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Jack heard her whispered words and knew exactly what he had done. He lost control in a way he hadn’t since he was twenty. He had always been so careful to avoid the possibility of a bastard child. What was it about this woman that made him so careless?
He’d let his emotions get the best of him. A foolish mistake. The past three years working for Fairchild had taught him to hide his feelings from everyone, except his brother and grandmother. For some reason those two could always see right through him. And now, he had openly displayed his emotions to the one woman he should never let see them.
“I’m sorry. I should have withdrawn.”
“I think I understand,” she said softly. Her hand cupped his check as her thumb caressed his face.
He dared a glance at her and saw understanding. How could any woman empathize when what he’d done put her entire reputation at risk? “You do?”
She smiled. “I could be wrong, but I think we both lost a bit of control tonight.”
He leaned over and kissed her mouth slowly, sweetly. “You are right about that.”
Slowly, he pulled out of her, missing her warmth at once. “Lay with me for a while.”
“Oh?” She reached for her night rail that he’d tossed near the pillows, but he grabbed the crumbled cotton first and threw it across the room. “Jack!”
“I want to lay with you naked, not with layers of clothes between us.” He sat on the edge of the bed and removed his boots and the trousers. She pushed herself up to the pillows and dove under the covers. “Are you shy or cold?”
“Freezing!”
He laughed at her reaction and was thankful at the same time. He hated to see a woman too shy to let a man glimpse her naked. “Warm the bed for me too.”
He moved to the bed and tossed the covers over himself before drawing her near. The sensation of her body molded against his sent more lustful images to his head. Oh, the things he wanted to do with her. Now that his initial lust has been sated, he could take it slow the next time and explore every inch of her body.
“What will we do?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“If what happened here tonight has repercussions? It is highly unlikely since I have been married three times and never conceived”
Repercussions. He blew out a long breath. He’d been so careful the last nine years that he never thought about it. “We shall deal with it, when and if we discover that there is an issue.”
Slowly, he drew her back into his arms and let her head rest against his chest. For a while neither said a word, both lost in their own thoughts. Jack couldn’t get the idea out of his head that she might be a killer. His job was to prove that she murdered her late husband, or maybe even all of them. Somewhere in this house might be the evidence to prove her guilty. Then what would he do?
And what the devil would he do if she were with child because of his foolish actions tonight?
“I shall make certain to withdraw the next time,” he finally commented.
“Who said there would be a next time?” she said softly as her fingers slipped through the hairs on his chest. She skimmed her fingernails down until she reached his growing shaft. Circling her hand around him, she caressed him until he thought he might explode.
“I think there will be a next time,” he said, rolling on top of her and then staring down at her. “And a next...and a next.”
“Oh? And when would that be?”
He nuzzled the side of her neck. “Soon,” he whispered. “But first I am going to kiss every inch of your body until you beg for a next time.”
She laughed softly as his tongue caressed her earlobe. “Then I get a chance to make you beg.”
“Yes, please.” His lips moved across her face until he reached her lips. “No more talking.”
Before she could respond, he kissed her softly, enjoying the soft sigh as she opened her mouth to him. As she responded to his kiss, he deepened it, savoring the taste of her and the sensation of her under his body.
Desire thrummed through his veins as he kissed down her neck to her beautiful breasts. He lifted up onto his elbows and stared down at them for a long moment. Larger and fuller than he’d expected for such a small woman, the soft mound overflowed his hand as he cupped one. Feeling her nipple tightening against his palm, he moved his hand and circled his tongue around her areola until she moaned softly. He smiled when he heard the frustration in her moan and then he flicked her nipple with his tongue.
“Jack,” she moaned.
He slipped a nipple fully in his mouth and suckled until her hips wiggled under him with pent up desire. Her pelvis moving against his hard shaft made him want to forget his promise to kiss every inch of her body and just plunge deep inside her instead. Moving over to her other beautiful pink nipple, he proceeded to give it his undivided attention.
“Jack, please,” she groaned. “You are driving me mad with desire.”
“Good,” he said as he lifted his mouth off her breast. “Because I am far from done.”
“Please,” she begged prettily.
“No.” Instead of taking advantage of her pleas, he kissed his way down her stomach until he reached her thighs. Lifting one leg, he trailed kisses down her thigh. He flicked his tongue against the back of her knee until she moaned again.
“Damn you, Jack. I want you now.”
“I realize that and you will want me even more in a few minutes.” He traced the path back up her leg until he found her folds. A quick flick of his tongue made her jump.
“What are you doing?”
“Surely one of your husbands must have done this with you.” He found that little nub of pleasure and brought it into his mouth, lightly biting down until she almost flew off the bed.
“Jack!”
“Hush, or your servants will hear you. Relax and enjoy this, I know I will.” He moved his mouth over her sensitive nub and suckled, flicked, and rubbed until she was writhing with desire. Slipping a finger into her wetness was almost his undoing, she was so moist and ready for him again, and all he wanted to do was douse this rising flame inside him.
Her moans turned to little mewing sounds until he felt her muscles spasm around his finger and her whole body writhed with pleasure. She was absolutely the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen engulfed in passion. She held nothing back.
“Jack,” she panted. “I want you back inside me.”
“I shall get there.” As her body settled down, he moved his mouth over her folds again. This time as her passion flared, he raised himself up and plunged into her just as she tightened around him. He had to stay in control. He couldn’t lose it as he’d done earlier. But the sensation of her inner muscles twitching against him was almost too much for him to control. He’d hoped she could come one more time but now the only thing he could think of was his own release. He thrust a few times into her before pulling out and spilling on her stomach.
“Damn,” he whispered. He let his head rest on her chest for a few minutes as they both slowly came back to reality. He grabbed a handkerchief from the nightstand and wiped her clean before doing the same to himself. Then he pulled her close and let his head drop to hers. The uncontrolled passion was gone, replaced by something deeper that alarmed him. He couldn’t become too involved with her when he still didn’t know if she was a murderess. He had to keep a sense of distance until he proved her guilt or innocence.
He forced himself not to be drawn into the warmth of her body and fall asleep. Once she dozed, he could search her room for any evidence of poisons or even books on poisons. Hearing her even breathing, he slipped out of bed and dressed.
He searched her nightstand but found nothing except a few handkerchiefs and a small journal. He scanned the pages quickly and discovered nothing of consequence. Spying a book on the chair by the fireplace, he picked the leather-bound volume. He wondered if Mrs. Wollstonecraft’s book was the same one the duke has been speaking of loaning Tessa. Somehow, he doubted that the duke would want a woman to read about the rights of women.
A small cherry writing desk stood in the corner of the room so he walked over to investigate it. Again, no notes regarding poisons and nothing even referring to her feelings about her husbands. Damnation. He needed a lead to get this case settled.
“Jack, what are you doing?” she asked a quiet voice.
Yes, Jack, what are you doing?
“I was looking for some paper to write you a quick note.” He crossed the room to the bed and kissed her softly. “It’s getting late. I need to leave before the servants wake.”
She nodded slowly before cupping his face with her hand. “Goodnight, then.”
“When will I...” he let his voice trail off.
“Tomorrow?”
“Perhaps,” he said softly. “I need to check my calendar. As do you.”
She laughed disparagingly. “I believe my calendar is open.”
Her sad tone tugged at his heart as much as he knew it shouldn’t. “You never know when an invitation will appear.”
She smiled but shook her head at the same time. “Highly unlikely.” She paused for a long moment, just staring up at him. “Must you leave so soon?”
What a tempting minx. “Yes, I must leave. It is almost four. The servants will be awake in an hour.”
“Very well.” She pushed the covers off her naked body. “I will see you out.”
“There is no need. I will leave the same way I came in.”
“And how was that, exactly? If you were able to get in, then anyone might be able to also.”
“An unlocked window in your study.” He pulled the covers back over her tempting curves. “The room has become cold again. I will put some coal on the embers to warm you.”
Before she could refuse him, he walked to the fireplace and shoveled more coals into the fire. He then glanced back at her with a smile. “Go back to sleep, darling.”
“Goodnight,” she whispered as he opened the door.
Once out the room, he scanned the hall before moving forward. He had no idea if she kept a footman at the front door all night. Spying around the corner of the stairwell, he noticed nothing but pitch darkness down the steps. Slowly, he tiptoed down just in case a footman was napping instead of keeping watch. When he reached the first floor, he walked past the front door, strolling toward her office in the back of the house. Knowing he had at least an hour, he lit a candle and proceeded to search the room.
After almost thirty minutes of investigating, he found a bundle of receipts. As he shuffled through the pile, he noticed a few related to bills for refurbishing the town home and then a few more interesting items. Receipts from a Lawrence Chatsworth, Esquire in Cornwall. All appeared to be receipts for regular payments of ten pounds, every quarter. Why the devil would she be paying a solicitor? He hated the idea that she was involved in any of their deaths, but looking at the evidence, it could be considered damning. After all, why would she need to keep a solicitor on retainer if not to call upon him quickly should she need him? Yet, he still had no hard evidence to tie her to the poisoning of her late husbands.
He would have to get into her library and search the shelves there. It was doubtful that she would be so sloppy as to leave a book about poisons just lying about the room. Then again, her knowledge may have come from another source. A friend or relative who knew about these types of things...and while he knew firearms, poison was not his area of expertise.
Unfortunately, it was time to pay a visit to the dowager, much as he dreaded it. If anyone knew about poison, it would be her.