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When the hour was up, she could hear the voices of the agents in the common room, waiting for Tattle’s next class, so she gathered her clipboard and excused herself.
“I’ll send Baron my report, Miss Murray. I am most encouraged.”
“Thank you.” She opened the door and came face-to-face with Callahan. Immediately, she felt her face heat and her belly twist.
His brows rose when he saw her, but he looked as unruffled as always. His hair was slightly wet, probably from cleaning up after evasive maneuvers, and brushed back from his forehead. Without the hair throwing shadows on his face, his gray-blue eyes were even more striking.
“Miss Murray,” he said with a rather exaggerated bow. “A pleasure to find you here. I see you have your clipboard, as usual.”
Other agents stood behind him, so he couldn’t very well mention anything about accent lessons. “I had a message to deliver to the professor. If you’ll excuse me.” She pushed past him, careful not to touch him, and arrowed for the exit. A blast of cold air accompanying an agent who entered reminded her she had hung her coat on a hook, and she had to turn back, remove the coat from its hook, and struggle into it. She was in such a hurry she forgot to set her clipboard down and had to try and hold it and slide her hand into the coat sleeve.
“Allow me,” a voice she knew very well said from behind her. She whipped around, the coat arm hitting Callahan Kelly in the chest.
“I can do it.”
“At least let me hold your clipboard. Then you can use both hands.”
She grunted as the sleeve eluded her again. “Absolutely not. The papers on this clipboard are confidential.”
“Sure and I wouldn’t peek.”
“I can’t take that chance, Mr. Kelly.”
“You can call me Cal, lass. Once I kiss a woman, I think it’s only right we use Christian names.”
“Shh!” She looked about to make certain none of the other agents were listening. They’d all moved into their respective classes, and she and Cal were alone. “Don’t mention that incident to me.” She went around in a circle, trying to catch her sleeve. “And I will not call you Cal, although I’m sure you’ve kissed enough women that half of the country speaks to you familiarly.”
His lips curved up in a slow smile. “The kiss was that good?”
“No! What makes you think that?”
“You seem to think I’ve had a lot more practice than I’m willing to take credit for. Lass, I know you want to be independent, but this is ridiculous.” He finally grasped her coat sleeve and held it steady while she slid her arm into it. Bridget hadn’t wanted his help, but she was rather grateful not to be flailing around any longer.
“Thank you,” she said grudgingly. Then to her horror, he proceeded to button the top button and the one below it.
“I enjoyed the kiss too,” he said quietly. She shook her head. She did not wish to have this private conversation with him. “In fact, I’d like to kiss you again.”
“Absolutely not.” She’d meant to say it loudly and firmly, but her voice had been a weak whisper.
“Sure and there’s no harm in a kiss.”
Oh, there was harm. Yes, there was. The way Callahan Kelly kissed was perilous.
“Find someone else to kiss then.” She grasped his hand and removed it from her buttons, but when she tried to let go, he held her hand.
“There’s no one else I want to kiss. Just you, Bridget.”
Her breath caught in her throat. The way he said her name made her knees wobble. She wanted him to whisper it again. Instead, she stepped back.
“Then you will be disappointed.”
“Will I now?”
She blew out a disgusted breath. She should have known he’d be full of himself. “Good day, sir.”
“Miss Murray,” he called out, and his tone was surprisingly formal, so she looked back. “The man from the other night. How is he?”
It was the sort of question any decent man would ask, but she was unable to give him an answer. Not only because she didn’t know what had become of the man, but because even if she had, she would not have been at liberty to say.
