Seven Rogues for Christmas: A Historical Romance Holiday Collection Read online

  Edmund tucked her head beneath his chin. His heartbeat echoed in her ear as his fingertips slid softly over her bare arm. Jess tried to relax, even with the cascades of emotion churning within her. She owed him a debt, but in less than a week, he'd stolen more than her freedom. He'd captured her heart. The realization made her gasp aloud.

  "Something wrong?" His question rumbled through her body.

  Jess shook her head. "Nothing. Just a chill."

  He pulled her closer, if that was even possible. Tipping her chin up, Edmund pressed a tender kiss to her lips. It lingered, softening the doubt and melting her restraint. She slipped her hand up to cup his face. When the kiss ended, she opened her eyes and met his intense gaze.

  "I'll tell you where the jewels are." Jess chewed on her lower lip awaiting his response.

  "I've already located them." He kissed her again. "I shall have them by tomorrow afternoon."

  "You...how?" She stared at him in awe and a pang of frustration rose within her. "So this...we..." Jess cleared her throat and sought the right words. "I'm free to leave."

  "You are," he replied but refused to release her from his embrace. "If that is what you truly desire."

  Jess wanted to return to her inn, her home. She sighed. But after such a grand adventure, albeit against her will at the beginning, how could she return to her simple existence in the country. She worried her lip again and allowed her gaze to drift to the door. Her mind told her to leave, but the ache in her heart begged reconsideration. Then she remembered the reason for her hesitation.

  "Are you asking me to stay with you?" She glanced at him again.

  "Perhaps."

  "But you're a thief."

  "And a lord." He grinned at her. "I thought we established this already."

  "Why?" she asked. "Why steal when you have so much already within your grasp?"

  "I have reasons to do what I do." His cryptic reply came from smiling lips.

  "If you cannot be honest with me, then I must leave you." Jess' heart broke as she uttered the words, but ultimately, she knew deep within her heart that she could not sympathize with his secret life as a thief.

  "In the morning then." He pulled her down into the blankets and held her tight. "Tonight, you still belong to me." To her surprise, he kissed her again and closed his eyes to sleep.

  Jess lay there cocooned by his naked body wondering if she truly meant so little to him that he would relinquish her without even requesting an explanation or offering the truth. She squelched the tears threatening to fall and instead focused her mind on returning to the life better suited to her...one without him.

  Chapter 12

  Edmund pulled her closer to him as the dawn broke through the curtains. He nestled into her warmth, allowing his arousal to press against her backside. Damn it. He wanted her again. In fact, he wanted her in more ways and far longer than she could possibly even comprehend. Thoughts of their conversation drifted back to him. It would have been simple to convince her to stay. All he had to do was tell her the truth behind his pastime as a thief.

  She moaned in her sleep and arched her back, pressing her curves against him. He brushed aside her hair and kissed her neck. Her scent intoxicated him. Try as he might, he could not bring himself to bare the truth, not in a desperate attempt to keep her by his side and in his bed. Jess mumbled his name as he suckled on the tender skin of her shoulder. When he released her, a large, red mark marred her pale skin. Mine.

  "Edmund?" she repeated as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

  He opened his mouth to speak when a knock interrupted him.

  "My lord, urgent telegram from the detective." The butler's voice echoed through the wood.

  "Slide it under the door, Bates." Edmund climbed from the bed and retrieved the letter. As he returned to the bed, he opened the missive and scanned the contents. His heart soared for a moment only to dive to the soles of his feet.

  I found Katherine, but we're stuck in Scotland thanks to the snow. Pain in my arse. Delayed until further notice. ~ Monty.

  "Bad news?" Jess asked. She'd sat up in his massive bed and clutched the blankets to her chest.

  Edmund shrugged. "Quite the contrary." He moved to the nightstand and tucked the telegram into the top drawer. When he turned his attention back to her, Jess stared at him. Her hair trailed over her shoulder in a tangled mess and her makeup was smudged. Despite these things, he still found her lovely and radiant. "Have you reconsidered my proposal?"

  Jess pulled the covers closer to her chest. "I cannot until you tell me everything. Something." She twisted the sheet in her hand.

  He sighed and a pang of regret hit him square in the heart. If he wanted to keep her by his side, he should tell her the truth. Since Monty had located Katherine and would ensure her continued safety, he could refocus his attention. The last six months had been hell. Her disappearance caused an uproar within the ton, shattering his own plans and personal goals.

  "What are you hiding?" Jess asked as she crawled toward him. The sheet forgotten, she came closer, her curves bared to his gaze. "Tell me." She wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed onto his lap, straddling him as she had the night before.

  Edmund's blood heated as his hands grasped her waist. Her lips brushed his in a soft caress. He wanted her, more than he should, more than was reasonable. The intensity of the longing frustrated him. He'd never acted so rash in his life...what was he thinking, asking a poor widow to stay with him? As his what? What role did he want her to fill? Mistress, wife, the consequences of either would prove to be his undoing. Shaking his head, he focused his wandering thoughts when she whispered against his mouth.

  "Do you wish me to go?" Jess pressed a kiss to his lips.

  He groaned as her fingers wove into his hair and pulled, snapping his head back. She kissed his throat. His grip on her tightened. Sweet merciful torture assaulted him as her tongue and lips wove a spell against his flesh, bathing him in heat and desperate need. He rocked his hips against her, and she shifted her position enough for him to fill her. The warmth of her body enveloped him as he slid into her.

  The motion of her body as she stroked and caressed him proved to be his undoing. She would tear him apart if he allowed her to stay, stripping him layer by layer until he stood exposed to the world. Monty's words echoed in his mind. Women were nothing but a complication, a pleasant distraction. The passion between them rose again and stole the errant thoughts from his mind.

  She rode him until her movements became frenzied, then he pushed her down onto her back and drove into her over and over until she screamed his name with wild abandon. He gripped her beneath him. When his body cried for release, he gave in, allowing the bliss to pull him down into a pool of warm pleasure. He rolled to the side and pulled her against him.

  Edmund stroked her hair gently. When her breathing slowed betraying her sleeping state, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

  Slipping quietly from the peaceful cocoon of her embrace, he dressed and scrawled a note. Edmund set it on the pillow and retreated to his study. Bates arrived without being summoned, his presence ensuring the course of action he must take.

  "I need you to escort her home." He cleared his throat as he wrote a draft note from the bank. "Take this to ensure her safe return. Any remaining funds are to be given to her upon her arrival at the inn."

  Bates took the draft and tucked it into his pocket without even a glance. He met Edmund's gaze directly.

  "You have something to say, Bates?"

  "I do, my lord."

  Edmund tossed the pen down and steepled his fingers as he leaned back in the chair. "Then speak your mind."

  "I have served you well, have I not?"

  "You have."

  "In all my years of service, I have never challenged your decisions."

  "No, you have not." Edmund arched his brow. "But I can sense your tension. Out with it."

  "I beg you to reconsider." Bates held his gaze, his
lips pressed into a thin line. "Do not send her away."

  "Why in the devil not?" Edmund had never seen Bates quite as determined. "I have no use for her any longer. Send her home."

  "You have no problem treating her as a common whore?" Bates asked, his expression shifting into fury. He straightened himself quickly and nodded. "I apologize for my outburst, my lord, but your actions are appalling."

  "When I need your opinion, Bates, I shall ask for it." He tapped his fingers together. "You shall take the train and be back by tomorrow evening. Have I made my wishes clear?"

  "Yes, my lord." Proffering a crisp bow, Bates turned and strode from the room.

  Edmund turned his attention to the papers on his desk. Once Katherine returned, he could finally marry her off as he'd intended.

  The soft echo of the front door knocker filtered into the study. After a few moments, Bates returned holding another telegram. He took it and the butler retreated again. Opening the note, he read the brief lines.

  In London. Complications arose. Will call on you this afternoon. ~ Simon.

  He tossed the telegram down onto the desk and ran his hand over his face. "What now?"

  The trip to the inn proved quick and uneventful. Jess had spent most of the time staring out the window watching the snow laden landscape pass by. At the station, Bates had taken her bag and followed her to her modest inn. She stared up at the simple structure. It certainly wasn't as grand as Edmund's town home, but it belonged to her.

  Her heart ached at the thought of him. He'd made love to her, then left her without so much as a goodbye. The note was seared into her mind. Forget me. Those simple words crushed her.

  Anna had stared, her eyes filled with concern and regret as she helped Jess dress. Bates had told her Edmund left shortly after rising that morning and had left him explicit instructions to return her to her home. Jess had never felt so used, so worthless, in her entire life. When she read the telegram Edmund had tucked into the nightstand, it made sense. There was another woman. She swiped a hand across her cheeks to hide the tears that spilled. What a fool I've been.

  Swallowing the shame and tears, Jess opened the door and entered the inn. "Judy, I'm back." She pasted on a smile as she entered the common room and searched for her sister's smiling face.

  "Oh, ma'am, you've returned!" Andrew rushed from the kitchen. "I've done my best, but it's not easy, not at all." He blustered on, wiping his hands on the apron tied around his waist.

  "Andrew, why are you in the kitchen? Where's Judy?" She glanced around the room again. "What is going on around here?"

  "That man...the one who was left here with Miss Judy. Well, he took her to London a few days ago. I've been doing my best here, but I'm afraid my cooking isn't quite as good as yours and Miss Judy's. I brought my ma in to help a bit until you came back. I hope that's alright with you." The rush of words from Andrew's mouth left Jess staggering.

  "Wait, he took her?" Jess shook her head as the fury with Edmund rose to a peak. "When?"

  "Two days ago. Judy had given me instructions and told me to wait here for you both to return." Andrew frowned. "She's not with you?"

  "No, she is not." Jess ground her teeth together and turned to Bates. "I need you to send a telegram for me." At his nod, she spoke clearly. "Tell that cold-hearted thief I want my sister returned, unharmed, post haste."

  "Yes, my lady." Bates turned to go but she called out to him again.

  "I'll have dinner waiting for you when you return, Bates."

  He nodded and left the inn.

  "If I ever see that bastard again, I'm going kill him." Jess threw a glass across the room, satisfaction washing over her as it shattered against the hearth.

  Chapter 13

  Edmund poured a glass of whisky and sighed. The house stood silent as he'd dismissed the servants for the remainder of the day. Alone for the first time in weeks, he moved to his chair by the fireplace. He'd watched from the park across the street as Bates and Jess left in a hired coach. Part of him wanted to go to her, drag her upstairs, and keep her there indefinitely. As the carriage pulled away from the curb, his heart ached at the knowledge she was no longer his. The ache lingered even now.

  "This is ridiculous." He shook his head at the pang of regret encircling his heart. "I've no use for her now. Women are nothing but a hindrance." Edmund sipped his whisky.

  "I wholeheartedly agree."

  The sound of a familiar voice echoing behind him made Edmund choke on his drink. He wiped his mouth and turned. Simon stood leaning against the doorframe.

  "Don't you know how to knock?" Edmund stood, moving to refill his glass.

  "Since when do we stand on ceremony with each other?" Simon asked as he crossed the room. "I came in the back door. No one saw me."

  Edmund poured a second glass and handed it to his friend. "Well, you didn't come for a social call. The telegram mentioned complications." He leaned against the desk and narrowed his gaze at Simon. "Care to elaborate?"

  Simon swirled the liquid in the glass. "I brought the sister to London. Isaac and Thomas weren't at the station waiting for me per my instructions. When I went to hail a coach, she disappeared in the crowd."

  "You brought the sister to London and then lost her?" Edmund raked his hand through his hair. Jess would be infuriated when she discovered her sister's disappearance. He pushed the thought aside and scowled at Simon. "What does this have to do with the mission I left in your capable hands?"

  "The jewels are gone." Simon drained the remaining liquor.

  "What the hell do you mean 'gone'?" Edmund snapped as he slammed the glass down and ran his hand through his hair. "I gave you simple instructions, Simon. Damn it! How did you manage to fuck this up?"

  Simon glanced up, his expression calm and passive. He arched a brow. "The jewels were in my jacket pocket." He shrugged. "I can only assume she stole them before she disappeared."

  Edmund stared at his friend and laughed in disbelief. Could it be possible for these sisters to be that much alike? "I don't even want to know how it's possible for a slip of a woman to snatch something from your pocket and not have you notice. And you call yourself a mob lord. This farce has played out long enough. Find her and my jewels."

  "I've searched the station, and the boys are out making inquiries as we speak." Simon glanced around the room unfazed by Edmund's commanding tone.

  "You don't sound overly concerned about the situation." Edmund crossed his arms.

  "I have my best men working on the problem." Simon smirked in a rare show of emotion. "You shall have your jewels within the week."

  "And the girl?" Edmund asked, testing the still waters of Simon's cool demeanor. He'd known Simon since they were children. The uncharacteristic lapses in the carefully crafted calm shrouding Simon made him curious, but not concerned...yet.

  "She shall be retrieved and dealt with accordingly." Simon reached past him and grabbed the decanter.

  "Return her."

  Simon's head snapped up his cold gaze fixing on Edmund's. "She is my problem, and I will deal with her." He poured more whisky and took a sip. "You've made a pet of her sister, have you not? Keeping her in lieu of the jewels."

  Edmund snatched the decanter from his friend's hand. "I sent her home."

  A choked sound emanated from Simon as he sputtered mid-swallow. He recovered quickly and turned toward Edmund, his eyes wide. "Why in the devil would you free her? She knows too much. What if she—"

  "Since she is still under the impression she will be linked to us should she expose our theft, she will say nothing of transpired events," Edmund replied with a shrug.

  "What have you told her of us?"

  "Nothing."

  Simon's silent judgment unnerved him. It was no wonder he was considered the most intimidating mob leader in all the London underground. Fortunately, the history of their friendship extended farther than their current roles.

  "You tupped her." Simon's words broke the stillness of the room.

&nb
sp; "She belonged to me." Edmund faced Simon. "She served her purpose. I returned her. Simple as that."

  "Life is never that simple, Edmund. You of all people should know that." The two men locked gazes. "Trying to sell your sister for political advantage was low, even for you. Her disappearance is on your conscience."

  Edmund slammed his fist on the desk. "Enough!" Even as he shouted, the accusation hung in the air between them. Simon caught him off guard with the painful truth. He'd treated his sister like a commodity, and her fate hung over his head like a dark cloud.

  "Katherine would be ashamed to see you treating a woman like chattel, then throwing her away like a worthless bauble." Simon pushed harder.

  "You're dangerously close to—"

  "To what? Hit me if you must." He shook his head at Edmund. "As if it will soothe your guilty conscience."

  Edmund threw his glass into the fireplace, savoring the sound of shattering glass. After a few tense moments, he spoke. "Monty found her in Scotland."

  "Katherine is in Scotland?" Simon asked surprise in his voice.

  With a nod, Edmund straightened and brushed his sleeves off. "They've been delayed by the snow."

  A knock at the front door drifted into the study. Edmund answered the door. A messenger handed him a telegram. He tipped the lad and returned to the study.

  "What does it say?" Simon asked. "Monty?"

  Edmund tore open the seal and scanned the contents of the message. He glanced up at Simon. "No. But you may want to hasten the return of your missing woman. It seems her sister is displeased with the turn of events."

  Simon nodded and moved toward the rack in the hall to collect his coat, gloves, and hat. Pulling them on, he turned to Edmund. "I'll send a message to the inn when I've located both her and the jewels." With a nod, his friend left via the servant's door at the back of the house.