When a Rogue Meets His Match - Elizabeth Hoyt Page 0,55

ball. The ball of the season.”

She was so excited, so certain, he didn’t like to burst the bubble of her plans. “In Whispers House? With the few servants I have and my lack of furniture?” He shook his head. “I don’t even know how to throw a ball.”

“But I do,” she said, and then paused, her eyes wide and startled as if she herself was surprised by her assertion. “I do,” she repeated more slowly. “I can plan and throw a ball. I’ve done so for my uncle and my brother. And we’ve already ordered some furniture. We can buy more. We can furnish Whispers and hire servants.”

“How long would all this take?” he asked, already calculating. “And how much money would I have to spend?”

She ignored the question of money entirely.

“Weeks,” she said, biting her lip, hesitating. Then she looked up at him, her beautiful gray eyes meeting his determinedly. “More than a month, if we do it properly, and we should. But the season doesn’t really start until late September. We have the time.” She swallowed, her face paling, though he couldn’t tell why, and said more slowly, “If we want to do it. If we want to take the time.”

He searched her expression, trying to determine what had upset her. “Do you?” He lifted his hand to her cheek, not quite touching. “Do you want to take the time?”

“I…” Her voice died as he trailed his thumb across her cheekbone. “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Yes, I do.”

He smiled at her—too wide, too savage—as something primitive rose inside him. “Beautiful girl. With you by my side I can do anything.”

Messalina had never looked at him this way—soft and giving, her red lips parted.

Those lips shone in the light as if she’d just licked them, and he wanted—

The carriage door was wrenched open.

Gideon had his hand on his knife when a bright-blue whirlwind tumbled into the carriage and threw herself into Messalina’s arms.

“I’m so sorry!” Lucretia Greycourt cried. Her face was pressed against Messalina’s neck, muffling her voice. “We’ve failed you. I failed you.”

Gideon looked out of the carriage and into two sets of familiar gray eyes.

Quintus Greycourt frowned and glanced away, but the eldest brother held his gaze.

“Hawthorne,” Julian Greycourt drawled, “what in hell have you done to my sister?”

* * *

Messalina wrapped her arms around Lucretia and hugged her tightly. She was shocked—startled—but so very glad that her sister had finally arrived. She hadn’t seen Lucretia since Hawthorne had forced Messalina into his carriage over a fortnight ago. Since then…

Well, since then everything had changed.

“Greycourt,” Gideon said. The sound of his voice—mocking and low—made her glance apprehensively at him. He was grinning in an entirely untrustworthy manner as he said to Julian, “Come to wish us felicitations on our marriage?”

“Sod you,” Quintus growled, and had Julian not held him back, he would’ve stepped forward.

Julian’s gray eyes were narrowed, and Messalina recognized the subtle signs of his temper rising. Julian might seem detached most of the time, but when his anger was engaged he could strike like a snake—fast and deadly.

Which was the reason she’d instructed Lucretia to find him when Gideon had kidnapped her.

Messalina hastily said, “Perhaps this is a discussion better had inside, where there aren’t so many interested eyes.”

“Of course,” Gideon replied. He leaned out of the carriage and jerked his chin at Reggie, standing near the steps to Whispers House.

The big man nodded and disappeared inside.

For a moment Messalina thought Julian would challenge Gideon. Her brothers stood in front of the carriage door, effectively blocking them from descending. But then Julian stepped back silently, and Quintus grunted and shadowed him.

Gideon ignored the moment, jumping down and then turning to help Lucretia from the carriage.

Lucretia, however, glared at him and hopped down herself.

Gideon met Messalina’s eyes and raised his brows as if asking if she’d allow him to help her.

She took a breath and put her hand in his, aware all the time that Julian and Quintus were watching closely.

Her brothers and Lucretia fell into step behind Gideon and Messalina as they entered Whispers House. Messalina felt conflicted. Just days ago, she would’ve welcomed Julian’s interference.

But now—?

Now she didn’t know what she wanted.

She’d been on the cusp of kissing Gideon when Lucretia had interrupted them. Even now, Messalina couldn’t look at Gideon for fear that heat would rise in her face and her cheeks’ coloring would betray her. But she was aware of him all the same. Of his lean form prowling beside her. Of