“They won’t ask you about it. But it will surely pique their curiosity, and they may discuss it downstairs.”
“I suppose.” Roman found her knowledge of servants’ gossip noteworthy.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ellis gave up on trying to press the hair to her face and exhaled with resignation. “I’ll purchase some as soon as I can.”
“What shall we do about dinner?” Roman asked. “I’m assuming you didn’t eat, since you planned not to, and you weren’t inside long enough to have done.”
“I don’t want to dine together if that’s what you’re suggesting.” She tucked her facial hair back into her breeches pocket. “I can’t get my beard back on, so I’ll have to go straight to my room. And we can’t take dinner in there alone together.”
They could, but he understood why they shouldn’t. “Just keep your head down when we go inside, and I’ll provide cover as you race for the stairs. I’ll have dinner sent up to your room.”
She met his gaze. “You are very kind. I appreciate the effort you take to guard my secret.”
“I don’t want to lose you as my secretary.” He relied on her. He enjoyed her. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. “It’s quite selfish of me.”
The air between them crackled with energy. Stark lust flashed through Roman, and he had a powerful urge to leap across the coach and kiss her. Then he envisioned a great many sordid things involving the removal of her clothing. His cock hardened.
The coach came to a stop in front of the house, and Roman took a deep breath to calm his racing pulse. “It’s good we arrived, or I think we’d be in trouble,” he whispered.
Ellis’s attention flicked to his erection. “I agree.”
“You must precede me from the coach,” he said. “I need a moment.”
She nodded. “Understood.”
The coachman opened the door, and Ellis cast him a darkly brazen stare. Then, as she descended, she flipped the tail of her coat in such a way that he had a clear and thoroughly arousing view of her backside in the too-tight breeches.
Roman groaned softly. “Minx.”
He sat in the coach for a long moment before departing. She was already inside, and he realized he’d failed to provide her cover while she dashed upstairs, but that was her fault. She’d taunted him, and she bloody well knew it.
Roman needed to have dinner, but first he would have hers sent up. Then he needed to frig himself.
They were playing a dangerous game, and Roman didn’t want to stop.
Chapter 8
The following afternoon, they climbed into the carriage once more to go to the New Bond Street library branch to meet with Mr. Inman. This time, Roman preceded Ellis into the coach, and he sat on the forward-facing seat. He was trying to behave as he ought, which was as her employer and treating her as though she were male.
Ellis set her notebook on her lap, then almost immediately transferred it to the seat and adopted more of a sprawl. She wasn’t copying Roman just then, but he knew she was trying to affect a more masculine posture.
Once they were moving, she glanced at him. “If it’s acceptable to you, I should like to have this evening off.”
“Are you going to fetch adhesive?” he asked. “I could accompany you.”
“That is not what I’m doing,” she said. “And before you ask, it’s none of your affair.”
“Will you at least tell me where you’re going and how you plan to get there?”
“Regardless of what you think, my lord, I am not your responsibility. I appreciate your concern, but what I do in my free time is my business.” She arched a brow at him. “Do you ask other members of your household what they do and how they do it?”
Roman flinched inwardly. He did not do that, but other members of his household were not masquerading as the opposite sex, nor were they hiding from people. Nor had he taken a particular interest in them as he had with Ellis.
“I’m happy to escort you wherever you need to go,” he said. “Or I will simply give you the use of my coach. I assume wherever you’re going, you’ll be dressed as you currently are.”
“I can’t leave your house any other way.” She hesitated before adding, “It would be convenient to use your coach, but I don’t think I want your coachman speculating about my destination.” She grimaced faintly, then turned her head toward the window.
Now Roman was concerned about her plans. “Why would he speculate about your destination? Where are you going?”
