Page 53 of Thief Taker

The blue of them had been rendered black by the night, Duvall’s furious desire as honest as everything else about the man.

With a stifled groan, somewhere between want and frustration, Elias shoved his hands into the icy water and began to scrub his face. He shivered as goose skin rose all over his chest, nipples hardening against the cold. Grabbing a flannel, he began to wash his body and arms, cursing at the chill, feeling his skin burn in response.

Leaning over the basin, he pressed the flannel to the back of his neck, squeezed out the water and let it sluice through his hair. “God’s teeth!” he hissed as it iced his scalp. Hurriedly reaching for a towel, he rubbed it over his hair and face and muffled a low groan of discomfort.

At least he was wide awake now.

Dropping the towel to the floor, he reached for a clean shirt and stopped dead; Duvall stood frozen in the doorway, one hand on the door and his eyes wide.

Elias stared. His first thought was, He’s alive, thank God. His second was, Why is he here?

“I’m—” Duvall’s voice sounded stifled, colour high on his cheeks. His hand holding the door made a white-knuckled fist. “My apologies. I knocked but…”

As if that was the problem right now. “For God’s sake, come in before someone sees you.”

Stiffly, Duvall nodded and stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and all but pressed his back to it, something wild in his eyes.

It was a small enough room for one, for two it was decidedly confined. Elias was acutely aware of Duvall’s presence, of the sheer physicality of him. “Where’ve you been?”

“Thinking.” Duvall’s eyes fluttered shut on a breathy sigh. “We have to address what happened tonight, Cole.”

Cole. Not Elias. “Aye, I suppose we do. Sir.”

Duvall flinched. “You were right, this…” He waved his hand between them. “It can’t happen.”

Although he agreed, Elias’s stomach plunged. His whole body, every bone and sinew, strained towards Duvall. And he saw the effort it took Duvall to stay by the door. God’s teeth, how could it not happen?

But this morning, Mr. Duvall was wearing his rank like armour.

“What happened last night was wrong,” he said. “I should never have—Excuse me—” Duvall cleared his throat to cover the crack in his voice. “The fault is mine and I apologise, but I feel—That is, it’s impossible for us to continue as we are.” He fixed Elias with a very intent expression. “I think you must agree.”

He did not.

Several emotions spun through his mind at once: a flare of loss at the end of something barely begun; regret that he’d done this, that he’d pushed Duvall away; and finally, a rush of cold reality speaking with Groves’s clear voice.

We’ve got one chance at this. Don’t botch it.

It sobered him. He couldn’t let this get in the way of his work. Quickly, sounding horrified, he said, “You’re dismissing me?”

“You know I have no choice.”

“But I can help you.” He took a step closer. “We can forget what happened last night. It won’t happen again.”

Duvall sounded pained. “I think we both know that it would. I couldn’t—” His gaze flicked across Elias’s bare chest. “I don’t think I could resist you.”

In the dancing light of the candle, Duvall was a man of shadows. His breath sounded loud in the small room, his desire louder still. Dry mouthed, Elias breathed his name. “Kit…”

“It’s the only way.” He closed his eyes. “What else can we do?”

The answer hung heavy and unspoken between them. It was obvious what else they could do—and why they shouldn’t.

Elias opened his mouth to answer, but no words came. Everything was too mixed up, his duties and desires clashing. God knows they might want each other now but how would Duvall feel if Elias dragged Rowsley to Bow Street? How would he feel about having bedded the man who destroyed his family? How could Elias betray his trust like that?

Yet, if Elias allowed Duvall to dismiss him, he might never get his hands on Rowsley. Wessex had confessed that very evening that he’d never stop. And if Elias walked away now, too tender of Duvall’s feelings to do what he must, then he’d be throwing away his best shot at unmasking Wessex.

“I, um, I have some work,” Duvall said before Elias could pull his thoughts together. “I’ll be in my father’s study. Ask Tobin to see me when the household rises and I’ll—He can manage the business of your reference and…” He trailed off, voice turning gruff. “Damn it, Cole, but I wish we’d met in other circumstances.”

“Hard to imagine what those might be.”