It was Thomas, and his mouth dropped open at Evan’s half-dressed state. He closed it again and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
Evan flashed him an easy smile. “Enjoying the show, Captain?”
Thomas swallowed again and his gaze swept down to the floor, but Evan didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered on his bare torso on the way down. “Sorry to disturb you.”
“It’s fine,” Evan said, opening the door wide enough to allow Thomas entry. “It’s not like you haven’t seen my arse hanging out before.”
Thomas’s blush reached right to the tips of his ears, which Evan took as a good sign. “So why are you here?” he asked when Thomas stepped inside. “Because if you were planning on seducing me, you only need to ask.”
Thomas’s eyes widened. “What? That—no—not that you’re not—I mean?—”
Evan took pity on him. “I’m teasing, Captain.”
A look of relief passed over Thomas’s features, but it was followed by a flash of regret—and wasn’tthatinteresting?
The chances of getting Thomas into bed were looking better by the minute—just as soon as they’d sorted out the plot to kill the king, of course.
“Since you’re not here to seduce me, I assume this has to do with the viscount?” Evan asked.
Thomas cleared his throat again. “Well, on my way downstairs I passed the ambassador’s chambers and the door was open. The room was empty.”
“And?” Evan wasn’t sure what Thomas was telling him, but then a thought struck him. “Wait, are you suggesting now would be a good time for me to go and look through his things while you stand guard?”
Thomas’s cheeks went pink and he cleared his throat. “No, actually. I, um, already did. I remembered what you said, and I went through the pockets of his jacket.”
“Oh, aren’t you a clever one?” Evan said.
Thomas’s brow creased as though he thought Evan might be mocking him.
“No, I mean it,” Evan said. “I’m genuinely impressed at your quick thinking.”
“Oh,” Thomas said, his face flaming, and he gave Evan a shy smile. “Anyway, I found this. I thought it might be important.” He held out a tightly folded square of paper.
Evan hadn’t thought it was possible to be more attracted to the captain just by virtue of his competence, and yet here he was, fighting the urge to back Thomas into the door, pin him in place, and kiss him senseless.
But Evan hadn’t become the best spy in six kingdoms by giving in to random urges, so he busied himself unfolding the paper square.
It was another rough drawing of a cock and enormous balls, almost an exact copy of the other one. He turned the paper sideways, then held it up to the light.
It remained a crudely drawn cock and balls.
Thomas tilted his head to the side and tapped his fingers against his chin. “I’m not much on the courting scene, but perhaps this is a thing people do now? Maybe the viscount had an admirer.”
“Perhaps,” Evan mused, “but it doesn’t explain the ambassador having a copy as well.” He handed Thomas the paper. “Here. Something to remember me by.” He gave a wicked grin. “Mind you, you’d need a bigger sheet of paper to draw mine properly.”
Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Is thisyouridea of a courting gesture, Your Grace?”
Evan snorted out a laugh. “If you like. And you’ve helped me dispose of a body and seen my bare arse. Call me Evan, for heaven’s sake.”
Thomas’s cheeks flushed that delightful pink again, and he tucked the paper into his pocket. “Sorry, Your—Evan. Force of habit. But it’s probably a good idea for me to keep referring to you by your title anyway. You never know who’s listening, and we don’t want whoever is behind this thinking we’re on informal terms or that I’m helping you. Not that I’ll be much help, what with you being…” He swallowed and ducked his head.
“Being…”
“You know.” Thomas’s blush deepened and he lowered his voice. “The Rogue.”
It was then that Evan had one of those flashes of insight that made him so very good at what he did.
Thomas Malone had a serious case of Rogue worship.
