Desire (Notorious 3)

“Grayson…” she repeated, her frustration welling. “What about the… object that doesn’t belong to you?”

He reached into his pocket and pressed the ring into her hand. “Here, take it.”

Her fingers closing over the cold metal, Brynn pasted a sweet smile on her lips for the benefit of the footmen. “If you ever do anything like this again, dear brother…” she murmured.

“I know, you’ll have my head for fish bait.” He gave her a forced grin. “But this has saved my life, whether you realize it or not.”

He kissed her cheek again and took his leave. Brynn shivered as she watched him go, wondering if Gray could possibly be serious about his life being at stake.

The moment the front door had shut behind him, Brynn turned and slipped into the study, intending to restore the ring to its proper place.

She had just reached for the desk drawer when Lucian spoke behind her. “Can I help you find something, love?”

Brynn jumped in alarm and spun to face him. Meeting his blue eyes always jolted her, but this time they were particularly penetrating. She stared back at him, wondering with a sense of desperation what excuse she could possibly give him for being here.

“I’m curious to know what has you so fascinated with this room.”

“N-nothing,” she replied, knowing she was stammering again. “I… I am missing an earring. I thought perhaps I might have dropped it here yesterday.”

When Lucian moved toward her, she took a step backward. His gaze raked over her, taking in her dishabille, from her hair tumbling wildly over her shoulders, to her wrapper that she had donned over her nightdress, to her bare feet.

“Perhaps you should have put on shoes,” he murmured, coming to stand before her.

She swallowed hard. “I… didn’t have time. I wanted to say farewell to my brother.”

“Weren’t you concerned you would drive the footmen wild, roaming the house in that state of undress?”

“I am perfectly well concealed,” she replied much too breathlessly. “More so than when I wear evening attire.”

Lucian’s chiseled mouth curved in a smile. “For evening, you don’t normally wear your hair loose and flowing like that, looking as if you’ve just left your bed. You might give a thought to us poor mortals, siren,” he added before his smile suddenly faded.

His charming remark had been automatic; part of the habitual seductive manner of a rake, Brynn realized. But he had evidently remembered whom he was addressing.

His expression was solemn as he reached up to smooth a curling tress back from her face, but when his fingers brushed her temple, Brynn flinched. She was certain he hadn’t meant his touch to be arousing, but it seared her as if it were a brand.

Uneasily she returned his gaze. Lucian was very, very still. Spellbound. She recognized the carnal haze in his eyes.

She drew a sharp breath, knowing she would have to act to break the enchantment.

When his gaze dropped to her mouth, she forced herself to smile coldly.

As if he had no control over his actions, he reached up to caress her lower lip with his thumb. His voice was incredibly husky when he murmured almost to himself, “You play the ice maiden so well. It dares a man to try melting you.”

He could melt her quite easily if she allowed him, Brynn knew, feeling her pulse quicken wildly.

It took all her willpower to maintain her pretense of chill disinterest. “You aren’t alone,” she replied, injecting frost into her voice. “Any number of gentlemen feel that way.”

His hand dropped as if he had touched hot coals, while the seductive warmth abruptly left his eyes.

“I will be away for the remainder of the day,” he said tersely before turning on his heel and quitting the study.

Brynn let out a shuddering breath. Suddenly remembering her purpose, she turned back to the desk and dropped Lucian’s seal ring into the drawer as if it were poison. Then she shut her eyes, feeling the violent thud of her heart.

It dismayed her, having to

lie to Lucian. She despised deception. But she’d had little choice. She couldn’t expose her brother for fear of how Lucian would react. Grayson might be engaged in something illegal, but he was still her flesh and blood. Certainly she owed him more loyalty than she did her new husband.

Didn’t she?