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S imon took another step back, anticipating her wrath. He’d seen her angry more times than he could count, and he didn’t disregard the prospect of violence if her memory chose to return now. She would tear his head off—and he couldn’t blame her.

“I loathe you? No, I don’t think so,” she said, shaking her head.

So much for her memory returning.

“That’s not at all how I feel about you. If I hated you, I would be able to tell. When I look at you, I have a feeling—and that feeling is...” She seemed to be looking for the right words. “Warm. I feel warm when I look at you.”

“It might be the heat of your hatred,” he said. “You once told me you loathed me with the intensity of ten thousand suns.”

She raised her brows. “Poetic, but not very nice.”

“You aren’t particularly nice. You’re intelligent, graceful, and the best agent I’ve ever met. But you aren’t nice .”

She sank down to the floor. “Not even to you?”

“Especially not to me, not that I’m complaining. I’ve learned a lot from you. It’s an honor to work with you. When I was assigned to this mission, I was thrilled.”

“You look up to me?”

“Everyone does. You’re practically a legend in the Foreign Office. All of us junior agents are terrified of you, but we’d give anything to work with you.”

She put a hand to her chest. He tried not to stare at it. She hadn’t been able to fasten her gown all the way on her own, and the bodice was loose. The tops of her rounded breasts were visible just above the edge of her chemise. “Is this some sort of hoax?”

“Not at all.” He reached down, and she put her hands in his.

He led her to the couch and then took a seat on the edge farthest from her.

“You really are one of the best agents for the Foreign Office. That’s why you were given the location of the rendezvous and sent to Cornwall.

I was sent with you to pose as your husband and provide support. ”

“I know this mission is very important,” she said. “Was there no safeguard? Did I say nothing to you of the rendezvous or give you any indication of where it might be?”

“You haven’t said more than a dozen words to me since we left London.”

“We don’t know each other?”

“We’ve known each other for five years, since I was new to the Foreign Office.

You’d already been there about a decade.

At first, you ignored me. There was no need for you to take notice of me.

But over the years we worked together maybe ten or eleven times.

” This was the eleventh time, but she didn’t need to know he kept track.

“I thought we made a good team. Melbourne must have thought so as well, since he paired us on this mission, despite your protests.”

“I didn’t want this mission?”

“You didn’t want me on this mission with you. You asked for someone else.”

“Who?”

“You said”—he cleared his throat—“‘Melbourne, I will work with literally anyone else. I’d work with Old Boney himself.’”

“Who is Old Boney?”

“Napoleon Bonaparte, our—”

She waved a hand. “I know who he is. Why would I say that? I don’t like Napoleon. I feel cold and stiff when I think of him.” She shuddered.

“I think you were trying to make a point.”

“And I said this in front of you?”

“I’m used to it.”

“Simon.” She reached over and took his hand.

He wasn’t sure if he should allow her to hold onto it.

But now he’d told her that she hated him, she knew the truth.

So he didn’t pull away. “I am so sorry I treated you like that. I can’t think what came over me.

I can see you’re a capable person. I’d be an idiot not to want your assistance.

” Her expression was one of sorrow, but it turned quite suddenly to horror.

She pulled her hand out of his. “But you must hate me . You must have despised having to pretend to be married to me, especially when I didn’t know the truth.

And then I all but threw myself at you.” Her cheeks turned from pink to scarlet.

“I don’t hate you.”

She covered her eyes with a hand. “I made you lie in bed beside me, and I put my hands on you and crawled into your lap. And—oh, my God—the bath.”

He’d been trying not to think about the bath ever since it had happened.

The sight of her naked had been the fulfillment of every fantasy he’d invented since he’d first laid eyes on her.

And she hadn’t disappointed. Her waist was as trim as he’d imagined, her hips as flared, her breasts as round and pert.

And the feel of her wet, naked body in his arms had made him so hard it hurt to walk.

But he was a professional, and he’d been trained well. He averted his eyes as best he could and did his duty. She was injured and dizzy, and she believed he was her husband. The last thing he’d wanted was to take advantage of her.

But he had. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have allowed any of that to happen.

I should have told you about this ruse all along, but when I realized you’d lost your memory, I was afraid you might say something or do something to give us away.

Considering you were attacked last night, we can’t trust anyone.

I kept hoping your memory would return.”

“I’m just sorry for throwing myself at you. I’m mortified.”

“No need for apology.”

“No, there is. You must have been horrified, and I’m so sorry for putting you in that position.”

“I wasn’t horrified.”

“Well, disgusted then. Oh, my God. Are you married in truth? Was I trying to seduce a married man?” Her face was pale and her eyes so large they were practically saucers.

“I’m not married.”

“You’re not?” She seemed to sag with some relief.

“And I wasn’t remotely horrified or disgusted by anything between us. In fact—well, that doesn’t matter.”

But he should have known an agent as good as Marjorie Clawson—that was her true surname—would never let something go unsaid. “Go on. What doesn’t matter?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“And I’d rather you would. Am I your superior? Can I give you orders?”

He couldn’t stop a grin. “I don’t report to you, no. But on this mission, I suppose I’m expected to defer to you.”

She gave him a satisfied smile.

“But this isn’t related to the mission.”

Her smile fell. Then it reappeared, and as lovely as her smile was, it made him uneasy. “I confess I don’t recall anything about being an agent. But I must have good instincts if I’m as good as you say, and do you know what my instincts are telling me, Simon?”

“I’d prefer not knowing—”

“I think you rather liked kissing me,” she said, ignoring him.

“Maybe even as much as I liked kissing you. Because whatever I might have felt for you before, I don’t feel that way now.

I don’t even believe I ever felt that way.

I must have been attracted to you—perhaps I saw that as a liability and tried to keep my distance.

I don’t know what I thought or why I behaved so badly.

But I can’t deny the way I feel about you now. ”

Simon’s mouth felt dry, and he swallowed. “And how do you feel?” he asked, his voice little more than a whisper.

“I like you.”

“I like you too.” And he did. He’d never particularly cared for her abrasive personality, but that hadn’t stopped him from lusting after her.

But her personality seemed to have changed with that blow to the head.

He liked this new Marjorie quite a lot. God, he hoped she wouldn’t return completely to her old self when her memory returned.

“And I did enjoy kissing you.” Holy hell, but he’d wanted to do a lot more than kiss her.

“But that isn’t why we’re here.” Was he telling her or himself?

“We’re expected to keep everything above board here and complete our mission. ”

She nodded, and he was disappointed she agreed so readily. He wouldn’t have minded being persuaded to break the rules.

“Thank you for telling me the truth,” she said.

She didn’t add finally , but he heard the echo of the word.

“Everything makes more sense now. Of course, I’m even more terrified I won’t be able to remember who I am and the information I hold, but there’s nothing for that, I suppose.

Clearly, this mission is crucial to the war effort else someone wouldn’t have attempted to kill me and ensure the smugglers can never reach the rendezvous. ”

“That’s the other reason I’m sleeping on the couch,” he said.

He’d expected her to try and sneak out again, but that hadn’t been his most pressing concern.

“By now whoever tried to kill you is probably aware the attempt was unsuccessful. I expect they’ll try again, and since they can’t be sure I don’t also know the rendezvous, they may try to kill both of us. ”

She rose to her feet. “You think someone will come here tonight and try to kill us?”

“It’s a possibility. I won’t let it happen. I have my pistol right there.” He indicated a cloth in which he’d wrapped the pistol, so she wouldn’t see it. “If anyone tries to get in, I won’t hesitate to shoot.”

Her gaze lingered on the cloth then slid to the front door and then the back. He knew her well enough to know what she was thinking. “I’ve barred the doors and locked the windows. I plan to keep watch all night. You can go to bed. You’ll be safe.”

“You are always trying to send me to bed,” she said. “Not this time. Even if I try to sleep, I won’t be able to. I rather think there would be something wrong with me if I could sleep while knowing someone might be lurking outside, waiting for the chance to murder me. We’ll keep watch in shifts.”

If he didn’t know better, he would have thought the old Marjorie was back again. She gave the order as though it was second nature.

“You have a head injury. You should rest.”

“I can rest on the couch as well as in my bed chamber. Besides, you’ve done nothing but take care of me. It’s time you rested.”