Free Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen Page B

anyway. It seemed that was a mistake she was doomed to repeat, even though she knew the consequences: trust someone, and they inevitably betrayed you. Look at what had happened to Henry! She clenched her fists, fighting the pain.
    Adrian was no different. In fact, he had more reason to betray her than most. He wanted that position in the Barbican group as much as she.
    And yet, he was her husband. She wished she could trust him, wished she could believe there had been no strategy behind his seduction.
    And if she believed that, then she deserved to be betrayed by him.
    It was time she saw him as the threat he was. Her feelings for him made her vulnerable, which meant she had to keep him at bay. If he ever realized the depth of her desire for him, there was no question he would use it to his advantage. He could end her career and destroy her heart in one swift blow.
    “What I think of you is of no consequence,” Sophia finally replied. “We’re competitors. I think it best we associate as little as possible.” She turned away from him and adjusted her clothing again. She couldn’t fasten and secure the various layers and undergarments without the aid of her maid, but she managed to cover herself securely. Then she lit the candles on her dresser and, ignoring Adrian, began to sort through her brushes as though preparing for her nightly toilette.
    After a moment, she glanced over her shoulder, the look on her face intentionally impatient. “Was there something else?”
    He’d crossed his arms over his chest, and the glint in his eyes could only be described as fierce. Her heart stuttered when she saw that look, but she kept her expression scornful.
    “I’m not a servant to be dismissed, Sophia.”
    “Please don’t refer to me so intimately.”
    “Oh, I’m going to do more than that.” He took a step closer, into the light of the candles, and she took a shaky breath. Yes, he was good and angry now. She could see that. But better he was angry than aroused. Anger she could deal with.
    “You want things to go back to the way they were? Me on one side of the house, you on the other?”
    “Splendid proposal, my lord. I recommend we institute it immediately.”
    “Why so eager to draw the battle lines, Sophia?” He moved closer.
    “I told you not to—”
    “What are you afraid of?” He was so close now she could have kissed him with very little effort.
    She turned her head away. “Don’t flatter yourself. You don’t frighten me.”
    “Good, because while you may want to keep me at arm’s length, I subscribe to a different theory—keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”
    “I see.” She was having trouble breathing again. The way he was looking at her was not at all congruous with his tone. His eyes were burning into her, all but daring her to resist touching him again. “I see,” she said again, hating the breathlessness in her voice.
    “I doubt it, but you will. I’m going to keep you close, Sophia.” He reached out and stroked a lock of her loose hair. Wrapping it around his finger, he tugged gently, pulling her a whisper from his lips. “So close you’ll think we’re the same person. We’ll eat together, sleep together, breathe together. You’re mine. Again. Always.”

Seven
    Adrian watched Sophia’s dark eyes go darker yet. He could tell his nearness affected her. She wanted him. Badly.
    Gently she lifted one arm and cupped the back of his neck. A simple gesture, and yet, he could feel himself growing hard all over again. Another kiss, another one of those urgent moans from her lips, and he would be unable to stop himself from laying her down on that bed and plunging into her.
    She leaned close, her cheek against his, her lips touching his ear. “Get. Out. Now.”
    Not exactly the words he’d been longing to hear. She pushed away from him, which wasn’t exactly the response he’d been yearning for, either.
    “You don’t like my proposal?” he said, talking to her back as