The valet was excellent at his job. Thomas was shaved, combed, and neatly attired in less time than it would have taken him to find his smalls. He thanked the man and enquired as to where the nursery was located. The servant furrowed his brow in confusion but gave Thomas clear directions regarding a set of side stairs at the end of the northern wing that would take him to the third floor. From there, he could traverse the entire length of the upper level to the southern side, where the nursery was located. There was no central staircase from the third floor to the rest of the house. It could only be accessed from stairs on the northern guest and southern family wings, which allowed the children to be more easily kept separate from the public parts of the house. A safety measure, and also practical for a duchess who seemingly had no interest in regular contact with any children, even her orphaned niece.
He dismissed the young man, gave himself a final glance in the mirror, then opened his door, intent on hunting down Clio.
The fates were smiling on Thomas, because as he stepped out of his own room, the unmistakable click of another latch sounded across the hall. Awareness, hot and spiky, had his hair raising andhis gut clenching. He knew it was Clio seconds before she opened the door.
Her gaze found his immediately, and she froze. Sir Robin, perched resolutely on her shoulder, cocked his head and blinked an obsidian eye at Thomas. ‘Bastard!’
‘And a lovely morning to you, Sir Robin.’
The bird ruffled his feathers, and if a raven could have harrumphed, Thomas suspected that is what Sir Robin did.
He shifted his focus to Clio. Her morning dress was a graphic affair of crimson with large black silhouetted flowers splashed over it. The colour enhanced her cherry lips and the slight flush painting her high cheeks. The bodice was cut with clean lines, lacking any frills. The simplicity drew attention to her luscious figure. A flash of her the night before, hands tied over her head, hair tumbling down in a cascade of midnight silk, breasts thrust forward, shielded only by the thin gauze of her cotton gown, had his cock hardening and his mouth watering for a single taste of her.
One taste will never be enough.
Fear flared. Is this what it felt like to fall under a witch’s spell? Because this was nothing like falling in love with Lissa. Even in the height of their happiness, he never craved her the way he did Clio. But Lissa had never been completely honest with him. Not from the beginning. It was something Thomas was only starting to realise. She told Thomas what he wanted to hear, not what she truly felt.
Clio couldn’t be more opposite. She was happy to explain exactly what she wanted from Thomas, and it wasn’t forever. It was now. And only now.
A part of him found the entire thing ironically amusing. He was seducing the perfect woman. Someone who had no interest in anything lasting. Which meant Thomas couldn’t hurt her when their liaison came to an end. And if he found himself more attachedthan he wanted, it would be his pain to bear when they broke ties with one another. He could live with that.
‘Grey.’ Her terse morning greeting belied the spark and sizzle of heat between them. ‘I wasn’t aware Lady Langley had placed us in such close proximity.’ Clio shut the door behind her with a definitive click. She looked down the hall. ‘Is your sister on this wing as well?’
Thomas raised an eyebrow. ‘I’ve no idea. I would guess not. Lady Langley likes to keep her friends close and her potential paramours at a distance. I suppose she wouldn’t want me seeing who was coming in and out of her bedroom for fear it might deter my interest.’ He couldn’t stop the wicked smile.
Clio raised a brow. ‘Are you?’
‘Interested in Lady Langley?’ He let the silence tighten between them before slowly shaking his head. ‘I thought I made my intentions clear last night.’
Shrugging, Clio turned to walk towards the centre staircase. ‘I only meant, we didn’t discuss the particulars of our agreement.’
Thomas lengthened his step to catch her, deftly placing his hand around her waist to settle on her opposite hip. He applied pressure, guiding her in a tight pivot.
Sir Robin fluttered his wings to keep his perch and cawed his objection to such an abrupt change in direction.
‘What are you doing?’ Clio turned to face him. If she were taller, her mouth would have been close enough to claim as he kept her at his side. He nearly bent down but held himself in check.
‘You are going the wrong way. And I recall us talking specifically of rules. No penetration, honesty, and I stop when you ask.’ He ticked them off his fingers, then stopped them both. ‘In the spirit of honesty, I must say I’m relieved your neck has healed so well.’
She reached up to cover her throat. No doubt her magic potions had been employed the night before. He was glad of it. But sheclearly didn’t think he would notice, or perhaps she assumed he would reject such a display of her powers. Defying her expectations was becoming one of his new favourite things.
‘You are a remarkably beautiful woman, Clio Blair.’
Before she could respond to that particular piece of honesty, he turned and continued down the corridor. He had her off balance as they walked deeper into the shadows.
With no windows in the hall and the candles extinguished from the night before, the morning light couldn’t pierce the gloom as they came closer to the northern stairs.
‘Would you like to add another rule to our list?’ He asked the question lightly, but his heart pounded.
‘What do you suggest?’ Her voice held a breathless quality that tightened his belly.
‘We do not dally with others during our time together.’
Clio stopped walking. ‘Where are you taking me?’ She was avoiding his question.
‘To the nursery. Of course. Did you wish to go elsewhere?’
Anger brightened her amber eyes. ‘How do you know this leads us to the nursery?’
