Chapter 5: Under the Desk

Ysolene was on her knees behind the study desk when she heard Ignatius's voice in the corridor.

She had been looking for a dropped pen.

The study was a cold square room with a window over the sea.

The duke's desk was the size of a bed, with a modesty panel that came down to the floor.

"Your Grace, Lord Ignatius is here," said a footman, and the doors opened before Valerian could answer.

Valerian sat in the big chair with his sleeves rolled, and his hand dropped under the desk and found her shoulder.

His fingers closed.

She knew what he meant by it.

Stay down, he meant. Stay quiet. I'll get rid of him.

Ysolene looked up the length of him.

She thought of the garnet ring on that other man's smallest finger, and the card, and her father in the cold.

She thought, I am so angry that I could burn this house down.

And she put her hands on her husband's belt.

His whole body went still.

"Cousin," said Ignatius, strolling in. "I won't keep you."

"Ignatius," said Valerian, and his voice was perfectly pleasant, with a thread of rasp in it only she could hear.

She undid the buttons one by one.

He was already hard.

She could feel the heat of him through the cloth.

She drew him out into the dim air under the desk, and he twitched against her palm.

He was thick and velvet-skinned and so hot it was nearly too much to hold.

She had never done this.

Ysolene licked a slow wet stripe up the underside, and a muscle jumped in his thigh.

"I came about the house," said Ignatius, sitting. "The Crown is naturally curious about the progress of your marriage."

"Is it."

She took the head into her mouth.

His hand came down on the back of her head and gripped her hair, hard.

She heard his breath catch behind the desk.

"Three days," Ignatius went on. "Two nights. A man in your position can't be too careful. The law is quite clear, you know."

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