“I’m not?” Griffin’s brows shot up and the point of his tongue came out to barely touch the edge of his mouth.
Her skin heated. Dear God. Why was she noticing things like the location of Griffin’s tongue all of a sudden?
“What’s your secret?” he drawled, taking another sip of champagne.
Meredith lifted her chin. “Why would I tell you my secret when you refuse to tell me yours?”
Griffin’s eyes rolled heavenward. “Because you cannot keep a secret to save your mortal soul, and because you obviously want to tell me or you wouldn’t have brought it up.”
Meredith frowned. There were times when someone knowing you so well was quite inconvenient. Annoying, really. But Griffin was correct. Ever since she’d talked to Clare and got her much-needed encouragement, Meredith was dying to tell Griff her secret.
“Very well.” She moved closer and motioned for him to lean down so she could whisper in his ear.
Meredith’s wordswere a hot puff at Griffin’s neck that made him clench his fist and struggle to remember that she was telling him a secret. “I intend to take a lover.”
Hemusthave heard her incorrectly. He straightened back up to his full height and stared down at her as if she was a mermaid who had somehow managed to flap herself into a London ballroom. His chest was clenched so tight he couldn’t breathe. “You’re going towhat?”
“Shh. Keep your voice down. And I believe you heard me,” Meredith replied, taking a small sip from her champagne glass. Her eyes were bright, and a playful smile appeared on her pink lips. Dear God. She was serious, and she was…proud of herself?
“Why this sudden desire to… to…?” He couldn’t even say the blasted words.
“Take a lover?” she supplied helpfully.
“Yes.” He tugged at his cravat. The damned thing was strangling him.
“What?” She gave him an impish grin. “It’s not uncommon for widows to take lovers. I’m hardly an old woman.”
“I’m aware,” Griffin choked out. Indeed, she wasnotan old woman. She was gorgeous and desirable and her breasts in that gown were driving him slowly mad. But still. Griffin cleared his throat. “Why the sudden desire to…?” No. He couldnotsay the words.
“Take a lover?” Meredith repeated, laughing. “I’ve decided that the two of us are getting quite boring in our old age.”
“As you just pointed out, we’re hardly in our dotage,” he grumbled.
“Precisely,” Meredith replied, “but you wouldn’t know it by our actions. All we do is sit around the house reading, talking, and drinking tea.”
He drew his brows together. “I happen to like reading, talking, and drinking tea.”
“I do too, but we’re going to waste away there. It’s time, Griffin. It’s time to live our lives. That’s why you shall finally marry, and I shall?—”
Griffin closed his eyes. “Don’t say it again,” he demanded through clenched teeth. He downed the rest of his glass of champagne, took hers, downed the rest of that, and placed both glasses on the tray of another passing footman. “Let’s dance.”
He didn’t wait for her response, only pulled her along behind him toward the floor and swung her into his arms as a waltz began to play.
“My, this news seems to have upset you, Your Grace,” Meredith said when they were facing each other again.
A slight growl issued from Griffin’s throat. “You know I hate it when you call me that.”
“Yes, well. You’re a duke and I’m a duchess and we havebecome two of the most stuck-in-our-ways people I know,” Meredith replied, still grinning.
“There are other ways to find amusement,” Griffin shot back.
“Oh? Do tell.” Meredith blinked at him. “Whist? Charades? Playing the pianoforte?”
“What’s wrong with the pianoforte?” More growling.
“It’s boring.”
Griffin clenched his jaw. Too many thoughts were roiling through his brain. He didn’t know how he was able to speak. Meredith had managed to shock him. Her aversion to marriage was something Griffin had not attempted to talk her out of. Yet. But he’d never guessed she’d say something like… Dear God.She wanted to take a lover. Of course unattached women in their circles did such things, but Griffin had never thought for a moment thatMeredithwould. Meredith just seemed so…content with her life as it was.
