Chapter Fourteen

S affron sat cross-legged in the middle of Leo's office on a beautiful, multicolored rug imported from India, cradling a fuzzy ball of purring warmth in her hands. A breeze entered through the open window and swirled around the room, ruffling the papers on his desk.

The white-haired maid, Mary, had followed them up from the entryway and slumped on a chair near the open window. The act did not fool Saffron. She caught the woman looking through her eyelashes twice, and her snoring was suspiciously regular.

What am I doing here? she thought, not for the first time. I should be searching for Ravenmore, or tracking down the thief, or keeping an eye on Angelica, or… Her eyes drifted to Leo, at his desk, one hand buried in his hair, a scowl across his face.

As promised, she had reviewed the receipt from the grocer and had quickly pointed out that the numbers quoted did not match the supplies she had seen in the pantry.

"Is there not a person in the country who is not trying to fleece me?" Leo asked, sliding the papers in front of him aside. "Thank you for your insight. I shudder to think how long it might have taken me to realize the problem without your help."

His praise warmed her cheeks and elicited a fluttering sensation in her chest. How many men would have accepted her help in a similar position, much less recognize the value of her opinion?

The Duke of Canterbury would not, of that I am certain.

"I believe it is time for a break," Leo said. "I see you have become fast friends with my painting companion."

She rubbed her nose against the kitten's gray fur and ignored the taunt. "She's adorable. What's her name?"

He chuckled. "I have not yet named her. I was thinking Cinder, because the footman who found her said she was curled up next to the remains of the kitchen fire."

She cupped her hands around the ball of fur and deposited it in her lap. The ball unfurled and stretched out both arms, claws extended. Large, yellow eyes peered up at her.

"Ow." She gently disengaged a claw from her wrist and moved both hands away before the kitten decided she was fair game as a playmate. It reminded her of how Leo treated her, although his claws were not so sharp.

Spoiled, Cinder jumped from her lap and waddled away, toward a string twitching across the floor beneath Leo's desk.

"She will be a mighty hunter," he said, pulling the string away as Cinder pounced. The kitten skidded across the wooden floor, tumbled onto her back, and was up again in a flash as if nothing had happened.

Saffron clapped a hand over her mouth but couldn't stop her giggle. Leo began laughing shortly after, and soon both were clutching their stomachs while Cinder chased a beetle on the floor, oblivious.

"Oh, she's lovely," she said, wiping away her tears. "I must tell Angelica. She will be in raptures. She loves animals."

He scooped up Cinder with one hand and deposited the kitten in a wicker basket filled with a soft blanket. The kitten made a sharp mew, as if annoyed at the restriction to her freedom.

"You know there's probably more," Saffron said, sobering at the thought. "There is rarely a single kitten in a litter."

Leo rose from his desk and extended his arm. "Shall we hunt?"

She giggled as she took his arm, the other holding the quivering basket. The kitten made sounds more akin to a wildcat. Mary rose from her chair, unbidden, and followed them down the rear stairs to the kitchen. There, Saffron explained their quest to the cook, who was engaged in hanging what she called "specter traps" from the rafters.

"Search all ye want," the cook said. "I could use more cats. They keep the mice at bay, even the wicked, black ones. I hardly have time to be watching them with a party to cook for and so little help."

And so, the hunt began. Saffron enjoyed herself so much, she ignored the small voice in the back of her head that insisted she tell Leo to return to his guests, that there were more important things for her to be doing.

I can't remember the last time I had fun , she thought as she kneeled on her hands and knees beneath the large, oaken table in the servants' dining room, listening for soft meowing. The room smelled like garlic and onions from the stew boiling away on the stove. Her stomach growled. Her knees were sore, and she was sure Lily would curse her when she saw the state of her lovely gown.

But as she was about to give up, she heard the quietest of meows and redoubled her search. She found them in an empty wooden box deep in the back of the pantry, hissing like snakes. She reached in a hand, and they swatted at her, bearing their tiny fangs. Two slate-gray kittens and a third calico with orange and black splotches and a white belly. A larger, black cat with white markings crouched a few feet away, eyes wide, but ears erect.

"Well done," Leo said, kneeling beside her.

"We should move them," Saffron said, holding out her hand toward the presumed mother cat. The feline crept closer and cautiously sniffed her fingers, then head-butted her hand.

Confident that the mother would follow them to a safer nesting spot, Saffron bundled her hands in her skirts and gingerly grabbed each of the kittens, depositing them beside their sister in the basket.

The cook shooed them out of the kitchen soon after, and they returned to Leo's office, Mary trailing behind them with the purring mother cat in her arms.

"I wanted to ask you something," Leo said, placing the basket aside.

She pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket, glad she had thought to carry it with her. "Yes, I suspected you might."

She unfolded the piece of paper in her hands and placed it on his desk, joining the other sheets of paper. "I've compiled a list of items you should purchase. Although there are significantly more, this will serve as the basis for the initial set of high-priority needs."

Leo stared at the list. "Needs?"

"Yes," Saffron said. "In order to ensure the success of the auction, I had to perform an assessment. This house is far from efficient. How you have gone on so long without a valet baffles me. Mr. Sinclair is performing the duties of both a butler and valet."

"Indeed." He picked up the paper, smoothed it out, and placed it with the other sheets. "Well, I certainly appreciate the effort."

"There is more." She straightened further. "The household turnover is significantly higher than average in this estate. I suspect that someone is trying to…" Her words faded away as Leo prowled closer, sparking fear and desire in her in equal measure.

Surely, he would not dare to ravish me with one of his staff present?

As if sensing the tension, Mary picked up the basket. "I'll return in a moment, milord," she said. "These young'uns need to be settled somewhere quiet. Don't get up to trouble while I am gone." She winked at Saffron, then closed the door behind her.

"Where were we?" Leo whispered. "Ah, yes." He tilted his head and brought his lips down to touch her cheek, a feather-light caress. His hand followed the curve of her back, and his palm caressed her rear, then squeezed tight. The burgeoning pressure in her chest threatened to explode and consume her. Never had she felt such a powerful urge, a need to be with another person. There was a hollow ache in her stomach, like someone had scooped out her insides and left her empty.

Stop this now, before it is too late , her rational mind objected. Ruining herself would not help her find her brother, and if it were discovered that she had allowed Leo such intimacies, it might bring further shame upon their family.

"You haven't finished your report," he said. "I would like to know more." He withdrew his hand and then slapped it against her rear, making her cry out. Just this once , she promised herself. Her aunt and sister would never have to know, and it was not likely any man would ever wish to marry her, given her reputation. The secret would be theirs, a precious memory to fuel her dark, lonely nights.

"U-Unless you prioritize renovations, you will soon pay p-premium wages for the bottom rung of s-society's house staff," she said between gasping breaths. "Oh, God, Leo! Touch me, please."

"If you insist." He hiked up her skirts to her waist and spread her thighs apart. "Wrap your legs around my hips and your arms around my neck."

She did as he asked, clinging tightly as he lifted her from the desk and carried her through an adjoining door, up a narrow flight of stairs, and then through a dark passage that ended at a door. He kicked it open, and they entered her room.

He lowered her onto the bed, grasped her wrists, and pinned them above her head. Then he captured her lips for a searing, heartbreakingly short kiss before releasing her and stepping away.

She boosted herself up on her elbow and rubbed the back of her hand against her mouth. Leo crossed the room in a few large strides. There was a click of a lock engaging before she fell onto her back and closed her eyes.

Footfalls approached, then the corner of the bed dipped down.

"What now?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed. Without sight, it was easier to imagine it was a dream, without consequences.

"Now we play."

His cool hands touched her thighs and pushed them apart. Nimble fingers removed her slippers and drawers, then peeled her stockings down and off her feet. A heady warmth pulsed from her cheeks to her stomach. Beneath her skirts, she was bare to him. At the first touch of his lips upon her thighs, she gasped and clenched her fingers in the bedspread. He inched up her inner thigh with his lips and tongue until his whiskers brushed against her quim. Then he transferred his attention to her other ankle and repeated the process until she shook with need.

"What do you want?" he whispered, rubbing his cheek against her thigh and making her shudder. "Tell me."

"Touch me. Please, Leo. Touch me."

She arched her back at the feeling of his tongue upon her. Then he slid a finger inside her sheath and rubbed his thumb against the bud of her pleasure. Heat curled in her belly, and moisture leaked and dampened the sheet beneath them.

She bucked her hips, wanting more.

"Yes." She threaded her fingers in his hair. "More!"

A second finger joined the first. The tension built, and he crawled up to capture her lips, tangling his tongue with hers while driving his fingers in and out of her sheath. She tasted her own essence on him.

Pleasure exploded and rippled out from her center, filling her with warmth and a heavy sense of contentment.

*

Leo ran his palm up Saffron's thigh until the small shudders of her climax stilled. She was so much more than he'd expected, full of raw sensuality that he longed to push to its limits. How far could he lead her in pursuit of pleasure without crushing the fragile trust between them that he had nurtured?

He kissed her once more, then withdrew from her skirts and smoothed them down. She deserved better than a quick tumble in the sheets. When he at last had her beneath him, it would be for hours, not a few scavenged moments.

His cock throbbed with a familiar ache as he watched the rapid rise and fall of her bosom. Then her eyes flickered open, and he saw a wildness there.

"What about you?" she asked, reaching for the fall of his trousers. He knew he should stop her, step away and excuse himself, but her flushed cheeks and innocent curiosity made him hesitate, and by then, it was too late. She flicked open the fall of his trousers and his erection sprang free.

"You don't have to—" he started, but the rest of the words turned into a moan as she wrapped her fingers around him.

"It's so big," she whispered as she explored his shaft. "Will it really fit?"

He had to swallow before he could speak. "It will."

She met his gaze, then gave another wicked smile. "I saw a woman place her mouth on this part of a man's body once. The man seemed to enjoy it." She tilted her head to the side and fluttered her eyelashes. "May I try?"

Was she asking what he thought she was asking? Where had she seen such a thing? He had to clench his buttocks, lest he spill his seed over her gown like an untried youth. "It's a sensitive organ. You can try if you are careful."

She nodded, then leaned forward, clasped her lips around him, and sucked.

His vision went dark at the edges, and he momentarily forgot how to breathe. His knees wobbled, but he recovered his wits before he collapsed on her and completely embarrassed himself.

Where the devil did she learn that?

It was difficult to form thoughts with Saffron's lips and tongue dancing over his throbbing erection, but he was able to claw back some semblance of control by squeezing the muscles of his pelvis.

Unfortunately, he underestimated how determined she was, and soon enough, he had to gently take her head and pull it away. Her lips came free with an audible pop , and not a moment later, he climaxed, spurting his seed onto the floor, and marring the hem of her dress. As he stood there panting, holding his cock in his hand, Saffron used a corner of the bedsheet to wipe the drops of liquid away.

Then someone knocked at the door, and panic shot through him.

"Sister, are you in there?" Angelica called in a singsong tone. "Aunt Rosemary wants you to come down to the parlor."

Leo pressed one last kiss to her lips before gathering his clothing and disappearing out the door hidden behind the wardrobe.