Dear God. Did he just tell her the name of the killer?
Clio took a step closer. ‘Did Berty kill you? Did he kill the viscountess as well?’
The viscount had a long face. It twisted and contorted as rage replaced his sorrow. He moved faster than she could track. One moment, he was by the blackboard. The next, he was in front of her, screaming. He reached for her, and she stumbled back.
Sir Robin flapped his wings, his talons striking at the ghost, who threw up ashen arms to protect himself from the raven’s attack.
‘Clio!’
The dark growl could only belong to one man. Thomas had returned.
The heat within her grew molten as her witchflame flared.
Falling back, tears streaked down the ghost’s cheeks like silver drops.
Thomas came to her side and reached for her hand. His eyes locked onto the viscount as he shimmered and faded into the shadows.
20
Thomas blinked several times, but it didn’t change the fact he’d just seen a dead man’s spirit. He turned to Clio, his hand squeezing hers tight.
Her amber eyes glowed in the dark room. She still held the witchflame in her free hand, and it washed them both in indigo.
‘Are you well?’ It was the question he seemed to always be asking her. The question that hounded him on his trip back to Blackthorn Manor. The only question that really mattered.
Clio swallowed, then nodded her head.
‘When I arrived and the footman told me the guests were all gone, save you, I knew you must be up here.’
‘You may have abandoned the case, but I still have a murder to solve.’
It was a deliberate jab, and he deserved it. But that didn’t stop him from wanting to engage in battle. ‘Is this case worth risking your life? I’ve seen what that ghost can do to you, Clio.’
‘He is not the one we need to fear. He is angry and confused, but he isn’t guilty of murder. And he just told me who is.’ Her eyes flashed with excitement and the thrill of the hunt. Thomas wasintimately acquainted with that exact emotion. He felt it every time he looked at Clio.
‘Who?’
‘Berty.’ She spoke triumphantly. ‘And with everyone gone, this is the perfect time to search his rooms.’ As she spoke, sleet lashed against the window. ‘But we must hurry. I can’t imagine Lady Langley will suffer through a frozen luncheon. My guess is the party will be returning sooner than planned.’
There were several other things Thomas would much rather search while they had a moment of privacy. The inside of Clio’s mouth with his tongue. The soft skin at the hollow of her throat. The depths of her soul. The edges of her heart. The distance between now and forever with her by his side for the entire adventure.
But she was right. This was the best chance they had of poking around Berty’s room and seeing what kind of creatures scuttled out from the shadows.
Surely, there is time for one kiss?
He leaned closer, and when she did not pull away, he pressed his lips against hers. His tongue sought the seam of her mouth. She opened, granting him access, and triumph swelled. He groaned as she wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him harder against her. She was just as desperate for him as he was for her. Thank God.
She nipped his bottom lip with sharp teeth. He gripped her bottom, his fingers digging into the fleshy globes. He loved how she overfilled his palms.
‘I should never have left.’ He pressed kisses down the side of her neck, inhaling rosemary and bergamot. The scent of home to him now.
‘No. You shouldn’t have.’ Clio’s angry words contradicted her questing fingers as she tugged his cravat free, then beganunbuttoning his shirt. ‘And I am very cross with you.’ She pressed an open-mouth kiss against his throat, and Thomas was certain his soul caught fire.
Pushing her backwards until her bottom hit the desk, he sank to his knees, needing to taste the spice of her desire. He reached under her gown, his hands sliding up her legs and parting them. The crisp tangle of curls at her apex guided him to her slick folds beneath. He slid his finger into her tight channel, and she arched like an electric current ran through her body.
‘You are so wet for me, Clio.’
She furrowed her brow. ‘Is that good?’
