Page 89 of After the Spy Seduces

Morgan left, closing the door after himself.

Diana remained where she was, on the other side of the room. So close that he could almost feel her softness, yet still a world away. The only movement she made was to bite her bottom lip.

Kit didn’t blame her for being wary. Everything had changed between them. And when he finished telling her what he planned on doing with his newfound freedom and with the offer from the Foreign Office, everything would change even more.

He glanced at his bandaged shoulder and said quietly, “I got shot.”

“I know,” she replied wryly, staying where she was. “I was there.”

Her soft answer pricked him with guilt at the hell she must have gone through that night.

He took a slow step toward her. “I’m going to live.” He paused. “I think.”

Pulling in a shaking breath, she jerked a nod. She couldn’t find her voice to give him the set-down that flippant comment deserved.

“I’m no longer considered a rogue agent.”

She held her breath. “That means…”

“That Whitehall isn’t coming after me to finish what Paxton started.”

A shudder of relief swept through her with such intensity that she swayed on her feet, and a long breath poured from her. All of her fear and worry for him expelled with it.

“I also got dismissed from the army and kicked out of the Home Office.”

Her face paled, but he had no idea if that was a good sign or not. She choked out, as if unwilling to believe that he was telling her the truth, “You did?”

“Yes.”

For a long moment, neither of them moved, neither spoke. But he saw the way that news seeped through her, the understanding of what that meant registering with faint hope on her face.

“You were…” She swallowed nervously. “You were going to ask me…something?”

“Yes, I was.”

He moved to stand in front of her, but didn’t yet reach for her. This was too important, and if he took her into his arms right now, he wouldn’t stop kissing her long enough to finish this conversation.

“The Foreign Office has offered me a position in London. Apparently, instead of wanting to kill me outright, they prefer to slowly torture me to death by making me do administrative for them.”

All traces of hope vanished from her face. Definitely not a good sign. Visibly, she steeled herself. “And your question?”

“Should I take the position?”

He felt her breath hitch, so attuned was he to this woman.Everythingabout her made his skin prickle and his soul ache.

“I don’t know.” She hesitated, lowering her gaze away for the first time since she came into the room and saw him. “Is it a good position?”

“Of sorts.” He fought to keep his face inscrutable. This decision had to be hers. He needed to know whether she truly wanted a future with him, once he was free to become the man she needed and deserved. “A desk position. No more field work. No more pretending to be a shiftless second son.” He forced a grin. “I can claim that I grew tired of waiting around for a living as a vicar and decided to throw my lot in with the sinners in government.”

Her mouth pulled down. She didn’t find that amusing, apparently. “It sounds like a fine opportunity.” But the tone of her voice—pained and full of grief—told him a completely different story. So did the way her shoulders sagged when she added, so softly that he had to take another step forward to hear her, “But it’s still in service to the Crown. They could still send you anywhere they liked, couldn’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Could you ever refuse to go?”

“No.” The truth of that was brutal, and he felt that single word rip all the hope from her.

She gave a faint, slow nod of acceptance and blinked rapidly, still refusing to look at him even though he now stood directly in front of her. So close that he could caress her cheek if he lifted his hand.