Gilley, whom I believe you know. He"s not a doctor, but we can trust him.”
I hope
. A trickle of blood ran down from a cut on his cheek, and he wiped at it impatiently.
“You mean that Mr. Gilley who works under Lord Maxwell? I believe I may have met him once.” So much for Gilley"s claim that he and Lord Merridew were friends. “But what on earth is your plan?”
Karl"s golden brows were knit as he imperiously commanded, “Yes, explain yourself, please, Mr. Reed.”
“Your Excellency, this is an opportunity for you to disappear for a while. Let whoever wishes you dead think they were nearly successful in their attempt, that you are unconscious. It would give us time to figure out who your enemy is.”
“Ah, I understand. Yes. Indeed.” Lord Merridew coughed again; the smoke and dust still clogged the air. “I know you said he saved your life, but I must ask. Do you trust this man, Karl?”
There was only a second"s hesitation before Karl nodded. “With my life.”
“Very well. We shan"t even tell the police. Let the press spread the falsehood and see what comes of it. But the deception must begin now.”
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“Deception. I have had more than enough of that,” Karl said under his breath.
Reese"s ringing ears had cleared, and he heard the weary anger in the quiet words.
“It"s necessary. Even those closest to you are under suspicion in this matter,”
Reese said. “Everyone in your entourage.”
Karl still gazed at Reese. “Except Cohen. I would also trust him with my life.
He"s been with me for many years, and I
know
the man.”
Reese remained silent. He knew that sometimes the man you trusted with your life or your love was the most dangerous liar of all.
Merridew gestured to the door through which the servants brought the courses from the kitchen. “I"ll send for Mr. Gilley. You two, take the servants" exit. Hide upstairs and wait.” He coughed. “I must go take care of this.”
He should have looked comical with his gray hair on end, the formal eveningwear dusty and ruined, but with his face set in grim lines, Reese saw the strength under the usually jolly, pleasant exterior.
“I"ll come down in a few minutes and help establish details,” Reese said.
As Reese and Karl made their way up the stairs, Karl stopped and peered at Reese"s face. “You"re bleeding.” His breath warmed Reese"s temple.
Reese tilted his head away slightly. “So are you.”
Karl nodded. “I"ve had worse injuries. We both have.” He rubbed the side of his thumb over the blood that had trickled from Reese"s cheek.
Reese pulled back entirely. He couldn"t give in to the need to embrace Karl—he might never let go, his relief that Karl was safe was so great. And he didn"t want to begin to examine why that was.
He began up the stairs again. “Which is your uncle"s room?”
Karl passed him on the narrow staircase and silently led the way down the back hall of the second story and into the wider front corridor.
After Reese entered the bedroom, he turned the key in the lock.
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Karl sighed, and his mouth quirked in a rueful half smile. “At last we are alone together. Alas that it"s under these circumstances.”
He unbuttoned his elaborate uniform jacket and worked it off, pausing to examine the now stained and ripped garment before dropping it to the ground. He unbuckled the ceremonial sword and dumped it and the sash onto the floor. For a moment he frowned down at a cut on his arm, then crossed to the washstand, poured some water into it, and scrubbed at his face.
“My uncle is as wealthy as God, but has some strange ideas. For instance, he refuses to install running water above the ground floor.” He reached for the nearby towel. “Just as well if we are to remain hidden away in one room. I won"t have to sneak to a bathroom or water closet.”
Reese looked around at the heavy mahogany furniture and the dark tapestry-covered walls. The bed was not huge, but it was tall, and the bedstead was an elaborate wooden creation, all carved fruit and flowers.
Karl carefully draped the towel on the wooden peg jutting from the washstand.
Tendrils of his damp fair hair framed his face, and he pushed them back impatiently as he walked to the bed. “You should go back down and see if you can help my uncle and his poor guests. I think they all got out of the room in time, but did you see if anyone else was injured?”
“I wasn"t paying attention to anyone else.” As usual.
“So you think I must remain hidden away entirely? Wouldn"t it be better to lure this Volkovsky or whoever out into the open? Use me as bait?”
“Not until we"re certain who or what"s behind this.” Reese hesitated. “There are things I don"t understand.”
Karl sighed and hoisted himself up onto the bed. “Come sit beside me and explain.” He patted the mattress.
If he sat beside Karl, Reese wouldn"t be speaking. Even with the mayhem downstairs, he wanted Karl desperately. Just acknowledging that thought gave him The Nobleman and the Spy
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the now familiar soul-deep shuddering of desire. The threat to their lives had only served to fill him with needy hunger.
He ignored the request to sit, but decided he could explain. He leaned against the footboard of the bed and tried to focus only on Karl"s face. “I"ve done a little research on Volkovsky. As far as I can tell, he has no interest at all in any country but his fatherland, Russia.”
“It"s mother Russia. We in the Germanies speak of our fatherland.”
Reese waved a hand. “Never mind that…that sort of nonsense.”
“I agree.” Karl sighed and stretched his arms over his head, wincing. “I have no interest in great devotion of one country over another, although do I love my England, and the mountains of Neuschlosswold steal my breath. But pray, go on.”
Reese examined him curiously. “Hard for a man in your position if you don"t appreciate national pride. Your whole life is supposed to be devoted to it.”
Karl laughed but didn"t sound amused. “Indeed. So about this Volkovsky. I"m certain he cares nothing for Neuschlosswold. He lives only to help Russian peasantry. Why would he attack me, then? And why do you mention him?”
“I overheard his name that night I listened in on your spy"s conversation.”
“My
other
spy"s conversation, you mean.”
Reese ignored him. “I"d wager good money that they were discussing this attack. „Hold off a few days," one said. Volkovsky frequently advocates violence against the established powers. I read one of his pieces, and he described exactly those sorts of weapons and techniques, incendiaries with timers along with thrown explosives.” He began to pace. “I haven"t done a great deal of research, yet I don"t believe Volkovsky has actually done anything more than speak of this sort of action.”
“All talk and no action.” Karl began to unbutton his shirt. “Something like tonight"s bomber, who is clearly a sad amateur. No one died. He should take some lessons before he tries again.”
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How could the man joke under these circumstances?
“I still don"t believe it was Volkovsky. Perhaps Volkovsky"s name was brought up as a possible scapegoat for these men to blame.” Reese was tired of trying to discover the truth when he wanted nothing more than to climb onto that bed and examine every inch of Karl"s body to make sure he had no more injuries.
The sight of the blood on Karl"s face and arm had roused a fear that now made it almost impossible for Reese to go downstairs and leave Karl alone, even with a locked door keeping him safe. Ridiculous, of course. Von Binder was a full-grown man, a warrior Reese knew could hold his own in battle.
And now the man was stripping off his shirt, exposing golden flesh over bands of muscles.
Karl dropped the shirt on top of his jacket. He lay down on his back and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. He caught sight of Reese staring at him and smiled. “You have a dangerous look about you, Mr. Reed. More dangerous than usual, I mean.”
He"d been the target of an assassin tonight, and yet Karl joked—and continued to grab life joyfully. How could anyone resist such a man? Reese couldn"t. He thought of Karl dead or injured, and his throat closed tight with a fierce need to keep the man alive. His body filled with lust and something more. Reese wordlessly shook his head. He moved close to the edge of the bed. “Reese,” he said softly. “My name is Reese.”
Karl"s eyes lit with a smile. He made a small hum of triumphant pleasure. “I had wondered after you as much as admitted you"d signed as Baker at our hotel.
Reed is close to Reese. You"re not such a big liar with me, then. Unless your first name is Rutherford or some such?”
“No. Jonathan.”
Karl must have seen the hunger in his face, the need to hear his name from Karl"s mouth, because he repeated, “Jonathan.”
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Reese slid up the side of the bed. Karl"s lower lip was puffy, a cut from the explosion. Reese touched it lightly. “Where else are you hurt?”
Karl pointed to the gash on his arm. “But it"s not bleeding anymore. I"m lucky,”
he said with cool interest. “An inch or so to the left, and I would have required a tourniquet, I believe, or bled to death.”
Reese placed his palm on the skin above the cut. It would leave a scar but would heal without the need for stitches.
“And my hand. I wasn"t wearing gloves.” Karl wiggled his fingers.
Reese grabbed Karl"s wrist and laid a hand on his to examine the scrapes and blood on the back of Karl"s long fingers and knuckles. “Move your fingers again,” he ordered. “I didn"t see if they all functioned well.”
“I assure you, no bones are broken.”
“Anything else?”
Karl turned his head and pointed to his neck. “Something hit me. You, perhaps, when you barged into me. You certainly do like to land on top of me.”
Reese leaned close to examine his neck. “You"ll have a bruise.” He made a light circle on the patch of skin, which was already turning dark.
“And my chest will be bruised, but I don"t have so much as a cracked rib. As I told you, I"m lucky, thanks to you.”
Reese ran a hand over Karl"s chest, just below the left nipple, feeling for swelling or heat.
“You"ll touch every spot on me that"s hurt?” Karl"s voice had laughter in it. He reached for Reese"s wrist. “Then I must tell you, I haven"t escaped unscathed. I have a terrible injury here.” The devil dragged Reese"s hand down to his crotch.
Reese sucked in a sharp breath and tightened with desire as his fingers touched the warm bulge beneath the fine wool. There was no time for this. He raised his head to say so when their eyes locked. Karl"s smile died away, replaced by heat and pleading.
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Reese already knew the man"s penchant for hiding fear by running to pleasure.
It was a response that made perfect sense to him at the moment.
Reese should have walked away, but instead he explored the intriguing outline of Karl"s hardening shaft.
“A few minutes,” he heard himself croaking. “To make sure you"re not badly injured.”
Karl laughed softly. With his uninjured hand, he reached down and flicked open the buttons on his fly. “I can see you are experienced at dealing with wounds.
Nurse me.”
The crude suggestion made Reese"s mouth tingle. God yes, he wanted to do just that. Replace the taste of anger and fear in his mouth with pure Karl.
“Come up here with me,” Karl whispered. Reese vaulted onto the tall bed and on top of the sprawled form. He landed with his hands and knees supporting him on either side of Karl so none of his weight pressed the other man"s injuries.
Karl gave an
oof
of surprise, then said, “Neatly done.”
Reese wanted to be urgent, to seize Karl, but he paused for a moment to gently touch his lips to the uninjured corner of Karl"s mouth, then kissed his neck. He pressed his tongue to the fast pulse, tasting sweat, dust from the explosion, and Karl. He moved down the long body, looking for more wounds, kissing and tonguing as he went.
Karl thrust up, and his fully erect cock pushed from his open fly and underlinen.
Reese gave in to his hunger. Without a word or a sound, he drew that delicious erection into his mouth. With one hand, he circled the base of Karl"s shaft, then moved up and down; with the other he stroked his balls. He engulfed Karl"s cock with his mouth, intent on exciting him. He"d bring his lover to a fast and furious orgasm.
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Lover. The word echoed in his mind and made him stop in midpump. Karl put his hand on Reese"s head tentatively.
Reese sucked hard, swirling his tongue over the hot, damp flesh, tasting the salt of Karl"s excitement, feeling his own saliva grow thick with it.
“You.” Karl growled and thrust. “Please. Let me feel you.” He twisted to the side, trying to reach for Reese, who deftly moved from his groping hand.
Reese wanted to say yes because his erection throbbed, begging for touch, but he pulled off Karl"s cock to glare into the blue eyes that watched, heavy with arousal.
Reese stroked once, twice, the well-lubricated cock sliding easily in his hand.
“This is only for you. I don"t want to be distracted.”
He"d give Karl an orgasm he wouldn"t dare forget, a memory to recall later, after they inevitably parted. He took all that he"d learned from the more experienced man and went back to his concentrated task. Press that spot there, lick just under the bulbous head, yes, and move his hand firmly. He paused to suck on Karl"s balls, pulling them into his mouth just so, then returned to stroking, licking, sucking Karl"s twitching, rock-hard cock.