Cooper chuckled and shook his head.
“Gentlemen, please excuse us for a short while.” Theo hooked her arm in Emily’s, and together, the women sailed off toward the ladies’ retiring room.
Cooper caught the ladies making plans for a visit soon. Despite being content with that arrangement, he couldn’t help but worry that Emily had maneuvered Theo into separating them for a reason.
“Stone, I had best follow after them. Lady Emmaline has a knack for getting into trouble.”
“Trouble?” his friend asked, only slightly surprised.
“Just so. Excuse me.” Cooper nodded and went to hover outside the ladies’ retiring room, using a nearby alcove as an excellent vantage point.
Just as he had suspected, a short time passed before Emily slipped from the room on the heels of a small group of ladies, and she was without Theo. As his little hellion slipped past, he reached out from the alcove and dragged her into the curtained shadows. “And where do you think you are going, my lady?”
“What the devil are you doing?” Emily hissed. “If we were caught in here, I would be ruined!”
“Do cease your nonsense, Emily. You were sneaking off to steal again.” Anger swept through Cooper in an unexpected wave. The woman had no care for herself. Not a one. Someone needed to, and it seemed to be falling to him. “Do not think to lie to me.”
“I do not owe you any explanations, my lord.” Her brows lowered over her sparkling hazel eyes as her mouth flattened to a stern line.
So, she reverted to formality to create distance, did she? He refused to allow her to employ such tactics.
“My lord?”
He took a half step closer to her, closing the little distance he had allowed.
Her gaze darted sharply toward the curtained entrance of the alcove.
“I think not, my little hellion. You appear to have an affinity for living dangerously. I find myself intrigued by such a notion.” He shifted his grip from her forearm to her waist, where he wrapped her up and hauled her against his chest.
Her breath hitched as her gaze drifted down to his lips, which pleased him immensely. No man wished to think he was the sole half affected so strongly by the other.
“I find myself intrigued by you,” he said. And then he captured her lips with his.
She stiffened for a moment, her hands pressed to his chest. But as he slipped his tongue deeper into her mouth to savor her exquisite taste, she melted into him with a soft moan. His cock hardened at the small sound of surrender, and more still as her arms twined around his neck.
Frustrated that she responded so sweetly to his touch but would not trust him with her secrets, he exerted the little dominance he could. Turning slightly, he walked her backward until his hand hit the wall and he could press her up against the support. As they kissed, tongues dueling, hands roaming, he needed more, wanted more.
Determined to show her how thrilling they could be together, he broke their kiss and sank to his knees. “Place your foot on the bench.”
“Cooper?”
Hearing his name spoken as a breathy whisper from her lips sent shivers down his spine. The depth of his need for this woman after only one night shook him to his very core, yet he could not relent, would not relent. “Do as you’re told, Emily.”
He lifted her skirts to help her move her foot as directed, and then he slipped under her skirts and parted her pantalets. Her quim was already wet as he leaned in and licked her. A muffled whimper from above had him worrying, so he retreated for a moment. “You must keep your voice down.”
He saw her nod in the shadows of the alcove and returned to his task. With single-minded focus, he delved past her nether lips and stroked his tongue over the little sensitive nub, then back down to her soaked opening. Another low moan vibrated through her, but not as loud as before. Determined to make her climax, he swirled his tongue over her clit with a relentless rhythm. Then he added two fingers to fill her, and she gasped as her hips bucked.
All the while, her sweet-tart taste teased his tongue and lips, making him desperate for more of her. He continued lapping at her center until a tightly drawn breath forewarned him of her coming orgasm. Her body tensed, and then she came. Her release coated his tongue and fingers as she came apart above him. He pinned her hips to the wall as best he could as she shook. The one leg she stood on started to give out. Steadying her as he backed out from under her skirts, he rose up to face her as she gathered her composure.
Before he could warn her off, she shoved off the wall and into his arms. Pressing her lips to his, she kissed him deeply, her body mashed against his throbbing erection. Then she paused and pulled back slightly. “Is that what…”
“Yes, that is you on my lips. I intended to wipe my mouth before kissing you, but you rather got ahead of me.” He chuckled a little.
She hesitated. “I like the way I taste on your lips. Knowing you brought me such pleasure that way, I find it…arousing.”
And then she swept in and kissed him once more. Suddenly, Cooper realized that if they continued as they were, he was going to impale her on his cock right there in the alcove of the Kilpatricks’ home. He’d already far exceeded his initial intentions—merely to steal a kiss and hopefully stop her from thievery. Pulling away, he said, “You should return to Lady Vardy. She will be worried about you by now.”
It was a bit like pouring a bucket of water on a drunk. The fog of desire cleared, and she stepped back from him, her arms dropping to her sides. “Oh my. How long have I been gone from the ballroom?”
“Not so long it cannot be explained away. But you must return soon.” He glanced down at his own rather obvious issue. “I believe I shall stay here a bit longer, which should help avoid any suspicion.”
Righting her dress and pressing her hands to her heated cheeks, Emily nodded. “Right, then. I suppose I shall see you soon.”
“Without a doubt.” He nodded.
As she opened the curtain and let more light into the space, Cooper caught a glimpse of Emily’s kiss-swollen lips and pink cheeks. Groaning to himself, he swore they were doomed.
Chapter 9
The late afternoon sun shined down on Emily as she walked smartly along Brewer Street. For the occasion, she had donned her most worn and repaired gown and shoes. Borrowing one of the maid’s straw bonnets, she had slipped from the house with a basket for marketing. As she drew closer to her destination, her heart raced and her palms grew sweaty.
It reminded her of how she had felt during her first encounter with Cooper—her first time with any man. To her great surprise, he had first brought her to orgasm with his mouth, and then impaled her with his rather fine cock. Certainly, it had hurt with his first intrusion, but he had quickly showed her how much pleasure there was to be had with each other. And every time she’d interacted with him since then, he had surprised her with some new arousing experience.
However, today her nervousness had nothing to do with Cooper and everything to do with the jewels she carried in her reticule. Despite knowing the shop owner cared little about the origins of her goods, wariness—or perhaps guilt—had her questioning the intelligence of conducting her own business. But, of course, she had no one else who could handle such a transaction on her behalf. With a fortitude born of desperation, she turned the corner onto Bridle Lane and sought out the shop with owners of somewhat questionable ethics.
The street—really more of an alley—was quite narrow and practically empty. Head up as she took in her surroundings, she found the discreet entrance to Fletcher & Sons. Beneath the bold lettering was written: Pawn brokers for all your needs.
With a deep breath, she opened the door and approached the counter along the back portion of the shop. The counter was divided into small cubbyholes to protect the client’s dignity, for which Emily was grateful.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. How may I assist you?” A man, Mr. Fletcher, she assumed, appeared before her booth, bearing a smile that failed to reach his eyes.
“I have some items I must pawn.” She reached into her basket and pulled out her stash of stolen jewelry. Along with the necklace Cooper had once pulled free of her breasts, there was a bracelet, a number of pairs of earbobs, and more rings than she could fit on her ten fingers.
The broker’s eyes suddenly lit up as he assessed her wares. He picked up one of the rings and produced a small magnification lens to inspect the item closer. With a grunt, he set the ring down and picked up another. This continued as he looked at each piece on the counter. All the while, she resisted the urge to fist her hands in her skirts.
Once he had examined each piece, he looked back at her, eyeing her dress and the obviously repaired spots. “How much are you seeking for the baubles?”
Emily’s gaze narrowed. “Baubles? Each piece is valuable in its own right. Do not think to undercut their worth, Mr. Fletcher.”
The man grunted again. “How much do you need?”
“Three thousand pounds.” She tried to breathe after speaking such a sum. Still only part of what her brother owed, but a start if she could get as much.
The man snorted. “Two thousand.”
“That will not do, Mr. Fletcher.” She stood straighter and assumed the look and tone she used with recalcitrant servants. “Twenty-eight hundred.”
“Twenty-five hundred and not a bit more.” He growled the words more than spoke them.
Disappointed she could not get more but unwilling to bicker further, she accepted his offer. “Agreed. And you will hold the items for a year?”
He shoved a handwritten ticket across the counter and pointed to the terms of pawn posted on the wall behind him. “That’s the policy. I’ll just be a moment.”
And then he disappeared into the back room for a few moments. When he returned, he handed her the stack of notes and glanced around the front of his shop. “Do you not have a man to escort you home?”
Panic flared as she grappled for a plausible answer. “The drunken lout wouldn’t do me a bit of good if he were here.”
“’Tis a sad state of affairs when a woman cannot count on her menfolk. I shall have one of my boys walk you home,” Mr. Fletcher offered.
“Not at all. I’ll just be on my way. But thank you.”
And then she quickly walked out of the shop and down the lane until she could slip back into the busier foot traffic on Brewer. Once she was safely lost among the crowds, she headed back toward home.
Dress changed after her foray to the pawnbroker, she felt much more herself as she settled in the front salon. Despite a few setbacks as a jewel thief, she had managed to collect over half of what Arthur owed in gambling debts. But she couldn’t deny she was quickly running out of time. Perhaps paying Mr. Lucifer a visit and offering a substantial payment might convince him to give her more time? It was certainly worth the effort to try.
“Lady Emmaline, Lord Brougham to see you,” Mrs. Peppers announced with so much pomp and circumstance, Emily wanted to chuckle.
Cooper strode into the room, hands tucked behind his back, and stopped in the middle of the sitting area. Her housekeeper quickly departed, leaving the two of them alone—ostensibly to go in search of Aunt Hortense, though Emily knew she’d only just laid down for her nap.
As soon as her footsteps faded into the depths of the house, Cooper started moving slowly toward where she sat on a settee. “You have been a rather busy woman today.”
Curious, a statement more than a question.
“I believe all ladies are taught to stay busy. Idle hands and all that.”
“Yes, but I am not sure when they came up with that they anticipated a woman such as yourself.” He stopped just in front of where she sat. “In fact, I would guess they never imagined a lady thief at all when that was first conceived.”
“Perhaps not.” She firmed her chin and waited. It was obvious what this conversation was to be about. “Might I remind you, Cooper, we have an agreement in place.”
He held up the newspaper he had clutched and spread it out so the headline was readable. PRINCE VISITS UNITED STATES!
“Oh, that’s lovely. I hope he was well received.” Emily smiled intently, knowing full well that was not the part that had drawn his concern.
“Not the bloody headline. Look at the lower right corner.” His face had turned a rather alarming shade of red, and a very large vein appeared to pulse on the side of his head.
She leaned forward and blinked a few times as she perused the small bit just above the fold of the paper. The story described a bold fellow who had taken to robbing the homes of London’s elite during their fêtes. That—much smaller—headline read: THE WALTZING THIEF STRIKES AGAIN!
She leaned back and folded her hands in her lap. “I am well aware the Waltzing Thief was recently in action.”
He leaned down and practically hissed at her. “When will you cease these ridiculously risky activities?”
Feeling mulish, she pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. “I never agreed to stop. In fact, I stipulated that what I did outside of our arrangement was my business.”
Cooper stared at her for a few heartbeats and then cursed as he stepped back. “Why do you insist on doing this? You are going to get yourself killed!”
“I shall do no such thing.”
As though she was so inept as to get caught. Besides, she had to do it, and she couldn’t get caught. If she either quit or was caught before she had the money to pay off Lucifer, her brother was as good as dead.
Cooper’s face stilled as he stood across the room from her. Thunderclouds seemed to roll into the room as his jaw grew rigid and his brown eyes turned nearly black. “I know you won’t, because I forbid you to continue. You will cease this insanity at once.”
Fury pushed Emily from her seat. “Forbid?” she asked softly as she crossed the room. “You forbid me to steal?”
Doubt flashed through his gaze. “Indeed. Someone must, as it seems your brother is incapable of acting as your guardian.”
Too angry to snort at the notion of Arthur acting as her guardian, she focused on her next breath. Utter nonsense. “Cooper, I suggest you leave this instant, while I still consider our arrangement intact—despite your very obvious impingement of the terms we both agreed to. I shall not be treated like some green chit barely out of the schoolroom. I am a grown woman who knows her own mind. And at this moment, I am quite keen on the notion of planting you a facer.”
The man whom she normally found so attractive it was all she could do to control her urges around him had driven her to a rather indecorous threat of violence. Not at all a ladylike notion, yet a very appropriate one for the moment.
He narrowed his gaze at her before he had the gall to toss the paper on a nearby table. Then he stepped into her person, hauled her into his arms, and captured her lips with his.
She wanted to be furious at him, and still was if she were honest, but apparently, that did nothing to abate her body’s response to his touch. Arms clamped tightly around her, he left her no place to retreat, and she was quick to acknowledge that she did not wish for one.
As their tongues dueled, slipping and sliding against each other, she allowed her anger to be tempered by the headiness of his kiss. Her body throbbed with the need to feel him, to take him within and lead the way to a pleasure she had not known before his presence in her life.
Setting her away from him as abruptly as he had swooped in to kiss her, he dragged a ragged breath into his lungs and stared at her with wild eyes. For a moment, she was unsure what he would do, but then without a further word, he spun around leaving her standing there alone, lips tingling from such a passionate embrace.
Cooper sat in White’s and stared at the fire crackling merrily as he nursed a whisky.
“I’ve found him.” Linc’s boisterous voice broke through Cooper’s line of thought as his friends pulled up chairs around him. The rain had started just after he’d stepped into the all-male enclave, and it had not let up since. As a resu
lt, his damp friends crowded around the fireplace.
Flint, Linc, and Wolf each eyed him in turn. He could see the question in their gazes as they warmed themselves. Once their hands had dried, he poured them each a glass of whisky from the bottle at his left. The service at White’s was impeccable, so there had been no need to request the glasses required.
After a few moments of companionable silence, during which Cooper considered what he was going to ask of his friends, he broke the peace. “I need your help with…a situation.”
Flint responded first. “Ask away. Whatever it is, consider it done.”
Linc and Wolf both nodded in agreement.
“I shall require your discretion in this matter.” He paused. Was he going too far? His heart lurched at the notion of Emily being caught in the process of robbing someone. “I have taken a marked interest in Lady Emmaline Winterburn, sister of the Earl of Dunmere.”
The other three groaned, Linc the loudest. “Not you as well, Cooper? I thought you were sure to remain a bachelor forever.”
He smiled ruefully. “I’m afraid I have met the absolute antithesis of what I believed my ideal wife to be, but something about her compels me. The trouble is, she refuses to consider marriage at all, and she seems to have taken up stealing while attending the ton’s entertainments.” He let his words slip past their whisky-soaked awareness.
Wolf put it together first. “Damn your eyes!” He leaned forward and lowered his voice, “Are you saying the Waltzing Thief is a woman?”
“Why yes, I am. I thought I had her attention redirected toward more carnal pursuits, but then I saw this morning’s edition of the Times.” Cooper sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Why not walk away?” Linc asked the very question Cooper had been asking himself since that morning.
But then the heated kiss he’d stolen before he’d last left her replayed in his mind, a reminder that something about the woman had wrapped itself around his soul and wouldn’t surrender. “I’m afraid it isn’t so simple now. I find myself quite enamored with the hellion.”
Taming His Hellion Countess Page 7
