Rising, he took her mouthagain, her leg now wrapped about his waist as he positioned himselfat her entrance. A thrust, two, and he was inside her, and she washot and wet around him. Her hands scrambled at his back as hethrust, holding her hip as she welcomed him again andagain.
With one hand, he tore ather bodice, pushing aside her corset and shift so her breasts wereexposed. Though slight, her flesh jostled with every hard thrustand he stared down at her, desperately wanting her nipple in hismouth, her taste on his tongue.
Dimly, he heard her cryout, her muscles rippling against him as she found her pleasureagain. He let go then, his control shot, his movements jerky as helet her heat, her skin, the scent that was hers, the feel of her,take him. Pleasure ripped through him and he groaned, his mouthopen against her neck as he emptied himself inside her.
He came back to himself,his breath harsh. Wetness brushed his cheek.
The feel of it cutthrough his lust and he pulled back. With his thumb, he wiped awaythe tears on her cheek. “Here now, what’s this?” he said, his voiceragged.
She shook her head. Herhand played in his hair, her breath a rush against him.
“Hope?”
Her chest rose and fell.“You could have been hurt,” she finally said.
He smoothed her hair fromher face. “But I wasn’t.”
Bowing her head, shewouldn’t meet his gaze.
“It’s what Ido, Hope, and what’s more, I’m good at it. There’s no call tofret.”
She shook her head, herhair a tickle against his lips.
Taking a handkerchieffrom his pocket, he cleaned her before tucking himself away. Sheremained against the wall, her hair a wild halo about her, bodicestill open, beautiful in her dishevelment. Even with the unease inhis gut, the lingering fear, smugness filled him. He’d made prim,proper Hope McElroy look like that. If nothing else, he could countthat among his achievements. “Do you still want to go to theprinters?”
Her gaze jerked up and,finally, she met his gaze. Her eyes were wide, and troubled, andthen they shuttered. “No.”
He frowned.“Hope...”
“Let’s goback to the hotel. I’ve had enough excitement for one day,” shesaid, her expression revealing nothing.
There was somethingwrong, he knew it like he knew the shape of his gun in his hand. Hecouldn’t force her to speak of it, though, not when she’d set hermind to it being otherwise.
He repaired her bodice asbest he could as she tucked his shirt back into his pants, buttonedhis waistcoat. Taking her hand, he hooked her arm around his andthey walked back to the hotel, he lost in his thoughts and she inhers. She said goodbye to him at the foot of the stairs, claimingbusiness to attend.
He watched her ascend.They’d all but mauled each other in that alley, but now she actedas if it had never happened, as if they hadn’t come together out offear and desperation and to reassure themselves the other yetlived. He wanted to follow her, to take her in his arms and holdher, just hold her. He wanted to smell the scent of her hair, feelthe rise of her chest against his, and know she wasalive.
But she had dismissed himand walked away, and he didn’t know a way to follow her where shewould allow him to do what he wanted. Instead, he stood at thebottom of the stairs until he could no longer see her, his heart anache in his chest.
ChapterNineteen
THE DOOR TO HOPE’S room banged open, crashing into thewall. Margaret leapt from her seat, her eyes wild as a small knifeappeared in her hand, papers spilling to the floor and her chairmaking a horrific noise as it tipped over.
The door bounced backonly to be shoved open once more as Jake stormed into the roomwearing a thunderous scowl “What the hell is this?” he barked, hisrage palpable.
Gaze trained on him, Hoperose slowly. She’d been expecting this. “Mr Wade, I’ll thank you tolower your voice.”
“Don’t usethat prissy tone with me, Hope. What thehellisthis?”
Her gaze slid to theobject brandished in his outstretched hand. “I believe it to be anewspaper.”
“Don’t toywith me, woman. You know what this is.”
She did know. Raising herchin, she said, “It is an article about JosiahCallihan.”
He closed his eyesbriefly. Hope was fairly certain he counted under his breath. “It’sa goddamn dog whistle is what it is,” he said intensely once he wasdone. “What were you thinking?”
“I’ll leaveyou to it,” a voice said.
