When he’d kissed her last fall, he’d been cautious, proper. He had not embraced her fully, held her small figure pressed tightly against his.
If he had, he wondered if he’d have had the strength to walk away.
She was as forgiving as an angel. But she was also warm, willing, and sensual. The feel of her breasts crushed against him sent white-hot arousal coursing through his veins. Her soft abdomen absorbed the pressure of his cock, taunting him at how it would feel to slide between her legs.
“Jeremy.” She whispered against his lips, making his name sound like a fervent prayer.
Need threatened his self-control. He could remove both their coats and arrange them on the floor. She would be his for the taking.
She stiffened. “What’s that sound? I heard something.”
She shoved at his chest, her bosom rising and falling with each labored breath. Even though her lips were swollen and shining from their kiss, her eyes were wide.
And then he heard it too. Like a door being thrown open.
And if he hadn’t spun around so quickly, he might have missed the sprite dashing through the door.
“Ollie?” Lydia recognized him just as Jeremy wrapped his hand around the child’s arm.
A very thin arm.
A very thin and coatless arm.
Chapter 5
Jeremy tightened his grip on this urchin for the second time in two days.
“I didn’t do anyfin’’!” Ollie shouted. “Why you always grabbin’ me?” He jerked his arm in a futile attempt to break free.
Jeremy was grateful that the boy had interrupted them before matters had gone too far; however, for the same reason, he was also tempted to throttle him.
Lydia, however, didn’t suffer similar conflicting feelings and was already on her knees, running her hands down Ollie’s spindly little arms and legs. “What happened to you? Where is your coat?”
Bruises littered those pale arms, and crusted blood mingled with the dirt and grime on the boy’s trousers. Looking up into Lydia’s eyes, the unruly urchin ceased his fighting and Jeremy relaxed his grip. Rationally, Jeremy knew of the trials these children faced on the docks, but to see the consequences meted out on one so young…
It was a unacceptable.
“You said if I came I’d git help. But no one was here and since I don’ have no coins for the boss again, I came here an’ hid.” Ollie narrowed his eyes at Jeremy. “I wasn’ hidin’ from you and her.”
“Of course, you weren’t hiding from me,” Lydia all but cooed at the little trespasser. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault then. I should have been more clear…” She exhaled a guilty sigh. “We need to hire workers first. Who did this to you?”
She was doing her best to remain calm, Jeremy knew, but her voice trembled with emotion. She raised her fingers to Ollie’s face and brushed back unruly strands of soot-black hair to reveal a bruise near his eye.
“Buck did. Said it was a lesson I had comin’.”
“Buck?” Lydia looked confused, but Jeremy had no doubt that Buck would be one of the older boys in the street gang Ollie ran with.
“I wen’ back wi’ no’ enuf coins for Farley.”
Lydia’s face fell with the realization. “Oh, Ollie.”
“Buck’s no problem. But Farley has a pistol.”
Jeremy clenched his fists. He couldn’t help but wonder if the pistol was one that had been stolen from Ludwig’s.
“In that case, you’ll simply have to come home with me.” Lydia rested on her heels and nodded decisively.
Oh, hell.
“You can’t just take a boy home with you!” Good Lord! Blackheart needed to return to London soon before his sister filled not only an orphanage but Heart Place with homeless urchins.
“But this is all my fault! I told him we’d be here.” She gazed up at him.
“Tha’ she did, m’lord,” Ollie echoed.
The child would rob her blind.
After spending a few days in the lap of luxury, innocent little Ollie would likely show right back up at the docks with as much of Blackheart’s silver as he could carry. He’d break Lydia’s tender heart in the process. “It isn’t safe, that’s why. You know nothing about this boy.”
Lydia herself would be vulnerable if Ollie took it upon himself to return to Heart Place with a few of his friends.
“But he is in danger.” She stared up at him fiercely, her cobalt eyes unwavering.
“And taking him into your home could place you in danger as well.” He pinned his gaze on Ollie. “I imagine Farley isn’t very forgiving when he loses an… employee. Am I right, young man?” Jeremy demanded sternly. No way in hell was he allowing Lydia to bring a street urchin home with her.
Ollie squirmed. “I don’ suppose he would be.”
Jeremy scrubbed a hand down his face. As soon as word got out about the orphanage, this Farley fellow, or some other gang boss, would no doubt start up trouble.
Their control already extended too far, and this just gave Jeremy another reason to neutralize them.
“I’m not leaving him here.” Lydia rose to her feet again and crossed her arms in front of her, pushing her bosom up and reminding him of what they’d been doing before being so rudely interrupted.
The housekeeper at his manor on Cork Street was something of a dragon and ought to be able to keep the boy out of trouble.
Maybe.
He stared down at the orphan, who was feigning innocence all too convincingly. “I might have a position for you.”
“You mean you would take him home with you?” Lydia gazed at him with so much delight and wonder that he was tempted to go in search of ten more orphans to welcome into his home.
And at that ridiculous thought, Jeremy clenched his jaw and scowled. “He’ll have to earn his keep.”
“But you have a warm bed for him, and food, and most importantly, he’ll be safe!” The scowl must not have looked stern enough because her ridiculous wonder flourished—in her smile, her voice, and the grateful clasp of her hands. “Did you hear that, Ollie? Lord Tempest is going to take you home with him.”
“But I’d rather go with you.” Ollie sidled up next to her.
Although doomed to be sorely disappointed, the child had excellent taste.
“You’ll come with me, or you’ll remain with your friends on the docks.” Jeremy supposed he ought to send a watchman over. And repair all the locks. They were lucky the warehouse hadn’t already filled up with vagrants.
“You’ll not regret it, Ollie.” Lydia took hold of the boy’s hand and glanced over her shoulder at Jeremy, her full, pink lips tilted up into that devastating smile of hers.
More worshipful wonder.
“We’re finished here for the day, are we not?”
Jeremy fisted his hands at his sides. “I suppose so.”
After being delivered back to Heart Place, assured by Jeremy that Ollie would be safely situated in the Tempest household, Lydia lay back and soaked in a long hot bath, feeling acutely aware that but for a colossal stroke of luck, she and Lucinda and her brothers could have ended up just like Ollie. Because she’d been orphaned at the age of four.