Jared made his way upstairs to his bed chamber, still deep in thought. He ignored the whining from the study, sure that the dog would settle down. In his chamber, he undressed and hung his clothes carefully before pulling his nightshirt over his head, settling the soft material over his naked skin. He banked the fire and sat in the chair beside it. It was difficult not to think of Matthew. He stretched out his naked feet, wondering where his slippers were, but the fire warmed them. Matthew. The man who promised him the world, and then married a pretty girl. The man who couldn’t understand why Jared was upset, why he didn’t want to be his grubby secret. Jared scrubbed his face and lay his head against the warm leather of the chair.
A noise from downstairs startled him. A sharp bark. Two. A
