Matthew found his fists tightening in his lap. There was a flare of protectiveness that he didn’t want rising in his chest. Something Isabel surely hadn’t earned.
And yet…
“She seemed sincere in her terror on the subject. She said he couldn’t ever know what she did. That she came to me at first because she wanted…it doesn’t matter what she wanted. Once she knew the truth of my identity, she came the second time to investigate me. Of her own volition.”
Baldwin pursed his lips. “And you believe her?”
Matthew shut his eyes. He could see Isabel so clearly now, those big, dark eyes holding his. Those full lips trembling as she begged him to believe her despite the fact that she had lied. And then the feeling of those lush lips when he claimed them once more. Despite what she had done. Despite what and who she was.
He shook away the thoughts and got to his feet.
“I don’t know what I believe,” he admitted.
Baldwin nodded slowly. “I think that’s fair. To not know, I mean. After all, it’s a complicated situation. Perhaps you don’t have to know what you believe all at once, when you are overwhelmed by all the aspects of this unexpected development. I think a better question might be, what do you plan to do?”
Matthew moved to the fire and stared at the flames. Everything had happened such a short time ago. His world had been suddenly flipped, both by the realization of what and who Isabel was and by the fact that it didn’t change the pulsing desire he somehow felt for her.
And he hated himself for that. Deeply.
“I don’t know that either,” he whispered. “My gut tells me that I must stay far away.”
He heard those words come from his lips, and immediately they sounded wrong. Staying away wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to dive further into this. To understand her motives more. To try to discover why he was so drawn to her when he had not allowed himself to be drawn to anyone in such a long time.
Baldwin pushed to his feet, oblivious to the thoughts in Matthew’s mind. “I understand that,” he said slowly. “I even agree it would be for the best.”
“Yes, for the best.” His voice sounded hollow and far away.
“And it shouldn’t be so difficult to avoid this woman. You’ve done so with her uncle for years. That party tonight was unexpected, but we will all be more vigilant about invitations from now on.”
Matthew found himself nodding, but he didn’t believe what he was agreeing to. In truth, he had the impression that avoiding Isabel might be harder than his friend imagined. Especially since the coiled desire inside of him turned him into a wolf, more like Robert than any of his other friends.
And that wolf inside told him one thing: to chase her. Not run.
Isabel staggered as she reentered the ballroom, her head spinning wildly and her lips hot and tingling from Matthew’s hard and passionate kiss. Her heart fluttered as she scanned the room, but did not find him. Had he left? Was he hiding? Was he going to publicly expose her?
She had not taken two steps into the chamber when her uncle appeared at her elbow.
“There you are,” he said, his tone odd and echoing and faraway.
She turned to face him and found he was staring at her with an expression as strange as the tone of his voice. Heat rushed to her cheeks, as she feared she might be showing the strength of her reaction all over her face.
That would not do.
“Hello, Uncle Fenton,” she said, her voice shaking. “Were you looking for me?”
“You disappeared from the ballroom,” he said.
She swallowed. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I went to the retiring room to gather myself. I have a bit of a headache.” The lies fell from her lips a little too easily. But then, that was what she was becoming: a liar. Matthew certainly thought so.
Her uncle tilted his head. “Funny, I looked for you in the retiring room.”
She froze. If Fenton knew what she had done with a man he so deeply despised…oh, it would be very bad, indeed. He could never know. Never.
“We must have just missed each other,” she breathed.
He looked at her more closely. “Yes. Well, if your headache is still troubling you, perhaps we should end our night a bit early.”
She nearly collapsed with relief. “Oh, thank you, uncle!” She clasped his arm with both her hands. “You do not know how much I want exactly that.”
