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It took hi," he pointed out

"So are you," she retorted with a straightforwardness that reminded him of Bella "I have an excuse You do not"

His brows raised "Share your excuse with me Perhaps I can make use of it as well"

She smiled, and he suddenly found himself uncomfortably hot "I doubt that You see, you are quite the handsomest man I have ever seen I confess it took my brain a moment to reclassify my previous notions of manly beauty, in order to fully process yours"

He returned her smile in fullof an ink-stained finger "Go away"

"Why?"

"Because you are affecting my ability to think properly"

"Don’t think" Hewhat she sertips stained Why was she alone, reading, in the ? The sudden flood of questions and the overpowering need to know the answers puzzled hilossy dark curls drifted across her pink cheeks "You are every bit the rake they say you are If I did nothing to sway you, ould you do?"

The i with him, but he suspected it was unintentional She was truly curious, and that unabashed quest for knowledge piqued his jaded interests "I aether?"

"Rhys! Damn you," Isabel muttered from a short distance away "You will not collect from me if you have run off"

He stopped mid-step and cursed under his breath

"Saved by Lady Grayson," the girl said with a wink

"Who are you?"

"No one important"

"Is that not for me to decide?" he asked, entirely too reluctant to leave her

"No, Lord Trenton That was decided long ago" She stood, and collected her book "Have a good day" And before he could think of a reason for her to stay, she was gone

Chapter 9

Isabel paused in the foyer of her hoent The other, her husband’s, was low and unwavering The door to Gray’s study was closed or she would have peeked, out of curiosity Instead, she looked at the butler as collecting her hat and gloves "Who is with Lord Grayson?"

"Lord Spencer Faulkner, my lady" The servant paused a e"

She blinked, but in no other way did she betray her surprise With a nod of dismissal, Isabel went to the kitchen to make certain the cook are of the extra mouth to feed Then she went upstairs to take a short nap She was exhausted, both froht spent with very little sleep and an afternoon of chatting inanities os about her behind her back Rhys was supposed to have been both support and a distraction, but he hi restlessly over the guests as if he were looking for soined

With the help of her abigail, Isabel stripped down to her stockings and che on her bed, she was asleep and drea of Gray

Isabel, he breathed in a voice filled with sin His mouth, hot and wet,hand was equally hot, the callused palh the silk that covered her legs

Her heart warned her to refuse him, and her arhly

Her blood thru alive and waiting for the pleasure he could bring She could sniting hers It was a drea she did here would affect her

Her hand dropped away

Good girl, he praised, his lips to her ear He lifted her thigh and set it over his "I missed you today"

She came to consciousness with a start

And found a very hard bodied, very aroused Grayson at her back

"No!" Struggling, Isabel squirlared at hi in my bed?"

He rolled to his back and tucked his hands under his head, completely unabashed about his obvious erection Dressed in an open-collared shirt and trousers, his blue eyes sparkling with both devilry and lust, he was unbearably handso love to my wife"

"Well, cease" She crossed her arms under her bosom and his eyes dropped to her breasts Her blasted nipples replied with enthusiasreed to"

Herthat

"You are dreadful"

"That is not what you said last night Or this ood’" His lips twitched

Isabel threw a pillow at hihed and shoved it under his head "Hoas your afternoon?"

She sighed and shrugged, her body achingly aware of the man who sat so close to her "Lady Marley had a breakfast"

"Was it pleasant? I confess, I’ed to lure Trenton to such an event"

"He wants a favor"

"Ah, extortion" He s up one of the pillows, she reclined opposite him "Perhaps you could fetchhis head

"I have no wish to incite your already considerable appetite for sexual congress," she said dryly

He caught up her hand and kissed her fingertips "The ht of you incitesview"

"Was your day better than nore how his touch burned her

"My brother has come for an extended visit"

"I heard" Gooseflesh spread across her skin as he stroked her pal? Not precisely Apparently, he is running a Gray, she could see he was disturbed "You look so grave Is he in trouble?"

"No" Gray fell onto his back again and stared up at the ornate ceiling "He has not yet run up any great debt or angered someone’s husband, but he is certainly on a steady course in that direction I should have been here to guide hiain my own needs came before anyone else’s"

"You cannot blame yourself," she protested "Any wildness on his part is natural for boys his age"