She wasn’t ready for him to move just yet. She was not prepared for what may come next.
She preferred to stay there in the lovely hazy glow of an intimacy so profound she never could have suspected its existence. Nothing had ever felt so right as those long moments when they had moved together, and now, as their bodies remained intertwined.
It was like the two halves of a whole coming together.
Emma smiled at the silly romanticism of her thoughts. But there was simply nothing rational about what she had just experienced.
She allowed her eyes to fall closed as she listened to the sound of Roderick’s breath slowing and felt the beat of his heart over hers.
At one point not much later, she vaguely noted him lifting his weight and settling along her side. He immediately curled his arm around her and drew her against him. As she rested her head on his shoulder and brought her hand up to curl against the side of his throat, she acknowledged that she could not remain like this for long.
She would have to rise and dress and take herself back home to address the payment of Hale’s loan.
But right now, such things did not seem extremely pressing and she figured she could allow herself just a few more precious moments with Roderick before she must return to her responsibilities.
Twenty-eight
Mason Hale resisted the urge to scratch at his neck where the collar of his wool coat irritated his skin. It was far too warm an evening for wool, but the black coat was the only thing he had to assist him in blending with the darkness—not an easy feat for a man his size.
He stood as silent as he could manage in the shadows alongside an elegant town house. With every minute that passed, the queasy churning in his stomach grew worse, making him wish he could just empty his guts and be done with it. But he knew it would do no good. The sickness was in his soul and would not be dispelled until he accomplished his goal.
For a second, guilt flashed over what he was about to do. He gritted his teeth and ignored it. Shoved it down until he could breathe again.
He needed his money tonight, one way or another.
Thank God, his sister had agreed to help him. She hadn’t wanted to, but Hale had managed to convince her. In all honesty, it was the lesser evil of what options were available to him.
Giving up his silent stance for a moment, he dug down into the pocket of his coat to withdraw a worn piece of paper. Unfolding it carefully with his large hands, he stepped out of the shadows just far enough for the nearest street lamp to cast a gentle glow on the drawing he held.
It was the face of an angel—cherubic cheeks, soft curls, and a gentle pout. The child’s mouth looked sad and her large blue eyes were downcast, as though her thoughts were too heavy to share.
Hale’s heart ached with raw pain and furious anger.
How could Molly use such a precious child as a means for extortion? How could she allow such sadness to claim her own daughter?
With a low growling sound, Hale refolded the paper and clutched it tight in his massive fist.
He didn’t know why Molly had insisted on getting her money tonight. He honestly didn’t give a fuck for her troubles.
It was Claire—only Claire—who concerned him now, as she should have from the moment she was born.
He could not make up for his neglect over the last few years, but he would start making it right tonight. Once he paid Molly off for good and Claire was safe and sound, he would never let his baby girl down again.
The sound of a carriage approaching down the well-kept lane forced him back into the shadows. Returning the precious drawing to his pocket, Hale took a bracing breath, long and steady. He slowly rolled his head to loosen the tension in his neck and shoulders while his gaze remained pinned upon the carriage. By the time it pulled to a stop in front of the house he had been watching, Hale was fully focused on what he must do.
There was no help for it.
Claire was all that mattered. The Chadwicks were out of time.
Twenty-nine
A knock then a grumbled protest pulled Emma from the light sleep she had drifted into.
Roderick shifted from where he still lay half atop her, his arm and one leg slung across her sated body. After placing a shivering kiss to her bare shoulder, he dragged himself from the bed to answer the knock.
They had made love once more after that first time. The second experience was more languid and tender, the sensations building slowly as they explored each other’s reactions. Much more than words passed between them while their bodies moved together in a gentle, exquisite rhythm.
Afterward, Roderick thoughtfully drew the bedcovers over their cooling bodies as Emma gave in to the exhaustion that overtook her.
As he padded barefoot to answer the door, she took a moment to stretch her limbs.
The gossamer weight of the bedsheets slid over her skin as she extended her legs and then her arms. Her body ached in sweet secret places and her hair was likely a tangled mess, but she had never felt so content.