Sebastian's Lady Spy by Sharon Cullen Page A

in the role of parent so young, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way. If there were one thing he regretted about their younger years, other than not being able to keep their parents alive, it was that he hadn’t done enough for Claire. He’d thought marrying her off would force her to grow up. He’d had no idea until recently how horrific her first marriage had been, and he would forever carry the guilt.
    “Take me up to my bedchamber, Sebastian.”
    “Of course.” He stood and lifted her from the settee, mindful of her injured arm.
    “I can walk.”
    “Humor me.”
    “There it is.”
    “There what is?” He paused while she turned the knob on the door.
    “Your gallant behavior. A knight in shining armor.”
    “I’m no knight in shining armor.”
    “Mmm.”
    The entryway was quiet. Apparently, having done his duty in sewing her up, Riggs had gone to bed. What a strange household Gabrielle ran.
    “I sent the servants to bed for the night. No use staying up for me.”
    “Your servants are interesting.”
    She laughed softly, causing her breasts to brush against his chest and making his cock stand at attention. He was so hard so fast, he was nearly dizzy with it.
    “My servants are cobbled together and hired for more than their domestic capabilities.”
    “Let me guess: Riggs was hired for his ability to stitch you up.” He paused at the top of the steps and waited for Gabrielle to point in the right direction.
    “Partly. He came from the streets, just as I did. He’s a former pugilist, pickpocket, and thief.” She pointed to a closed door, and Sebastian once again waited for her to turn the knob.
    He stepped into her bedchamber. Candles were lit and nearly half burnt down, so her maid must have also gone to bed for the night, which had him wondering just who was going to get Gabrielle out of her gown. His aching erection twitched; he had a very good idea who that person might be.
    He gently laid her on the bed. She sat up to swing her legs over the side and grimaced, pulling her arm close. One sleeve was gone, that side of her dress stained with blood. The white bandage stood out starkly against her golden skin, and Sebastian was angered anew at what Wilcott had done to her. Despite that, she was beautiful. Her hair had fallen from its pins long ago and hung in a black sheath down her back, curling ever so slightly at the ends. Her eyes were large and luminous, and some color had returned to her lips and cheeks.
    “Can you please unbutton my gown?”
    Sebastian hesitated. He didn’t want to touch her because he knew what would happen. One touch and he would be lost. He was hanging on to his sanity by a thin thread that was quickly fraying. He clenched his fingers into tight fists, knowing that there was no turning back.
    He knelt upon the bed and she turned to present her back to him. He took that waterfall of silky raven hair and gathered it in his hand to pull it over her shoulder and reveal her back. His hands shook as he slid the buttons through the buttonholes, revealing more and more of her slim back and the ridge of her spine. He watched his hand as if it were not a part of him. It brushed her neck, his fingers lightly grazing the delicate skin. Gabrielle stilled and her breath caught.
    The very air seemed to have been sucked from the room. This was why he didn’t want to work with Gabrielle. This was why he had avoided her the past seven months and tried to keep his distance over the past several days. Because he couldn’t keep his hands off her. Because when he was around her, he lost all sense, all reason.
    And yet he couldn’t find it in him to care right now, because more than anything, he wanted to feel the skin on her neck, her back, everywhere. He ached for her and admitted to himself that he’d been aching for her for seven months. The thought that he would finally relieve that ache was overwhelming.
    He pushed the gown off her shoulders. Her skin glowed in the firelight as if