But the thought brought as much of a twinge of pain as it brought relief. He’d be gone and Kat would be left here, to live her life in the woods while more of Malcolm’s guests came to stay. Perhaps, one day, one of them would realize exactly how special Kat was, and sweep her away. It was as if, in a moment of extreme clarity, Devon could see the future.

Bloody hell. That was exactly what would happen.

“Devon?”

He realized Kat was looking up at him. “Yes?”

She wet her lips, the innocent gesture sending his senses reeling yet again. “Devon, what if I decide that I want for us to be closer? What then?”

“Kat, if we were to get closer than we are now, that—”

“You think my heart would be affected.”

He paused. Then nodded. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You think I would fall in love with you if we slept together. That would be my problem and not yours.” She placed her hands on his chest, then tilted her mouth to his and encompassed him in a kiss.

Devon’s manhood stiffened immediately. He could no more resist Kat’s lush body pressed so firmly against his. Her plump breasts were so close, just a waistcoat and a shirt away from his bare chest, her hips held intimately to his.

He was afire, hot and wanting, his thoughts breaking apart, dissolving before the onslaught of her soft mouth, her delicious body.

She broke the kiss, and he realized that he was once again holding her, pulling her to him. Her green eyes sparkled into his, and she said with a definite purr to her voice, “Tomorrow, we finish this.”

He knew in that second that she was right; they would finish it. And for some reason, that thought made his very soul quake.

Chapter 13

Mon Dieu! I awoke to discover that my house had sprung a leak, the cook had quit due to an unfortunate incident involving a chicken liver, and my son had written to say that if I do not provide him with financial assistance forthwith, he will be forced to become the plaything of a certain elderly lady who has no hair and very bad teeth. Remind me not to wake up again.

Madame Bennoit to her assistant, Pierre, while searching the storerooms for a particular shade of violet muslin to be used for the Countess of Bridgeton’s new ball gown

Fiona opened the door to the green guest chamber and peered around the corner. Breathing a sigh of relief that it was empty, she quietly closed the door behind her and crossed to the window, her skirts whispering over the thick rug.

Once there, she pushed back the curtains and lifted on her tiptoes. She could just make out St. John talking to Kat in the courtyard below.