Free Her Secret Fantasy by Gaelen Foley Page B

choose from.
    He wasn’t sure why he had bothered to use that final moment with her to memorize the details of her that were visible despite the mask: the exact wheat-blond shade of her hair, the elegant line of her neck, the shape of her honeysweet lips, and the winsome curve of her smile. Now he had it, and God, she was beautiful. He did not think he could ever forget the likes of her.
    Indeed, he might well know her the next time they passed each other in Society—though, no doubt, she would try to hide from him.
    For his part, irked by her rejection, he wasn’t sure how he’d react—if he would pretend to have no idea who she was or reveal his knowledge secretly and torment her with it for a bit of roguish sport.
    The latter option was a lot more his style.
    “Derek! Oh, darling!”
    He let out a low, rather bored sigh as Lady Amherst’s voice drew closer. He pondered escaping before she found him, but then, suddenly, a tiny sparkle on the floor of the garden folly caught his eye.
    It lay glinting below the railing where he and “Mary Nonesuch” had nearly lost themselves in passion.
    He walked over to the place, his gaze homing in on a small metallic object. He crouched down to pick it up.
    Well, well, what have we here?
    He dusted it off a little, held it up between his thumb and forefinger, and inspected the sparkling orb by moonlight—a diamond earring. Oh, yes, he recognized this little bauble. He had nearly swallowed it while kissing her ear. He quivered at the still-fresh memory of caressing her sweet little earlobe with the tip of his tongue.
    Did she even realize yet that she had lost it?
    Oh, how panicked she would be!
    A sly grin spread across Derek’s face as he realized what this meant, this little clue his mystery girl had unwittingly left behind. Sooner or later, she would realize her jewel was missing and then the frantic hunt for it would begin, a hunt that would force her to retrace her steps and lead her right back to him.
    She knew who he was, after all. He wore no mask and was not difficult to find. A low, wicked laugh escaped him.
Oh, this ought to be amusing.
If she wanted it, then she could jolly well come and get it, he thought. But of course, if she wanted it back, she’d have to ask him nicely.
    “There you are!” At that moment, the countess appeared.
    As she ran to him, he slipped the sparkly earring into his pocket.
    She was none the wiser. “Darling—at last!” He smiled at her, but when she embraced him, he glanced over her head in distraction. Far away across the garden, he saw a bit of pink go flitting into the house. The quality of his smile grew warmer, richer.
    Good.
She was safely inside once again. His mystery girl had gained the terrace and disappeared through the French doors into the ballroom.
But to whom?
    To whom did she belong?
    Lucky bastard.
    “Derek?”
    “Hm?” Snapping back to attention, he turned to Lady Amherst and found her studying him at close range, her face etched with suspicion.
    She pulled back and cocked her head, propping one hand on her waist.
    “Something wrong?” he asked, all innocence.
    Lady Amherst swept the area of the garden folly with a wary glance, then looked at him, one slender eyebrow arching high.
    “Darling,” she said as her gaze traveled over his mussed hair and thoroughly kissed lips, “what exactly have you been doing out here?”

CHAPTER
              FIVE          
    L ily awoke the next morning after a long night of tossing and turning. She had no sooner opened her eyes than all the worries and fears that had kept her up nearly till dawn came rushing back. Her first thought was of Derek Knight; the second, of her missing earring.
    She had been in an absolute tizzy since the horrifying moment she had come home from the masked ball, started to undress, and realized it was gone.
    In the dead of night, Mrs. Clearwell’s servants had helped her search the carriage and the floors all along the route that