When I flipped it open, my suspicions were confirmed—hollowed.
Inside there was only a small silver key. I turned, key in hand, to give it to Kit. I was met with an open-mouthed gape.
“How did you… Menace.” He plucked the key from my hand, sheathed it in the desk, and turned it with a creak before the familiarsniktof the lock falling open echoed through the room. “Absolute menace…”
KIT
It wasn’t the first time I had been grateful Davina was on my side. But it was a pleasant reminder. She may have run off with half-baked ideas at times, but in the midst of those ideas, her instincts were absolutely brilliant—brilliant, beautiful, and just the tiniest bit terrifying.
And really, why had I thought to stop kissing her?Thathad been a wretched idea. I was a dolt, obviously. Which was why I plucked the key from her hand and slid it into the lock instead of ravishing her on the desk.
The drawer raked along the desk as I slid it free. The top was filled with nothing but blank parchment, spare quills, and inkwells. The next, though, was where my skill set came in.
Davina, determined to ruin me, pressed herself up to sit on the edge of the desk. She peered over when I pulled the drawer out farther and hauled a few of the files out. I set them beside her as I settled into the green leather chair behind the desk.
“What are we looking for?” she chirped.
“I’ll know it when I find it. But something is wrong here. And we never should have been left alone as long as we have without notice.”
“Oh, I cannot lamentthat.”
My eyelids slipped shut against that mental image until I was able to will it away. Determined to distract myself from her temptation, I flipped through the file. The familiar cramped scrawl of my own handwriting stared back at me. Letter after letter, newest on top, were all there. A flick through them confirmed they were the entirety of that file. The next was a more detailed accounting of the expenditures and finances. I suspected any answers I would find would be there. I also suspected I’d require blood flow to my head to comprehend it. Alas, most of mine had settled in the vicinity of my breeches.
With a sigh, I flipped the file closed and made to put it back. Davina shook her head, holding her hand out. “What?”
“Trust me?”
I could only nod as she took the file from me, then pushed off the desk and headed to the wall of books. She plucked a few off the shelf, placed the file flat on the shelf where they once lived, and settling them atop it once again. It was entirely invisible unless one knew where to look.
“Lock the desk?”
I did as she bid, then handed her the key and watched as she put it back where she’d found it.
“Why are we hiding this?” I whispered, catching her around the waist and pulling her in between the desk and my chair.
“First rule of snooping: Don’t let them know you’ve snooped. If they do, whoever has something to hide will move whatever you want to find.” Her fingers found my hair again and raked through it. The resulting shivers down my spine were delicious. “I learned that when I was seven with Xander’s journals.”
When she dragged her nails along my scalp, I couldn't resist leaning into the motion. “Poor Xander.”
She scoffed. “Poor me, they were dreadfully dull.”
“Speaking of Xander and his predicament. I have something of an idea, but I’m afraid it’s terribly illegal.”
“Really?” she asked, straightening up with interest.
The sound of voices came from the hall. Without warning, Davina’s mouth crashed onto mine, her fingers—still tangled in my hair—kept me tugged against her. It was instinct, born of recent experience, that had my lips slotting against hers, my tongue darting to taste hers.
For a moment, I forgot the indistinct words from the hall. I forgot that this was a distraction. I forgot that there was a world outside of her. It was so easy, too easy, to forget there was anything more important than kissing Davina Hasket. I wasn’t sure there was anything more important, truth be told.
Even though I’d been expecting it, it took a few seconds for the shocked gasp to penetrate my skull. The general pinched expression of disgust mixed with scandalized shock on Mrs. Reed’s face. It was an interesting combination.
I couldn’t help but feel a little proud. I’d never scandalized anyone before—perhaps I was falling into the role of earl at last.
“Apologies, Mrs. Reed.” I rose, standing beside Davina with a hand on the small of her back. The curve fit my palm so nicely.
“My Lord, I… This is most irregular.”
Davina cut in. “You must forgive us, newlyweds and all.” She did something with her hips while she said it, swirling her hem around her ankles in a way that had a smile pulling at the corner of my lips.
