Secrets of His Heart

EXCERPT:

Between the wine and the chocolate and the enormous amount of food, Rae felt on the verge of dreaming about flying through clouds. She slouched. "That was amazing."

Wulf's smile was kind. "Sometimes I forget that my people are all excellent at their jobs." His voice was getting far away.

"That's cool." Really cool. Dang nifty. She yawned.

"Quite."

Rae felt his warm hand slide around hers.

"Shall we go upstairs?"

She sat up, and the twinkling dining room glared before her eyes adjusted. She whispered, "No! Your whole staff has been traipsing through this dining room to get a look at me. They will all know what we're doing."

His thumb rubbed the back of her hand, and a wisp of desire rose like smoke through her. "They are all adults, as are we."

"Oh my God. I would never. That's like doing it in your parents' house."

"I assure you, they are not your parents, nor mine."

"They'll laugh at me. They'll talk."

"Rae," and Wulf pressed her hand between both of hers, calming her, "if everyone thought that way, the nobility would have died out generations ago."

"Still, it's not like we're married or something." That should make him back off.

Instead, Wulf stood and tugged her hand gently, pulling her to her feet. His fingers wound around hers. She bobbed as the wine rushed to her head.

He said, "Let's go."

She scooted out from around the chair and plucked her purse from where it hung on the back. Dizziness spun her head. "I couldn't."

"Come on." He led her through the dining room. The candlelight slanted one way through the glasses, then the other.

"Everyone will know."

"We'll sneak upstairs. No one will notice us."

"I so doubt that."

He tugged her arm.

The wine and chocolate sang in her head. She wanted to press against his skin and feel him under her palms. Her body followed where he led her, even as her brain protested that everyone would know.

He stopped at the door to peer around the corner, and Rae bumped him from behind. When he turned to shush her, lest the staff hear them, she couldn't help herself and kissed him.

His other hand slipped around her waist and drew her closer. The whalebones in her dress poked her ribs and hips as she fit her body against him.

He pulled back and grinned at her. "Careful. Given an opportunity, I will sweep all these table settings to the floor and have you on that table."

She couldn't breathe for wanting him to do just that, but Wulf looked out the door again and led her down the hall of ferns and urns to the main room. He paused at the base of the staircase to glance around them, scrutinizing the conversation groupings of satin couches and chairs and peering at the supersized grand piano for lingering servants.

Yeah, he was definitely mocking her.

Rae wanted to scurry away from all the eyes in this house, so she gathered up her skirt and led the way. Wulf chuckled all the way up the stairs behind her.

She waited for him to climb the last steps because she didn't know where to go. She looked back, and the enormous chandelier hung like a crystal sun suspended at eye-level.

Wulf bounded up the last step. "This way."

She followed him and hoped like mad that no one had seen them.

The balcony skirted the chandelier and the entertaining room below. Rae wanted to hug the wall, but her scarlet dress was worse than useless as camouflage. She felt like a flag snapping in the wind.

After far too long a walk down a beige and gold hallway with too many doors in what must have been the house's other wing, Wulf opened a door at the end of the hallway.

Rae dashed in, and he closed the door behind them.