“I mean to go back and check on them later today.”
She stared at him. “You are in no position to do so in your current condition.”
Dropping his hands, he leaned forward with undeniable irritation producing a glower. “You speak as though I am foxed, which I am not.”
“And yet your speech is slurred, your eyes appear bloodshot, your hair is in utter disarray and your clothes the exact same ones you were wearing the last time I saw you.” This was something that had only just occurred to her now. “You are a crumpled and exhausted mess, Florian. Go home and sleep, take a bath, get changed, and you will accomplish more once you do.”
“But—”
“In the meantime, I will take on the task of finding a ship. It is the least I can do since it was my suggestion to begin with.” She glanced around, acknowledging the haphazard distribution of items around the room. “Raphe and Coventry can help me so you need not worry. We will figure this out and help ease your burden.”
“And the missing boy?”
“You are no closer to finding him here than you would be from your bed. If we are lucky, he is either unaffected by the disease or hiding somewhere where he won’t make contact with others. Children generally recover, so hopefully he will as well without infecting anyone else.”
“I worry, Juliette.”
Hearing resigned despair in his voice, she stood and went to stand beside him. Her hand found his shoulder, resting there in an effort to soothe away all his troubles. “I know. Truth is, we all do, but I suspect it is worse for you because you have seen the devastation typhus can cause.”
“It has to be contained. It simply has to.”
“Agreed. But you must also remember that you are not fighting it on your own.” She gently squeezed the muscle beneath the wool of his jacket and savored the sigh he expelled in return. “You have friends, Florian—people who are ready to assist you with this.” When he angled his chin so he could gaze up into her eyes, her body went still in response to the melancholy yearning she saw there. “Every day, you come to the aid of others. I think it is high time we repay our debt to you.”
It felt as though he was hovering somewhere beyond reality, in a lovely place were Juliette’s voice alone gave him endless comfort. He was well aware that his mind and body were weak with fatigue, but he had not felt able to take the necessary break he needed because so much remained to be done, it was overwhelming.
Her hand rested firmly upon his shoulder, occasionally squeezing it in the most agreeable way. And she was close, her hip no more than an inch from his face. He really shouldn’t be seated while she stood, but he could not seem to bring himself out of the languorous state she’d put him in. Hell, he was sorely tempted to close his eyes and allow sleep to claim him right now, except doing so would deny him this moment of complicity.
“Take off your jacket, Florian.”
His entire body jerked in response to her demand. Accompanied by the sweet scent of peonies, it lured him to surrender. Only a tiny speck of sanity reaching out from the back of his mind gave him pause. “To do so would be unwise.”
She sighed with absolute frustration. “Seeing you in your shirtsleeves is hardly going to affect my sensibilities or cause me to swoon. I am made of sturdier stuff than that, you know.” Her hands clasped hold of his lapels and began pushing the fabric back.
Florian, exhausted as he was, had no choice but to submit to her wishes. Or so he told himself, since the scoundrel in him was rather eager to see where her undressing him might potentially lead.
“When Raphe would return from his boxing matches,” she said, “Amelia and I would often take turns rubbing his shoulders. It soothed his aching muscles and reduced the tension within so he could rest with greater ease.”
Pulling his arms from the sleeves, Juliette laid the jacket across the back of his chair and began removing her gloves. The effect of her standing up while he submissively waited, of the slow unbuttoning and peeling back of the kidskin gloves, and of the knowledge that she would soon place her hands upon him, sent hot desire spiraling through him.
He knew he ought to stop her, that this couldn’t possibly lead to anything useful since he couldn’t act on his ever-increasing urge to claim her. But perhaps allowing himself a small indulgence would not be so bad.
She moved in closer and Florian held his breath in anticipation of what she might do next. And then her thighs connected with his back and her hands sank into his shoulders, and for one incredibly bright second it was almost as if the world exploded around him. Christ, it felt amazing. With a groan of unabashed pleasure, he leaned shamelessly into the gratifying pressure of her touch. “Thank you,” he murmured, because he felt the need to speak in order to somewhat distract himself from the idea of sweeping one arm around her and pulling her into his lap so he could enjoy her body more fully.
He wanted to kiss her until she was boneless, he wanted to tear her bodice to shreds with his teeth and run his hands up the elegant length of her legs and drive her wild with pleasure. But he could not and would not act on such impulse. Not when she deserved better. Not when he ought to be focusing his energy on other things. Not when threats had been made to those closest to him.
“Is this good?”
Good?
He almost laughed since nothing in the world had ever felt better.
“Mmm-hmm.” It was all he could utter without embarrassing himself and revealing the endless depth of his desire. Her thumbs worked a muscle and he groaned once again while impossible fantasies played out in his head. All of them involved her, each more scandalous than the last until all he could see was her, gloriously naked and waiting for him on his bed.
His breeches tightened with increased discomfort and he suddenly feared she might see the effect she was having. So he caught her hand and looked up and was instantly rendered speechless. Her cheeks were a deep shade of pink, her eyes reflecting the need he felt while the pulse at her wrist leapt violently beneath his thumb.
“Thank you, Juliette. That is enough.”
Her gaze remained steady on his, and he knew in that moment that if he really wished it, he could kiss her right now without any resistance on her part. In fact, he knew without a shadow of doubt that she wanted him to do precisely that, perhaps more. But once he started down that path there would be no going back. And if her brother found out, he would likely insist they marry and possibly even throttle Florian for taking liberties with his sister. Which was as it should be.
