well by a fellow just as unwilling to let him in as the man out front.
Discouraged, but nowhere close to giving up, he continued to circle the theatre until he came to a stop in front of a large heap of refuge. There, hidden behind the trash barrels was a small stairwell leading to the basement.
Mason leapt down the steps in a flash, pausing only for a moment to kick the door in.
As his eyes started to adjust to the poor lighting, he spied a staircase down at the end of the hall that he assumed led up to the stage area.
He was halfway down the hall when the sound of someone pounding on a door and calling out caught his
attention.
Riley!
He rushed over to the door and pulled it open.
"Mason!" she said.
He rushed inside to wrap her in his arms, but instead of the warm greeting he expected, she cried "No!"
and bounded around him, clawing at the door as it swung shut.
As the hinges stopped rattling, she let out a rather salty curse, one equal to any of Bea's best vulgarities.
"You let the door close," she said, standing before it, her head banging against the wood, her fists
pounding on the panels."I take it, that's a bad thing."She glanced over her shoulder. "It latches shut on the outside. We are locked in."Now Mason knew why he wasn't getting his hero's welcome.
Riley settled back down on her perch of canvas and old curtains, her feet swinging back and forth. At least Roderick and Louisa had left the candle lit or she and Mason would have truly been in the dark.
Overhead the audience laughed uproariously, then applauded with great cheer.
She looked up at the ceiling. "End of Act Two, your scene went over better than expected."
"Glad I could be of service," he said from his own spot across the narrow room. "Isn't it rather odd that no one has noticed you missing?"
"Roderick and our new Aveline decided to stage a small revolution tonight. I've been upstaged by myunderstudy.""Ginny?""No, your niece-Louisa."
Mason bounded to his feet. "Louisa! Why, that little-"Riley waved aside his comments. "Don't bother. I've already cursed her every way I can think of andeven a few Bea probably doesn't know."
Mason crossed his arms over his chest. "This is all your fault. If you hadn't left, Louisa never would have
gotten away with this."Riley's temper flared. She clambered off the canvas and crossed the room to face him. She punctuatedher words with her finger, prodding it into his chest. "My fault? I didn't leave because I wanted to! I leftbecause you'd decided to wed Miss Pindar!"
"What would make you think I'd choose her over you? I have no intention of marrying that chit.""You don't?" She so wanted to believe him."Of course not. I made my choice the night of Everton's masquerade. Why would I make love with you and marry another woman? There is only one woman I ever want to share my bed with and that's you."
Riley cocked her head. "But I saw the special license on your desk and Mrs. Pindar was holding Freddie's vowels."Mason's gaze rolled upwards. "That's why you fled out of my study like you were on fire. Consider that license my last act of propriety." He stepped closer to her. "I couldn't understand why you gave in soeasily. And then I thought perhaps you didn't want to live a life of poverty.""And I would know what to do with riches?" she laughed.He joined in. "Come to think of it, neither would I."
Their laughter stilled, and when the silence seemed to fill the room, Mason folded her into his arms andkissed her."You aren't going to marry Dahlia?" she asked, after several minutes.Mason shuddered. "Never. I discovered I am not overly fond of shepherdesses or their sheep."Riley smiled, then laid her head on his chest. "What will you do about Freddie's debts?"
"Don't you worry about those. You should be more concerned about getting us out of here."
Glancing at the door, she said, "Unfortunately, we are stuck here until the end of the play when the stagehands start clearing away the props."
He waggled his brows at her and grinned. "Do you think we have time?"She cuddled up into his arms. "Are you sure you aren't going to marry Dahlia?""Positive.""Then I think we do," she said.Mason bent down and kissed her, his lips hungry and firm.Riley answered back with her own blazing kiss. She'd spent a lot of time in the last few weeks remembering their night together and dreaming of having another chance to be with Mason.Now that she did, she didn't waste any time. She tugged off his jacket, pulling his shirt free next."In a hurry?" he asked."You recall those lines you made me cut out? We'd have more time if you'd let me keep Geoffroi's speech."
"Then we'd better not waste another minute." Mason reached over and caught up a velvet cape that lay
in a pile of discarded costumes. Shaking it out, he laid it over the canvas pile, grinning at her from the side of their impromptu bed. She climbed into it, looking like a regal cat.
Just before he joined her, he spied a discarded crown, covered in paste jewels. Catching it up, he put it
on his head. "You are now mine to command," he said, repeating the King's line from Act Three.
Riley laughed and said her part back. "Oh, command me, my lord." She eased up the edge of her skirt, wiggling her bare leg at him in invitation.
Mason found himself fast becoming a great fan of the theatre. "My first edict is that you make a change of
costume." His hands roamed up the length of her bare legs until they reached her hips. He pulled her
closer, and continued to undress her. "All my subjects shall go naked henceforth."
"I don't remember that line," Riley teased in a stage whisper, opening his shirt and running her fingers over his chest.
"I'm rewriting the entire script," he told her.
"I like it so far," she purred, her hips writhing back and forth against his groin.
He pushed her gown all the way up over her head, leaving her clad in only her chemise. As his hands
cupped her breasts and he went down to suckle the soft flesh, a breathy sigh escaped her lips.
Not to be the only actor in Mason's new play, Riley pulled and unbuttoned his clothing, between fevered
kisses and murmured words of endearment, until his jacket, shirt, and breeches landed in a scattered heap on the floor.
Enlivened by his mischievous spirit, Riley caught up a feather duster left on a box beside her. "Your
scepter, sire," she said.
Mason grinned, and used his faux royal accoutrement to tease her, along with stroking touches and long, fevered kisses, to ignite her flesh until she was on fire, panting and begging him to give her release.
Her needs, her breathless requests, left him ragged with his own desires, and Riley didn't neglect them.
Her hands trailed down his body, where she discovered he was hard and ready.
Unwilling to wait any longer, she wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him to enter her.
He did, and with no barrier to stop him, no need to take it easy, he entered her in a single smooth stroke.
Riley let out a triumphant moan. "Oh, yes. Please, Mason."
All her pent-up fears, her relief at having him back, her heartache over the last few weeks poured into her
need for him. Her hips rocked at a frantic pace, urging him, daring him to keep up.
Mason understood her driving need. He'd thought of nothing else-of having Riley forever in his arms- for the last fortnight.
Now she was his, and he pressed into her, stroking her, wanting nothing more than to see the surprise
that enveloped her as her release brought her over the edge.
When it did, her mouth sought his as she started to cry out. "Oh, Mason," she gasped.
The quaking of her release pulled him along with her. A ragged cry tore from his lips, but the sound was
drowned out by a huge cheer and a large round of applause from the audience overhead. The two of
them shuddered together as the entire theatre rocked overhead with thunderous approval.
And as the hue and cry above began to lull, Mason looked down at her and said, "Never had that happen before."
Chapter 22.
L ord Cariston lurked about the edge of the crowd pouring from the Queen's Gate Theatre, hating every
one of their smiling, excited faces.He'd been waiting around the theatre most of the afternoon and all through the performance, listening forthe alarm to be raised over Riley's demise.
But none had been forthcoming.
He'd seen McElliott enter the place about an hour before the curtain had gone up, but from the outsidenothing had seemed amiss since then.Though much to his delight, he'd also seen Ashlin frantically trying to get in."Say good-bye to her," Stephen had whispered as he'd watched the other man disappear down the alleyway. "She would have been your ruin anyway."
Yes, it was better for everyone that she die and be forgotten.
Now, all he needed was confirmation of her death, and he would go to Lady Marlowe's house to