Her Husband's Harlot (49 page)

I inhaled sharply as his
hands slid over mine. Sparks danced over my trembling nerves. Upon his ring
finger, the gothic initial glinted.

"Soft," he
said.

"S-sir?" My
breath came fitfully into my chest.

"Your hands. You
haven't been here long, have you?"

I shook my head,
transfixed by the demon blue of his eyes, the rough graze of his fingers over
my bare skin.
Handling the reins
, came the nonsensical thought. That
could be the only reason for this robust, calloused grip from a gentleman of
leisure. My heart thumped faster as his hold tightened. Regaining my wits, I
tried to tug away. He did not release me, but used his stronger fingers to pry
into my grasp.

Then I realized his
intent: he was merely taking the tray from me. Shaken, I let go. My arms fell
to my sides, leaden weight, and, indeed, I felt as if I was drowning.

"What is your
name?" he asked softly.

"Abigail," I
whispered, keeping my eyes trained on the black velvet lapel of his dressing
gown.

"An apt name,"
he said, and I could hear the dry humor in his voice, "for a maid."

"Or a servant of
God," I replied, before I could think twice.

I made the mistake of
looking up. Something flashed in his eyes
—
hell
fire
came the hysterical thought
—
and then
his mouth twitched. "And so you are."

"
Lucien
. I am
waiting for my champagne. Either dismiss the maid," Lady Priscilla twirled
a blonde ringlet with her finger, "or have her join us."

Her demand pierced my
reverie. Good heavens, surely she could not be implying that she ... we ...
Shocked, I broke away from his lordship's gaze. A single impulse gripped me: I
had to escape. I had to run or else
—

"May I go, my
lord?" I whispered urgently.

"For now,
Abigail-of-God."

I did not wait another
moment. I fled from the room. His voice seemed to follow me as I escaped into
the servants' corridor. Shaking, I stumbled along in the darkness, his words
reverberating with each step.

For now.

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Abigail
Jones
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.

Grace Callaway writes steamy historical romances set in the
Regency and Victorian eras. Her debut manuscript, Her Husband’s Harlot, was a
2010 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist.

Outside of writing, she holds a doctorate from the
University of Michigan and practices clinical psychology in a medical setting.
She lives in Northern California with her family and enjoys hiking, cooking,
... and reading romance, of course!

For more about Grace:

http://www.facebook.com/GraceCallawayAuthor

http://www.gracecallaway.com

Twitter: @Grace_Callaway