“Back on the bed, sir. Ah, the things I do for your man.” She hitched up her skirts, revealing frilly drawers, climbed onto the bed, and swung a leg over him.
“What are you doing?” Dominic yelped.
“Nobody ever tell you it works with ladies too?” Zoë pulled down her bodice, exposing an extremely ample bosom, grabbed his hands, clamped them to her breasts, and started bouncing over him. Her skirts covered most of the bed. “Well, I’d say that was a shame, but truth be told, there’s enough stiff-standers to keep business good and every one of ’em much like the rest. So between us, you can keep yours for Silas, but as far as everyone else is concerned, you and me are doing it St. George style right now. Got it? Here they come, sir. Give a girl a smile.”
They. A thundering of boots in the passage, doors slamming open—
“Come on, try and look like you like it, pretty eyes,” Zoë snapped, heaving her hips over him. “It’s my reputation too.” She threw back her head, rolling her shoulders to jiggle her already impressive bosom, and let out a loud cry of what Dominic could only assume was the sound of female satisfaction. “Oh, sir! Oh, what a monster you’ve—aawk!” Her shriek as the door crashed open was authentically earsplitting, so much so that the men who shoved their way in recoiled. “What the devil’s this? Get out, you whoreson peepers!”
“It’s the madam, sir,” said one of the men over his shoulder. He turned back and his eyes focused on Dominic. “Oh Jesus!”
Home Office. Work. His men.
He took a deep breath, calling on his memories of all the bullies and braggarts he knew, from Lord Maltravers downward. Red-faced, loud of voice, trampling lesser men with contemptuous disregard. “What the devil do you louts think you’re playing at?” he demanded, at full volume. “Who the hell’s in charge here? Get out! Can you not see I’m busy?”
There was a frantic stir in the ranks, and an all-too-familiar lanky form appeared. He stared at Dominic naked on the bed under an angry, half-clothed, huge-breasted woman.
“Mr. Frey?” Skelton said blankly.
“What the blazes is this?” Dominic shouted. “Have you turned flashman? What business have you here, sir?”
“I, ah, we had information—” Skelton glanced at Zoë, who wobbled her chest at him with a shameless leer. He blinked, and forced his eyes away. “It’s a private matter, sir.”
“So is mine,” Dominic said meaningfully. “And I should like to get on with it, and I will speak to you tomorrow.”
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Frey. We had reports this was a house of ill repute—”
“What does it look like, a fucking nunnery?” Skelton flinched, as well he might: Dominic was not known for raising his voice, let alone for foul language. “Have you any other brilliant insights for me?”
“I, uh.” Skelton was staring at the other end of the bed now. At, in fact, the cuff on Dominic’s ankle. No wonder he was distracted. Dominic Frey, the upstanding, respectable gentleman, chained to a bed with a whore on top of him. A small part of Dominic’s mind was screaming at how fast this news would spread; a larger part noted that he owed Zoë a pourboire the size of his usual monthly payment. “We, uh, need to search the house, sir.” Skelton was visibly pulling himself together. “There’s a seditionist here.”
“Sedition in my house?” Zoë squawked. “That’s slanderous talk!”
“He was followed here.” Skelton addressed that to Dominic. “A dangerous rogue—”
“Well, get on and find him then. No, somewhere else, clodhopper, do you think I have radicals under the bed in here? Will you leave me to my business!” Dominic shouted. The men who had tried to enter fell back in confusion. “And leave this lady to hers, because she is about my business! Are you all eunuchs?”
“Yes, sir—no, sir. Come on, everybody out. Move, you oafs!” Skelton pushed the men around him back. “Out. I beg your pardon, sir. Uh…” He flailed for words. “Enjoy your evening.” He shut the door.
Dominic looked at the door for a moment and then up into Zoë’s face. She had her lips pressed together, and as she caught his eye, she began to shudder, then bent over him, pressed her face into his chest, and let out a muffled howl of laughter.
“I’m glad that amused you.” Dominic put his hands over his eyes. “Dear heaven. My reputation.”
“Enjoy your evening, sir!” She guffawed. “Fucking nunnery!”