he had to describe it, he’d say her grip was desperate. “I could hang for this, Fin. Do you not understand that? And if anyone finds out that you knew about me, well, I suspect you could too.”
“Why is it okay for you to not want me to hang, but I’m supposed to forget about the fact that you could hang?” Blast, but she was a stubborn girl!
“Because I know what I’m doing, Fin.” Every word she said was weighted and desperate. “Because I chose this, you didn’t. My purpose in doing this is greater than the threat or fear of dying because of it.”
“And what is that purpose?” he demanded.
“Rest assured, I do not pocket the money I collect to use for my own selfish purposes.”
“Is that why you were in Southwark ?”
She clamped her lips together into a straight line, clearly trying to decide if she should tell him more or not. “Stop,” she finally said.
“No.”
“Fin, stop!” She headed for the door, probably to usher him out of it, but he wasn’t about to have that.
He grabbed her by the wrist and spun her around. His tug was harder than he realized, and she collided into him. He caught her and put his arms around her back to steady her. They were nose-to-nose practically, and they had both stopped breathing.
She was too close. And all his emotions—rage, frustration, and damn it all, lust—crept up his body until they choked him. It was too much. Impulsively, he moved one of his hands up to the nape of her neck and as gently as he could manage, grabbed a fistful of her damp hair. Victoria didn’t resist when he pressed her closer or when he pressed his lips to hers. She was still at first, her lips clamped together in that line. But then she opened to him, allowed him in.
He took greedily of her, tasting her with a hunger he’d never in his life felt before. There were brief moments of disbelief that crept in. How could he possibly be standing here, kissing Victoria, his lifelong friend? It didn’t make sense, yet at the same time, it made perfect sense. It felt wrong, but then again, it felt completely right.
How the devil would he reconcile this? What would it do to their friendship?
He didn’t stop kissing her. He couldn’t. She smelled of rain and mud and sweat—things he never thought he would find arousing in a woman. But sure as the sun would set, his trousers tightened in a most uncomfortable manner.
Victoria pulled away from him, breaking the kiss. Fin loosened his grip, and she stumbled back a few paces. Her eyes were round and wide; clearly, she was just as confused as he was. For a moment they just stared at one another.
Finally, Victoria broke through the silence. “I think you should go.”
“Don’t push me away, Victoria,” he pleaded.
Tears suddenly glistened in her eyes. “What would you have me do, Fin?”
“Let me help you.”
“You can’t, not without being a party to my crimes, and I won’t allow that.”
“There are other answers, you know? You can get the money by legal means.” He stared at her, waiting, wondering. What was she using this money for anyhow?
She scoffed and rubbed her eyes free of the tears. “What would you suggest? That I work? Perhaps I could become a seamstress to the ladies of the ton ?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Your sewing skills are atrocious, everyone knows that.”
A hint of a smile appeared on Victoria’s lips, just as Fin had hoped. “This is no time to make jokes, you know?”
Fin schooled his features back into a serious frown. “Apologies. I had simply hoped to lighten the mood.”
Silence fell between them, long and dense. He watched Victoria carefully. She was fidgety, and her eyes darted about as if her thoughts were scattered about the room. Fin wanted to press her further, to find out what, specifically, she was doing with the money, but he didn’t. He’d tortured her enough today, and clearly, both of them were exhausted.
He walked to her and took her face in his hands. A bold move,
“Why is it okay for you to not want me to hang, but I’m supposed to forget about the fact that you could hang?” Blast, but she was a stubborn girl!
“Because I know what I’m doing, Fin.” Every word she said was weighted and desperate. “Because I chose this, you didn’t. My purpose in doing this is greater than the threat or fear of dying because of it.”
“And what is that purpose?” he demanded.
“Rest assured, I do not pocket the money I collect to use for my own selfish purposes.”
“Is that why you were in Southwark ?”
She clamped her lips together into a straight line, clearly trying to decide if she should tell him more or not. “Stop,” she finally said.
“No.”
“Fin, stop!” She headed for the door, probably to usher him out of it, but he wasn’t about to have that.
He grabbed her by the wrist and spun her around. His tug was harder than he realized, and she collided into him. He caught her and put his arms around her back to steady her. They were nose-to-nose practically, and they had both stopped breathing.
She was too close. And all his emotions—rage, frustration, and damn it all, lust—crept up his body until they choked him. It was too much. Impulsively, he moved one of his hands up to the nape of her neck and as gently as he could manage, grabbed a fistful of her damp hair. Victoria didn’t resist when he pressed her closer or when he pressed his lips to hers. She was still at first, her lips clamped together in that line. But then she opened to him, allowed him in.
He took greedily of her, tasting her with a hunger he’d never in his life felt before. There were brief moments of disbelief that crept in. How could he possibly be standing here, kissing Victoria, his lifelong friend? It didn’t make sense, yet at the same time, it made perfect sense. It felt wrong, but then again, it felt completely right.
How the devil would he reconcile this? What would it do to their friendship?
He didn’t stop kissing her. He couldn’t. She smelled of rain and mud and sweat—things he never thought he would find arousing in a woman. But sure as the sun would set, his trousers tightened in a most uncomfortable manner.
Victoria pulled away from him, breaking the kiss. Fin loosened his grip, and she stumbled back a few paces. Her eyes were round and wide; clearly, she was just as confused as he was. For a moment they just stared at one another.
Finally, Victoria broke through the silence. “I think you should go.”
“Don’t push me away, Victoria,” he pleaded.
Tears suddenly glistened in her eyes. “What would you have me do, Fin?”
“Let me help you.”
“You can’t, not without being a party to my crimes, and I won’t allow that.”
“There are other answers, you know? You can get the money by legal means.” He stared at her, waiting, wondering. What was she using this money for anyhow?
She scoffed and rubbed her eyes free of the tears. “What would you suggest? That I work? Perhaps I could become a seamstress to the ladies of the ton ?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Your sewing skills are atrocious, everyone knows that.”
A hint of a smile appeared on Victoria’s lips, just as Fin had hoped. “This is no time to make jokes, you know?”
Fin schooled his features back into a serious frown. “Apologies. I had simply hoped to lighten the mood.”
Silence fell between them, long and dense. He watched Victoria carefully. She was fidgety, and her eyes darted about as if her thoughts were scattered about the room. Fin wanted to press her further, to find out what, specifically, she was doing with the money, but he didn’t. He’d tortured her enough today, and clearly, both of them were exhausted.
He walked to her and took her face in his hands. A bold move,
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