Page 51 of The Gambler Wagers Her Baron

Payton stared up at him, hurt and confusion furrowing her brow, the appearance of an unvoiced question upon her lips.

Damon cleared his throat as he took another large step back, fisting his hands at his sides.

“I think it is time I retire.” His voice was thick with an emotion he couldn’t identify. Didn’t want to name.

Desire, longing—need.

Or remorse, regret—and betrayal?

“Good evening, Miss Samuels,” he stuttered. “I am sorry I kept you. I can care for the children for the afternoon and night. Do continue with your evening plans.”

He stared over her shoulder and down the deserted hall, not daring to meet her eyes and see the hurt he’d created. It was not enough that his children were growing attached to Payton, now he was falling under her spell. They would all suffer the loss when she left them.

Damon could not risk losing another person he cared for.

He felt lighter, an increasingly prevalent weight having been lifted from his burdened shoulders. Yet, at the same time, his past collided with their kiss. Payton had offered him a piece of herself, and he was faltering, terrified to accept it for fear of what might come of it.

“Good evening.” He gave her a stiff bow and brushed past her, his stare trained down the corridor and focused on his escape.

Chapter 16

Payton stumbled along the hallway outside Joy’s bedchambers, her fingers pressed to her hot, swollen lips, and glanced up and down the hall. Lord Ashford had disappeared. Somewhere deep in the townhouse, a door shut with more force than was necessary. Had he fled to his study, the library, or his private chambers?

She exhaled the breath she’d held since he—Damon—had pulled away from their kiss.

What had she been thinking?

Blood rushed through her veins as the knot in her stomach loosened. She hadn’t been thinking…not at all.

She’d kissed the baron.

Kissed him while his daughter slept just out of view…after nearly drowning in a pond.

While her heart slowed, her lips still pulsed in time with the beat.

They’d shared a private, emotional experience, and she’d misread his intentions. His desires. His wants.

The last thing she’d been thinking about was her evening plans. For once, Payton hadn’t been dwelling on departing Ashford Hall to find a gaming house, nor escaping the baron and his children. She’d actually longed for him to hold her close, even if it were only for a short time. Instead, he’d pulled away and told her to leave.

She hadn’t wanted to leave with Joy in such a state—the child was her responsibility. She should be at her bedside.

When she made no move, he’d fled.

Her time in the baron’s household had finally become bearable. She and the children had come to understand one another. She’d settled into a companionable relationship with the other servants. And the baron had blessedly begun to spend more time with his children; which they desperately needed. And through all of this, she was earning a decent wage.

And she’d ruined it all.

There was no way she could stay in the baron’s household now.

It would be surprising if he didn’t release her by morning. She’d known the time would eventually come for her to move on, but she wasn’t ready. Hadn’t thought this moment would happen so soon. What had happened to her? She’d been planning her departure from Ashford Hall since the day she’d been given the post. Never was the thought of what was to come next far from her mind. When had she stopped looking toward her future?

Perhaps Damon was correct. She should continue as she’d planned, act as if their kiss meant nothing. They’d both been overwhelmed with fright over Joy. They’d both shared a piece of themselves. They’d both found themselves lost in their own vulnerability.

It was as simple as that. Their intimacy wasn’t born of any innate connection, but their own personal hurt and anguish.

Perhaps an evening away from Ashford Hall was exactly what Payton needed. She could only hope that by morning, the baron would have put behind him what happened and not release her from her position.

She hurried to her chambers to retrieve her cloak and her meager stash of coins. She had no urge to find a gaming table. Not this night. The distraction of the baron’s kiss would be enough to have her so unfocused she’d risk losing what little she’d saved that week.