Her breath hitched.
“So wet.” Max licked his lips. “You liked my mouth on you?”
“Yes. Better than anything else.”
His chest expanded at her words. As did other regions of his anatomy.
“God, Caroline.” He couldn’t moan. He couldn’t growl. He could only say her name. And thank the deity who’d created her.
She had both hands pressed against the door, allowing him to trap her there with his body.
“Maxwell.”
“No.” Would she understand?
Her silence was nearly deafening. But then she said… “My lord.”
Only her. She was the only one. Max rewarded her by slowly circling his thumb along her crease. Over her opening. Around her clit.
She twisted around and Max captured her mouth with his. Today, she tasted like… saffron. “What is that?” Max nipped at her bottom lip.
“Mr. Crenshaw is generous with his gin.”
“That’s not very proper of you,” he teased.
“It isn’t, is it?”
Her head fell back. Max trailed his lips around her chin, allowing loose strands of hair to snag in his whiskers.
More silk, luxurious, decadent. He wanted to surround her. He wanted her surrounding him.
But then they both froze.
Max watched as Fergus lit the gaslight near Matilda. But he wasn’t there to do damage, and he wasn’t alone. Crenshaw had returned as well and was locking on the screens.
Their villain had not made his appearance.
“It’s not him,” he said, disappointed. “They’re setting up the run.”
Caroline let out a trembling little breath.
“It’s not Wallace. I know it’s not Wallace.” She guessed the person he’d worried over all day. Wallace never took time off. He’d been dedicated to the Gazette for most of his life. But the timing of his absence was suspicious.
“How do you know that?”
“He loves the Gazette too much.” And then she added, “He respects you too much.”
Max wanted to believe it.
Outside, he heard the clanking of metal while his pressmen went to work. The paper would be clean. At least he knew that.
“I suppose we should go out there.” But he kept his hands on her, not ready to let go.
“We can’t! If anyone sees us come out together…”
“Ah…” Max got her meaning and was not disappointed. She provided them with a great excuse but also a tempting opportunity. Where was his work ethic now?
Max spun her around, and… they broke. He couldn’t tell who broke first, but it could best be likened to that rare phenomenon of lighting flashing and thunder cracking simultaneously.
