He turned back to me, pupils enveloping his irises. The flush seemed to be a permanent state at this point. “I-I don’t— I didn’t?—”
I caught his cheek and rubbed a thumb along the bone. “I’m not opposed.”
His tongue darted between his lips again. I caught them with mine without thought. Tom froze for a second before melting into the kiss.
Before we could become carried away, I pulled back. “For you?” I asked, drawing a hand down his chest with purpose. “Or me?” His eyes widened even further with the second option—as though he hadn’t even considered the possibility.
Tom’s swallow was thick and loud. “Is both an option?”
“It can be.” His answering shudder left me nearly as affected as he was.
“You’re just…”
“What?”
“I don’t even know. I just—perfect. You’re perfect.”
“I’m far from perfect.”
“Perfect for me,” he said, dropping a kiss on my jaw.
“Hmm, you’re affectionate today.” I tucked a curl behind his ear. It was easy to read in his eyes, the freedom he was feeling. I wasn’t looking forward to watching it fade when we left.
He pulled his lips in tight, biting back a smile. “Are there places like this in London? How did I not know about this?”
“There are. They tend to get raided though, so I didn’t make it a practice to visit them.” I didn’t want to dim his light by pointing out that they could usually be found near a pillory.
“Is that why there was a password?”
At my nod, Tom squeezed my hand. “Do you wish to leave?”
No, not while he looked so free, but my well-founded anxieties won out. “We probably should.”
I set two shillings on the table after catching the eye of the man at the bar. He wandered over to clear the table. “Ye aren’t staying? The evenings are a wee bit more… exciting.”
“Not tonight, I’m afraid.”
“Just dipping yer toes in the water?”
“Not like that, just?—”
“We’ve not had a raid in months, if that’s what yer worried about.”
“That, and it’s a journey to where we’re staying.”
“Oh, where are ye staying?”
Against my better judgment, I replied, “Kilmarnock.”
“Oh, that wreck. Who did ye anger to find yerself there?”
“You know of it?”
“Aye, everyone does. Is it even fit to be inside?”
“Barely.”
“Ye wouldnae need any help out there, would ye? Brennan’s a plasterer in need of work. And I think Murray too.” He tipped his head to a collection of men I hadn’t noted earlier. They sat in the corner playing some sort of dice game.
