Evander’s breath caught at that. He stared at Viggo, his blue eyes gleaming brightly and colour staining his cheeks a soft pink. Though they had confessed their feelings for one anothermore times than Viggo could recall, it was the first time he was admitting to them in front of another person.
A soft chuckle had Viggo’s head turning.
Victoria was grinning. “Ah, young love.”
Evander narrowed his eyes. “May I remind Her Imperial Highness that she is but a few years older than me and the same age as Viggo.”
Victoria arched an eyebrow. “It is rude to remind a lady of her age, Evander.”
Viggo swallowed a smile at their easy banter.
It was another hour before Victoria set her empty teacup down.
“Well, this has been thoroughly enlightening,” she said with evident satisfaction. “I do believe we’ll do well together in Europe.” She smiled at them both. “You’re dismissed, gentlemen. I’m sure you have preparations to make before we reach Calais. I look forward to seeing you in Brussels in a few days.”
Evander rose smoothly and bowed. “Thank you for the tea, Princess Victoria.”
“Always a pleasure.” Victoria’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Do try not to scandalise anyone during your European trip. My ladies-in-waiting are already gossiping about the handsome duke and his mysterious Brute.”
Viggo felt his ears burn as he bowed and followed Evander out of the cabin.
They’d barely made it ten feet down the corridor before Viggo spotted an empty storage closet. He grabbed Evander’s arm, yanked him inside, and pulled the door shut behind them.
“Viggo, what—mmph!”
Viggo swallowed the rest of Evander’s protest with his mouth as he pressed him back against the wall, kissing him with all the pent-up tension from the past hour. Evander made astartled sound that quickly melted into a moan, his hands fisting in Viggo’s coat and his mouth opening eagerly under Viggo’s probing tongue.
Evander stared at him with dark, dilated eyes when they finally broke apart, both of them breathing hard.
“I’m sorry,” Evander mumbled. “About Princess Victoria grilling you like that.” He clasped Viggo’s cheek with one hand. “I should have warned you she can be rather?—”
“Terrifying?” Viggo supplied. He turned his head and kissed Evander’s palm. “Perceptive? Unnervingly intelligent?”
“All of the above.” Evander’s expression turned rueful. “She’s always been like that. Even as a child, she had a way of seeing right through people.”
Viggo cupped Evander’s face, his thumb brushing across the duke’s swollen lower lip. “How did she know about us?”
Evander hesitated fractionally. “She knows me well, as you’ve likely realised. She could see it in my eyes.”
Viggo studied his lover’s face in the dim light filtering through the crack in the door. Something in Evander’s tone rang false. Not quite a lie, but not the complete truth either.
“Evander,” Viggo said quietly. “What aren’t you telling me?”
The duke’s jaw tightened. “I—” He stopped, clearly wrestling with something. “Prince Albert may have mentioned something to his sister. About us.”
Viggo went very still, the shock reverberating through him so strong he wondered how he was still standing.
“How the hell does Prince Albert know about our relationship?!”
Evander hushed him.
“I don’t know,” he finally said, his frustration bleeding through. “Victoria suggested he might have someone spying on my household. Reporting every—” He broke off, colour flooding his cheeks. “Every detail of what occurs under my roof.”
Horror and fury warred in Viggo’s chest. “You’re saying the Queen’s son has been watching us? Watching you?”
“Possibly.” Evander’s hands tightened on Viggo’s coat. “Viggo, you need to understand—Albert is harmless. Reckless and foolish, yes, but he wouldn’t deliberately try to harm me or expose our relationship.”
“How can you be certain?” Viggo growled.
