“It’s doubtful. Are you injured?” Paul sounded concerned as his eyes skated down Reginald’s body.
Reginald nodded. “It’s only been half of a pretend day but I miss you, Paul. And it hurts, not being able to cling to you for warmth and protection when I’m scared,” he said simply, stunning Paul again.
“I swear on my life, I’ve never set eyes on you before tonight, but for some reason, I feel like I should get down on my knees and apologize,” he said. It was a mystified murmur as Paul searched Reginald’s face. Reginald took advantage of Paul’s distraction and closed the distance between them.
“I can think of much better things for you to do once I’ve got you on your knees, my love.” Reginald’s hands pushed up Paul’s chest and around his neck. “You know what fate is and this is what it feels like.” He had to guide Paul’s lips but he didn’t pull away when Reginald kissed him again.
Paul was tentative at first, his hands hovering next to Reginald’s face as if he was unsure and afraid to touch him. Reginald moaned as their tongues tangled and thrust, a sultry invitation for Paul to take whatever he wished. A strangled, rattling groan swelled from Paul as Reginald bucked against him. Paul was hard and his body trembled as he restrained himself, too afraid to concede to the illicit pleasure Reginald promised. He pulled Paul’s hand around so he could grip Reginald’s ass.
“This is where you’ve always belonged and every bit of me will always belong to you.”
“Marston…” Paul’s eyes were heavy and his voice had crumbled to a gravelly rasp that made Reginald’s ass and his cock twitch. He knew exactly what Paul wanted and what he’d do when he got that hungry, that desperate. Paul licked his lips and coughed until he could get his voice to work. “As tempting as that is—truly—I’m afraid I have to decline.” His voice broke again and the hand around Reginald’s ass tightened as if it didn’t want to let go before Paul gently pushed him away.
“Please, don’t!” Reginald begged but Paul shook his head.
“You’re probably right. This must be fate because if any other man had kissed me like that in a room full of people, I would have answered him with my fists. But I was strangely glad to be kissing you and I wouldn’t have minded doing it again.”
“Then come home with me…” Reginald crooned soft and sweet. “And I’ll lay with my head hanging over the side of the bed so you can fuck my throat for as long and as hard as you please.”
“What in the blazes—?” Paul looked back, toward the house, then swung to Reginald. “You can’t say things like that! Someone might hear you!”
“I don’t care! The very worst thing that could happen is I’ll wake up,” Reginald whispered as if he was letting Paul in on a joke.
“You have to stop this! You’re doing real harm to your reputation. They’ve been talking about you all evening. You’re the lord who’s lost his wits and is raving.” He had that concerned look again and Reginald laughed as Paul checked him for a fever.
“I can prove I’m not and I’ll be right as rain if you come home with me,” Reginald said but Paul’s lips pulled tight as he shook his head.
“I’ve been hired to find answers. Though, I might take you up on your offer once my work here is completed,” Paul added, his voice rising hopefully.
“God…” Reginald jammed the heel of his palm into his eye as his frustration swelled. “Why are you always like this?” He flailed a hand and his eyes followed it but stopped when Reginald saw a stockinged foot behind the hedge on the other side of the fountain. He winced as he stretched to get a better look, praying it would move but it didn’t.
“I can’t say for certain, Lord Marston, but I’m not here in London for my own pleasure. And I would be remiss in my duties if I wasted an opportunity to question Lady Coonan’s guests.” He tapped his brow in salute as he backed away but Reginald held up a finger.
“Then you might want to start with me because I’ve just found a dead body.”
“What did you say?” Paul laughed but he leaned and looked when Reginald pointed at the foot peeking from behind the hedge. They dashed around the fountain and Reginald grabbed Paul when he finally saw the rest of her.
The young woman couldn’t have been more than twenty and she had been dragged, judging by the state of the slipper on her other foot. The heel was badly scuffed and caked with mud. Her shawl had been wound tightly around her neck and her eyes were huge glassy pools.
“That poor thing!” Reginald bit back a sob and turned his face away.
“Jesus! Where’s that friend of yours?” Paul spat and they spun when Lavender cleared his throat and made his way around the fountain to join them. “Were you eavesdropping?” Paul demanded and Lavender raised a shoulder nonchalantly.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d run screaming or if Marston would get his way,” he said as he stretched to get a better look. Lavender took a moment to survey the body and hissed as he shook his head. “Such a shame. He’s getting bolder.”
Paul made a disgusted sound as he turned on Lavender. “I was warned that you might have something to do with this.”
“I would never be that careless!” Lavender laughed and waved a hand in front of his face. “You believe that this man is exceptional?” He asked Reginald and he nodded.
“I know he is.”
That earned another startled look from Paul. “That’s mighty kind of you, Lord Marston, but I don’t need to prove myself to a bald-faced snake who likes to pass himself off as a dandy. I’m not fooled by his fancy manners and his fine clothes. I was hired to find out what happened to a young woman named Lady Bridget Carrick. Her father sent her over here from Chicago to marry a young Irish lord and she was found just like that a few weeks after they were wed,” he explained as he waved at the body.
Reginald slid between them and signaled for a time-out. “That doesn’t make sense, though. Why would Lavender kill those girls?” He asked and Paul threw up his hands.
“Only a monster would do such a thing, and as far as I can tell, he’s the most likely of the Coonans’ guests. I followed Lavender out here to ask him a few questions and what did we find?” He pointed at the girl behind the hedge.
“I might be a monster but it simply isn’t possible,” Lavender said, not at all concerned as his head tipped back and he enjoyed the view of the star-lit sky.