The sun threatened to rise, and so did Austin’s guilt.
He should have stopped, but he did not want to. Deena’s body pulled him to her; her lips called to him, and her voice tempted every inch of him. Knowing that she could be a potential enemy struck fear and distrust in Austin, and yet it did not change the fact that he was attracted to her.
The moment her gown was discarded, and she’d gasped his name like a plea?—
Enough.
“Austin?” Deena’s head rose groggily off his chest, her curls framed her face perfectly, and Austin couldn’t help but admire her even with her tousled hair and puffy eyes.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He grinned at her, and she grunted softly.
He should have said his goodbyes then, but instead he leaned towards her and kissed her forehead. Deena sighed contentedly.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked as she slowly rolled off him and onto the sheet next to him.
“You looked so at peace… I couldn’t disturb you.” Austin fought the urge to pull her back to him.
Control yourself.
He had sworn to Dominic he would look after her, not ruin her.
Yet here he was, fully aroused yet satisfied in the middle of Deena’s bed like he belonged there.
Deena sighed, a small sound that had a huge effect on him. She nestled beside him. The scent of her filled his lungs and made his departure feel physically impossible.
“I should?—”
“About Penelope?—”
Their heads whipped to each other when they both spoke at the same time. Her words left him intrigued, and all plans to escape were forgotten.
“Do go on?” he prompted her. He reached and gently brushed his fingers over her dainty shoulder.
Deena let out a small sigh of pleasure and tilted her head just enough to look at him. Her lips were still swollen and dark from his kisses, but her eyes remained unreadable.
“My friend, Penelope, is pregnant.”
Austin froze, then frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Deena kept her eyes on the crumpled linen. “Penelope is an English friend. I met her at a convent near Paris.”
“A convent?” Realization slowly dawned on him.
Deena lowered her gaze. “Penelope’s been…sneaking out to meet her lover for months and—” She took a deep breath in. “And I helped her.”
Austin struggled to hold back the bark of laughter. “You helped anunfall pregnant?—”
“She is not a nun!” Deena’s glare sliced through him and cut him short.
He cleared his throat. “I apologize, my lady, please continue?”
Her lip twitched, but she remained serious as she continued. “Penelope is the daughter of the Marquess of Ravenshire. She was exiled to the convent, which her father donated to regularly,when he had found love letters between her and a viscount’s son.”
“I do not understand. How do you fit into this?” he asked curiously.
“I…stood watch for her when her lover visited her. I lied to the sisters for her; they were ordered to watch her. She was not pregnant when she arrived there, but now it won’t be long until she’s showing. We’re waiting for her lover to come back from London with money so they can elope before Mother Superior finds out and reports it to her father.”
Austin sat very still. “So, this is who you’re protecting.”
