“On the contrary, she seems to think she knows exactly how matters stand between us, sir.”

He folded his arms. “My parents have come to a similar conclusion.”

She popped the spectacles back onto her nose and regarded him with acute suspicion. “What did you tell them?”

“As we agreed, I insisted that ours was merely a business arrangement.”

She made a face. “They didn’t believe you, did they?”

“No.”

“Your sister didn’t believe me, either, when I tried to tell her the same thing. They all think that we are engaged in an illicit affair.”

“I did warn you that the members of my family tend to be very forthright. They are also quite intelligent.”

“Well, I suppose we must look at the positive side of things,” Louisa said, straightening her shoulders. “The fact that the members of your family think that we are engaged in an intimate liaison does indicate that our little charade may be working after all, don’t you think?”

He decided not to respond to that because he could feel his temper heating.

She cleared her throat. “My point is that if your own relatives are convinced that we are romantically involved, Hastings must certainly believe it also, and that is the important thing, is it not?”

He continued to watch her, saying nothing.

She glowered. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” She waved her hands. “As if you’re about to pounce or something. What are you thinking, sir?”

He unfolded his arms, flattened his hands on the desk, and leaned toward her. “I am thinking,” he said evenly, “that my family’s conclusion is no more or less than the truth. We are having an illicit affair.”

She blinked and sat back in her chair. “Not exactly.”

“What the devil do you mean by that?”

“You must admit that our relationship is somewhat complicated.”

That did it. A man could only be expected to take so much. He straightened, circled the desk, and reached down to haul her up out of the chair.

“I’ll grant you that some things about our association are a bit difficult to explain,” he said, “but not this particular aspect. We are having an affair, Louisa.”

“Yes, well, I suppose one could say that in the technical sense of the word—”

“In every sense of the word.”

She blushed. “Perhaps we should return to the subject of our investigation. As I mentioned to you, I have had a few thoughts that I want to share.”

“I’ve got a better idea.”

She blinked again, eyes widening. “What is that?”

“I’ll show you.”

He swung her up into his arms and started toward the door.

“Good heavens.” She clutched at his shoulder. “What do you think you are doing? Where are you taking me?”

“Upstairs.” He angled her through the doorway and went down the hall. “Presumably there is a bed up there somewhere.”

“Certainly, but what has that got to do with—?” She broke off, comprehension dawning. “Surely you don’t mean to—?”

“Make love to you in the comfort of a bed? Yes, that is precisely what I intend to do.” He started up the stairs.

“In broad daylight?”

“You said Lady Ashton and the staff would be gone for a few more hours, did you not?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then we must take advantage of their absence.”

“You can’t be serious, sir.”

“Why not? It is the sort of thing illicit lovers do.”

“Hardly. Everyone knows they meet in secret by night in moonlit gardens and places of that sort.”

“We tried that approach,” he said. “It was not entirely successful, if you will recall.”

Her mouth opened to respond to that, but evidently she changed her mind. Her brows snapped together in a worried frown.

“You should not be carrying me up the stairs, sir. You might strain yourself.”

“Very likely, but it will no doubt serve me right.” He kept going. The top of the landing was in sight.

She hesitated. “Am I not a rather heavy object to carry up a flight of stairs?”

“Yes, you are, as a matter of fact.” He reached the landing and paused to take a couple of deep breaths. “But I’m certain the exercise will do me good. Which room is yours?”

“The first door on the right.”

“I’m in luck. I won’t have to carry you all the way to the end of the hall.”

“Really, sir, must you complain so much about the business? The lovers in novels and plays never do that.”

“I expect the authors leave out those bits. Bad for sales.”

The door to her bedroom was ajar. He used his foot to push it open the rest of the way, got his burden inside, and stood her on her feet beside the bed.

Louisa was flushed, her eyes brilliant. Gently he plucked her spectacles from her nose and set them down on the table beside the bed. Everything inside him was clenched with the tension of desire.

“Your eyes are the color of amber,” he said softly. “Spectacular.”

She was startled. “Thank you,” she said very politely. She squinted slightly to study him more closely. “Yours are a very riveting combination of green and gold.”

He smiled, and then he began to remove her hairpins one by one. The dark silk tresses tumbled down around her shoulders. By the time he was finished he was rigid. And I haven’t even got her undressed.

“I have wanted to see you like this ever since I met you,” he said.

She looked confused. “Without my spectacles?”

He laughed. “With your hair down.”

He peeled off his coat and slung it across a chair. He watched her watching him while he unknotted his tie. Her expression of fascination amused him.

He glanced at the window. It looked out onto the street and the small park in the square. No one could see into this room, he concluded. There was no need to close the curtains. He was free to enjoy the sight of Louisa nude in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun.

He caught her face between his hands and kissed her, slowly this time, intent on seduction, not his own satisfaction.

“Anthony?”

“This is the part you like, remember? The kissing?”

“Oh. Yes. Right.” She made a tiny little sound of feminine anticipation and opened her lips for him.

He worked her mouth deliberately for a time, tasting her but not rushing her. When he felt her shiver and soften against him, he moved his hands down to the fastenings at the front of her gown. Slowly he opened the bodice and slid it off her shoulders, holding her mouth captive the entire time.

A hungry thrill shot through him when he felt her fingers on the front of his shirt. She fumbled for a moment before she succeeded in getting the garment open. Then he felt her hands on his chest, her fingers sliding through the curling hair. The sweet torment threatened to destroy his self-control.

He kissed her throat and then her breast to distract her. When her head fell back against his shoulder and her eyelashes fluttered closed he returned to the task of undressing her. He finally managed to free her entirely from the gown, leaving her in her thin chemise, drawers, stockings, and shoes.

He covered her mouth with his own once more, invading gently. When her tongue touched his in a curious, experimental way, he could not suppress the low, growling sound that welled up inside him. His response seemed to embolden her. She tightened her grip on his shoulders. He deepened the kiss.

When he eventually released her mouth he saw that her lips were wet and swollen. He traced them with the edge of his finger. She swayed a little in response. Her skin was warm and astonishingly soft beneath his hands.

He leaned down and yanked back the quilt. Then he fitted his hands around Louisa’s waist, lifted her up out of the circular barricade formed by her fallen gown and settled her on the bed.

The sight of her there, her dark hair fanned out across the white pillow, her lips slightly parted, eyes half-closed with desire was the most stunningly erotic picture he had ever seen. He wondered that he did not climax immediately.