The more she thought about it, the more anxious she was to see the place. The Rose Room had a reputation among the ton as one of the best clubs in London. Although not a known fact when it first opened, now most everyone was aware that the Earl of Huntington was one of the owners. That had attached quite a bit of notoriety and curiosity to the place.
“Driscoll’s wife worked there. As a dealer.”
“How did you know that?”
She grinned at his scowl. “I work as a spy, remember?”
Dante offered a very deep and exaggerated sigh. “Very well. Be ready at eight o’clock tomorrow night. I will escort you through the back door and up to the second floor where the offices are. There is an area where you can stand and observe the floor without being seen.”
Lydia grinned. “See. There is always a solution to any problem.”
Dante rested his hands on her shoulders. “Yes. But the solution to some problems tend to be worse than the problem itself.” With those cryptic words he touched his lips briefly to her forehead and hurried down the steps.
There was no doubt in Dante’s mind that he’d taken leave of his senses almost from the minute he’d first laid eyes upon Miss Lydia Sanford.
Yes, she was beautiful. No, she was not a giggling debutante. Yes, she was smart, bold, witty, and gracious. Had he been in the market for a wife, and she for a husband, they would make an excellent match. But he wasn’t, and she wasn’t. However, she was certainly worldly enough and old enough to indulge in a brief affair.
He pushed to the back of his mind the thought that an affair with Lydia would not be brief. The fire and passion he felt in her body each time he’d kissed her told him it would take quite a long time to have his fill of her.
If ever.
These thoughts ruminated through his mind the next evening as he made his way up the steps to her townhouse to escort her to the club.
He wondered if he hadn’t made a mistake by taking her to his place of business. They should really keep their contact strictly professional and not become involved in any other
way. With those mixed feelings, he dropped the knocker on the door and it swiftly opened.
“Mr. Rose, Miss Sanford awaits you in the drawing room. If you would follow me.” The strange little butler led him up the stairs to the first floor, then down the corridor to the drawing room.
Lydia sat on a settee sipping a glass of sherry. She stood as he entered. “Good evening. I thought you might want a drink before we left.”
Dante nodded and walked to the sideboard where an array of liquor bottles sat. “Ordinarily I do not drink before I work, but since I will not allow a lady to drink by herself. . .”
Once he poured two fingers of brandy into a snifter, he joined her on the settee. Swirling the brown liquid around, he said, “I suggest we travel in your carriage so you can return when you wish. I stay until after the club closes.”
Lydia shook her head. “No. If this is to be my only visit to the famous Rose Room, I want to stay all night.”
His brows rose.
She blushed. “I mean until the club closes.”
Dante took a sip of his drink. “I thought for a minute you knew we had a bedroom there and wished to make use of it.” He grinned. “I would be more than happy to join you, of course. Good manners and all that.”
Dante wished the words back immediately. He’d just gone through a self-lecture on keeping their relationship on a professional basis. Truth be known, never having a relationship with a woman that did not involve carnal pursuits he was out of his territory, so he was bound to make mistakes.
Lydia finished her sherry and placed the glass on the table in front of her. “I appreciate the offer, Mr. Rose, but I’m afraid I must decline.”
“Ah. I am not surprised.” He downed his brandy and stood. She turned and headed to the door and he followed her downstairs to the entrance hall, all the time admiring the sway of her lovely backside.
The black satin dress she wore, fitted to her curvaceous body, with small cap sleeves had his mouth watering. Some sort of sparkles had been sewn to the bodice and where the gown wrapped tightly against her stomach to gather in the back into a slight bustle.
Smooth white skin rose above the neckline, calling attention to the beautiful globes and the slim column of her neck. A diamond and onyx necklace rested against her alabaster skin, teasing the tops of her breasts, as well as him. Black feathers decorated her hair, swooping down to barely touch her left ear.
He had the urge to throw one of the rugs under the seat of his carriage over her and carry her into the club, then lock her into the bedroom so no one else would see her. “I will not comment on your gown, which is lovely, but your brain is a bit scant tonight.”
She pulled the shawl tighter against her body. “This is a perfectly respectable gown.”
“I certainly appreciate it.” As did his body which was doing odd things to him. Aside from the instant erection when he walked into the drawing room, his hands itched to caress her soft skin and his mouth craved to plunge his tongue into her sweet mouth and possess her. Completely.