked at him.
“That would be lovely,” she replied instead, with what she thought was impressive poise considering the very loud voice in her head urging her to just kiss him already.Silencing that voice as best she could, she retreated to his office, finding a seat as he moved to the sideboard.For a long moment silence reigned, broken only by the faint sounds of the patrons arriving below and the soft tinkle of glass as he poured their drinks.Which only increased the tension threading through Heloise, so much so that, when he returned to her side and handed her the glass, she snatched it from him, the amber liquid nearly sloshing over the rim.Bringing it to her lips with hands that shook ever so faintly, she downed the lot in one long gulp.The burn of it traveled down her throat, through her chest, hitting her nearly empty stomach.There.That should distract her from the fantasy of dragging Ethan back to his bedroom and having her way with him.
But when she lowered the glass, she discovered he was still standing in front of her, hand outstretched, surprise lifting his brows.And she found that just one glass wouldn’t do in erasing her desire for this man.
“Do you… wish for another?”he asked, apparently reading her mind.
Her face heated.“Yes, please.Actually,” she continued as he reached for her empty glass, holding it tight to her chest like a bit of crystal armor, “why don’t you bring the whole decanter?I’m feeling particularly parched this evening.”
His brow quirked up with a combination of curiosity and amusement, but he did as she bade.When he returned and poured her a second glass, she managed to gain enough control over herself to sip from it with a modicum of poise.Thank God.
“How is your cousin adapting to working with Mr.Ferris?”he asked as he deposited the decanter on a low table nearby and sat in the chair beside her.She choked on the liquor, wholly unprepared for mention of Euphemia—orCousin Herbert, as Ethan would know her—the brandy doing much worse than burning as she fought to dislodge it from her windpipe.Ethan reached across the small space between them, pounding on her back to assist.That, however, only managed to add to her distress.Truly, could she be more awkward?
Finally, blessedly, her chest cleared enough for her to wave him off.“I’m fine,” she croaked.With clumsy fingers she wiped at her streaming eyes.“But you were asking about my cousin.”The words came out strangled, and she cleared the last of the brandy from her throat.“He’s adjusting well, thank you.Quite excited to learn all he can from Mr.Ferris.It was kind of him to take Herbert on.”
Ethan, who was still looking at Heloise with a healthy dose of concern, nevertheless settled back into his seat.“Ferris is a good man,” he said, taking a sip of his own drink.He regarded her over the rim, a shuttered look dropping over his eyes.“But if you have family close by, I’m surprised you agreed to live with Lady Vastkern.”
