Page 53 of Their Master

An unfamiliar feeling of calm washed over her as she lay beneath his hard, hot body. She wasn’t just physically satiated. In that moment, she was also… content.

If you don’t sneak away and cleanse yourself, you might have a child with this man. You could stay with him. You could have a family—one who might actually love and appreciate you…

Moira squeezed her eyes shut as if that would cut off the traitorous thoughts.

Smith killed Sandrine; he is the enemy, not the answer to my prayers,she reminded herself.

Why was that becoming harder and harder to remember?

∞∞∞

True to his word, Smith bred Moira several times a day that first week.

Sometimes he appeared in her room, sometimes he summoned her to his, and on one memorable occasion he mounted her on the big black desk in his study, sunlight blazing through the uncovered windows.

He was vigorous and voracious and didn’t care who happened to be around when he decided that he wanted her.

More than once he’d come to her while Luke was busy doing something in her dressing room.

Those were the only assignations that she’d not quite enjoyed. Although Luke had never shown it by a look or a word, Moira was beginning to suspect he was more than just infatuated with their employer.

It took her until the end of the third week—after Smith had all but mounted her in front of the man—before she worked up enough nerve to broach the subject.

“Luke in love with me?” Smith repeated, and then laughed. “Ridiculous.”

“He is certainly infatuated with you,” she’d retorted, nettled by his easy dismissal.

He’d not refuted that quite so quickly. “Perhaps.”

“You were lovers?”

He’d lifted an eyebrow at her question.

“I’m sorry, that was an inappropriate question.”

“Perhaps,” he said again, and then gave her one of his disarming grins. “But I enjoy questions of any sort from you, Moira. Yes, Luke and I are lovers.”

Are, notwere.

The mental image of the two men together had sent a bolt of arousal directly to her core.

But she’d also been confused. When, exactly, did Smith get the time to fuck the other man?

The answer was that he hadn’t—at least not lately. No matter how virile he was, there simply weren’t enough hours in the day and Smith had stayed with her most nights.

“Is Luke not bothered by my presence here?”

Smith’s smile had slid from his face. “Has he given you any indication that he resents you?”

“No, no,” she hastened to assure him, alarmed by the way his warm brown gaze had frosted over so quickly. “Quite the contrary. He has been most welcoming.”

“Good. As to your other comment—regarding infatuation—I think you are wrong in that, as well. He and one of the footmen—David—are together.”

Moira knew which one he meant—yet another exceedingly handsome man. They would make a handsome pair. She hadn’t pointed out that just because Luke was with one man, didn’t mean he couldn’t want another.

“Whatever gave you that idea that he is infatuated with me?” Smith had asked.

“Nothing really,” she’d lied, not wanting to expose the way the other man’s eyes followed Smith whenever they were in the same room. “I—I, er, just wondered at the nature of your relationship.”

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