A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules #1) - Janna MacGregor Page 0,55

turned and strode to his side.

Christian had the most inconvenient, not to mention irrational, thought. He wanted to damn Meri to hell for finding her first. But of course, that was redundant. Christian had little doubt that his brother was currently sitting beside Lucifer and basking in his eternal flames.

“Would you mind if I run upstairs for a moment? Mary Anne will be working at home today. I’m going to fetch a special project for her.”

Christian’s eyebrows shot upward. “You allow your employees to work from home? How do you keep track of their hours?”

“I trust them.” She held up her hand to stay any argument from him. “I know what you’re going to say. They’ll steal from me or say they work more hours than in actuality.” She lowered her voice as she looked over her shoulder at the woman. “Mary Anne Lucas is one of my most conscientious employees. She’s an unmarried mother with two small children. She needs this position. She would never jeopardize it or her family’s welfare.”

“She lost her husband in the war?”

“No.” Katherine turned back to him. “She never had one.” The challenge in her gaze caught him off guard. “Some women survive on their own.”

A moment of silence drifted between them, upsetting their earlier ease.

“That was thoughtless of me. Forgive me?” he asked softly.

“Of course.” Her gaze immediately softened. “I shan’t be long.”

He nodded briskly.

The slight tilt of her lips looked like an invitation to sin. It would take little effort to bend down and touch his lips to hers while he begged her forgiveness over again until she’d smile. He cleared his throat in a sorry attempt to rid himself of such a vision. But all he could think about was running his tongue over that mouth.

Immediately, that ever-present tightness in his gut—the one he suffered whenever he was around her—hit lower. The falls of his breeches became increasingly tight.

Pure, sweet temptation.

As Katherine ascended the stairs, Christian found himself smiling. He’d never smiled, or for that mattered groaned, as much in the last three years as he had in the last two days.

And it was all Katherine’s fault.

She was simply amazing. Honestly, she made him lose all sense of time when he was in her presence. What was astonishing is how she gave him a new sense of what was important in life.

Which was a rare thing ever since he’d returned to London. He didn’t think a woman could make him feel like this.

* * *

When Katherine turned to go up the stairs to her office, she could feel Christian’s gaze following her every step of the way. It had to be her imagination, but he was practically undressing her with his eyes.

She always felt in control when she was here, but with Christian present, she sensed that power more acutely. What would he do if she kissed him here?

He might return her kiss and finally let her experience what real passion felt like. With a lightness in her step, she proceeded up the stairs until she stopped right below the landing at a site that immediately made her heart rattle in her chest.

Outside her office, hunched in a corner, sat a small girl, Mary Anne’s daughter, Isabelle, with tears streaming down her face. Mary Anne had reluctantly brought her to work. Isabelle’s grandmother normally watched the young girl, but today she’d been ill. Katherine had assured Mary Anne that her daughter was quite welcome to visit today or whenever necessity required.

For Katherine, this was a family, and she was determined to protect them and their loved ones if possible.

“Isabelle?” Katherine walked to her side. When the little girl didn’t look up, Katherine knelt beside her. “What’s wrong?”

The little girl took a deep gulp as if trying to swallow her sorrow. “My brother, Neddy, got to go to the fishmonger’s stall to fetch our supper. I never get to help.” One lock of black shiny hair fell across her face when she rested her chin on her chest. “When I asked if I could go, my ma said no. It was no place for a little girl. I’d be in the way.” Isabelle lifted her gaze and stole a glance at Katherine. “Then I asked if I could go to the market across the street where they sell pretty ribbons, but she said no to that too.” She wiped her nose across her sleeve. “She said little girls didn’t belong there by themselves.” She sniffed again. “So where can little girls go