instantly turned towards his bed through the open door of the bedroom.
Esther knew exactly what he wanted, for she too craved it above all else. For now, though, they would have to wait, for Kensington’s trap awaited them. Tightening her hold on her pistol, she steadied herself and turned away to lean back against Seth’s chest and look at Martha’s, determinedly pretending not to notice the knowing smile on the other woman’s face.
“Have we a plan?” Martha said.
“I think so, yes. You are in no danger, Martha, so you should go first and find yourself a place of safety; when enough time has passed, Seth and I will descend and together dispatch whatever threat we find facing us.”
Seth nodded his grim assent, his arm snaking around her waist to hold her against him. “And what then? I think this would be a poor place for us to linger. Far safer that we find some place with no connection to the duke.”
“I agree, and fortunately my society has a number of safe houses around the country that we can retreat to. The nearest to here is in Banbury. Martha, do we have transport?”
“Yes, Esther. Given ten minutes I can have a carriage waiting for you on South Street, less than half a mile from here.”
“Perfect.” Her pulse quickening, she pulled her head back to look up at Seth again. “You’ll come?”
He flashed her a smile that made her heart skip a beat. “Esther, now I know at least some of the truth of what you are, I am even more determined to keep you in my arms. All the forces Kensington has to call upon could not tear me away from you.”
Esther shivered in delight, the yearning to show him just what that meant to her almost too much to repress. It was all she could do to pull away from him instead and guide Martha down the stairs before retreating back into the rooms where she and Seth had shared so much and were now alone once more.
“Five minutes, then,” Seth said, his low voice as magnetic and compelling as it had ever been. No matter what awaited them, all she knew now was him. “Not time enough for all I want to do to you, Esther, but perhaps time enough for me to demonstrate to you the fervour with which I want you. Sweetheart, more than ever now I cannot bear the thought of ever letting you go!”
“Even though you know that the life I lead is more dangerous even than yours?”
“That only makes me more certain that my place from now on is at your side.”
Dazed with the force of the longing she felt for him, she stretched up and fisted her hands through his hair as his mouth slammed down onto hers, the awareness of the peril they were so soon to face only heightening the lust now soaring through her veins. It was as if all her senses were sharpened tenfold, and when she felt his hand slip beneath her shirt to dance along the length of her bare spine, a violent shiver ran down its length and she clung to him desperately, willing the kiss never to end. Each forceful caress of his lips on hers bound her to him all the more tightly, and though twenty four hours ago she would have sworn that was the very last thing she needed, now she knew how wrong she was. Seth was everything she needed now, and all she ever would. The duke simply could not be allowed to tear them asunder.
With that grim thought blazing inside her mind, Esther broke the kiss and slumped against Seth’s chest, allowing him to gently stroke her hair back from her flushed face as he let his mouth come to rest against her ear. “I know,” he said simply. “I know, Esther, and if I have my way we will have all the time in the world for this once we have left Oxford behind.”
“But first we have to face the duke’s trap.”
“Yes. Together.”
That one word said far more than it should have been able to. Drawing strength from it, she nodded then crossed the room to furtively steal a glance out of the window. In the distance she saw Martha receding. The time had come.
One look at her face seemed to be all
Esther knew exactly what he wanted, for she too craved it above all else. For now, though, they would have to wait, for Kensington’s trap awaited them. Tightening her hold on her pistol, she steadied herself and turned away to lean back against Seth’s chest and look at Martha’s, determinedly pretending not to notice the knowing smile on the other woman’s face.
“Have we a plan?” Martha said.
“I think so, yes. You are in no danger, Martha, so you should go first and find yourself a place of safety; when enough time has passed, Seth and I will descend and together dispatch whatever threat we find facing us.”
Seth nodded his grim assent, his arm snaking around her waist to hold her against him. “And what then? I think this would be a poor place for us to linger. Far safer that we find some place with no connection to the duke.”
“I agree, and fortunately my society has a number of safe houses around the country that we can retreat to. The nearest to here is in Banbury. Martha, do we have transport?”
“Yes, Esther. Given ten minutes I can have a carriage waiting for you on South Street, less than half a mile from here.”
“Perfect.” Her pulse quickening, she pulled her head back to look up at Seth again. “You’ll come?”
He flashed her a smile that made her heart skip a beat. “Esther, now I know at least some of the truth of what you are, I am even more determined to keep you in my arms. All the forces Kensington has to call upon could not tear me away from you.”
Esther shivered in delight, the yearning to show him just what that meant to her almost too much to repress. It was all she could do to pull away from him instead and guide Martha down the stairs before retreating back into the rooms where she and Seth had shared so much and were now alone once more.
“Five minutes, then,” Seth said, his low voice as magnetic and compelling as it had ever been. No matter what awaited them, all she knew now was him. “Not time enough for all I want to do to you, Esther, but perhaps time enough for me to demonstrate to you the fervour with which I want you. Sweetheart, more than ever now I cannot bear the thought of ever letting you go!”
“Even though you know that the life I lead is more dangerous even than yours?”
“That only makes me more certain that my place from now on is at your side.”
Dazed with the force of the longing she felt for him, she stretched up and fisted her hands through his hair as his mouth slammed down onto hers, the awareness of the peril they were so soon to face only heightening the lust now soaring through her veins. It was as if all her senses were sharpened tenfold, and when she felt his hand slip beneath her shirt to dance along the length of her bare spine, a violent shiver ran down its length and she clung to him desperately, willing the kiss never to end. Each forceful caress of his lips on hers bound her to him all the more tightly, and though twenty four hours ago she would have sworn that was the very last thing she needed, now she knew how wrong she was. Seth was everything she needed now, and all she ever would. The duke simply could not be allowed to tear them asunder.
With that grim thought blazing inside her mind, Esther broke the kiss and slumped against Seth’s chest, allowing him to gently stroke her hair back from her flushed face as he let his mouth come to rest against her ear. “I know,” he said simply. “I know, Esther, and if I have my way we will have all the time in the world for this once we have left Oxford behind.”
“But first we have to face the duke’s trap.”
“Yes. Together.”
That one word said far more than it should have been able to. Drawing strength from it, she nodded then crossed the room to furtively steal a glance out of the window. In the distance she saw Martha receding. The time had come.
One look at her face seemed to be all
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