A smirk crossed the man’s lips briefly. “Oh, indeed. Better than some of my men but you will never hear me telling her that. Women in such positions will go to great lengths to prove themselves that they work ten times harder than the men.” He chuckled. “One day, I wager, we will see many, many more women in such positions.”
Given his dealings with Cassie’s determination, it did not take much of a stretch of imagination to picture such things. He only hoped Mrs. Lyle found something quickly so he could hand over whoever was behind this to the authorities and then it would be over.
He and Cassie would be over too.
Luke ignored the anguished thud his heart gave at the thought of never touching her again.
“You wished to give me an update? Is Mr. Harding involved in something nefarious?”
Mr. Archer unlaced his fingers and leaned back in the chair. “Mr. Harding spends his days similarly to any other man of his station. He deals with business, enjoys a leisurely lunch at White’s, spends most of his evening there, and occasionally frequents a brothel on Mill Lane.”
“Anything of note there?”
The investigator shrugged. “Nothing at all. However, I must ask this, Lord Whitehurst. Did you put another man on the case? I will not be offended but I cannot say the same for Mrs. Lyle. She suspects you of doubting her skills.”
Luke scowled. “Another man?”
“She noted a scruffy-looking chap also following Mr. Harding.”
He shook his head. “You can put Mrs. Lyle’s mind at ease. I have every faith in her skills.”
“It seems someone else wishes to see what Mr. Harding is up to then.”
“I cannot fathom who,” Luke confessed, unless Cassie’s friend had involved someone else but surely she would have informed Cassie?
“Can I speak with Mrs. Lyle?”
“She’s still out and, honestly, I keep her away from the office. The sight of a woman sometimes puts off the more...old-fashioned clients. Especially those men who have need of discretion. If you wish to meet her, I can arrange that but at present, I have instructed her to continue following Mr. Harding.”
“This man she spotted, what did he look like?”
Mr. Archer peered at the notepad in front of him. “Scruffy, floppy hat, moth-eaten. Walked with a limp.”
“A limp?”
“Indeed.” Mr. Archer leaned over. “You know the man?”
“I might do.”
“What do you wish us to do about him?”
“Tell Mrs. Lyle to follow him instead. I want to know where he frequents and where he rests his head.” Luke paused. “But he’s dangerous. You may wish to assign a man to the case.”
Mr. Archer released a dry laugh. “Trust me, Mrs. Lyle is more than capable of handling herself. Plus there would be hell to pay if she even caught a whisper of me removing her from a case.”
“A stubborn woman then?”
“The most stubborn.”
Luke let slip a tilted smile. “I know one of them.”
“Then you will know that she is more than capable and will do your case justice. Believe me, my lord, I would not hire a woman lightly. She will find out where this man frequents, and I shall have a report ready for you within a few days.”
“Sooner.”
Mr. Archer’s brows rose, and he made a note. “Two days’ time then. Mrs. Lyle will cover his movements for one day and I shall have a report ready for you then.”
Luke smiled tightly. One of the big benefits of rank was having people do your bidding with much more efficiency than if one were a mere mister and he was grateful for that today, because if they could find the man who attacked Cassie, this might all be over sooner rather than later, and he could return to simply watching over her as he had promised Anton.
Oh yes and return to not touching her, not kissing her and not imagining he might be worthy of something more from her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Luke would scold her for sitting here. Cassie pressed her cheek to the cold glass and peered out at the darkened gardens. The men patrolling the grounds carried lamps, that occasionally lit up sections of trees or flowers, and she spied the odd carriage travelling past.
Each time she heard the rumble of wheels, her heart gave a little skip. Luke had been gone far longer than promised. She shifted on the windowsill, aware her rear had gone numb from sitting so long in one position.
What if something had happened to him? What if this was all her fault? She’d never forgive herself. If only she had used the past few days to tell him…well…something. They had barely managed any stolen time together and she regretted that.
The door to the drawing room eased open. Her heart sank when her father popped his head around the door. “I saw the lamp still lit. You are just like your mother—she was always too busy to get an early night.”
Cassie forced a smile. “I shall go to bed soon, Papa, I promise.” So long as Luke returned, anyway.
“Remind me why we have men patrolling, Cassie? I cannot recall.”
“There has been a few robberies nearby, remember, Papa?” It was not a complete lie but she did not mind telling a little one so her father didn’t worry. “Luke suggested we hire some men to watch the house.”
“Oh yes.” He nodded. “Fine man that Luke. Looks after all my daughters quite admirably.”
“He does indeed.”
“Well, be sure to get some rest. Good night, my dear.”
“Night, Papa.”
She turned her attention back to the gardens and let her head rest against the glass with a sigh. “Please return soon,” she whispered.
It might have been mere minutes or a full hour before she heard the front door shut. All she knew was it felt like an eternity. She jumped to her feet and stared at the door, frozen in position. If it wasn’t Luke, she was not sure—
The door flung open and Luke strode in, his eyes wild. “Cass?” He closed the distance between them and gripped her shoulders. “Are you well? Unharmed?”
“Unharmed?” She stared up at him. “Why would I be harmed?”
“The men spotted an intruder trying to enter through one of the lower windows only moments ago. I arrived as they were giving chase, but the man slipped away. I feared—” His voice broke. “Lord, I thought there might be someone else with him.” He muttered a curse. “I should not have left you.”
Cassie wanted to offer some words of reassurance but the relief he was unharmed and returned to her prevented her from doing anything other than wrapping her arms about his waist and pressing herself hard against his chest, her eyes closed. She absorbed the warmth of him and the slightly smoky, cool scent emanating from him.
“Cass?”
“I feared something had happened to you too,” she murmured against his jacket. “I feared I might not...”
She couldn’t say it. Could not admit to the feeling swelling inside of her. Luke had promised her two things—to protect her and to give her pleasure. He’d never vowed to love her.
“I’m here,” he assured her and banded his arms about her. “I will not leave you.”
It wasn’t true but she took comfort from the words anyway. They both knew once this was over, he would return to his life as a rake and bachelor and she would hopefully persuade Anton not to marry her off.
Finally, she lifted her head to view him. “What did you find out?”
He maintained his hold of her. “Mrs. Lyle followed the man for most of the day. He continued to trail Mr. Harding, but the only time he did not was when he travelled to St. Saviour’s Dock late in the evening.”
“St. Saviour’s Dock?”
“I went there tonight, to see if I could spot him. Mrs. Lyle lost track of him somewhere near the Royal Oak.”
“Luke, that could have been dangerous!”
“I had hoped to put an end to this whole miserable thing.”
She glanced down. And an end to them.
“I didn’t find him, unfor
tunately, and now I fear he was here the whole time.”
“Why follow Mr. Harding, though?”
Luke lifted his shoulders. “Why do any of this?”
“We will only know if we can get hold of this man.”
His jaw flexed. “If I get hold of him, he will be lucky to live.”
“St. Saviour’s Dock did you say?”
“Yes.”
She took a step back and Luke released her from his hold. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she frowned. “Saviour’s, saviour’s, saviour’s...” She gasped. “The textile mill.”
He pulled off his gloves and finally set aside his hat. “Cassie?”
“The man who attacked me—he had red fingers. Extremely red. As though he had been touching dye. I did the same once when I was dying ribbons when I was a child. My fingers stayed red for months.”
“So?”
“I did some charitable work in the area last year. There’s a textile mill at that dock.”
“Good Lord.”
She nodded. “He must be there. All we need to do is go to the textile mill and we shall find him.”
“No. There’s no ‘we’ in this, Cass.”
“Well, you cannot go alone. I won’t allow it.”
He smirked. “Allow it?”
“I cannot...” She inhaled deeply, knowing the confession would cost her. “I cannot let something happen to you, Luke. Your desire to protect me is no greater than my desire to protect you, you know. Men do not have the lion’s share on protectiveness.”
“Nothing will happen to me.”
“You cannot promise that.” She lifted her chin. “If you go, I am coming with you.”
“No.”
“I am,” she said forcefully. “I started this, and I wish to put an end to it.”
“Damn it, Cass, you saw what he did to Betty.”
“Which is even more reason for me to come with you.”
He closed the gap between them so that they were almost toe-to-toe. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?”
“Says you!” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “You are far more stubborn than I.”
“If that were true, I would never have—”
“Have?”
“Kissed you in the first place,” he spilled out. “Clearly, I am not nearly stubborn enough or I would never have laid a finger on you.”
“But I wanted you to lay a finger on me!”
“Damn it, Cass, why must you say such things?”
He eyed her for several moments and her breaths felt thick in her throat. All she could think was how much she wanted his fingers on her again. Wanted him to explore her as he had done before. And maybe more. She swallowed hard and parted her lips to try to draw in a full breath.
His expression darkened.
***
IF HE’D BEEN a better man, Luke would never have put himself in this situation in the first place. His pulse still pounded in his ears, his skin burned. For several sickening moments tonight, he thought he’d lost her and that ate away at his gut still, despite her being in front of him, within reach. If he lost her, he’d never be able to touch her again.
Or kiss her.
He closed the gap and took her into his embrace, drawing her hard against his chest. She gasped and he took the opportunity to claim her with a deep kiss. He gave her no quarter.
His grip hard, tasted her, felt her melt into him with each sweep of his tongue. Her fingers dug into his upper arms. She whispered his name briefly between kisses—a plea.
Good Lord, he could not deny her.
When he pressed deeper, she staggered back a few steps. Something tumbled from the writing desk onto the floor as she knocked into it. He twisted her around and molded one hand around her rear. He groaned while the heat raging through his body centered on his cock. As he rocked into her, she made a sweet, sweet sound of surprise.
“God, Cass,” he muttered.
He’d never felt anything like this. Anything so primal. He needed her as much as his next breath. Maybe more. Let him die if it meant he got to continue kissing his beautiful Cassie.
She broke the kiss, nodded furiously and cupped his face to kiss him again. The nod was all the permission he needed. She felt the same, he was certain of it.
He guided her clumsily over to the loveseat where the back of her legs met the furniture and she collapsed upon it, bringing him with her. He paused to eye her, her hair spilling loose and spreading across the floral fabric, her lips swollen, her lashes sweeping across her cheeks.
He didn’t deserve this. Did not deserve her.
None of that mattered right now, though. She wanted him—the viscount, the friend, the rake, and he could not deny her.
Braced with one arm upon the rear of the chaise, he curved a hand around her face and swept his lips over hers. Her fingers twined into his hair and tugged lightly.
“I love your kisses.”
The words made his heart jolt. Love. The utterance made his movements shaky when he swept a hand down her body and gripped her slender waist. It was no confession. But the word lingered there, haunting his mind. How easy it would be to love this woman.
How easy it would be to give in and let it happen, to finally accept what he’d known for far too long—what he’d been avoiding.
The words should have acted like a cold bath of reality, but she rose up into him, offering herself.
“I had better give you more then,” he murmured and brought his mouth down upon hers once more.
He dragged his lips from hers, across her cheek, to her earlobe where he nibbled briefly and felt the little shivers of pleasure in her body. Continuing down, he lavished attention on her neck and décolletage while she grabbed fistfuls of his hair and writhed against him.
Luke scrabbled to draw up her skirts and the back of his fingers grazed the soft skin at the top of her stockings. A primitive sound rumbled up from inside him when he finally reached the sweet, wet heat of her.
She sucked in a breath and he lifted his head to watch the pleasure cross her face when he began stroking her. To think she had known nothing of this pleasure until him. It seemed practically criminal that this passionate woman had gone to waste. It was practically criminal that she was experiencing her firsts with him, but he’d be damned if he wanted her having it with anyone else—anyone who did not feel how he did about her.
No one loved her like he did, he realized that now.
By God, he might be the biggest fool in Christendom, but he was too far gone now.
Cassie moved a hand between them and ran a bold hand over his arousal. He gritted his teeth and concentrated on his ministrations and drawing all the pleasure he could from her. Her strokes paused and her eyes scrunched closed while he moved his fingers faster, drawing little cries from her that would likely haunt his sleep.
She tensed beneath him then her whole body released abruptly. Her lids finally fluttered open and a sinfully smug smile crossed her lips.
“More,” she begged.
More. Good God, the woman was going to drain his very soul.
“I can deny you nothing, Cass.” He eased his fingers inside her heat, and she drew him down to kiss her once more. He pushed his fingers in and out with deliberate thrusts and she lifted her hips while his tongue tangled with hers.
She put hands to his shoulders and shoved him slightly back before he could bring her to completion. Biting into her bottom lip, she eyed him. Even in the dim lamplight he saw the flush on her cheeks and the gleam in her eyes.
“I’ve decided I want it,” she declared softly.
Luke swore his heart shuddered to a stop. The request did not shock him—he knew where they were headed—but to hear her utter the words out loud made him want to punch a fist in the air at the same time as run for the hills.
Conflict roared through him, stiffening his limbs. If he did this, there would be no going back. He’d be proving he had not changed since his youth. He’d be proving himself that r
ake everyone thought he was once and for all.
“Please, Luke.”
“I can deny you nothing.”
Breaths rasped in his throat as he shoved her skirts higher. He curved hands around her rear, sinking his fingers into the soft flesh that greeted him there. She rose up into him, offering herself.
Jaw tense, he settled between the cradle of her thighs and took in the picture that greeted him—Cassie willing and wanting. A siren to be certain. She had lured him to his doom, and he went to crash upon the rocks of their desire with complete eagerness.
A flare of heat pulsed through him when his cock touched her wet heat. He closed his eyes briefly to the sight of her, from the eager expression on her face to the utter innocence that he was about to ruin. This was his last chance.
“Luke,” she pleaded.
A rake. A sinner. A fool. He was so many things. He wanted to be her lover too.
Her first.
Swallowing hard, he dropped down to give her a shaky kiss and inched inside of her. She stiffened and drew in a breath. He moved deeper and her silken heat closed about him. He felt his veins pulse in his forehead while he tried to maintain control. Nothing could have prepared him for the sensation of being joined with Cassie.
“Oh…”
He pushed forward tentatively until he’d sunk as deep as he could then he lifted his head to meet her gaze. Her eyes were wide with wonder.
“I understand,” she said breathlessly.
“Understand?”
“Why you should wish to indulge in lovemaking so often.”
He shook his head and covered her mouth with his. He did not want to think of his previous experiences. How could he when this was all he hungered for? Any other lover paled in comparison to having Cassie, experienced or not. Being inside her opened up an ache deep in his heart that he suspected would never be filled again.
He shifted and she gasped. Her fingers curled into his shoulders. Luke moved inside her while he pressed erratic kisses across her face, her lips, her neck. She lifted her hips in response and he swore his eyes rolled into the back of his head.
Teeth clenched, he thrust in and out. If he was going to do this, she was going to experience as much pleasure as possible. But that would mean him maintaining his control and that was easier said than done with Cassie.
Secrets of a Duke's Daughter (The Duchess's Investigative Society Book 1) Page 17
