silken heat of her breath, and he gently inserted the tip of his finger into the soft O formed by her partially open lips.
Her tongue flicked out, astonishing him with its wet inquiry. Wolf experienced a surge of desire so intense his knees nearly buckled.
Dear God…
Her tongue touched the rough pad on the end of his finger once more.
“Sabina …” he groaned, his voice thick with need.
She opened her eyes wide in shock.
He cupped her cheek, leaned toward her, and—
Bea walked into the room, carrying an armful of linens and clothing. Wolf jerked back at the unexpected interruption.
“Ah, there you two are,” Bea said, voice booming. “I must apologize that it took me so long to find a suitable gown! I had to rummage around a bit for something that might fit you, my lady. It has been quite awhile since anyone here was your size, I am afraid. So thin. Not to worry, we’ll have you fattened up like me in no time, eh? Well, perhaps not as much as me, but still, you’d do fine with a little more meat on those bones.”
Bea bustled about and chattered so much she seemed not to notice the tension in the room. Or she was wisely distracting them both.
Wolf stared up at the ceiling, fingers flexed at his side, and grumbled an ancient Saxon curse word under his breath. Sabina gasped, blushing. She covered her mouth with her hand, found something fascinating on the wall over his left ear, and would not meet his eyes. At the same moment, he realized Bea had turned and now gawked at them both.
He cleared his throat. “Yes, well, that’s good. I’ve things to attend to, so I had best go … attend to them.”
Bea’s shoulders shook and a titter escaped her.
With a self-mocking smile, Wolf turned on his heel and strode awkwardly to the door, but remembered his manners enough to turn back to Sabina and bow slightly before taking his leave.
“Until later, my lady,” he said, the innocent words holding a wealth of meaning he hadn’t intended. He quietly closed the door behind him and stepped into the hall.
Wolf stretched out his hands in front of him. They shook. He felt hot, all over; his blood raced. It had taken every fiber of his being not to order Bea from the room. He suspected given half an opportunity, he would have tumbled Sabina right there had Bea not arrived, and then where would he be?
In a naked, glorious paradise of silken flesh and black hair, his mind whispered. He quickly quashed the thought.
He pressed his fingers to his brow, and wondered briefly if he was going mad. He felt … dare he say it? Alive. Spectacularly alive. After weeks of mind-numbing grief, it was a shattering transition.
He realized he still stood outside her door, and he moved quickly away lest someone found him hovering outside her portal like a sycophant. He had things to do. He would make himself useful. The first place to begin was with the baron. Surely a man like him had something to hide, something he would pay dearly to keep secret.
He noticed Franz at the opposite end of the long hallway and motioned for his attention. Franz came at once.
“Yes, Master Wolfgang?”
Wolf eyed him. “You have many friends in Wittenberg.”
Franz inclined his head with a humble bow. “I am pleased to think so.”
“Perhaps they may be of use to us.”
Franz hummed deep in his throat. “Useful friends are worth their weight in gold, Master Wolfgang.”
“Indeed. I need certain information that won’t be easy to obtain. Inquiries will need to be made, both quickly and discreetly. I can do some of it, but as to the rest, may I rely on you?”
“It is my hope to be of service to you in all things, Master Wolfgang.”
Wolf clapped Franz on the back. “As you have always been. Shall we discuss strategy over a bottle of Brandywine?”
The elderly servant’s eyes gleamed.
Chapter 5
S abina stared at the door through which Wolf had just left. Shock at her own behavior made her speechless. Had she just done what she
Her tongue flicked out, astonishing him with its wet inquiry. Wolf experienced a surge of desire so intense his knees nearly buckled.
Dear God…
Her tongue touched the rough pad on the end of his finger once more.
“Sabina …” he groaned, his voice thick with need.
She opened her eyes wide in shock.
He cupped her cheek, leaned toward her, and—
Bea walked into the room, carrying an armful of linens and clothing. Wolf jerked back at the unexpected interruption.
“Ah, there you two are,” Bea said, voice booming. “I must apologize that it took me so long to find a suitable gown! I had to rummage around a bit for something that might fit you, my lady. It has been quite awhile since anyone here was your size, I am afraid. So thin. Not to worry, we’ll have you fattened up like me in no time, eh? Well, perhaps not as much as me, but still, you’d do fine with a little more meat on those bones.”
Bea bustled about and chattered so much she seemed not to notice the tension in the room. Or she was wisely distracting them both.
Wolf stared up at the ceiling, fingers flexed at his side, and grumbled an ancient Saxon curse word under his breath. Sabina gasped, blushing. She covered her mouth with her hand, found something fascinating on the wall over his left ear, and would not meet his eyes. At the same moment, he realized Bea had turned and now gawked at them both.
He cleared his throat. “Yes, well, that’s good. I’ve things to attend to, so I had best go … attend to them.”
Bea’s shoulders shook and a titter escaped her.
With a self-mocking smile, Wolf turned on his heel and strode awkwardly to the door, but remembered his manners enough to turn back to Sabina and bow slightly before taking his leave.
“Until later, my lady,” he said, the innocent words holding a wealth of meaning he hadn’t intended. He quietly closed the door behind him and stepped into the hall.
Wolf stretched out his hands in front of him. They shook. He felt hot, all over; his blood raced. It had taken every fiber of his being not to order Bea from the room. He suspected given half an opportunity, he would have tumbled Sabina right there had Bea not arrived, and then where would he be?
In a naked, glorious paradise of silken flesh and black hair, his mind whispered. He quickly quashed the thought.
He pressed his fingers to his brow, and wondered briefly if he was going mad. He felt … dare he say it? Alive. Spectacularly alive. After weeks of mind-numbing grief, it was a shattering transition.
He realized he still stood outside her door, and he moved quickly away lest someone found him hovering outside her portal like a sycophant. He had things to do. He would make himself useful. The first place to begin was with the baron. Surely a man like him had something to hide, something he would pay dearly to keep secret.
He noticed Franz at the opposite end of the long hallway and motioned for his attention. Franz came at once.
“Yes, Master Wolfgang?”
Wolf eyed him. “You have many friends in Wittenberg.”
Franz inclined his head with a humble bow. “I am pleased to think so.”
“Perhaps they may be of use to us.”
Franz hummed deep in his throat. “Useful friends are worth their weight in gold, Master Wolfgang.”
“Indeed. I need certain information that won’t be easy to obtain. Inquiries will need to be made, both quickly and discreetly. I can do some of it, but as to the rest, may I rely on you?”
“It is my hope to be of service to you in all things, Master Wolfgang.”
Wolf clapped Franz on the back. “As you have always been. Shall we discuss strategy over a bottle of Brandywine?”
The elderly servant’s eyes gleamed.
Chapter 5
S abina stared at the door through which Wolf had just left. Shock at her own behavior made her speechless. Had she just done what she
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