“Ah, Mr. Bellington. So good to meet you. I am Lord Templeton’s new secretary, Miss Theodora Dalton.” Theodora held out her hand to Lord Maitland’s rent collector, noting with approval the hard gleam in his eyes. They shook hands, hers almost crushed in his.

“Miss Dalton.” The man’s voice was like gravel, and she shivered imperceptibly. Rent collection was not for the weak of heart or the timid. She doubted Lord Maitland had ever missed a collection from one single tenant, thanks to the first impression this man made.

Bellington’s stare intensified, and then his attention darted about the room. She understood his apprehension perfectly. He was utterly out of place among Lord Maitland’s elegant furnishings. But then again, Bellington was not here to take tea.

Theodora adjusted the satchel on her shoulder containing the addresses and details of rents due to be collected that day. “Whenever you are ready, we may leave.”

“A moment,” Lord Maitland called as he rushed down the staircase toward her and Bellington.

Theodora’s breath caught. She’d been hoping to avoid her employer this morning. She wished to escape the inevitable after-sex conversation. She experienced a moment of acute discomfort as Lord Maitland smiled so warmly at her that her sex throbbed eagerly in response.

Theodora returned his smile politely, hoping to maintain her usual professionalism around him. The events of last night were not easy to set aside, unfortunately. She’d been satisfied in his bed. Far more thoroughly than she’d anticipated. “Good morning, my lord.”

Bellington tipped his head and mumbled out a rough, grumbled greeting to the viscount.

“Miss Dalton, I need to claim a moment of your time.” The viscount regarded her gravely, and then gestured her toward the drawing room.

Theodora acceded to Lord Maitland’s request reluctantly and stepped into the room. “Have I forgotten an appointment?”

“I will accompany you today.”

Theodora blinked, dreading the close proximity of a carriage with a man who’d set her senses on fire. She shook her head. “I assure you, I am more than ready for the task of collecting a little money.”

“Oh, I believe you.” His attention flickered to Bellington, where he waited in the entrance hall. He frowned at the man. “It has been some time since I toured my properties. We shall do so together, along with your chaperone.”

Theodora held back a wince. “I do not need a chaperone. I am in your carriage and will be protected by your staff. Do you not trust them to look after me?”

He clenched his jaw a moment before speaking. “Of course I do.”

No, he didn’t. This is exactly what Theodora had feared. Lord Maitland had an “I’m responsible for you” gleam in his eye today. She’d experienced his protectiveness on the night of the fire. To her mind, intimacy should change nothing between them. “I am on official business for you.”

“This is not a negotiation you can win, Theodora,” he warned. “I am coming with you.”

Theodora closed her eyes as a rush of heat swept her face when another memory from last night rose in her mind. They’d done that, too—found release at exactly the same moment because he’d demanded she wait until he allowed her to let go.

However much his bossiness in the bedchamber excited her, she could not afford to be distracted by him during the day.

She smiled and curtsied, lacing her expression with extreme deference. “As you wish, my lord.”

His eyes narrowed, and he held out his arm for her to take.

Theodora made a show of collecting the list of addresses from her satchel as she swept out ahead of him. “Mr. Bellington, shall we go?” An older housemaid appeared before Theodora could escape out the door. “Ah, Clare, there you are.”

The woman smiled warmly, probably pleased by her unexpected outing. Escape from the drudgery of cleaning was always welcomed by any servant. Theodora could not begrudge the woman her easy day, but she could remain annoyed by Maitland’s highhandedness for as long as she wanted to.

She drew the woman toward the door.

The butler held the front door open and bid them a pleasant day as they brushed past him, only to find Lord Maitland’s best carriage paused before the stairs.

“Foolishness,” she cried out, turning on Maitland. “Any tenants with wits and in want of funds will see the crest on the door and hide, rather than answer our knock now.”

Maitland shrugged. “It’s this carriage, or you remain at Maitland House.”

She gritted her teeth, annoyed by yet another example of his protectiveness. There was no time to press for a change. Bellington was already looking uncomfortable, so Lord Maitland would only have himself to blame if the day’s collection did not meet his expectations.

All business, she spoke to the coachman about their destinations, passing over her list of addresses and the order to visit them. When she turned for the carriage door, Lord Maitland was waiting for her.

She smiled sweetly. “My lord.”

He scowled. “Time is passing, Miss Dalton.”

She clambered inside, noting the housemaid and Mr. Bellington had already claimed the rear-facing seats. That meant she’d have to sit side by side with Lord Maitland on the butter-soft, sea-green, forward-facing seats. So close to and yet so far from her handsome lover.

As Lord Maitland joined them, Theodora shifted toward the far windows and did her best to ignore the way her pulse raced, the brush of his arm against her side, the memories of mutual pleasure to be found in his embrace.

She did everything to ignore his proximity.

He glanced her way, and a small smile curved his lips. “Are you well today, Miss Dalton?”

“Of course.” But her cheeks blazed with heat. He must be aware she could not calm her pulse or the tingling sense of excitement she experienced around him. Why, he looked positively smug as he braced himself for a turn.

“I’m glad,” he murmured, schooling his features to the bored mien of a born aristocrat. He nodded. “I should not like anything to overset your delicate sensibilities so early in our adventure. We could have many more together.”

Was he talking about collecting rents, her employment, or sharing his bed again?

She thought perhaps the latter, given the way he tried not to smile. She felt almost certain that he was attempting to tease her about last night’s tryst. At least their adventure in passion appeared to have put him in a jolly frame of mind.

She smiled quickly, took a steadying breath, determined to make it through the day without throwing herself at him for another bout in his arms. Aware that they were not alone, she kept her tone light. “Our adventure has only just begun, I suspect.”

“That is excellent news.” He brushed lint from his thigh. “I look forward to discovering what might happen by the end of the day.”

“As do I, my lord.” If she could have him again tonight, she’d be a delighted woman. “As do I.”

Three hours later, they returned to Maitland house more or less successful. The gleaming black carriage had undoubtedly announced their arrival to the tenants, but in most cases, not their intent. Three-quarters of the rents were collected, and all of the properties had been viewed as the viscount had wished. Bellington would round up the remaining rents due.

Exhausted, she smiled for the butler’s sake. “Where might I find my mother?”

“I believe Mrs. Dalton has retired to her room to rest.”

“Thank you.”

“We’ll take tea in the drawing room,” Quinn demanded.

“A tray for me in the study,” she requested.

“A tray for both of us in the study it is.”

Theodora risked a peek at Lord Maitland’s face, a little startled that he would decide to join her so obviously. After their first teasing conversation, Lord Maitland had withdrawn from her. He’d been every bit the bored aristocrat society expected as he’d inspected his properties, which had made the time spent together in a confined space awkward at times. She had no idea what he thought of the way she’d handled the business of collecting the rents, or of last night’s tryst now. However, she couldn’t very well insist he go elsewhere in his own house to have his refreshments.

Theodora slipped up the stairs, relieved to return to the quiet of her work desk. She set down her satchel, extracted the collected funds and set them aside on Lord Maitland’s desk to be recounted and secured in his safe. When she turned about, Lord Maitland was a foot behind her.

“The Gerrard Street property has a window broken on the upper floor. Have it fixed, Dalton.”

She dodged around him to reach her desk, made a note of his wishes and straightened, expecting more orders.

Lord Maitland’s hands swept up her arms from behind, instead.

She shivered. “My lord?”

“Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to watch you at work?”

Theodora licked her lips and glanced over her shoulder, very distracted by what his hands were doing. “I’m only doing my job.”

“Too well. I’ve never felt so unnecessary before.”

She turned fully at his ridiculous remark. “Come now.”

“Come?” The corner of his lip lifted into a half smile. “That’s what I want you to do. Immediately, if possible.” He eased her backward until her thighs pressed against her table. “Sit.”

“My lord, I don’t think—”

He covered her lips with his fingers. “That is what I want. Don’t think about anything. I want you to feel.”

Theodora was rendered mute by the heat in his gaze. He perched her on the table edge and drew her skirts up to her knees.

She should stop him. Anyone could come in and find them. However, a quick glance toward the door revealed it was already closed, giving them privacy.

She licked her lips.

Lord Maitland traced patterns on her thighs until she wanted to part her legs and agree.

“Tea will be here soon, but I’m famished right now. Let me feast?”

“No.”

His jaw clenched. “Why?”

“Mixing business with pleasure is a bad idea.”

His brow furrowed. “I didn’t need your pity.”

“What?”

He turned away abruptly and moved to his desk. He took the rent money and stashed it away in his wall safe without bothering to confirm the amount was as expected. “Last night. I didn’t need you to pretend.”

He busied himself with property reports, looking down at the desk instead of at her.

“Oh, no. No, no, no.” She bounced off the table, lowering her skirts then moving closer to him. “Quinn, that was not what last night was about.”

He shrugged.

“Dear God, what a dim-witted thing to suggest.”

He frowned, jaw clenching.

Against her better judgment, she put her hand on his arm. He was rigid again. Concerned, Theodora shook him. “I enjoyed last night. I needed it. Perhaps you took pity on me?”

He rolled his eyes. “Hardly. I seem to recall you giving as good as you got. Several times, in fact.”

A flush of heat swept her face again as she whispered, “We enjoyed being together last night. But there is a time and place for everything. I am here to work. I would not like to lose the good opinion of the staff if we were caught in an indiscreet moment. Do you want someone to find me draped over the desk, panting because you excite me so well?”

“No, but I like the idea of you panting for me.” His lips twitched. “Tonight then?”

She met his gaze, and her quim pulsed in anticipation of him kissing her sex again. She most definitely wanted him to. “Yes. Please.”

“Eight o’clock.”

“After eight. Once the house has settled down, I will come to your room again.”

He set his hand to her hip and his fingers closed over her body. Even that excited her unbearably. “That will be an eternity,” he said.

“For both of us, but pleasure must wait until the perfect moment, when we will not be interrupted.”

He leaned close, close enough that his lips brushed her ear. “I’ve been thinking of your legs wrapped around my hips all day. Damned fine daydream, I must say, but nothing will compare to the fact of it later.”

“And I thought of your hands on me, of you being deep inside me all day, too,” Theodora confessed, her voice husky with need. “But it’s not something anyone else needs to know we are thinking about, is it?”

“I suppose not,” he agreed reluctantly. He smiled suddenly. “I’ll make you burn for me by nightfall. How ever will we keep our hands off each other, my dear?”

“I assure you, you already have achieved your goal of making me burn for a repeat performance. Stop gloating. You already won me over.”

“I take a great deal of pleasure from that admission,” he whispered as his fingers drifted from her hip to squeeze her bottom. “And I will wring a great deal of pleasure from your body later. As much as you can take, in fact.”

“Quiet now, my lord,” she pleaded. “If you don’t stop talking of pleasures soon, you will distract me so much that I might commit you to attending the wrong gatherings.”

“I wouldn’t want that,” he admitted with a wince.

Theodora escaped him and returned to her desk, aware that her body throbbed in earnest now, and she was already anticipating hours of uninterrupted play at the mercy of Lord Maitland’s very great lust.

A servant tapped on the door the next moment and slipped into the room. “Lady Templeton has arrived, my lord.”

“I’ll be with her in a moment.” Quinn moved closer to Theodora once they were alone again. “I guess that’s how I’ll survive the afternoon. Nothing cools a man’s ardor faster than having his mama come to call. I’d better go see what she wants.”

He stole a kiss before he left her though, a long one, with the brush of his tongue in her mouth that took her breath away yet again and made her wish it wasn’t necessary to let him go.