Chapter Twenty-One

I nspector Liam Ashton

I closed the outer door to my parents’ house after exiting with Moran and squinted up at the snow that was falling at an alarming rate. By my estimation, there was a good foot already on the ground. The usual bustling street was devoid of anyone save us. He hunkered deep into his greatcoat, and we maneuvered the stairs with care. “I think we’re having a blizzard.”

“When your father said it was snowing, I didn’t expect this much.” Moran and I picked our way across the street, our shoes crunching against the snow. My mother had wanted us to stay put but I insisted we would be fine. I had plans for Moran that my parents wouldn’t approve of.

“It is the perfect weather for being snowed in with a friend,” I said with a good-natured laugh. In addition to the falling snowflakes, a brisk wind blew, freezing the top of the snow. I was glad that his home was close by. We never went to mine because I lived in a multitenant building filled with prying eyes.

“You are correct.” With a sideways grin at me, we managed to make our way to the alley and the back stairwell door. “Despite the harried start, today ended up being a rather productive day.”

After leaving the Stratham restaurant, he had been unusually quiet. We hadn’t had any time alone as my mother insisted we stay for supper and rehash our afternoon with the ladies. “You and Mrs. Engel seemed to have developed a rapport.” I tried to be happy for my friend and not jealous. He deserved to have what he wanted, a family to call his own. If Mrs. Engel was that woman, then all the better. She seemed much more levelheaded than Elizabeth, who I never truly warmed up to. The ever-present guilt when I thought of her hit me. I still blamed myself for their falling out. Had I simply been strong enough to stand on my own two feet after Suzette left, he might be married to her right now.

“As did you and Miss Collin. Your mother is thrilled that you agreed to meet her again.”

“She is a pleasant woman.” I had to admit, Miss Collin was appealing, and having decided to give her a chance, I intended to call on her to determine whether there was a connection between us. While I loved Suzette, I had to be practical. If she really loved me, would she have gone away? I could have protected her much better than Alberto, except she chose to go with him and not stay with me. The knowledge left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“I hope Mrs. Worth made it home safely,” Moran said, moving the parcel of food my mother had forced on him from his right to his left arm.

Snow had drifted into the doorway, making it almost impossible to open the door to his building. With a grunt, Moran managed to open the portal, allowing me to slip inside behind him.

Per usual, I could hardly wait to have him in my arms. Moran had a way of sparking my desires without even trying. Rather like Birdie. One kiss and I wanted more from her. I liked Miss Collin well enough. I wished Mrs. Worth would change her mind. When I thought of the women I’d met thus far, she was the only one who could wipe Suzette’s memory away. “I am sure she had the good sense to leave before the snow fell in earnest.”

“She is very sensible.” Moran jogged up the steps, and I followed close behind him.

The building was quiet, and I was eager for lust to take over my troubled mind. Like Moran, the sight of Brown sparked my temper and my dislike. I disliked self-righteous bigots, and he was the biggest of them all. The man preached his own brand of morality, which was hateful to anyone different from the norm. I entered the flat, the warmth welcome after the freezing stairwell. The cat sitting on the windowsill turned to look at me. I petted him behind the ears, receiving a soft purr in response.

Moran had renovated the building and installed a radiator heater in his flat. I removed my hat and coat and put them on the peg inside the door. The simple chore reminded me of Mrs. Worth and my evening at her home and being entertained by her sisters. I would make it a point to visit her again and repair the coat hanger for her, amongst other things. I was quite handy and liked doing things for my friends.

“Would you like a glass of sherry?” Moran tucked the food into the icebox before going to a cabinet and retrieving the decanter. He filled two glasses. The cat jumped down and rubbed against his leg before it went to the door, meowing to be let out.

A layer of snow dampened my hair, and I brushed it off. “What do you want to go out there for?” I asked the cat, not expecting an answer.

“Mrs. Paul keeps a cat in the shop to keep the mice away. He visits the tabby at night, although he doesn’t have the ability to do much.” Moran took in strays like most people brought in milk. The cat in question had been castrated.

Letting the cat out, I cringed, simply thinking about it. Scratching at my jaw, I plopped down on the sitting room’s burgundy tufted sofa. It had been a long day, and I hoped it would be an even longer night. He handed me the crystal, and I palmed it, our hands touching. He leaned in and brushed a kiss across my lips before he straightened. Moran turned on the phonograph, soft music drifting into the flat.

The music triggered my need for him. While I wanted the passion to commence, I needed to talk to him first. With my mother in constant attendance, we couldn’t really address Brown. “You seem a bit upset about seeing the Reverend today.”

He snapped his head up, panic in his eyes before he lifted the glass and took a drink before sitting near me on the sofa. “Of course I was upset. The man wants to shut my business down and throw me in jail.”

“I knew Brown had influence, but I didn’t know Moreland was in his pocket.” That, unto itself, could cause even more complications. Moreland was a very influential member of Parliament who could wield much power.

“It would appear as if he were well connected.” Moran stared down at his feet, his hair flopping over his forehead. The well-fitted black suit enhanced his shoulders, giving him a dashing air. He wasn’t one for appearances except when he was trying to impress somebody like Mrs. Engel.

“The only thing we can do is keep an eye on the situation, and if I hear anything or something happens, we can act. There’s no use worrying about something that might never happen.” I said it for myself as much as for him. Because he had been right when he said that I could be in danger as well as my family. “He’s not the only one with connections.”

“I know, but I don’t wish to risk your family because of my stubbornness.” Moran cast me a wry grin and settled deeper into the sofa. He threaded his fingers through his hair, his knuckles calloused from boxing. My father had taught him how to protect himself physically, but Moran had erected the walls around his heart. The coldness he tried to project was a clever facade to protect him from being hurt.

“Sometimes you have to stand up for what’s right.” My father might not be a member of the aristocracy, but he was a longtime member of the Met, and many men owed him not only their loyalty but their freedom. My father had been charged with ferreting out corrupt members of the police force. It hadn’t made him popular, but he was well respected. Nobody messed with Robert Ashton.

With a shake of his head, Moran released a long sigh. “You are right, dwelling on what might never happen is a waste of time. I can think of a few things I’d rather be doing than talking about Brown.”

“Would you care to share your thoughts?” My blood began to sing in anticipation of what was to come. Recently we’d had another mutual spunking, but he still refused to bugger me, which was frustrating. Given my desperation for him, perhaps he was right. Separating our passions had always been easy for me, but lately, it seemed that when he wasn’t around, something was missing inside of me.

“I will give you a hint.” Moran reached over to a side table and brought forth a small wooden box. He flipped open the lid to reveal a red velvet interior with several bottles of oil nestled inside, along with a stack of condoms. He had claimed to be out, which meant that either he was hiding them or he had purposely gone out to get them. I suspected it was the former because of the rattled way in which he had arrived at the Stratham Hotel. I seriously doubted he had time to purchase any. “Well, Inspector, what does this tell you?”

I looped my arm around his neck and brought him in tight to me. My desire and love for him swelled, as did my cock. I should be mad at his deception, but I understood. As an inspector, it was my job to see the arching story and not just the details before me. Moran was trying to wean himself off me because our relationship was too complicated to continue on a permanent basis. In the back of my mind, I always knew that, but I hated to deny myself anything. “It looks rather like a mystery I feel obliged to solve.”

“You will have all night to do so and perhaps two from the looks of it.” Capable fingers slipped along my crotch, inching toward my cock.

“I’d best start then.” I began unbuttoning his waistcoat, eager to get him naked to access his tantalizing body. If he was right, we would spend the day together as well, without any interruptions. Angling my chin, I brushed my tongue along his lips. He opened for me, our tongues gliding leisurely along each other’s. It was very rare that we spent more than a few hours together, usually throughout the night.

He cupped my cock in his palm, each movement adding to my need for him. I deepened the kiss, performing the same task on him. The strains of the music swelled as the song ended, and a softer, more melodic tune began. Although the bed beckoned, I didn’t wish to disrupt our play by moving to the other room. We sat side by side on the sofa, pleasuring each other, each stroke of his hand bringing me closer to the end. The wind continued to howl outside, but the heat inside me grew. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, our mouths continuing the dance of seduction. Tonight, it was just us. Alone. With nobody to disturb us. Our own little oasis until the world intruded once more. Rarely had we been given the opportunity of late. With my promotion and his growing business, the days were filled with people pulling us apart. The intimacies would stop once he chose a bride, and I would be alone again.

I scrubbed the thoughts from my mind. Moran would still be my friend, and I would look back on this with fond memories. This was how it had to be. I had known it from a young age. What I hadn’t anticipated was how hard it would be to stop being intimate with him. But that time wasn’t here yet.