Mason froze.
He barely had time to register the disturbance before the door swung open and a graceful figure filled the doorway.
“Brother? I heard uncle has been up to his tricks again—”
Mason let out a foul curse as the voice abruptly cut off.
Hell and damnation.
He whipped the covers over him and Caroline, angling his body to block his sister’s view. “What the hell are you doing home, Rebecca?” He expected her back in a day or two. Not in the middle of the damn night on Christmas.
“I decided to return home sooner,” Rebecca defended. “The carriage wheel broke, which is why I only arrived at this hour. Had I known you hadcompany, I’d have settled in a hotel for the night.”
So she hadn’t received his note.
Caroline squirmed beneath him and Mason let out another curse. “It’s not what you think,” he rushed to reassure both his sister and the woman in his arms.
“Oh, it doesn’t matter what I think,” Rebecca said. “I’m just surprised you brought your bed partner home. I shall leave you to it, then.”
“Rebecca!”
Caroline slammed her elbow in his ribs and scrambled from the bed at his distracted grunt. “I am not his bed partner!” she snapped at his retreating sister’s back before shooting a heated glare his way.
Mason’s gaze dropped to the quilt she clutched against her naked body, shifting to the smooth contour of her back.
He swallowed.
“Oh?” Rebecca paused to turn around with a raised brow. “Then what, pray tell, are you doing in my brother’s bed?”
“Well?” Caroline demanded from Mason. “Aren’t you going to tell her?”
Mason paused, still somewhat taken aback by a particular handprint on Caroline’s waist.Hishandprint.
“You beast!” A small fist struck his shoulder, pulling him from his daze. “You’ve been spouting marriage here and future wife there since the moment we met, regardless of my feelings on the subject, mind you, and now that you faceyourfamily, your tongue has melted?”
“No, Caroline, wait!”
By the time Mason came back to his senses, the quilt had been ripped off his body and Caroline had marched from his chamber in high dudgeon, leaving him cold with her parting words: “Marriage my foot!”
“Caroline!” Mason roared and dashed after her. He didn’t get farther than three long strides before his sister cut off his path with a contorted face.
“Put some clothes on before you completely rob me of whatever is left of my innocence!”
Mason paused and looked down.
Hell and damnation!
Not a stitch of clothing covered him.
He swiveled in search for his breeches amidst the scattered clothing on the floor and pulled them on. “Caroline’s sisters are in the blue drawing room with Hunt. You should go greet them.”
“I take it this Caroline is not simply a bed partner?” Rebecca asked.
“No.” Mason turned and strode from the room. “She is my everything.”
Chapter 10
He hadn’t said, “I love you.”
