“No. Or at least, I don’t think so.” She laughed. “She’s starting to trust you again.”
“A terrible idea.” He pulled her into a dark corner, wrapped her in his arms, and nipped at her ear. “Now there’s nothing to stop me from ravishing you.”
“A meeting is stopping you.” She playfully shoved his chest and walked in front of him down the hall. “Come along, before I take you up on your offer.”
He groaned. “Darling, I need to teach you how to negotiate.”
He followed her up the stairs to the second floor. Luscious hips swayed back and forth as she ascended the steps in front of him. His hand lifted of its own accord, and he shoved both hands into his pockets when they reached the top.
At the door to Lord Dorchester’s study, Matthew braced himself for another goodbye, but Jasmine spoke first.
“Come see me before you leave?” she asked. “I’ll wait for you inthe sitting room next to my bedchamber.”
“You shouldn’t wait up,” he said. “It’ll be hours.”
“That’s all right. I need to talk to you about something.” She lifted onto her toes and breathed into his ear, “And I want to give you a goodnight kiss.”
The hairs rose on his arms, and he choked on her name, “Jasmine, you’re going to get me introuble.”
“The sitting room near my bedchamber. Down the hall, on the left.” She straightened his lapels and gave him an exaggerated curtsy. “Good luck with your contracts, Lord Lincolnshire.”
With a swish of her skirts, she pivoted and walked down the hall.
Matthew cursed.
Jasmine wasn’t a phoenix at all, she was a bloodysiren. Masculine instinct tugged him to follow her and drown. Taking in several deep breaths, he collected himself. The last thing he needed was to walk into his future father-in-law’s study hard.
Once was enough.
***
The grandfather clock chimed eight o’clock, with no sign that Matthew’s meeting would end anytime soon. Every twenty minutes, Jasmine pressed her ear against the wooden door and listened to the murmuring tones of negotiations. That was a good sign, at least.
Or was it?
She had taken dinner with her mother and Matthew’s sisters, then excused herself for the evening, claiming exhaustion. She needed time to think. Sitting on a sofa near the window of her sitting room, she watched the moon rise in the sky. A few hours ago, she had considered going to her room, but with her luck, the meeting would end and she would miss Matthew completely.
She had so many questions for him.
He carried her portrait in his watch.
What does it mean?
And how did he get it?
Should she ask, or pretend she had seen nothing? She could never successfully lie to him, but she would struggle to keep this to herself. Nothing would ever get better if they continued keeping secrets from each other. He had gone through such effort for her, hadkissedher with such passion, leaving her with the most painful question of all.
How long had Matthew loved her?
Restless, she toyed with a chess set in the room. Her father taught her how to play, but it was her mother who taught her how to be two steps ahead. Jasmine knew the consequences for most moves and often surprised others by winning.
But she could never beat Matthew.
She toyed with the ivory pieces on a rosewood checkered board. The queen was the most powerful piece; it could make any move, go anywhere. As a child, she hadn’t understood why. She hadn’t known how powerless a king could be until she saw Matthew defeated by a duke.
Jasmine slid the queen piece in front of the king.
What am I going to do about Duke Kendall?