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He reached up and turned the key as slowly as humanly possible. He winced when the lock clicked into place. The door rattled against his back. He gripped the soft fabric of Cassie’s jacket in some attempt to remind her he was here, and he’d protect her—no matter what.
After too many shuddery breaths, the light moved on and they heard footsteps retreat. He sagged against the door. “That was far too close.”
“It was.” She tilted her head to glance up at him.
The shadows offered him little view of her, but it was enough. He saw her parted lips, her wide eyes. He felt her body in his arms.
He leaned down and kissed her.
Chapter Fourteen
Again.
Cassie had kissed him again.
Or he had kissed her. Who could be certain when they had both been so active in said kiss?
She pressed through the crowded street, Luke following close behind. At least he had not mentioned it. With any luck, they could forget it ever happened. And forget the one before that too.
She grimaced to herself. She’d had one chaste kiss in her entire life and now she was up to a count of three and the ones with Luke had been far from chaste. It would not be easy to wipe from her mind.
Stalls cluttered the sides of the road, offering everything from feathers to blankets to live chickens. Sellers shouted their deals while customers haggled—some quite determinedly so. Cassie had already passed an argument about the price of turnips and she overheard one old man somehow haggle a man’s hat from his head as part of the deal.
“Stay close,” Luke called to her. “There are all manner of thieves in this area.”
Not that she could stray far from him in the crowd anyway. She slowed her pace marginally and came to Luke’s side. He had yet to mention last night. In fact, were it not for the letter they had found containing an address for the shipping company, last night might not have even occurred.
Yet it had. She could still feel the imprint of his body wrapped around her, his arms cradling her so, his fingertips grazing her jaw as his lips danced over her mouth. Blaming the crowds for her heated cheeks would be easiest but she knew better.
What was she going to do about it, though? Dwelling on it did not serve her well. It seemed he wanted to forget it as much as she did. Now all she needed to do was pretend it never happened. He had made it clear what a mistake it had been when he’d broken the kiss and shoved hurriedly away from her.
Cassie spied an end to the stalls where the horde began to disperse and headed toward that like a swimmer bursting toward the surface for much-needed air. Nothing about today was going to be easy, she imagined. Not finding this address and most certainly not spending time with Luke.
Why could things not be like they used to be when she considered him no more than a friend—a potentially handsome friend—but a friend nonetheless. How much simpler those days were.
“There’s the building.”
She paused. Well, perhaps she was wrong on one part. The lack of signage in the area and the worn quality of the many of the buildings had fooled her yet there it was, number thirty-one. Nothing else indicated it might belong to a company.
Cassie strode over to the building and peered up at the boarded windows. “If this ever belonged to a successful company, it was a long time ago.”
“Indeed.” Luke peered through the wooden slats covering a window. “There’s no sign of any occupants.”
“Blast.”
He put a hand to her shoulder. “It was worth a try but there’s nothing here.”
“No, we need to look inside.”
He groaned. “Really, Cassie? More breaking into buildings.”
“It’s hardly secure anyway. Look, that window at the side is accessible. It’s practically an invitation.”
He shook his head. “Practically?”
“Come on. I am not having last night be for naught.”
He gave her a strange look that she could not decipher but she was not going to waste time analyzing the various looks of Lord Whitehurst. She had already squandered far too much brain power on pondering the man.
