“Very careful,” Griffin agreed, leaning in to kiss him once more before he backed away. “Now, what say we find out next clue?”
Aaron nodded and moved toward the front of the icehouse. “Yes. That would probably be best.”
Only he knew neither of them was thinking of what wasbestright now. He only hoped giving in to passion wouldn’t cause worse problems in the future.
Chapter Four
Griffin sat at his aunt’s long supper table and couldn’t help but smile. His thoughts kept drifting back to those moments with Aaron at the icehouse that afternoon. Touching him, tasting him, making him convulse with pleasure…damn, but a man could live on those moments.
“You look very pleased for a man who did not win the prize at the scavenger hunt today,” Jack Blackwood said, elbowing him to motion to the small medal now pinned to his chest. A matching one for the ladies teams was pinned to his cousin Evan’s wife Josie’s gown.
Griffin arched a brow. “I’m fairly certain you cheated,” he teased. “And is that just a farthing with a pin attached?”
Jack grinned as he reached up to touch the award. “You never know when a farthing will come in handy, Griffin. This could well be a lifesaving award someday.”
Griffin bowed his head as if to concede the point. Then he looked down the table at Letty, who was chatting with Aaron. Seeing her talk to him and now knowing what she’d been through was sobering. She was so forgiving, even in the face of pain.
“Letty looks happy,” Griffin said with a smile.
Jack nodded and his face lit up with pleasure. “I hate these gatherings—give me dinner with one friend at a time over this. But she adores arranging and planning. It is her nature to take care of everyone in the room.”
Griffin tensed at those words. “Yes, it seems that is true. She’s always been that way, reaching out to those who needed it.”
Jack let out a long breath. “Your father once told me she liked to collect birds with broken wings. He was, of course, referring to me being one of them.”
Griffin glanced at his brother-in-law. “He grew to like you, though.”
“Indeed, he did.” Jack frowned. “You have a great deal more responsibility now that he’s gone.”
Griffin nodded. “Yes. And it’s…complicated. But Aaron—Mr. Condit—has offered to assist so that takes some of the pressure off my mind. Do you…do you think Letty would approve of our friendship?”
Jack looked at Aaron and Letty, and shrugged. “Letty will approve of anything that will make you happy or more at ease. You know that.”
Perhaps the answer should have made Griffin feel better, but it didn’t. Jack’s words were a reminder that not only did Letty do everything to make others happy, but she sometimes did it at a deficit to herself. If she found out what was truly between him and Aaron, would that hurt her? Would she even tell him if it did?
Those were Aaron’s fears, of course. And they were valid. Yet even with all that on his mind, Griffin still wanted Aaron with a power that was actually terrifying. One taste hadn’t been enough. He wanted more.
And they’d already promised to be careful.
Jack patted his arm as Letty sent him a nod down the table. “I suppose I have a duty to do now, excuse me.” He rose to his feet. “Gentlemen, why don’t we retire to the Blue Room for port? We’ll join the ladies later in the Green Room.”
Everyone rose and began to move, the rustle of gowns and the murmur of voices filling the space. Jack stepped forward to speak to his brother War, and the others began to walk out of the room to their various parlors when Griffin finally got up. As he did so, he caught Aaron watching him from the corner of his eye.
Griffin moved toward him with a small smile that Aaron didn’t return. He fell into step beside him and said, “Did you enjoy supper?”
Aaron bobbed out a curt nod. “I did.”
“The soup was especially good.”
Aaron shot him a glare. “What doesthatmean?”
Griffin blinked at the defensiveness of his tone. “That I…like…pea…soup?” he said slowly.
Aaron stared straight ahead. “I see. Perhaps we shouldn’t be seen talking to each other.”
Griffin looked around. They were the last in the line of gentlemen going to the parlor, the ladies had already peeled off to go to their gathering place.
“No one is even paying attention to us, Aaron.”
