Page 27 of To Heal a Broken Earl (The Rakes of Mayhem #7)

“Oh,” he said with a wink. “Yes, it feels infinitely better. Hastings will be applying the salve every evening. I hope you will let him know the magical concoction you used to transform the salve.”

“It will be my pleasure to do so,” she said, feeling a surge of warmth.

“In fact, I might even ask that persistent Italian physician to examine my leg in a month to see if there has been any improvement, and I have you to thank for that.”

“Thank you. It’s such good news. I am very happy to hear it,” she said with a smile.

“I am so happy to see you smile again,” he said.

She felt her cheeks blush.

“I also wanted to speak to you about Morgrave,” he said, his tone turning serious.

She nodded, trying to tamp down the jolt of panic that had latched on to her earlier.

“I want to reassure you, Emma, that we will find him,” Michael said, taking a step closer to her, where she stood next to the fireplace.

“That is my promise to you. My pledge. We know what he looks like, we know who he is. Armstrong has already sent a missive to headquarters in London, along with the sketch.”

“I have something to confess…”

“Oh?”

“I…um…I overheard your speaking with Wright and Armstrong in your study. That Morgrave may have set that fire at Lady Beadle’s home to force her to leave and lead him here…”

He nodded. “Armstrong didn’t think about the possibility of Morgrave using them until they were almost here.

By then, he decided that perhaps we should look at this differently.

We know what the arsonist looks like, and we’re pretty sure we know who he is.

But he doesn’t know that we know all of that.

We plan to go on the offensive and look for him.

That includes here. We are showing everyone in my security force his picture. I promise to keep you safe.”

She began to tremble at the thought of Morgrave being out there, nearby.

Michael reached out and clasped her shoulders. “I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you and Katie safe, Emma. Do you trust me?”

She didn’t immediately answer him.

His brow furrowed. “Everything seems so stiff and formal between us. Only days ago, we were laughing and even holding hands,” he said, picking up her hand. When she drew back, he dropped it. “I’m not going to take advantage—even though every part of me wants to kiss you.”

“Yes, I do trust you,” she whispered. “But Morgrave has escaped detection for so long. It’s like he’s a ghost, able to do all these terrible things without being caught. Without being seen.”

“But he was seen. By you and Katie. And it is because of your courage that he will be caught. I promise you. I will protect you with my life.”

“I want to believe you, Michael. But I’m scared…for me and Katie,” she whispered. “I don’t want you to lose your life trying to protect me.” Her eyes were blurring with tears.

“Please, Emma,” he rasped. “I can’t bear to see you cry.”

With a groan, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine how wonderful it would be to feel his arms around her every day for the rest of her life.

He leaned back and tilted her chin up. “Emma…Emma, what you do to me…”

And then his lips swept down and claimed hers in a kiss.

A kiss that was even better than the one they’d shared in the study.

A kiss that took her breath away.

A kiss that made her heart soar.

She tasted him, tasted the brandy on his lips. Heady. Sensuous. God in heaven! She almost swooned when he entwined his tongue with hers.

His lips drifted, tracing the line of her jaw, trailing down her neck, down to the top of her gown—leaving her breathless and wanting more…so much more.

“I will keep you safe, Emma,” he murmured in between kisses. “I promise. I promise…” He said it like a mantra. Like a prayer.

She did believe him. She had never doubted his courage. His bravery.

His strength, his powerful arms around her, made her heart pound in her ears.

The scent of him—soap, sandalwood, citrus, leather, and brandy—washed away her lingering panic and fear about Morgrave.

The breath she didn’t know she’d been holding shuddered out of her. Suddenly, it wasn’t fear that consumed her. It was him.

His lips traveled back to her mouth to capture hers once more.

His kiss was fierce, demanding, as if he needed to prove something to her.

She let herself fall into it, trembling and tasting, kissing him back as fiercely as he was kissing her.

She heard him groan, and she felt a feminine power surge through her, power that she could make him know as much desire as he made her feel.

She twined her hands in his hair, and he groaned again. His hands moved down her arms and up her back, making her shiver, as she felt the goosebumps along her skin.

He finally broke the kiss and touched his forehead to hers. “If I don’t stop now, I won’t be able to ever stop…” he rasped.

She leaned back and gazed up at him, dreamily searching his face. “I wish we didn’t have to stop… But I understand.”

“God, woman. What you do to me!”

“Are you going to be grumpy again?”

“Hell no! But if I don’t leave now, I fear for my virtue.”

She burst into laughter. “We mustn’t have that. If you don’t have your virtue, what do you have?”

“Happiness? Satisfaction? I can think of many other things worth having…” He stepped back and blew out a deep breath.

“Thank you for the flowers.” She smiled. “And the apology.”

“Thank you for forgiving me.” He grinned. “And for un-stinkifying the salve.”

He turned to walk to the door, but before he left, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Goodnight, Michael.”

“Goodnight, Emma.”

~*~

Long after Michael left, Emma lay in her bed, thinking about their conversation and their kiss.

She believed that Michael, Wright, and Armstrong would work with the authorities to capture Morgrave.

She hoped it would be soon. But what would happen after?

She and Katie would leave and go home. Go back to live with Evie and Martin—wherever they were living once this was all over.

But there was one thing that would not be over, and that was her feelings for Michael.

Because now she knew that she was in love with him. Completely, and hopelessly in love…

~*~