He advanced a step, the faintest smile touching his lips. “Has the cat caught your tongue?” he asked in that low, taunting voice of his.
My throat tightened. “I beg your pardon, sir,” I managed at last, “but I must go.” I turned away quickly, desperate for air, my back to him and my heart hammering beneath my ribs.
Before I could reach the door, he spoke again. “You cannot,” he said. “There are eyes in every corridor. Were anyone to see you leaving my chamber, they would never rest until they discovered who you are—and your reputation would not survive their curiosity. For your own sake, you must wait.”
His words froze me where I stood. Then, before I could reply, I felt his presence at my back. He leaned nearer, his breath grazing my ear, his voice soft enough to unsettle the strongest
