Chapter 190

She was gone. When James woke a few hours after dawn, the realization had been like a knife to his chest. The woman he'd shared the most intimate night with had abandoned him. Rather than James running out like a heartless rogue, she was the one who had fled. It was as though the world had turned upside down on him.

James hunched over on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor where his clothes lay in a crumpled heap. He was completely naked, which wasn't unusual, but for once he felt exposed. He'd never taken mistresses, had only bedded one other woman in his life before last night, but damned if he didn't feel as though he had lost his virginity rather than Gillian losing hers.

"My lord?" Dr. Wilkes's voice came through the closed door.

"Yes, Dr. Wilkes. Give me a moment." He scrambled out of bed and hastily threw on his clothes. When he opened the door, Dr. Wilkes was standing there, frowning.

"I wished to check on you. It's not like you to" Dr. Wilkes's eyes strayed to the be