Page 16 of The Viscount of Shadows

The Sentinel froze for a moment, then cupped her breast. She wasn’t wearing a corset, only a thin chemise, so when his fingers brushed by her nipple, she was the one moaning. He rubbed against her, massaging her breast, and Claudia let her head fall back against his muscled chest. How tempting to lift her skirt—

“Check that alley, Andy!” a voice yelled.

They stopped moving, although he kept his hand on her aching breast. Claudia held her breath as the man stomped along the broken cobbles. Thankfully, there was no light from this angle, not even from the moon. The Sentinel reached into her low-cut gown and clasped her breast. He had removed his glove at some point, so they were skin against skin. How had he managed that? Claudia bit her lip to stem the passionate moan from escaping. He rolled her nipple between his fingers, causing her to grow wetter.

Emboldened, Claudia reached behind and laid her hand against that prodding hardness. She didn’t dare grip it (not that she could do it effectively as she wasn’t a contortionist), or the leather would creak. As best as Claudia could, she ran the tip of her finger along his length. Impressive. The feel of him only heightened her passion. How surprising to find she even possessed any.

When the man called Andy moved the boards, all he would see was darkness. The Sentinel wearing all black would melt into the shadows. They stayed perfectly still.

The man pulled the boards aside. “’Tis nothin’ here!” Andy yelled.

The sound of the boards banging against the wall and retreating footsteps allowed Claudia to expel the breath she had been holding.

The Sentinel pulled his hand from the front of her gown and stepped out of her reach. “Wait here. I’ll check to see if it is safe.”

Then he did the strangest thing. He moved aside Claudia’s hair, leaned in, and kissed her neck. Soft lips made contact on that sensitive spot at the curve of her shoulder. He must have pulled his mask up far enough to kiss her. The man was incredibly deft at silently moving about and removing a glove or lifting his mask without making a sound. Claudia spun about, not manageable in such a narrow space.

But he was gone.

“Hell’s bells,” she whispered.

Striding out of the hiding place, she made her way to the head of the alley, glancing up and down the street. Deciding it was safe, Claudia pulled her shawl over her head and strolled toward Pottery Lane.

Every nerve ending was alive and thrumming.

So, this is how passion feels. It certainly is exhilarating.

And she had a distinct feeling this would not be the last time their paths crossed.

Claudia was looking forward to it.