“It was interesting, yes, but still doesn’t lead us in any direction, Tilly. We have no idea who belongs to the order and what their purpose is or was. Also, what did Alex talk to Ruby about?”
Her face had been open and honest, excited to talk with him about what they were investigating, but now it closed, her expression shuttered, eyes lowered.
“Tilly, what did Alex say?”
“He told Ruby that he believed Fern had died, and then they talked about what she wanted Ruby to know. That she was all right, and that Fern needed her to be happy.”
“That had to be hard to listen to,” he said. “Are you all right?”
“Of course.”
“Then why do you look like a kicked puppy?”
She blinked at his words. “I beg your pardon?”
“Alex said he had a few people that were coming through. Was one of those for you?” Ambrose persisted.
“No. Now excuse me. I am researching.”
He grabbed her wrist as she turned and held her facing him. “What aren’t you telling me?” Was that fear or worry in her eyes now? He leaned closer, studying her.
“Nothing,” she whispered as his eyes settled on the soft pout of her lips.
Yes, he thought.Again.Sliding his hand up her arm, he settled it on her shoulder and closed the distance. Nothing in that moment could have stopped him from kissing her once more. Ambrose needed it like he needed air to breathe.
God, she was luscious. He wanted to devour her. Instead, he kissed her softly, coaxing a response. Ambrose wasn’t sure how long they stood there kissing, but he knew he wanted more. Needed to keep the weight of her small hand on his chest, fingers curling into his jacket.
“Tilly.” He moved his lips down the pale column of her neck, kissing the soft, sweet-smelling skin.
She tilted her head, giving him better access. “More,” she whispered as his hand slid inside her coat.
Ambrose stroked her back through the material of her dress, tracing the contour of her body downward until he reached the rise of her buttocks. He then moved his hand back up and over her ribs. Splaying his fingers, he felt the swell of a breast and himself harden. More, he thought, echoing her. He needed so much more from her.
“Yes,” she hissed as he stroked the edge of her swell.
Ambrose moved his mouth back to her lips as he trailed his fingers over the lush curve and then cupped her breast, learning the weight and feel of her. She arched into histouch, and he searched for an opening down the front of her dress, desperate now to feel her bare flesh in his hand.
He wasn’t sure he would have stopped until he had her naked and lying on the desk before him had the sound of feet on the stairs not intruded. Stepping back, he released Tilly. She dropped back into the chair, and he walked away, picking up the nearest book. He stared unseeing at the pages, harder than he could ever remember being, until the person arrived.
Ambrose slowed his breathing and willed his body to calm, then gnashed his teeth as he saw who had arrived.
CHAPTER 19
“Mr. Howard, you found the bookshop!” Tilly said, her voice high-pitched and squeaky. She then rose from the seat she had hastily fallen into after that kiss.
Dear Lord, she’d just let a man touch her breasts and loved every second of it. In fact, she’d wanted more. Wanted to feel his skin beneath her hands as she stroked them over his chest.
She shot Ambrose a look and noted he was now standing behind a bookshelf. His eyes were on the man who had just arrived, breaking up their… tryst? That did not seem the right word for what she’d just experienced.
Her body still hummed with the strength of what he’d made her feel. Her breasts felt swollen, and her skin the wrong fit suddenly. She fought the need to touch her mouth. The imprint of his lips would be there for a long time to come, she was sure.
Dear Lord, what would they do now? Surely, they could no longer ignore what just happened between them?
“I did find Lolly’s Bookshop because your directions wereprecise, my dear Miss Wilson. What I hadn’t expected was the delightful surprise of finding you here, or Lord Talbot.”
She watched Mr. Howard bow and Ambrose move out from behind the bookshelf to do the same. Unlike her, he didn’t appear flustered and was still every inch the gentleman he’d been raised to be.
Unfortunately for Mr. Howard, standing next to Ambrose did not put him in a good light, which annoyed Tilly excessively now that she’d unscrambled her wits and could think clearly. She did not want to be aware of that man, but it seemed to always be the case, a feeling that had now compounded after what they had just shared.
