Page 23 of Flirting with Forever

“I should speak to any man or gentleman so,” she added with a significant look, “should he deserve it.”

He dropped his gaze, abashed. He had been inexcusably rude in the waiting room.

“I beg your pardon. I was abrupt.”

She pursed her lips. His defenses were crumbling.

“You understand I am in no mood to be played upon,” he said.

“I have no intention of playing, I assure you.”

He gave her a sidelong glance. “Whence are your people?”

She blinked. “My people? I’m German and Welsh, if that’s what you mean.”

He’d been right. The accent, the eyes, the skin. “German, is it? Where?”

“North. Bremen, I believe.”

He nodded. He knew Bremen.

“It is not,” he said after a long pause, “that you do not tempt me. If I am honest, you do. But I am simply not capable of such a thing now.”

“Of a commission?” She looked at him, confused.

“I treated you like a scrub, and for that I apologize, but I cannot…” Oh, why had Stephen chosen such a moment to push this?

“‘Cannot’? Cannot what?”

He searched for words and discovered he was not as certain about what he could and couldn’t do as he’d thought. “I-I—”

His answer was cut short by the sound of a large group of people trooping up the stairs. “The royal entourage!” someone wailed.

Stephen reappeared in the doorway. “The Duchess of Portsmouth is with him.”

“Bloody Christ!” Peter paled. If the king were to be embarrassed in front of his lover, he’d be furious, and the last thing Peter needed now was a furious king. “What about Nell?”

“Locked away.”

“And the painting?”

“I’ll send someone to remove it.”

“Hurry!”

“Peter…?” Stephen tossed a worried expression in Mrs. Post’s direction.

“Aye, I know.”

“What?” she demanded.

“Put Charles and the duchess in the Gold Room,” he said to Stephen. “I’ll attend to them shortly.”

Stephen disappeared, and Peter shut the door and leaned against it. “I must insist you stay here. Do not exit this room.”

“What? No. I should like to meet the king—I mean, if it’s possible. I should like to very much, in fact.”

“I can’t allow it.”