Winter's Woman (The Wicked Winters #9) - Scarlett Scott Page 0,41

quite grave, that I must come here at once…”

Addy’s words trailed off as she appeared to make sense of the situation.

So did Evie. The walls which had been torn down had been erected once more. Only this time, he had built parapets atop them.

A stinging rush of pain seared her. “Where is he?”

She already knew the answer without having to ask the question. However, if there remained the smallest, most incremental chance he had not disappeared from her life as she suspected, she wanted to know. Had to know.

“Where is who?” Her sister’s frown deepened. “Devil?”

Evie almost corrected her with Theo until she realized how her familiarity would appear. As if she had been intimate with him. As if she were in love with him. All of which she was, of course.

Good heavens.

She barely stifled a bitter bark of laughter.

“Yes,” she managed. “Mr. Winter. Where has he gone?”

“I do not know where, only that he was called away.” Addy shook her head. “Back to The Devil’s Spawn, I expect, though Dom does his best to spare me from such matters. But it is you who must give me answers, Evie. Devil’s letter was most distressing. If you were feeling so poorly, why did you not give us warning before now? Despite the danger, we would have found a way to help you.”

The danger, yes.

Evie had all but forgotten about that in her distraction. A certain man had occupied her every thought these last two sennights. He occupied them still, in fact. She suspected he would never stop.

But he had left her.

He was gone.

He had stripped her of her garments, taken her to the heights of pleasure, and then, he had disappeared. She ought to have suspected he would, at the very least. But she was ever the naïve, hopeful duke’s daughter he accused her of being. His fool, it would seem.

She was not going to allow him to disappear, however.

If he thought he could simply call back those walls that had come crumbling down between them in the early hours of the morning, he was wrong.

“Evie?”

Her sister’s worried face hovered before her, tearing her from her tumultuous thoughts.

“I am not ill,” she managed to say.

At least, not in the sense Addy had been led to believe by Theo’s nonsensical missive and obvious attempts to force her from his life.

“Not ill?” Addy blinked. “I do not understand. Devil said it was imperative that I come to see you. He sent Blade here in his stead, to make certain you are protected.”

Blade? Did every Winter sibling possess a dubious sobriquet?

She shook her head, dreadfully distressed by this sudden, unwanted development. “Theo was being dishonest with you, Addy. He wanted you here so I would not go chasing after him.”

Yes, that was the only thing that made sense. He wanted to retreat to the East End, and he did not want her to follow. That was why he had taken her to his bed. Last night had been his farewell.

“Theo?” It was Addy’s turn to look confused now.

Drat, she had forgotten herself after all.

A flush stole over her cheeks as she thought about the man she had come to know, quite different from the beast she had initially supposed him to be. His head between her thighs mere hours before, his tongue inside her.

“Mr. Winter,” she managed to correct herself, plucking at the coverlet in her agitation and avoiding her sister’s knowing gaze. “His Christian name is Theodore.”

“Good heavens, Devil told you his Christian name?”

“I was quite merciless until he did,” she admitted, because there was no use in keeping the way she felt for Theo a secret from her twin.

She and Addy shared a unique bond, as close as two sisters could be. No one knew her better than Addy did. Except mayhap Theo, for she had shared parts of herself with him that she had never shared with anyone else.

“This is worse than you being ill, is it not?” Addy pressed, already sensing the truth.

She bit her lip, misery swamping her as she lifted her eyes to meet her twin’s once more. “I am in love with Theo, Addy.”

“Oh, darling. You are betrothed to Lord Denton.” There was sympathy in her sister’s countenance. Worry, too.

“I have discovered I no longer wish to become his wife.”

“But Devil? Father will be furious, and I have no doubt he shall blame all this upon me.” Addy’s frown deepened. “In a sense, I suppose it is my fault. I never should have allowed the two