On the other hand, what if itwashim? What would he say to her tonight? Would he admit his identity? Honestly, it was fascinating to consider. No doubt he wanted to tell her the truth. She guessed he hadn’t told her last time because she’d been drunk and kissing him. If it truly was him, she could only imagine his guilt.
The truth was that she hoped he would not admit his identity tonight. First, there were no names here at the club. That was a rule for a reason. But there was another reason she didn’t want him to admit who he was, a reason she would only admit to herself. A reason that had come to her in the dead of night and shocked her with both its intensity and its veracity. If Griffin admitted who he was, or if she admitted she knew it was him, she couldn’t kiss him again. Because kissing him again—doing anything scandalous with him again—under any other pretext than pretending they were strangers would be wrong. He was her friend, and she was supposed to be helping him find awife, for heaven’s sake. And the truth was…shedesperatelywanted to kiss him again. Perhaps more importantly, she wanted to find out if he wanted to kissheragain.
So, no, the man she was set to meet tonight wasnotGriffin. He could not be Griffin because she couldn’t go upstairs with Griffin, and she definitely wanted to go upstairs again. If not-Griffin attempted to tell her the truth, she would just have to stop him. Thankfully, the club rules were just the excuse she needed.
“I’m…meeting someone,” Meredith replied to the blond woman who was still indolently watching her. She tried not to stare, but the woman had on more powder and rouge than Meredith had ever seen. Was she a harlot? Oh, she had so many questions for her, but none of them were probably appropriate to ask.
“I’ve got somethin’ fer ye. If ye’re interested.” The lady’s light brows waggled.
Meredith cleared her throat. She’d read of things likeménage à troisand no doubt this was the sort of place where one could partake in such goings on, but how exactly could Meredith make it clear she wasn’t interested? She didn’twant to hurt his woman’s feelings. “I… I don’t think so.” There. Would that suffice?
“Ah, but ye ’aven’t even seen wot I got ta offer.”
To Meredith’s surprise, the woman pulled a short stack of cards from her bodice. She splayed them on the top of the bar in front of Meredith.
“It’s a card game,” the woman explained. “Erotic cards, that is. For ye and yer lover, when ’e arrives, per’aps?”
Erotic? Meredith glanced at the cards. They were covered with men and women in different stages of undress. “Oh,” she murmured, leaning down to take a closer look.Thatwas interesting.
The woman bent over and whispered into Meredith’s ear. By the time the lady had finished detailing precisely how the card game worked, Meredith was quite interested indeed. In fact, it sounded likejustthe game to play with Griffin— No!NotGriffin.Mr. Sapphire. That was his name. That’s what she would call him. Much easier to pretend that way.
If he arrived.
“Two quid,” the woman offered, eyeing Meredith up and down. “Cuz ye look like ye can afford it, me lady.”
Meredith didn’t deny it. She quickly fished in her reticule and pulled out the money. She slid it across the bar top to the woman.
“’ave fun, lovey,” the woman said with a wink before dropping the money into her bodice and disappearing into the crowd.
Meredith gathered the cards and hid them in her own bodice. A small smile popped to her lips as she downed the rest of her glass of champagne. She’d just purchased a scandalous deck of cards. And she had every intention of playing them with a man she was almost certain washer best friend. Whatelsewould she do tonight? With her not-so-mysterious lover? Honestly, she couldn’t wait to find out.
She shook out her shoulders as a slow burn made its way through her body. She’d spent a considerable amount of time fantasizing about tonight. Which was why she was only drinking champagne this evening. She didn’t want Griff—Mr. Sapphire!—to accuse her of being inebriated. Not tonight. Tonight, she wanted him to kiss her again, touch her again. The cards couldn’t hurt either.
When the barkeep came around, she declined a second glass of champagne. Instead, she watched with interest as the masked ladies all around her flirted shamelessly with their gentlemen. She spied them carefully, determined to learn a few things.
Another quarter hour passed before she allowed her gaze to scour the darkened club again. She’d yet to see her Mr. Sapphire, and with each passing moment, she feared that he’d decided against meeting her again. Perhaps that was Griffin’s plan so that he would not have to reveal himself. If he never returned, he would never have to confess. But that also meant that he didn’t want her as much as she wanted him. Had he only gone along with everything last time because she’d been foxed? The thought made her frown. She drummed her fingertips against the bar top. Was this madness? Should she just go home?
Probably.
Perhaps she should have one more glass of champagne. What would it matter if he wasn’t coming? She was about to flag down the barkeep when she felt it. An internal jolt, a sense, aknowing. He was here.
She sat up straight and glanced toward the back of the room just as he stepped through the black curtains. He was wearing his black mask and another dark-blue waistcoat. Her breath caught in her throat. He was so handsome. More handsome than she even remembered. And yes, he was Griffin. She was certain of it now. How could she ever havenotknown? His firm jawline. His broad shoulders. The way he carried himself.Griffin. She made a mental note to be more careful with brandy in future.
He had been searching the crowd, and when she glanced at him again, it only took moments for their gazes to lock. He inclined his head in greeting before making his way unerringly toward her.
When he reached her side, he bowed. “Good evening, my lady.” His deep voice went straight to her core. She shifted on her seat.
His familiar scent, like pine and the ocean, wafted over her. She must have been frightened and inebriated indeed to have not recognized him last time. She wanted to put her arms around his neck and her nose to the crook and breathe him in.
“I’d begun to worry you wouldn’t come back,” she replied, drawing her fingertip along the edge of her bodice to draw his attention to her breasts. The other women here tonight seemed to do that often. An excellent idea.
His eyes were immediately drawn to the spot she’d hoped. Then he eyed her up and down. Tonight she was wearing a ruby-colored gown that was every bit as revealing as the one she’d worn last time. His dark eyes flared. He obviously liked it.
“Never think it,” he replied. “But there’s something I must tell you.”
“Let’s go upstairs first.” No doubt that had sounded particularly forward, but Meredith wasdedicatedto being forward tonight. And she had no intention of listening to his confession if, indeed, that was his intent. Behind these masks, they could be anyone they wanted to be. They weren’t Meredith and Griffin, friends with a complicated history and no business kissing. They were simply two people who wanted each other. They could pretend andkeeppretending. And that’s precisely what Meredith wanted.
Fortunately, he didn’t argue. She watched him hungrily as he ordered two glasses of champagne and requested the key to a room just like last time.
