Mary caught herself from jumping at the booming voice from the doorway. She turned to see a grinning Lord Reddington strutting into the room, his arms akimbo. The other men swiftly followed.
Oh dear. Gabriel’s expression was thunderous.
Mary leapt to her feet and hurried over to him. His expression did not alter as she pressed her hands to his chest and raised her lips to his ear. “Be careful of your expressions,Tony. You give too much of yourself away.”
Thank goodness he listened, for his expression turned to one of congenial contentment.
“What say we play a game of whist?” Lord Sheffield wheezed, his nose whistling as he breathed.
Lord Kerr sat at the round table in the far-left corner of the room with a deck of cards already in his hands.
“Play,” Mary whispered to Gabe.
With one last enigmatic glance at Mary, Gabe sat between Sheffield and Lord Kerr as Mr. Piper sat across from him. Mary was at a loss as to what to do until Lady Kellings lowered herself to Lord Sheffield’s lap.Of course.
With an ease belying the sudden fluttering in her stomach, Mary moved to stand between Gabe’s legs and then sat upon his right thigh, her left arm draped lazily across his shoulders.
There was no denying the sudden heat she felt. Gabe was hot all over through his clothes, and his warmth sent shivers of tempting delight through her.Dash it all!Mary did not wish to feel such tinglings and melting dampness in private places when it came to Gabriel. He was not fond of her and she was certainly angry with him. Indeed.Verycross.
Oh pooh. Who was she trying to fool? Sitting on Gabe’s lap was very nearly a dream come true. She onlywishedit wasn’t, for she knew that along this path lay another broken heart. It had already happened once with Gabriel, it was inevitable that he would break her heart again if she gave him the chance.
For now, however, she was Tony Spencer’s mistress in tandem with her job as a spy. Perhaps—perhaps she could use this card game to her advantage as a way to lure the other men into confiding in her. Yes, what an excellent plan!
* * *
Gabe clenched his jaw and played his two of hearts.Was it a two? Or was it an eight? Blast. He didn’t know. He was far too distracted by Mary’s tongue in his ear.
Good God!
Her fingers played with his cravat pin before she trailed them down the front of his waistcoat and down to his—
His eyes rolled briefly backward before he choked on his own saliva.
Mr. Piper laughed openly at him, “She’s too much for you, wot? Quite the tigress from what I hear.”
Gabe fought a scowl as he continued to cough. Mary’s “legendary” prowess with men was not something that Gabe wished to discuss. Nor listen to. Ever.
Having concluded his fit of coughing, Gabe gripped Mary’s wrist, removing her hand from its precarious place on his upper thigh and returned it to her own lap.
Her lips brushed his ear and his cock leapt in response. Damn the woman but she was addling his brain something fierce.
“It is your turn,” she whispered. Bloody hell, he could smell the lemon cream on her breath, which only fuelled his ill-timed lust.
Ye cannae have Mary,he told himself. Mary is no’ fer ye.
He played his ace of spades, but damn if he knew what card was played last or what was trump.
Mr. Piper groaned. Gabe supposed it was a bad card to play, then, if his partner was disappointed.
“That was the last rubber,” Lord Sheffield said around his cigar. “Kerr and I win!” He panted happily as he bounced Lady Kellings on his lap. The poor woman’s teeth rattled with the movement.
“I think I’ll drown my sorrows in my latest mistress, wot?” Mr. Piper rose from his seat.
“Whatisher name, anyway?” Lord Kerr drawled.
Mr. Piper raised an eyebrow. “She has large breasts. Does her name matter?”
Gabe forced himself to laugh jovially along with the other three men while he was privately disgusted with the man’s comment. Gabe felt sorry for any woman ill-fated enough to become his mistress.
