Page 84 of His Betrothed
Chapter 23
Part of Roselyn melted inside at the delicious passion of Spencer’s kiss, the weight of his body pressing her into the door. Another part of her wanted to bite his lip for his betrayal and for running away from her.
She pressed her hands against his chest to push him away, but it was like trying to move a wall. She was finally able to turn her head aside, and as she gasped forbreath, she felt his lips nibbling on her ear.
“Spencer, stop this,” she said with a stern voice, while visions of their joined naked bodies flashed through her mind.
“I’m trying, believe me,” he murmured, his mouth on her throat.
“Not hard enough.”
He gave a low chuckle. “But I’m already hard enough.”
“Stop!” She ducked beneath his arm and whirled away to face him, her hands on herhips,fighting her own need to fling her arms around him. She had felt so alone all day—the only woman on the ferry, the only woman in the tavern—that just seeing him made her want to sink into him with relief. But she refused to give into such weakness.
Spencer picked up his cane and came toward her. She could see the dark clouds of anger rising in his black eyes.
“Roselyn, you should not have followedme,” he said, wearing a thunderous frown.
“That kiss did not come from a man who wished I wasn’t here.”
He scowled. “What I wish I could have and what I deserve are two different things. Thank you for stopping me.”
I didn’t want to,a sly voice whispered inside her.
“You would have stopped yourself,” she said. “After all, it was easy enough to take what you wanted from me and then leave withouta word of explanation.”
Spencer pierced her with his gaze. “I didn’t mean it to be like that.”
His low voice still sent shivers through her, and she had to fight the tears stinging her eyes. “Then how was I supposed to interpret it?”
He reached to cup her cheek. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the moment I left your side.”
“That comes from not having relations with a woman inat least a year.”
Roselyn waited for him to deny it, but when she saw the pain in his eyes, she enveloped his hand with her own and held it tightly to her face. “Spencer,tell me!”
Across his face flashed more emotions than she’d ever seen from him. There was a war inside him, and she so wanted to be one of the victors. She held her breath, keeping his warm hand in hers, begging him with hersilent gaze to finally tell her the truth.
“There is such danger to you,” he whispered, drawing her up against him.
She looked up into his face, clasping his shoulders in her hands. “Please, tell me. I can’t go on thinking what I’m thinking.”
When he released her to pace away, she felt cold with fear. Did she really want to hear all of this? Could she even believe him after all his lies?
But he’d been worried about the danger to her…
He gave a tired sigh. “’Tis a long story. Seat yourself and I’ll try to explain.”
There was only one stool, so he took that and she perched on the end of the bed.
“I’m not certain where to begin.” He ran his hand down his bearded chin and closed his eyes.
Roselyn held her breath. Below her she could hear the boisterous noise of a party, whileoutside the open window came the clanging of bells from the docks. But when Spencer began to speak, all of that faded away beneath the images conjured by his words.
“This last year and a half, I’ve been a spy.”
She closed her eyes and felt despair tighten her throat and sting her eyes.
