her safe is to support her.”
He suspected there was truth to Lady Somersby’s advice, but he didn’t have the luxury for that. He needed to find the proof that Thomas had killed Roderick, and likely another man who had witnessed the ordeal. Sullivan stood.
“Thank you for your time. I’m sorry to have interrupted your afternoon.”
Lady Somersby smiled and took a sip of her tea.
…
Tilly was humming to herself when she stepped into her bedchamber. It had been a good day. What a relief to resume her Ladies of Virtue duties. Bond Street had been relatively quiet, but she and Justine had managed to stop a pickpocket before he’d caused too much damage.
There had been no sign of any child thieves. She was grateful but suspicious of their absence. It was a good thing, she supposed. After speaking to Lady Somersby about options, the woman had suggested Tilly speak to a handful of orphanages in the city. Unfortunately, none of them had any room for additional children. She’d have to come up with another solution for when she ran into one of them again.
She dropped her reticule and cloak on her bed and turned around. She screamed when she saw Sullivan sitting across the room.
Her hand flew to her throat. “You scared me half to death!” Her heart pounded forcefully.
His expression was dark and he said nothing, merely tilted his head.
He sat, legs spread wide, no cravat, no waistcoat, with his shirt rolled up to his elbows and an expanse of his chest exposed. There was a smattering of brown hair on the part of his torso she could see. Her eyes drank in his bare forearms and she couldn’t help but admire the well-toned muscles and veins cording up his arms.
“What are you doing in here?” she asked, her mouth suddenly dry. “Just waiting to see if you could frighten me?”
“What have you been doing today?”
Her stomach bottomed out and her heart froze in her chest. “I told you, I went shopping.”
“Shopping? That all?” His jaw tightened.
She swallowed. Did he know? How could he? “Yes.”
“Did you buy anything?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t find anything I liked or needed.”
He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. One brow slowly arched. “I could have sworn I saw you with a pocket watch. Perhaps a bracelet.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You followed me?” Her palms grew damp with perspiration and she wiped them on her skirts. “Why would you do that?”
“I warned you. I gave you explicit instructions.” His tone wasn’t angry. Instead, his voice was low and rumbly, sultry with wicked promise.
Tingles scattered across her body, her nipples pebbled against her corset.
He patted his hand on his lap. “Come here, Tilly.”
She swallowed. “You fully intend to punish me?” Why did her voice sound so damned excited by that notion? She should be appalled, angry.
He said nothing, but patted his hand against his thigh again. His thick, muscular thigh.
Wordlessly, she came forward one step.
“Come willingly and this will be over quickly. If not, if you make me chase you, then things will go much differently.”
His deep voice fluttered through her body as sure as a caress. She shuddered against it. Then her body, as if it had a will of its own, walked directly to him.
“Lie down.”
She wanted to be humiliated, to feel embarrassed or angry at his actions. Instead, she felt only excitement and desire. She did as instructed, laying her body across his lap, facedown. His large hands gripped her hips to hold her in place until she was situated. Her breathing became shallower, more difficult to pull in. And it seemed every hair on her body had grown sensitive. She closed her eyes.
Her body was attuned to everything. The firmness of his muscular thighs beneath her, the slow drag of his hand up her calf, pulling her skirts with him. He massaged a hand over one globe of her bottom. She sucked in a breath.
“You ladies wear entirely too many layers underneath these gowns. ’Tis a wonder you don’t all melt on sunny days,” he said. Suddenly his hand shifted and started moving downward, taking her pantaloons the rest of the way off. When she removed her own clothing, it never felt like this, as if she could feel every thread, every fiber as it slid against her flesh.
Chilled air hit her bare bottom and she sucked in a breath. She bit down on her lip.
“I need you to be safe.” His warm palm cupped her bottom, squeezed lightly. “Nothing