“Only because it’s not you. I hate it almost as much as the beard.”
“You’re not the only one.” Ellis had so many questions for him—about his rakehell youth, about his wife, about when he would marry again. Surely he must, for he needed an heir.
She settled on one and met his gaze. His eyes looked like quicksilver in the light of the candles beside the bed. “Your marriage was not a love match, then?” A shadow passed over his expression, dimming its intensity. “My apologies. We were talking about the dowry, and I was only curious. Again, you need only tell me to mind my own business.”
“It was not a love match,” he said, surprising her. “What is your business exactly? Do you plan to be my secretary forever?” He ran his hand down her back, to the crease at the top of her backside. His palm skimmed to one cheek where he squeezed her gently.
Ellis brought her body up and straddled him, her sex covering his as she kept one hand on his chest. “Forever is a very long time. I’d like to remain your secretary for the foreseeable future, provided I can maintain my disguise. I confess I’ve been worried, since you found me out almost immediately, then Margot happened upon us.”
“Then we must be careful, for I would very much like you to be my secretary for as long as you like. I’d also like you to be whatever this is.” He gestured between them. “If you are amenable.”
“Hmm, I’ll have to consider that.” She rotated her hips against him and felt his cock lengthen against her sex. “Perhaps you could persuade me of the benefits of—” she caressed his chest, then bent over him to kiss his neck, “—this.” She dragged her tongue along his throat.
Roman pushed her hair back from her ear and grazed his teeth along the lobe. “Allow me to show you.”
That is what he spent the rest of the night doing, and by the time she left at dawn, after brief snippets of sleep, Ellis returned to her chamber thoroughly convinced.
The following day, Roman couldn’t stop smiling. Because he couldn’t stop thinking of Ellis and spending most of the night in her arms. He’d been searching for an opportunity to kiss her all day, but none had arisen. Desperate, he’d suggested at one point that they close the door to the study.
She’d reminded him that it hadn’t stopped Margot from walking right in and catching them together. Then she’d escaped upstairs to her chamber to work so he couldn’t keep distracting her. He didn’t know if he was flattered or offended. Nevertheless, after she departed, he was also able to focus on work, albeit begrudgingly.
The Laceys were due soon for the weekly acquisitions meeting. They were having it today instead of Thursday since Pritchard would be arriving tomorrow and they would be busy with him.
Roman went upstairs to the library to wait. Once there, he picked up one of the manuscripts Margot had sent him to read and sat in one of the chairs situated near the bookcases. Before he could finish the first page, Ellis walked in.
“There you are,” she said, coming toward him. “I didn’t realize you’d already come upstairs to the library.”
He smiled at her, and Ellis noticed he did that more now. That made her want to smile. “You were looking for me?” He immediately stood and set the manuscript down on the now-vacant chair.
“Not particularly, but the Laceys will be here soon, so I was wondering where you’d gone.”
“Well, now I’m disappointed,” he said with a mock pout.
She schooled her features into a cool stare. “No flirting. It’s hard enough to work so closely together in the study, which is why I felt compelled to leave.”
He sighed. “I’m sure we were both able to accomplish more, lonely as it might have been. Since we have a few minutes before the Laceys will be here, let me show you something.” He led her to the corner near the windows where a large potted palm stood.
Once there, he turned and noticed she hadn’t followed him. “Aren’t you coming?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you trying to maneuver me behind that palm so you can steal a kiss?”
“No, I’m going to show you something you likely haven’t noticed. Humor me whilst we await the Laceys?”
“All right.” She sounded as though she were granting him a large favor as she joined him. “What have I failed to notice in this corner?”
“Have you perused every book on the shelves?”
“I believe so,” she replied.
“So you think.” He arched his brow with a smirk as he crouched down and gestured to the books on the lowest shelf. “You’ve even investigated these?”
“They are crop treatises, if I remember correctly. I confess I passed right over them.”
“Precisely what my father hoped.” Roman tried to pull one of them out and couldn’t. “They’re not really books at all, you see.” Then he pushed on the spine of the book at the end of the shelf. The fake books swung open, and Ellis gasped.
“A secret compartment?” she asked.
Roman nodded. “My father had it built into the bookcase so he could hide his naughty books.”
