He knew what he wanted.
He knew what he had to do.
“I’ve made a blasted mess of things, Mrs. Edson. But I’m going to set it right.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Seated beside Jennie at the conference table in Mac Campbell’s office, Sophie struggled to focus her thoughts on the business at hand. Her heart throbbed with an unfamiliar ache. How very absurd that she should go all atwitter over a man like Gavin Stanwyck.
“Sophie, I do hope you’ll take some time to consider your choice.” Jennie’s mouth thinned. “Alex does not require a definite commitment until the end of the week.”
“I realize this change of heart must appear quite sudden,” Sophie said. “I will allow myself another night to mull the decision before notifying Professor Quinn.”
Matthew Colton entered, settling into the chair beside his wife. “I’ve just returned from a meeting with the Home Secretary. He extends his gratitude to Miss Atherton for a job well done.”
Sophie held back an unexpected wave of emotion. “Thank you.”
“I concur with his assessment. You’ve done a fine job, Sophie. We are indeed fortunate to have you aboard,” Colton said. “Having said that, I encourage you to become a part of Professor Quinn’s upcoming endeavor, if the prospect appeals to you. Your position with the agency is entirely secure.”
Across the table from Jennie, MacAllister Campbell penned a notation on a diagram. Stone-faced, he cast Sophie a glance, offering a nod of affirmation before he turned his attention back to the document. He’d taken the truth of Rebecca Beddingham’s betrayal hard. The man had trusted his secretary for so many years. Perhaps, he’d cared for her more than she’d known. Judging from the pain he tried to hide, her actions and death had carved a hole in his heart.
Another woman now sat at Miss Beddingham’s desk, a precisely spoken widow whose salt-and-pepper hair framed an exquisite face.
“You can’t go in there.” Mrs. Jenkins’s shrill tones drifted through the closed door.
A heartbeat later, the door swung open. The secretary pursued the man who’d dared to intrude.
Gavin.
Sophie’s heart thudded against her ribs.
What in blazes is he up to?
Campbell came to his feet, blocking Gavin’s path. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I have unfinished business with Miss Atherton.”
Sophie stifled a gasp. Why is he here?
Campbell shook his head. “This is neither the time nor the place. Leave now.”
“What I have to say cannot wait.” Gavin turned to her. “I was wrong, Sophie. So bloody wrong.”
His raw words ripped through the shell Sophie had erected around herself. Damn him.
“How very interesting.” Jennie leaned back in her chair, fixing him with a wry smile. “Just when I thought Hades would become a frigid wasteland before you would ever speak those words, Mr. Stanwyck.”
“Admitting I am an utter fool does not come easily,” Gavin said. “But I cannot risk losing Sophie.”
Colton eyed Gavin as if debating whether to toss him out on his arse, wound be damned, or hear him out. He shot Jennie a speaking glance.
“Do go on, Professor,” Jennie said. “Or would you prefer that we afford you some privacy?”
Gavin shook his head. “Thank you, but I do not require privacy for what I am about to say. Sophie, you have an opportunity to work with one of Britain’s foremost Egyptologists. You must pour your energies into your passion.”
Sophie’s insides jumbled in knots. Emotions she desperately tried to hold back scorched her throat. “I don’t understand—”
“As I’ve said, I was wrong,” he went on. “I thought I was doing the right thing…being noble, as you put it. But I was a damned fool.”
Sophie pulled in a breath, slow and controlled. Her heart found a new beat. “Gavin…this is so very sudden. So very unexpected. I don’t know what to say.”
He raked a hand through his hair, in that way of his. “I understand. I should not have come here.” Facing the others, he offered a brisk nod. “My apologies for the intrusion.”
His footsteps heavy against the wood, he left her, closing the door behind his broad back.
Campbell shot Jennie a glance. “It seems my suspicions were correct.”
“As usual,” Jennie said.
Misery clawed at Sophie’s heart. She turned to Colton and Jennie, expecting to see scorn reflected on their faces. “I broke with protocol. I should have kept my distance.”
A hint of a smile touched Colton’s mouth, a rare thing. He slanted Jennie a glance. “Mrs. Colton and I both have experience with breaking protocol. Don’t we, Jennie?”
“You could say that.” Jennie rested her chin on her folded hand. “Well, Sophie, what are you waiting for?”
Sophie’s stomach executed a perfect somersault. A smile tugged at her mouth. “Right, then. I should go after him.”
She raced from the room, through the halls of the venerable building, to the street.
“Gavin!” She spotted him at the corner, one foot on the bottom step of his carriage. “Wait!”
He stopped in his tracks. “Yes, Sophie.”
She stared up at him, blinking against the sun. “Did you mean what you said?”
“Every bloody word.”
“So, what precisely does this mean?” Sophie studied his face, trying desperately to read the nuances of his solemn expression. “I’m trying to understand where this is leading.”
A thin smile broke through the somber set of his features. “It’s quite simple, really. I want you with me, Sophie. Every day of my life.”
“Is that so?” She flashed a challenging smile.
“Yes,” he said, his voice a low rasp. “If you’ll have me.”
“As it turns out, I’ve decided to stay in London.” She pulled in air, as if that would ease her pounding pulse. “I am amenable to your proposition.”
To her surprise, he gave his head a strong shake. “Sophie, you must not forgo the position with Professor Quinn—not for me.”
“Then how…how can we make this work?”
He took her in his arms, pulling her to him. “I will accompany you, if you wish me to be a part of the endeavor. If not, I will wait for you.”
Had she heard him correctly? After all, with the street noise, she might have misunderstood. “You would wait for me?”
“Of course, Sophie. I would prefer to travel with you and share my knowledge even as you work with Professor Quinn, but I’d be content just knowing you would return to me.” He bent his head, kissing her with a light caress. “We can make this a grand adventure, darling—the first of many.”
Her heartbeat accelerated. “Oh, Gavin…”
“I love your smile and your laugh. I love the way you feel in my arms. I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything in my life.”
Around them, curious pedestrians craned their necks, and carriage drivers slowed to look their fill. “Gavin, I do believe we’re causing a scene.”
“I don’t give a bloody damn. Let them see for themselves what a lucky man I am. For so many years, I’ve pursued rare treasure. But you, my love, are the rarest treasure of all.”
She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. “Gavin, darling, I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes, Sophie. Tell me again that you love me. Let me hear the words, and I’ll justify your faith in me. From now until I take my last breath.”
Tears clouded her vision. She blinked them back. As long as she lived, she’d hold this moment in her heart.
“I love you, Gavin. I want you by my side. Now. And forever.”
He enfolded her in his arms. All around them, pedestrians hurried along, and carriages rumbled over the cobbles. Sophie knew full well all eyes were on her. Somehow, it didn’t matter if the Queen herself looked on. At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to be in Gavin’s arms.
&nb
sp; “Get on with it, Stanwyck,” Bertram called from his perch on the driver’s bench. “Kiss the girl.”
The heat in Gavin’s eyes made her knees weak. He grinned. “The fellow wants me to kiss you. A real kiss. Right here. Right now. Should we oblige his request?”
“Absolutely.”
His mouth claimed hers, tender and passionate, the caress a physical embodiment of the love that would bind them together for a lifetime. And beyond.
“You’ll always have my love, Sophie,” he whispered. “Forever.”
Epilogue
London, November 1892
Reclining on the settee in the study, Sophie peered over the novel in her hand, covertly watching her husband’s movements. He hunkered before the hearth, stoking the fire. The flames crackled and sizzled, providing a delicious heat. Odd, how she never tired of watching the flex of his sleek muscles, even while he performed so ordinary a task. His actions conjured oh-so-tempting thoughts of the feel of his taut body against hers when they lay entwined in their bed. A sweet warmth stirred deep within.
Gavin joined her on the settee, draping an arm around her shoulders. She nestled her head against his chest, careful to avoid the still-tender spot where McNaughton’s bullet had scarred his flesh.
“I am so looking forward to seeing Jennie again. Alex sent along a delightful gift for her birthday,” she said.
“The scarab she selected for the brooch is a fine piece. No doubt Jennie will be pleased.”
Sophie snuggled closer. “The expedition was quite a rousing adventure. But I must admit, it’s a pleasure to be in our home, settled before a roaring fire.”
“Home,” he said, pressing a kiss to the curve of her cheek. “I never cared where I laid my head at night. But now, with you by my side, I treasure these moments. Just as I treasure you.”
“I’d never dreamed I’d fall in love…until I met you, Gavin.”
“Ah, love at first sight,” he said.
“Quite the opposite,” she countered. “You were rather insufferable, as I’m sure you know.”
“Insufferable? Irresistible would be a more fitting description.” He left her, long enough to lock the door to the study. “We don’t want Mrs. Edson popping in, do we?”
“Definitely not,” Sophie agreed.
“You know, dear wife, I’m quite fond of this particular settee. Every time I look at it, the memory of the first time I made love to you drives me wild.”
“Does it now?”
He came to her. His fingers deftly unfastened the top button of her high collar, then the next. Desire lit his eyes, deepened the blue to the color of a storm-tossed sea.
“Tell me you want me, Sophie.”
Emotion swelled in her heart. Gavin had indeed made her life an adventure to cherish. She would never stop yearning for the pleasure to be found in his arms.
She coiled her arms around his neck and raised up on her toes to kiss his delicious mouth.
“Always, my love,” she whispered. “Always.”
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Acknowledgments
Love and thanks to my husband, Greg. I’m so lucky to have my own real-life hero.
Many thanks and a hug to my fantastic critique partner, author Kathleen Bittner Roth. I’m so very blessed to call you my friend.
Thank you to my fantastic editor, Erin Molta. I truly value your perceptive insights into the story and characters, your professionalism, your kindness, and your encouragement. Thank you to my copy editor, Nancy Cantor, for your knowledge, skill, and keen eye.
To the Entangled community—Liz Pelletier, the Entangled staff, and fellow authors—thank you for your dedication to the romance genre.
Thanks to authors Barbara Bettis, Tracey Devlyn, Eliza Knight, Lane McFarland, Renee Ann Miller, Averil Reisman, and Tess St. John. I so appreciate your friendship and encouragement.
Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to my readers. I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or through my website at www.tarakingston.com.
About the Author
Award-winning author Tara Kingston writes historical romance laced with intrigue, danger, and adventures of the heart. A Southern-belle-out-of-water in a quaint Pennsylvania town, she lives her own love story with her real-life hero in a cozy Victorian. The mother of two sons, Tara’s a former librarian whose love of books is evident in her popping-at-the-seams bookcases. It goes without saying that Tara’s husband is thankful for the invention of digital books, thereby eliminating the need for yet another set of shelves. When she’s not writing, reading, or burning dinner, Tara enjoys cycling, hiking, and cheering on her favorite football team.
Connect with Tara on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
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