“And hope we didn’t miss the last exchange,” Gray said, staring off in the distance.
“If we have, then we’ll find another way,” Asher said, forcing his tone to be stronger than he felt. His mind turned away from questions about his father and moved instead to Felicity. To what she needed, to his driving need to save her from the past, from the worst possible future. “For Felicity, we have to. We have to.”
Gray’s expression shifted then, like he, too, was thinking of Felicity, and he nodded. “You’re right, Asher. We’ll find a way.”
And Asher prayed they could. Anything less was unbearable.
Chapter Thirteen
“Goodnight, Cora,” Felicity said as her maid went to the door. “Thank you for all your assistance.”
“You know I’m always happy to help.”
Felicity smiled at her. “Yes, you always have been. Whatever happens, I hope you know you will be well taken care of. If the worst happens.”
Cora’s face fell. “Don’t speak so, my lady. I have faith and so should you.” She shifted as if she realized she’d gone too far. “Pleasant dreams.”
She shut the door and Felicity’s smile drifted away. “My dreams are never pleasant,” she muttered.
“Perhaps I can help with that.”
She spun around to find Asher standing in the entrance between her sitting room and her bedchamber. The last time she’d seen him was earlier that night at Stenfax’s. He’d left supper immediately after they’d eaten, saying he had to catch up on his work now that he was in London.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, moving toward him a step. “Howare you here?”
“The how is simple,” he said, not yet moving into the chamber, though she could see him leaning like he was waiting in desperation to do so. “Servants know the servant tricks.”
She stepped another step toward him and pressed her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart beating fast beneath her fingers.
“You—you are no servant,” she whispered.
A slight shadow fell over his face, but he said, “Funny, because I am here to serve.”
She gasped as she looked up at him. When they left the country, she had assumed their passionate connection would be abandoned. After all, she had been the one to drive it up to this point, and it wasn’t as if she could just step down the hall anymore and knock on his door.
But he was here. And they were alone. And she wanted him so desperately.
“If you want to give me something,” she said, holding his gaze, “I have a request.”
He finally moved into the room and gently drew her closer. Into his embrace. Against his chest. And she shook with the power of that.
The power of him.
“Anything you desire,” he whispered.
“I want you to take me,” she said, her hands beginning to shake when he froze. “Stop holding back. I know you’ll never stay, so I just want you togiveme this.”
He was breathing heavy and his hands tightened around her waist, bunching a handful of the material of her robe in his fist. “You’ll regret this, Felicity.”
She shook her head. “You keep telling me how I’ll feel, but I won’t. I won’t regret it. Because I understand the limitations. So, please. Please, Asher. Won’t you do this for me?”
His eyes squeezed shut and he went perfectly still, frozen in place like her words had put some kind of spell over him. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, only see the struggle working over his expression. She waited, hardly patiently, but silently, for him to reply. To step away or finally bind them together in the way she’d always dreamed.
His eyes came open and he stared at her at last. His gaze was dark and hooded, focused and far too seeing. Then he slowly nodded.
“Denying you has been like denying myself breath,” he said softly. “And whatever my hesitations, I can’t do it anymore. I…can’t.”
Her heart began to throb. She’d been telling him, telling herself, that this was what she wanted for so long. And yet now that he acquiesced she felt terror as much as excitement.
