Sir Ross gave a cursory glance around them as the hall began to clear. She gasped as he bent to pick her up. “Oh, sir, there is no need. I can walk, I’m—”
He ignored her protests as he carried her through the hall. For a woman who was used to taking care of herself, it was acutely embarrassing to play the helpless maiden. However, it was necessary to further her goal. Turning pink, Sophia clung to the hard breadth of his shoulders. Fortunately, the constables and handcuffed agitators were far too busy to pay any attention as Sir Ross carried her through the hall and up a flight of stairs.
When they reached his office, Sir Ross set her carefully on her feet. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, her heartbeat hurtling in a reckless cadence.
“I want to talk about something,” he said quietly. “When you came to the strong room earlier, you happened to interrupt during a rather tense moment of the questioning, and I—”
“I’m sorry.”
“Let me finish.” A sudden smile curved his lips. “I’ve never known anyone with such a propensity for interrupting me.”
Sophia managed to keep her mouth closed, and his smile deepened.
“Questioning Gentry is hardly a pleasant occupation. I’ve been in a foul mood all afternoon, and seeing you down there was the last straw. I rarely lose my temper, and I regret doing so in front of you.”
Sophia found it amazing that a man of his position would apologize to her for such a slight offense. Somewhat unnerved, she moistened her lips and asked, “Why is it so important that I stay away from there?”
Carefully he took hold of the loose lock of blonde hair that had fallen to her shoulder. His long fingers rubbed the silken strands as if he were releasing the perfume of a flower petal. “I promised myself when I hired you that I would try to protect you. There are some things that a woman should never be exposed to. That strong room has contained some of the most vile people on earth.”
“Like Nick Gentry?”
Sir Ross frowned. “Yes. It is bad enough that you are exposed to the rabble who cross through the Bow Street office daily. But I won’t allow you in the vicinity of men like Gentry.”
“I am hardly a child who needs to be sheltered. I am a woman of twenty-eight.”
For some reason the remark caused his eyes to gleam with amusement. “Well, despite your vast number of years, I would like to preserve as much of your innocence as possible.”
“But I am not innocent. You know that, after what I’ve told you of my past.”
He released the lock of her hair and framed the sides of her face with the tips of his fingers. “You are an innocent, Sophia. As I’ve said from the beginning, you should not be working here. You should be married to a man who will take care of you.”
“I don’t want to marry, ever.”
“No?” To her surprise, he did not jeer or laugh. “Why not? Because of your disappointment in love? That will fade in time.”
“Will it?” she asked, not believing him. It wasn’t what she had learned about Anthony that had made her a skeptic about love. It was what she had learned about herself.
“There are many men worth trusting,” he told her seriously. “Men who will give you the honesty and respect you deserve. You’ll find one of them someday, and marry him.”
Sophia sent him a flirtatious glance from beneath her lashes. “But if I left Bow Street, who would take care of you?”
A gruff laugh escaped him, and his hands dropped from her face. But his searching gaze held hers, and Sophia felt her insides tighten in response.
“You can’t spend the rest of your life working for a surly old magistrate at the Bow Street public office,” he said.
Sophia smiled at the way Sir Ross described himself. Rather than argue the point, however, she stepped away and viewed his office critically. “I will tidy up in here.”
Sir Ross shook his head. “It is late. You need to rest. Your work will wait until the morrow.”
“Very well. I shall retire for the evening… if you will also.”
He seemed vaguely annoyed by the suggestion. “No, I still have much to do. Good night, Miss Sydney.”
Sophia knew that she should obey without further comment. But the shadows beneath his eyes and the deep brackets on the sides of his lips were proof that he was exhausted. Good heavens, why must he push himself so hard?
“I don’t require any more sleep than you do, sir. If you stay up late, I am capable of doing the same. I also have work to do.”
His brows lowered in a forbidding scowl. “Go to bed, Miss Sydney.”
Sophia did not flinch. “Not until you do.”
“My bedtime has nothing to do with yours,” he said curtly, “unless you are suggesting that we go to bed together.”
Clearly, the remark was meant to intimidate her into silence.
A reckless reply came to mind, one so bold that she bit her tongue to keep from speaking. And then she thought, Why not? It was time to declare her sexual interest in him… time to advance her plan of seduction one more step.
“All right” she said quickly. “If that is what it takes to make you get the rest you require—so be it.”
His dark face went blank. The lengthy silence that ensued was evidence of how greatly she had surprised him. My God, she thought in a flutter of panic. Now I’ve done it. She could not predict how Sir Ross would respond. Being a gentleman—a notoriously celibate one—he might refuse her proposition. However, there was something in his expression—a flicker in his gray eyes—that made her wonder if he might not accept the impulsive invitation. And if he did, she would have to carry it out and sleep with him. The thought jarred her very soul. This was what she had planned, what she had wanted to achieve, but she was suddenly terrified.
Terrified by the realization of how much she wanted him.
Slowly Sir Ross approached, following as she backed away one step, then another, until her spine was flattened against the door. His alert gaze did not move from her flushed face as he braced his hands on the door, placing them on either side of her head.
“My bedroom or yours?” he asked softly.
Perhaps he expected her to back down, stammer, run away.
Her hands curled into balls of tension. “Which would you prefer?” she parried.
His head tilted as he studied her, his eyes oddly caressing. “My bed is bigger.”
“Oh,” was all she could manage to whisper. Her heart crashed repeatedly against the wall of her chest, pounding the breath from her lungs.
He looked at her as if he could read her every thought and emotion. “However,” he murmured, relenting, “if we retire together, I doubt that either of us would get much rest.”
“P-probably not,” she agreed unsteadily.
“Therefore, I suppose it would be for the best if we adhered to our usual arrangement.”
“Our usual…”
“You go to your bed, and I’ll go to mine.”
Relief flooded her, leaving her weak, but at the same time she was aware of a subtle wash of disappointment. “You won’t stay up late, then?” she asked.
He grinned at her perseverance. “Good God, you’re tenacious. No, I won’t cross you. I fear the consequences if I do.” Standing back, he opened the door for her. “Miss Sydney, there is just one more thing.”
Sophia paused before leaving. “Yes, sir?”
He reached for her, his hand sliding around the back of her neck. Sophia was too startled to move or breathe, her entire body stiffening as his head lowered to hers. He touched her only with his lips and with his hand at her nape, but she was as helpless as if she had been bound to him with iron chains.
There had been no time to prepare herself… she was defenseless and stunned, unable to withhold her response. At first his lips were gentle, exquisitely careful, as if he feared bruising her. Then he coaxed her to give him more, his mouth settling more firmly on hers. The taste of him, his intimate flavor laced with the hint of coffee, aff
ected her like a drug. The tip of his tongue slid past her teeth in silken exploration. He tasted the interior of her mouth, stroked the slick insides of her cheeks. Anthony had never kissed her like this, feeding her rising passion as if he were layering kindling on a blaze. Devastated by his skill, Sophia swayed dizzily and clutched his hard neck.
Oh, if only he would hold her tightly and lock her full length against his… but he still touched her only with that one hand, and consumed her mouth with patient hunger. Sensing the force of his passion, held so securely in check, Sophia instinctively sought a way to release it. Her hands fluttered to the sides of his face, stroking the bristle of his cheeks and jaw.
Ross made a quiet sound in his throat. Suddenly he took hold of her shoulders and eased her away from his body, ignoring her whimpering protest. Sophia’s gaze locked with his in a moment of searing wonder. The stillness was broken only by their panting breaths. No man had ever looked at Sophia that way, as if he could eat her with his gaze, as if he wanted to possess every inch of her body and every flicker of her soul. She was frightened by the power of her response to him, the unmentionable desires that shocked her.
Sir Ross regarded her without smiling. “Good night, Sophia.”
She mumbled in reply and fled, moving as fast as possible without actually breaking into a run. Her mind swam with confusion as she returned to Bow Street No. 4. Dimly she noted that the mob was dissipating and that the street was orderly once again. Horse patrols crossed in front of the building, briskly dispersing the crowd.
As she entered the private residence, she saw that Eliza and Lucie had swept away the broken glass and were busy covering the gaping window with oilcloth. “Miss Sophia!” Eliza gasped as she saw her torn gown and disheveled hair. “What happened? Did one of those filthy rioters get hold of you?”
“No,” Sophia replied distractedly. “There was a bit of a crush inside number three, but Sir Ross had it cleared away in no time.” Spying the broom standing in the corner, she reached for it automatically, but the two women ushered her away, insisting that she get some rest. Reluctantly she complied, lighting a candle stub to take to her room.
Her legs were leaden as she trudged up the stairs. Upon reaching her room, she closed the door with great care and set the brass candleholder on the small bedside table.
Recollections filled her mind… Sir Ross’s light, smiling gray eyes, the way his chest moved as he breathed, the heat of his mouth, the searing liquid pleasure of his kiss…
Anthony had crowed about his experience with women, his skills as a lover, but Sophia now understood that it had been only empty boasting. In the space of a few short minutes, Sir Ross had aroused her far beyond anything she had felt with Anthony… and he had left her with the unspoken promise of more. It was frightening, the realization that she would not be able to stay unaffected when she finally shared a bed with him. Half angry, half despairing, Sophia wondered why Sir Ross couldn’t have been the portly, pompous fool she had expected him to be. He was going to make it horribly difficult for her to betray him; she would not escape the experience unscathed.
Disheartened, she changed into her night rail, brushed her hair, and washed her face in cool water. Her body was still sensitive, all her nerves clamoring for the sweet stimulation of Sir Ross’s hands and lips. Sighing, she carried a candle to her window, pushing the little curtain aside. Most of Bow Street No. 3 was dark now, but lamplight shone from Sir Ross’s office.
She could see the dark outline of his head as he sat at his desk.
Still working, she told herself in sudden annoyance. Was he going to renege on his promise to get some rest?
As if he sensed that she was watching, Sir Ross rose and stretched, then glanced out his window. His face was partially shadowed as he stared at her across the way. A moment later, with a mockingly deferential bow, he turned and extinguished the lamp on his desk, leaving his office in darkness.
Chapter 4
Ross questioned Nick Gentry for three days in the ruthlessly persistent style that usually wrung confessions from the most hardened characters. However, Gentry was in a different category from any other man Ross had ever encountered. He was steely and yet oddly relaxed, in the manner of a man who had nothing to fear and nothing to lose. Ross tried in vain to discern what mattered to him, what weaknesses he might have, but no information appeared to be forthcoming. For hours on end Ross engaged Gentry regarding his so-called thief-taking activities, his past, his associations with various crime gangs in London, with maddeningly little results.
Since all of London was aware of Gentry’s detainment at Bow Street, and because all eyes were upon them, Ross did not dare hold the young crime lord for one minute longer than the allotted three days. On the third morning, Ross ordered Gentry’s release to be effected just before dawn, at a time so early that it would prevent victorious demonstrations from the supporters who assembled every day in defense of the young perpetrator.
Containing his foul mood behind an expressionless mask, Ross went to his office without stopping for breakfast. He did not want to eat, or sit in the comforting warmth of the kitchen, or enjoy Sophia’s small attentions. He wanted to sit at his desk and immerse himself in the pile of work that awaited him.
Today Sir Grant Morgan was the sitting magistrate at Bow Street, a fact for which Ross was profoundly grateful. He was in no humor to hear cases and sort through testimony and ask questions of the innocent and the guilty. He wanted to brood alone in his office.
As was his habit, Morgan came to Ross’s office to talk for a few minutes before going to court. Ross welcomed his company, for Morgan was one of the few men who understood and shared Ross’s determination to bring Nick Gentry down. Over the past six months, since Morgan had been promoted from the runners to serve as an assistant magistrate, he had more than justified Ross’s faith in him. As a runner, Morgan had been known for his quick temper and impulsiveness, along with his intelligence and courage. Some critics had warned that he did not have a suitable temperament to become a Bow Street magistrate. “Your weakness,” Ross had told him more than once, “is your habit of making up your mind too quickly, before taking all the evidence into account.”
“I go with my instincts,” Morgan had parried.
“Instinct is a fine thing,” Ross had said dryly, “but you must stay open to all possibilities. No one’s instincts are infallible.”
“Not even yours?” came the pointed question.
“Not even mine.”
Morgan was quickly maturing into a far more thoughtful and flexible man. As a magistrate, he was perhaps a bit more stern in his judgments than Ross, but he was careful to be excruciatingly fair. Someday when Ross retired, he would hand over the Bow Street office—and the leadership of the runners—to Morgan without a single regret. But that would be a long time from now. Ross was in no hurry to step down.
As the two men talked, there was a light knock at the door.
“Come in,” Ross said curtly.
Sophia entered the room with a jug of steaming coffee. Ross tried to quell an instant surge of pleasure at the sight of her. Her slender figure was clad in a gray dress with a long-sleeved pelisse buttoned neatly over the bodice. The dark blue color of the pelisse made her eyes glow like sapphires. Her shining golden hair was mostly concealed by her bonnet—he wanted to pull the offending thing off at once.
After he had kissed her the night before last, Ross and Sophia had tacitly agreed to avoid each other. For one thing, Ross had needed to keep his focus on the necessary work of questioning Gentry. For another, it was obvious that Sophia had been unnerved by the episode. She had not been able to meet his gaze ever since, and he had seen the way her hands trembled when she served him breakfast the following morning.
Yet she had not seemed to dislike kissing him. Rather the opposite, in fact. She had responded to him with a sweetness that had been most… pleasing. Arousing. Ross had been surprised at first by how tentative and unschooled she had seemed. Pe
rhaps her lover had not liked kissing, or had not been proficient at it, for there was much that Sophia had not been taught. All the same, she was the most desirable woman he had ever known.
“Good morning,” Sophia said, her wary gaze going first to Morgan, then settling on Ross. She filled the empty mug on his desk. “I thought you might enjoy some freshly brewed coffee before I go out.”
“Where are you going?” Ross asked, disgruntled at the realization that it was her day off.
“I am going to market, as Eliza is not able. She tripped on the stairs this morning and injured her knee. I believe it will heal quickly, but in the meantime, she must not exert herself.”
“Who is going to market with you?”
“No one, sir.”
“Not Lucie?”
“She has gone to visit her family in the country,” Sophia reminded him. “She left yesterday morning.”
Ross was entirely familiar with the Covent Garden market and the assortment of pickpockets, thieves, loose-living theater folk, and randy bucks who mingled in the arcaded square. It was not safe for a woman like Sophia to go there alone, especially when she was still so new to the city. She could be approached, raped, or robbed so damned easily that it made his heart skip a beat to think of it.
“You are not going by yourself,” he informed Sophia curtly. “Every randy lout and rake in the vicinity will come to bother you.”
“Eliza often goes by herself, and never has any problem.”
“As I cannot reply without making an unflattering remark about Eliza, I will hold my silence on that point. However, you are not going to Covent Garden alone. You will take one of the runners with you.”
“They’re all gone,” Morgan interceded, glancing from Sophia to Ross with an alert look in his eyes.
“All of them?” Ross asked in flaring annoyance.
“Yes. You assigned Flagstad to the Bank of England—it’s time for quarterly dividends—and Ruthven is investigating a burglary, and Gee is—”