ear—
“All right, then. You haven’t screamed…or poked out my eyes.”
He pressed his lips to the sensitive skin there. Her fingers curled in his shirt.
“Tell me if you’re opposed,” he murmured against her skin. “Tell me if I should stop.”
She couldn’t say anything . He couldn’t possibly understand why, and she wasn’t about to tell him. But his breath
tantalized and tickled. With a sigh, she clasped his head there, and he found her
earlobe. They sank into the corner, the shadow of his body closing over hers, a delicious
blanket of heat and weight, his mouth again claiming her lips.
“Cormack—” she whispered against him, inhaling his breath. Kissing him back. “Yes.”
Beneath the coat, his hand found her bare skin, and smoothed up her thigh.
The carriage jerked to a stop.
He groaned, kissing her hard, and breaking away to stare at her through glazed eyes.
“Fortuitous timing.” He dragged a thumb across her toes and smiled. “I shall leave
you to change into your new old clothes.”
He exited the carriage, leaving her to darkness and silence and the overwhelming realization
she’d likely just had the most thrilling moment of her life. She’d been rescued and
kissed senseless by a handsome stranger.
Now the moment was almost over. Why did she feel so dissatisfied, when she ought to
feel relieved? Male voices sounded above her. The carriage started, nearly jolting
her from her seat. In reality, they could be abducting her away to the country or
taking her to the wharves to sell her off to a harem. She and her sisters read such
sordid stories in the papers all the time, and thanked God for their protected lives.
Yet her heart couldn’t summon the slightest impulse of alarm. She only felt exceedingly
morose that in mere moments she would have to say good-bye to Cormack and his delightful
kisses.
After dressing, in garments that fit her surprisingly well, she folded Cormack’s coat
on the opposite end of the bench. A glimmer caught her eye, followed by a dull thunk , something fallen from its pocket. Bending, she retrieved the object, a medallion
covered with the raised image of Medusa. Tilting its face toward the window, she made
out the word embossed along the bottom: Invisibilis .
A memory danced along the back of her mind, teasing and elusive. She had seen the
image somewhere, with the Latin word for “invisible.” But where? She returned the
object to his pocket, and settled to wait.
Some time later, after countless turns, the conveyance rolled to stop. Outside, the
strike of boots sounded against the pavement. Cormack himself opened the door, his
face hidden by shadows, and extended his hand to assist her down. Just seeing him
again made everything inside her feel light and excited. Behind him stood the familiar
stone walls of the earl’s mews.
She’d been right to trust him. She was just steps away from being returned to her
real life.
“Nice dress.” His gaze moved over her hotly, and he bit his lower lip in appreciation.
“I’ll walk you to the door.”
“To the door?” she blurted, horrified. “Oh, no. It’s far too late for that.”
Though the lane was deserted, the sounds of music and voices traveled over the walls.
Though nearly three o’clock, many balls were still underway. They proceeded toward
the house. Thankfully, it was very dark.
“Even for the servants?”
“I’m a lady’s maid,” she explained. “Not a scullery maid, and there are certain expectations
with regard to my behavior. There would be questions, and my mistress would most certainly
dismiss me. I cannot simply come and go, and keep company with strange men.”
He paused at the center of the lane, catching her arm, and then—her hand. “And yet,
this strange man wishes to see you again.” She stared down, knowing she ought to break
his touch. “Somewhere pleasant, apart from the madness of this night.”
His words
“All right, then. You haven’t screamed…or poked out my eyes.”
He pressed his lips to the sensitive skin there. Her fingers curled in his shirt.
“Tell me if you’re opposed,” he murmured against her skin. “Tell me if I should stop.”
She couldn’t say anything . He couldn’t possibly understand why, and she wasn’t about to tell him. But his breath
tantalized and tickled. With a sigh, she clasped his head there, and he found her
earlobe. They sank into the corner, the shadow of his body closing over hers, a delicious
blanket of heat and weight, his mouth again claiming her lips.
“Cormack—” she whispered against him, inhaling his breath. Kissing him back. “Yes.”
Beneath the coat, his hand found her bare skin, and smoothed up her thigh.
The carriage jerked to a stop.
He groaned, kissing her hard, and breaking away to stare at her through glazed eyes.
“Fortuitous timing.” He dragged a thumb across her toes and smiled. “I shall leave
you to change into your new old clothes.”
He exited the carriage, leaving her to darkness and silence and the overwhelming realization
she’d likely just had the most thrilling moment of her life. She’d been rescued and
kissed senseless by a handsome stranger.
Now the moment was almost over. Why did she feel so dissatisfied, when she ought to
feel relieved? Male voices sounded above her. The carriage started, nearly jolting
her from her seat. In reality, they could be abducting her away to the country or
taking her to the wharves to sell her off to a harem. She and her sisters read such
sordid stories in the papers all the time, and thanked God for their protected lives.
Yet her heart couldn’t summon the slightest impulse of alarm. She only felt exceedingly
morose that in mere moments she would have to say good-bye to Cormack and his delightful
kisses.
After dressing, in garments that fit her surprisingly well, she folded Cormack’s coat
on the opposite end of the bench. A glimmer caught her eye, followed by a dull thunk , something fallen from its pocket. Bending, she retrieved the object, a medallion
covered with the raised image of Medusa. Tilting its face toward the window, she made
out the word embossed along the bottom: Invisibilis .
A memory danced along the back of her mind, teasing and elusive. She had seen the
image somewhere, with the Latin word for “invisible.” But where? She returned the
object to his pocket, and settled to wait.
Some time later, after countless turns, the conveyance rolled to stop. Outside, the
strike of boots sounded against the pavement. Cormack himself opened the door, his
face hidden by shadows, and extended his hand to assist her down. Just seeing him
again made everything inside her feel light and excited. Behind him stood the familiar
stone walls of the earl’s mews.
She’d been right to trust him. She was just steps away from being returned to her
real life.
“Nice dress.” His gaze moved over her hotly, and he bit his lower lip in appreciation.
“I’ll walk you to the door.”
“To the door?” she blurted, horrified. “Oh, no. It’s far too late for that.”
Though the lane was deserted, the sounds of music and voices traveled over the walls.
Though nearly three o’clock, many balls were still underway. They proceeded toward
the house. Thankfully, it was very dark.
“Even for the servants?”
“I’m a lady’s maid,” she explained. “Not a scullery maid, and there are certain expectations
with regard to my behavior. There would be questions, and my mistress would most certainly
dismiss me. I cannot simply come and go, and keep company with strange men.”
He paused at the center of the lane, catching her arm, and then—her hand. “And yet,
this strange man wishes to see you again.” She stared down, knowing she ought to break
his touch. “Somewhere pleasant, apart from the madness of this night.”
His words
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