Page 53 of Along Came a Rogue

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As the blue light of dawn crept inside the room, Grey reluctantly slipped from the warmth of the bed and quietly dressed. His body was sore and stiff in all kinds of unusual places, an aching reminder of the abuse—and delicious pleasures—he’d put himself through since finding Emily. Even the old bullet wound in his thigh ached painfully from exertion. But he hadn’t wanted to waste one precious minute of the time he had left with her.

He paused to watch her sleep as he buttoned up his waistcoat, her naked body still lying soft and satiated beneath the covers from when he woke her just before dawn to claim her a third time. Sweet Lucifer, he couldn’t get enough of her. And he didn’t know how he’d be able to give her up, once he’d delivered her to her family today and he left for Spain.

Yet he had no choice but to leave, no matter how appealing having a future with Emily was becoming. And it was appealing, damnably so. Enough that he was beginning to rethink his future plans and wonder if he was making the right decision by never attaching himself to any sort of commitment beyond his career, or if the freedom he’d come to enjoy so much in his life couldn’t be replaced by something better. Like Emily.

No. She belonged with her family, where they could help her raise her child, and he belonged in Spain. Breaking off with her would hurt, he held no illusions about that, but it was for the best. His life would continue on its path with the War Office, and she would step easily back into society. Soon, she’d be too caught up with raising her baby to even think of him, and he’d move on from her the way he’d moved on from all the other women he’d known. Without regrets or second thoughts.

Somehow.

She stirred. “Grey?”

“I’m here, brat.” He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to place a kiss on her bare shoulder.

With a smiling sigh, she stretched like a cat, then reached for his shoulders to bring him down to her for a proper kiss.

“Mmm,” she murmured happily against his lips as she trailed her hand down his chest, fingering the buttons of his waistcoat as if considering undressing him. “You spent the entire night with me. You didn’t leave.”

“I suppose I should have.” He touched his lips to hers before straightening. “Especially with Lady Gantry haunting the inn.”

“I don’t think Lady Gantry will be bothering us.”

He frowned faintly. “Oh?”

“She and I came to an understanding last evening.” Her drowsy eyes drifted lasciviously over him, taking in his half-dressed state, and his cock flexed eagerly through a yearning will of its own as she offered seductively, “So come back to bed.”

He groaned at the temptation she presented, wanting to do just that. “I wish I could, but I need to rouse Hedley and Dalton so they can get the team ready. We’re due in London today.” And I’m due in Spain…The unspoken words hovered in the silence of the room as clearly as if he’d shouted them.

She dropped her hand away from him and sat up, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. “Can’t we just run off together instead, somewhere we’ll never be found?”

She was teasing, but Lord, how tempting that sounded. So tempting he almost let himself consider doing just that. But fantasies about fleeing could never become reality, not for them. Remembering her initial plan to run away, he trailed a finger along the curve of her calf. “Like Glasgow?”

She trembled beneath his caress. “I know a dress shop where we could secure positions.”

“Hmm, stocking inspector,” he pondered with mock solemnity, stroking a slow circle over her inner thigh. “I think I could learn to appreciate the benefits of Glasgow.”

With a laugh, she swatted at his shoulder.

He caught her hand and raised it to his mouth to kiss it. Her fingertips brushed over his cheek as his lips lingered against her palm. “Thomas wants to see you, and he deserves an explanation about the past two years. You owe him that.”

She nodded, but her eyes lowered to the quilt. He could feel the fear and dread swelling inside her, so well did he know this woman now.

“You have to tell them about the baby, too,” he said solemnly but firmly. “You can’t hide it any longer.”

Her eyes glistened as she raised her gaze to his. “But I’ll also be placing all of them in danger. Someone burned down my house to try to kill me, and they nearly killed you, too. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to them because of me.” Her hand slipped over her belly. “Or this baby.”

He took her chin and tilted up her face to kiss her softly, trying to reassure her that everything would be all right. “You’ll be safe in London. Your family will protect you, and so will I.”

She shifted away and arched a disbelieving brow. “All the way from Spain?”

Giving that sardonic comment only a passing glance, yet feeling the biting sting of it in his gut, he slid off the bed and stomped into his boots, then slipped on his coat and pulled his shirt cuffs into place. Her gaze never left him, and he found it oddly intriguing that for once he didn’t want to dress and leave a woman’s bed. Instead, he found himself wondering what it would be like to wake up next to Emily every morning, and he decided that it would be nice. Very nice, indeed.

“You really have to leave?” she asked regretfully.

He sent her a rueful smile. “Have to.”

“But you don’t.”