Page 169 of To Catch A Rogue

"Don't thank me just yet. You don't know what I wrote in that letter."

Malloryn's eyes narrowed. She'd been almost insufferable since he announced he was getting married. "I swear to God, if you've planted some starry-eyed suggestion in Adele's head...."

"I made it sound as pompous and arrogant as I possibly could, because I needed her to believe it was real. And then I said, 'Thinking of you, Sincerely, Malloryn.' Because every woman likes to believe her husband's thinking of her."

It was worse than he'd expected.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "The last time Adele and I spoke, I told her to make her own arrangements, because I certainly intended to. She probably thinks I'm ensconced in a house with some buxom Norwegian opera singer right now. In that sort of context 'thinking of you' develops a slight sense of nastiness."

Gemma paled. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. That's what you get for meddling."

"I just wanted to see you happy," she protested.

"WithAdele?Adele Hamilton?" The woman had trapped him into marriage. It wasn't any sort of bloody love match. "The one consolation I have right now is that Adele is too coldly practical to ever believe me invested even slightly in her. I cannot break her heart, Gemma, because she doesn't have one. It's an arrangement, nothing else."

Gemma shook her head. "Even coldly practical women have hearts, Malloryn."

"As long as Adele keeps it well hidden, or directs it elsewhere, then I have no qualms."

"Well," she said with a sigh. "It's good to see your recent ordeal hasn't changed you. I was slightly worried you might be pathetically grateful to the lot of us for coming all this way to rescue you, but you seem to be the same old Malloryn."

His jaw tensed.I am pathetically grateful. I'm barely bloody holding it together."And it's good to see you unchanged from your recent promotion to head of the Company of Rogues."

Gemma shuddered. "I'm never doing it again. It was horrible, being in charge and knowing everyone's safety depended upon me. Everyone kept accusing me of turning into you. I don't know how you do it."

He subdued a smile. Gemma didn't need to know he had plans to extend her sojourn as leader of the group. Not just yet, anyway. "The next time you complain about my highhandedness, I'm going to remind you of this moment." He paused to kiss her cheek. "And don't think I didn't notice your attempts at distracting me just then."

"I wasn't trying to hide it. Come to dinner. The rest of the Rogues are dying to see you."

He wanted to hide in these rooms until he could be assured no one else would see through him.

But such an act would be more telling than anything else.

Malloryn offered her his arm. "Of course. Dinner sounds excellent. I just have one more question.... How many times have you forged my signature in the past?"

* * *

"Welcome back, Malloryn!"Charlie called as the duke sat at the head of the table. He lifted his glass and the rest of the Rogues followed suit.

The duke arched a brow as he surveyed them all, though the expression lacked its usual bite. "I’ll be honest and admit that I don’t know what to say right now."

"That would be a first," Kincaid mused.

"You could start by thanking us," Byrnes called, one arm slung along the back of Ingrid's chair. "We risked life and limb to come rescue you."

Malloryn's steely gaze grew even flintier. "And whilst I am incredibly grateful for such an act, it was insanely dangerous."

"I did point that out," Byrnes said, "but nobody wanted to listen to me."

"Here’s to the Company of Rogues," Charlie called, lifting his glass again in a toast.

"And our new honorary members," Ava added, smiling at Lark and Blade.

Malloryn looked at Blade.

Blade looked at Malloryn.