The pleasure was all-encompassing, forcing her to surrender to her own body. Yet, even as she utterly lost control, she felt safe. She knew Phin had her. She could feel his body against her, his arms around her, his own guttural moan of pleasure, and the pulsing lashes of his release against her buttocks.
Once the tremors receded, they collapsed together on the bed. Sprawled naked, sweat-covered, limbs twined, heavy breathing, and fully sated.
For the moment.
Eventually, Phin rose to clean them both before laying back down to tuck them under the blankets, curling his body around hers. Eleanor had no idea where he found the strength to move, let alone take care of her. She could barely form a thought.
She slept for a while, only to be awakened by his warm kisses spreading fire across her skin and his hands working magic on her body as he began to worship her all over again.
Chapter Thirty-Three
They made lovetwice more through the night and again the next morning. Afterward, they lay facing each other in the soft lavender of dawn, sated and content.
Though she hated to break the loveliness of the moment, Eleanor knew it was necessary. She took a long breath, during which Phin’s eyes flickered and a subtle furrow formed between his brows, as if he already knew what was coming.
The thought made her smile. The man understood her so well already.
Unfortunately,thatthought made her sad, so she spoke quickly to avoid dwelling too long in the unwanted emotion.
“What comes next?” she asked.
His jaw clenched.
“I should try to learn what I can about this Lord…”
“Ackerly,” she provided.
“Right. We need to understand the degree of his involvement and his motivations. Try to verify if he is the man Aadesh described.” Reaching a hand toward her, he smoothed a caress along her bare arm as his expression darkened. “Assuming they came from him, I don’t like the tone of his notes. There was an angry possessiveness and entitlement to them that feels…disproportionate.”
Elenor thought the same about how Ackerly had spoken to her recently. It didn’t feel right. And she felt certain there was some keyelement she was missing.
“How quickly do you think you can gather information on him?”
“I have a few contacts about town,” he replied evasively. “Efficient resources for just this sort of thing.”
“Oh?” she was curious.
He gave a tilted smile. “If you hear any whispers of me attending the infamous Lyon’s Den, I don’t want you to, uh…get the wrong idea.”
Her eyes widened. She’d heard of the Lyon’s Den. Everyone had. It was the most notorious gambling hell in town. It also provided elite, erotic companionship.
“What idea would the wrong one?” she asked stiffly, already imagining him lying in bed like this with a gorgeous, sophisticated courtesan—a woman of experience and imagination and sexual confidence.
He chuckled and scooped an arm around her waist to pull her into his body. “The one you’re having right now.”
His warmth immediately surrounded her and his stare seared through her core. They were still naked and though she was slowly becoming more familiar and comfortable with this kind of intimacy, it didn’t make it any lessaffectingto feel every inch of him from head to toe.
Her heart fluttered and she tried not to reveal her vulnerability as she looked into his eyes.
“The proprietress of the club is very well-informed about members of society. With the right incentive, she may be convinced to share some information.”
Still uncertain, Eleanor scowled. “What sort of incentive?”
Phin laughed and lightly smacked her bottom. “Not that kind. I thought you understood that I do not use seduction to gain what I want. I’m clever enough not to require it.”
She believed him. With a sigh, she softened, melting against him asshe trailed her fingertips up his spine. “I trust you,” she whispered, then tipped her head to press her lips to his.
Her accepted the kiss with a low hum. “Perhaps we’ll discover another way to draw him out.”
