Free Dueling With the Duke (Brotherhood of the Sword) by Robyn DeHart Page A

it is because of who she is, and not because of Thornton. But until I know the truth, I don’t feel as though I can truly protect her.”
    “That I can do.” He held his hand out to her. “It is a bargain.”
    “Seal it with a kiss?” she asked on a jest, then immediately regretted it. She wasn’t so certain she could endure another of his kisses. Much to her surprise he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. Emotion swirled through her, and inexplicably, tears pricked at her eyes. He had taken her silly moment of humor and turned it into something real and authentic.
    She turned away. “I shall go and check on my charge.”
    “We will leave in an hour to go and explore Thornton’s belongings,” he said.
    “Very well.” The bargain was struck, and she was now set to working with Gabriel. Of all the men in London, he was the last one whom she’d ever thought would trust her, and she herself had vowed to never trust any man. It might be temporary, but she realized that she would enjoy this brief alliance for as long as she could.
    …
    Gabe closed his eyes and inhaled. Lilith’s soft fragrance, that of mint and lavender, still surrounded him. It was easy to keep a vow of chastity when you blamed the object of your desire for your brother’s death. And easier still when that same woman you’ve always wanted is married to another man. The men in the Brotherhood jokingly called him the Priest because none of them understood his temptations, his burden. Thankfully none seemed to remember his past, when he had been anything but chaste.
    He’d known immediately what she was trying to accomplish when she first entered the room. She was skilled at flirting with men; he knew that. Frankly, she didn’t even have to try with him. Her mere presence was enough to make him want to give her the world. When he’d recognized that she meant to seduce him, he’d thought to flip the tables on her. Teach her a lesson, show her that he was immune to her charms. It had been foolish, and it had failed.
    Now he wanted her more than ever. And that brief taste, her soft body pressed against his, her mouth, willing and open against his…damnation! He’d wanted to push her up against the wall, hike her dress up, and plunge himself into her.
    His appetites went beyond what was appropriate for a gentleman. As a second son, it was unacceptable but people turned their heads, but as a duke, it was offensive. He’d allowed himself the indulgence of his fantasies for a short while during his youth. After he’d first met Lilith and realized quite quickly that he could not have her, all other women seemed to pale in comparison. But he’d acted as if he wanted to sample them all. Then Rafe had been killed and Lilith had married Thornton and Gabe had become the Duke of Lynford. He’d vowed to never again let his passions rule him, and soon after had joined the Brotherhood and become known as the Priest.
    Which meant that it was dangerous as hell that he had struck an alliance with Lilith, an agreement that put them working with each other in close proximity. He’d resisted her today, been able to push her away, but it had taken every ounce of restraint he’d had. If she tried to seduce him again, regardless of her reasons, he wasn’t certain he’d be able to walk away a second time. Even now, nearly an hour since she’d left the library, his body still hummed with lust.
    Being near Lilith was a risk, but it was a risk he must take if it meant uncovering how far the plot to assassinate the queen went.

Chapter Six
    Lilith said nothing to Gabriel as they rode from Ellis’s townhome to hers. Her nerves were on alert since her seduction had failed. She’d not retrieved any of the wanted information from him. She’d served only in whetting her own appetites rather than tempting his. There had been a time, as a young girl, she’d imagined herself to be a passionate woman; marriage to Thornton had left her nothing but cold.