At noon, she saw him coming down a crowded hallway near
his study with a sheaf of papers in his hand that he
appeared to be engrossed in reading. Without looking up,
he nodded to a houseguest and moved around three servants.
As he passed Corey, seemingly without seeing her, he made
a sharp turn and walked straight into her, backing her
through an open doorway and straight into a close, closing
its door behind them,. While she was still sputtering, he
dropped the papers, pulled her into his arms, and kissed
her senseless. ‘I’ve missed you,’ he said just before he
let her go. ‘And don’t make plans for dinner. We’re dining
alone tonight on your balcony. My balcony overlooks the
back lawn, which means we’d have as much privacy as we
have in the halls.’
Corey knew she should object, but she didn’t want to.
She was leaving on Sunday, which gave her only tonight and
tomorrow night to see him. ‘Only if you promise to
behave,’ she said instead.
‘Oh, I will –‘ he agreed solemnly, then he pulled her
back into his arms and kissed her until she was clinging
to him, ‘ – just like this.’ He let her go with a familiar
smack on her rump.’ Now get out of her before I decide to
keep you here and we end up suffocating. There’s no air in
this damned closet.’
The entire time they’d kissed there’d been a parade of
footsteps down the hall and Corey shook her head. ‘No, you
go first and make certain the coast is clear.’
‘Corey,’ he said, ‘I can’t leave this closet right now.
I’m in no state to greet houseguests, believe me.’
Embarrassed and pleased, she put her ear to the door,
then stealthily reached for the handle when the coast
seemed clear. ‘I ought to lock you in here,’ she tossed
over her shoulder.
‘Try it and I’ll pound on the door and tell everyone
you’ve stolen the silver.’
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SPOTLIGHT
