A study in scandal by Robyn DeHart

will pursue you, I assume. I suppose it’s a tactic that works quite well for some.” She placed him down on the desk, then made her way to the seating area.
    Colin handed her a cup of tea and motioned toward the biscuits. “Please help yourself.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Where shall we start?” He crossed his left leg over his right, and once again she was struck by the sheer length of his limbs.
    “At the moment, we have no firm leads in the case,” she said, hoping she sounded as if she knewprecisely what she was talking about. “We know that Nefertiti is missing.”
    “Right. And we know that practically all of London had access to her,” he said.
    She smiled. “Correct.”
    “Tomorrow, I shall interrogate your servants and then I wish to go and see this museum curator you mentioned.”
    “Very well.” She took a thoughtful sip of tea. “Must you speak with the servants?”
    “We’ve been over this. It is essential. Amelia, they each had prime access to the piece.”
    She nodded. “Were this piece not so important to my father, I would not care who took it.”
    “Yes, you would.” He smiled. “I do believe you love a good puzzle.”
    He was right. She wished that she could claim she only worked on this for her father’s sake, but she could not. Her own selfish desires were there as well. “I cannot deny that, Inspector. You are rather perceptive in identifying my hidden motivations.”
    He glanced at the window. “Another storm is approaching. I hate for you to be out.”
    “I suppose I should be going, then,” she said.
    “Very well, I shall walk you out.”
    They made their way to the door.
    “Amelia,” he said.
    She turned to face him, and before she could answer he grabbed her by both shoulders and pressed his mouth against hers. There was no movement as in their last kiss, only his lips on hers. He released her. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but found no words.
    “That wasn’t quite right,” he said. “No, not right at all.”
    This time he moved in slower, placed one hand against her cheek, and softly lowered his mouth to hers. His lips moved against hers this time, slowly. Very slowly. Desire coiled down her body and settled between her legs. She shifted her weight, but found no relief.
    His tongue slid across her bottom lip, then her top, then into her mouth. Gracious, he was torturing her to death. But oh, what a way to die. She released a throaty sigh and leaned farther into him, her fingers curling into his hair. A warm dampness settled in her nether regions and she wanted desperately to rub herself against him. But she wasn’t quite that bold.
    He continued his slow and thorough perusal of her mouth until she thought her legs would meltright off her body. Gently, he ended the kiss, and when she opened her eyes, she found him staring intently at her.
    “I believe that was quite right,” she said.
    His warm brown eyes had turned darker, and he looked very much as if he wanted to devour her. The thought of which sent shivers to places in her body she hadn’t known could get shivers. She wanted him to touch her. Everywhere. A blush heated her cheeks. What a disgraceful thought.
    “Yes, well,” he said, his voice husky and raw. “I shall see you tomorrow afternoon. I trust you will find your way home safely. I called for a hackney.”
    Their kiss had affected him as well. Why, though, had he kissed her?
    “Thank you. Tomorrow it is.”
    She turned on her heel and left. This time there was no apology for the kiss. And this time he’d started it. As if he’d been planning it all day. Their conversation earlier had been disjointed, and he hadn’t been paying as much attention as he usually did. He wasn’t nearly as argumentative. It was as if the idea of kissing her had been the sole thought occupying his mind.
    Her heart sped up slightly. She quite liked theprospect of him thinking about her. Especially if those thoughts included kisses, as hers so often