“Who’s upset?” Dominique sauntered up.
“Sofia,” the men said in unison.
“Why the hell would she be upset?”
Pierce pointed at Ash. “Performance anxiety.”
Ash paled. Ah, the look of death. He knew it well.
Dominique sputtered then coughed into his hand. “One must simply bide one’s time while one is—”
“Please,” Ash whimpered. “Stop.”
“Come on, old chap.” Hunter slapped Ash on the back. “He’s simply helping. Haven’t you ever heard of the saying, a beast in the bedroom?”
“I have now. And I’m ever so sorry about it.” Ash sent a pleading look in Sofia’s direction. She pushed away from the sobbing men.
“Yes, well…” Dominique nodded emphatically. “…one must simply commit to the decision to—”
“Plug one’s ears and go back in time,” Ash finished.
Hunter and Pierce joined in laughter, while Dominique scowled.
“Sorry.” Sofia grinned when she reached him, extending her hands.
He gripped them, tugging her body against his. “They were… distraught.”
“They’ll be just fine.” Ash growled, bestowing a kiss upon her lips.
“Remember what Dominique said…” Hunter nodded encouragingly. “…and you’ll do just fine. Sofia, my dear, have you any smelling salts?”
“Why would I need—?”
“Good day.” Ash tugged her toward the door.
“I’d say good evening,” Pierce called.
“But don’t want to jinx anything.” Hunter chuckled.
Ash ignored their laughter.
One thing impossible to ignore?
Sofia.
The minute they were in the carriage, he pulled her body onto his and kissed her across the mouth — hard. His teeth damn-near collided with hers as he plundered her mouth, his hands roaming across her breasts.
“Ash?” She moaned, tilting her head back.
“Hmm?” Oh look, a spot on her neck just begging for attention. He licked across that spot — not enough. His lips sucked, marking her as his.
Sofia let out a little squeak. “We’re in the carriage.”
“Very astute of you, sweetheart.”
“And…” She gasped. “…oh my, I don’t believe dresses are able to—” A loud rip thundered through the carriage.
“You were saying?”
“Is that a knife?”
“Course not.” He took her mouth again.
“Ash, should we wait until—“
“Ten years,” he murmured against her lips. “Ten years,” he repeated, caressing her breasts, pulling the fabric free from her dress, with the knife he supposedly did not have. Her dress fell in shreds across the floor. “Ten years without touching perfection — ten years of waiting for the moment I could be with my one true love.” His teeth tugged at her lower lip.
“Yes, well, clearly you haven’t forgotten much in ten years.”
“Compliments…” His fingers tugged her dress, resting it around her waist. “…will get you prizes.”
“What kind of prizes?”
“What kind of prizes, she asks.” Ash laughed and reached beneath her skirt.
“What are you—?”
“I said prizes, now be good receiver while I give,” he instructed, though it pained him not to join with her right there in the carriage. Touching her intimately, kissing her, it was enough — for now. It was enough.
Her chest heaved as he teased, taunted, played her as if she was the most perfect string instrument, and he the musician.
When she let out a moan…
And when that moan was followed with his name…
The need to bask in the glory of it all had the Grimm Reaper ready to simply lean back and take it all in.
Sofia moved against him.
The carriage stopped.
He blinked, taking in her disarray and fully appealing form lying against him. His hands were still beneath her skirt, and Sofia’s chest still heaved with exertion from their lovemaking, her cheeks a rosy pink, her eyes narrowing as a knock sounded at the carriage door.
“We’ll simply…” Ash nodded. “…run into the house.”
“Run?” she repeated. “You want me to run after—”
The knock sounded again.
“Blankets!” Ash pointed into the air then pulled a blanket from under the seat, damn-near pushing Sofia to the floor. “In you go.”
“In the blanket?”
“We’ll wrap you up.”
“And then we run?”
“Correct.”
“Amazing,” she muttered.
“What is?” He grinned, thinking he would soon be on the receiving end of a compliment.
“You can kill with your bare hands, are known throughout London as being this skilled warrior… and yet, your solution to our problem is to run.”
“Yes, well, the faster you run, the faster I chase, and the faster I catch, I am able to do what I’ve been wanting to do since the minute I set eyes upon you.”
“Sleep?” She lifted her shoulder and winked.
“If the other word offends your delicate sensibilities, then yes, sweetheart, I want to sleep you.”
Sofia giggled.
Ash groaned. Hell, even saying sleep had him aching.
Another knock.
“He’ll keep knocking.” Sofia sighed.
“Blanket.” Ash handed it to her. “Now repeat the plan back to me.”
“I don’t know, that may take a while,” she teased.
He glared.
“Wrap and run.”
“Good girl.”
“Glad I please you.”
“Ah, yes. Yes, you will.” He took her mouth once more then opened the carriage door, blocking her from the footman’s view as she wrapped herself in the blanket.
She joined him and, as planned, ran up the stairs into his townhome, the very one he hadn’t set foot in until the morning when, in a flurry of excitement, Hunter had sent over a few staff members of his own to help prepare a meal, as well as one room that wasn’t filled with dust.
“It’s beautiful.” Sofia gasped, turning around full circle in the entryway.
“Yes, your stepmother would have been pleased.”
“Ha!” Sofia shrugged. “Had she not been imprisoned. I’m sure she would be.”
“Are you sorry?” he asked gently, cupping her face.