Dukes Are Forever (London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy #5)(11)

With that, he handed her a photograph of her kissing Devoncourt.





Chapter 4





"You look particularly pleased with yourself," said a sultry woman's voice behind him.

Malloryn turned away from the window of the Company of Rogues' safe house, where he'd been idly tapping on the sill and pondering the events that had occurred in the carriage. He hadn't meant to take it so far, so swiftly, but Adele roused his temper—and his competitive instincts.

And, if he was being particularly honest with himself, his lust.

Lie back and think of England, indeed.

How on earth did she get to him so easily?

They'd spent months living in the same house, seeing each other only from a distance, and yet he could always sense her. Adele's perfume lingered in empty rooms, and everywhere he looked she was causing some sort of disruption. Even if it was just to shuffle the books in his private library, a place he'd asked her not to enter. She would move things deliberately, and at first he'd assumed it was to plague him, but now he had to wonder if she'd been looking for something.

"Should I not be?" he asked, glancing at Gemma's face. The beautiful spy was the one in charge of the Company of Rogues in his absence. "Nobody's tried to kill the queen in the past four months, London appears almost peaceful, and the Company of Rogues has been blessed with not one, but three recent marriages, with another soon to come." He feigned surprise. "In fact, it seems you and Obsidian are the only ones ruining the Rogues' almost perfect score."

"It's not cricket, Malloryn. Obsidian and I will marry when we are ready. It's not as though I have any sort of reputation to ruin, nor do either of us intend upon children." Gemma rolled her eyes and poured both of them a brandy. "And since when are you a proponent of marriage? I thought there was a universal ban upon Rogues frolicking with other Rogues?"

"Since when do the lot of you listen to me?" He accepted the brandy. "I stopped making edicts when it became clear every single Rogue was doing his or her best to flout them."

He'd formed the Company of Rogues over seven months ago in order to discover the mysterious mastermind behind a spate of attacks in London.

They were the best of the best in their respective fields, but following his rules was not one of their talents.

"Speaking of marriage," Gemma drawled, "Byrnes tells me you received the photograph."

Ah, there it was. He'd wondered how long she could bite her tongue.

"Yes."

"The entire encounter may have been innocent, Malloryn. She did slap him."

"I don't tend to believe in coincidences when it comes to any of Balfour's agents."

Gemma gave him a steady look. "Byrnes said you'd take care of it. Does this mean you're planning a little light interrogation? Cuffs and all?"

"It's not as though I can lock my wife in a dungeon and demand answers. There are other means to get the truth." His eyes narrowed. "What else would you recommend?"

"No, no. Cuffs and caresses it is. It's just... seduction's not your usual style."

"Not as far as you're aware, no." Not his usual style, but not completely outside his realm of experience. Malloryn preferred to keep his assignations simple. Or he had, in the past. It had been months since he'd been with a woman. Before his marriage, in fact, though his recent spate of chastity had little to do with Adele. "I told her it's time to begin thinking of an heir. She won't think anything of it."

"And how goes your endeavor?"

Only Gemma could get away with such personal questions.

Though they didn't speak of it, he thought of her as the little sister he'd never had. Gemma had seen him at his worst, and despite her penchant for gossip, she'd kept the state of his recent issues from the other Rogues.

"I'm uncertain. Adele's a cunning adversary when she wants to be. And even I need more than a few hours to break her down."

"I shall be all aquiver."

He didn't know what to make of that statement. One moment Adele was playing the coy virgin, and the next she was challenging him.

The taste of her bare throat lingered, even now. He didn't know how the hell he was going to get through the next couple of hours. He'd forced himself to take his leave once he saw her safely home, but his cock hadn't seemed to understand.

Intolerable.

The bloody woman drove him insane.

"And if she's not involved in this plot? What then? Adele might have expectations in regards to your sudden change of heart."

She'd better not. "I'll deal with such a matter if it arises."

Gemma cut him a chastising look. "I just find it difficult to believe your wife is a spy owned by Lord Balfour. He did try to have her killed on your wedding day."

"And if I wanted to plant an operative in my enemy's house without having him doubt her, the first thing I'd do is stage an incident to make her appear a target. If Balfour truly wanted Adele dead, I'd have found her lying in the middle of her bed with her throat slit. Instead, his assassin kidnapped her and led you a merry chase, where we just happened to rescue her in time. Convenient, in my opinion."

"She saved your life in the Ivory Tower."