Page 18 of A Spinster for the Rakish Duke (Notorious Sisters of London #3)

Chapter Seventeen

“ W ho did you say you were looking for again, Miss?” The gentleman’s smile was far too oily for Emma’s comfort.

“Mr. Connor and Mr. Herst, and I very much appreciate your assistance in finding them, Mr…. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

“It’s Lord, actually, Lord Northgnell. I find the correct title of address is absolutely essential, don’t you?” Instead of looking offended, the gentleman’s smile was even wider and oilier than before.

“Of course, My Lord, I apologize. I did not know,” Emma said with a submissive dip of her head, which was proper of her to do when she erred in such a situation.

“Of course, you did not know. How could you know if I didn’t tell you?” the Lord said, quietly and to himself as if he were contemplating a faraway thought. “You know, this Mr. Connor you are looking for, I have the strangest inkling-”

But before Lord Northgnell could finish the thought, both of them were suddenly grabbed.

“Enemies? No, no, in fact, I was recently telling the good Mr. Bradford that part of his problem was that he had no enemies,” Father Trout told Donovan and Herst.

“I’m sorry to hear that the lad is missing, though. Glad somebody, a Duke of all people, is on the case,” Reverend Trout said stiffly. “Though like I was saying before, I have a hard time imagining the young man causing enough of a fracas to warrant any sort of ill will, let alone any malfeasance.”

Donovan nodded again, more definitely this time. “Well, when we find Mr. Bradford, we will make sure to let him know how helpful you were in our investigation.”

“I’m sure you will, Your Grace,” the reverend said as they shook hands.

Mr. Herst spoke soon after they departed the church board’s chambers. “What do you make of all that?”

“Well, as unhelpful as a lack of information can be, I think it has helped me reach a certain conclusion,” Donovan admitted.

“What's that?” Herst asked.

“Miss Bradford!?” Donovan exclaimed.

“Miss Bradford?” Mr. Herst asked, his voice filled with confusion.

Donovan grabbed the younger man’s shoulders and turned him to face down the hall to the unfortunate scene that was playing out before them. Lord Northgnell was speaking with Emma.

As Donovan and Mr. Herst rushed over, hoping to intervene before the Lord could give up the Duke’s secret, they could hear the conversation playing out before them. Donovan swore under his breath. “What do we do? We have to get them apart.”

“I’ll distract the Lord, Your Grace,” Mr. Herst whispered harshly. “You get Emma away from him. Agreed?”

Donovan nodded and moved forward with determination despite having no real idea what he or Mr. Herst was going to do.

As he came upon Emma, he saw a nearby door.

He hated the idea of such a breach of decorum and Emma’s autonomy, but so much more rode on this, and letting that sniveling worm of a Lord ruin him would be something he would not accept.

Donovan’s plan was to pull Emma away from Lord Northgnell and through the door behind her then come up with an excuse when he had more time to think. What he was not anticipating was the room he was pulling her into was a broom closet.

They moved into the closet with such force and suddenness that they were pressed together by their own momentum. The closet, being a closet, offered little room to navigate away, not that that was much of a focus on either of their minds.

Nor were the muffled sounds of clamor drawing much of their attention either. Though it did sound as if whatever was transpiring between the Lord Northgnell and Mr. Herst was quite the tumult indeed.

No, what absorbed Emma and Donovan completely was how close they were; how much they were touching.

Not since that night in the garden had they come so close.

Something they had both been avoiding that could no longer be avoided was evidently why.

The heart, the tension that jumped between them, was so palpable that Donovan was certain he could feel Emma’s heartbeat against his own chest.

Emma’s breath hitched, but she managed to speak. “M-Mr. Connor, why did you pull me into this closet?” she was whispering. Donovan didn’t know why she was whispering and neither did Emma.

“Well…” Donovan was not good at improvising in normal circumstances, but, at the present moment, his mental capabilities were entirely compromised. “I have a reputation at the Inn of Courts. One I didn’t want you getting caught up in.”

“A reputation?” Emma’s voice was more intrigued than he expected.

“Yes, well, an important investigation brought me here and... I am afraid I didn’t earn myself many friends.” Donovan’s lie was so close to the truth it made him uncomfortable, but also it made it that much easier to tell.

“Oh,” she answered and then, much to Donovan’s surprise, she giggled.

“What is funny?” he asked, curious rather than indignant.

“I’m surprised you are so invested in preserving your good name in my eyes, Mr. Connor,” she told him.

“Well... I certainly would never want you to think any different of me,” he said with a small smile, just barely visible in the dark of the closet.

“You wouldn’t?” she asked, a hint of playfulness in her voice. “You want it to stay the same as now? What if I could think more of you?” she asked softly.

“I think you expressed that thinking any more of me might be improper,” he told her.

“So is staying in this closet, but I believe we may have been able to leave for some time now,” she countered.

“Do you feel inclined?” he asked.

“Do you?”

Neither of them moved as the closeness of each other's bodies was not something either of them wanted to end. Finally, Donovan did move but not to open the door. His hand moved to Emma’s side, resting on her hip, and causing her to freeze.

She didn’t pull away but instead pushed forward, pressing more against him.

“Mist- Donovan. The dreadful timing of everything seems determined to keep us apart, but that isn’t... I want something different,” she confessed.

“It makes me happy to hear that.” His hand slid up and down her side slowly, truly feeling her for the first time. “Touching you is what I’ve wanted so much for so long.”

“You can keep touching me,” she said hesitantly, but Donovan didn’t hesitate to act upon that offer.

Before one of his hands had touched her gently and affectionately; now both of Donovan’s hands explored the woman he had longed to touch.

Emma, who had been a spinster for years, guarded herself with the expectations of apprehension and uncertainty.

But as each moment passed and Donovan’s hands found new and wonderful places to touch her, his lips soon pressing firmly to her own, the only feeling she felt was desire.

It suddenly felt very uncomfortably warm in the closet, and Emma wished she had room to undress, to allow Donovan access to touch her bare and exposed flesh.

She was impressed at the ways that he had found to access her skin beneath her clothes, but the longer this went and the more he touched her, the more confined she felt.

Both of them were breathing harder and harder in that confined space.

Emma was forced to wrap her arms around Donovan’s neck to support herself, her legs growing weak from his affection.

The shift just allowed him more access to her body and drew them closer together.

Emma, her mind swimming with possibilities and desire, tried to ask herself where the line was, where she must ask Donovan to stay his touch.

But she found no such place. She wanted him to do as he liked and to continue to make her feel so amazing.

Then Emma experienced two sensations at the same time that thrilled her completely.

The light touch of Donovan’s teeth upon her neck, and the heavy touch of the firmness of his member against her thigh.

Just as she pressed back into those sensations, letting out a loud gasp, Donovan pulled away.

In hindsight, she was glad he couldn’t see the disappointed pout she wore on her face as it might have been more than a little embarrassing.

“I... don’t want to stop. But I am certain that if we continue, we will be caught.

We should escape this place now, while it is quiet.

I’m sure whatever Mr. Herst did as a distraction will only buy us so much time.

” There was no doubt how reluctant Donovan was to escape the temporary bliss that was this closet.

It was painfully evident in both his voice and the parts of his body that he had no way to move away from Emma.

“Yes, you are right,” Emma agreed. “Dreadfully right.”

Donovan opened the door and both of them stepped out, although separating a tad slower than they probably should have when emerging into public.

“Do you have… business to attend to in the Inn?” Emma asked as she tried to find the most comfortable way to transition to another subject.

“I have concluded what I felt was necessary, asked the questions I needed to ask and such,” Donovan informed her.

“Good,” she said firmly. “Should we look for Mr. Herst?”

“As much as I want to, I feel compromising ourselves again would only render the sacrifice he made meaningless,” Donovan said.

“Even though you know that there is no rumor or truth I could hear that could lessen my opinion of you?” she asked with a wry smile.

“Still, I believe it is for the best if we promptly left,” he reiterated and gestured in the direction that the exit lay.

“If you insist,” she said and followed him closely until they were outside in the streets.