Cat and Mouse

by Genella deGrey

  “Busybody. I said you were a busybody.” The strand slipped through her fingers and he caught it.

  “And the definition of a busybody is…?” As he waited for her response, he dragged the beads back and forth over the muscles between her neck and shoulder.

  Her eyelids fluttered shut. “One who can’t mind his own business.”

  “Someone who is nosey?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, revelling in the feel of the beads as they thudded across her strained muscles. It almost tickled, but was strangely soothing at the same time.

  “Someone who rummages through another’s possessions?” he whispered.

  “Mmm.” Maxwell trailed the beads to her décolletage and back and forth across her skin. Her entire being relaxed and her head lolled backwards in utter rapture, only to rest upon his shoulder behind her.

  The strand acted as a necklace as he tied it in place. “I want to show you something, Katrina.” His voice floated by her ear like a breeze.

  Maxwell gently took hold of her hands and placed them up behind his neck. “Interlock your fingers.”

  At his suggestion that was more like a breath than words, she did as she was told. Slowly her drying towel slid open, then down her body to rest upon the floor. Maxwell began plying the beads to her skin again, this time running them over her bare chest. She inhaled and held her breath as the strand rippled over her nipples. Back, forth and across, she arched in invitation for him to continue. The beads delighted her with a buzzing pleasure she found utterly delicious.

  She was nearly out of breath when the strand rolled down her belly and over each hip.

  “Spread your legs just a bit for me.”

  Katrina took one step to the right. She opened her eyes wide when the cool beads came to rest between her legs. “Maxwell…” She unlaced her fingers and her hands came to rest at her sides.

  “Shhhhh… Shut your eyes, Katrina. I’m not done yet.”

  She swallowed and did as she was told. Slowly he began to draw the beads up over her clitoris. When he reached the end of the strand, he reversed the action. Katrina whimpered as the jade rumbled over her sensitised skin, shaking her with wicked vibrations.

  Her breathing became heavy, her body strained to reach the exquisite orgasm she knew awaited her with the next pass of the beads. Her eyelids fluttered open for a second and she glimpsed Maxwell on his knees watching as he worked the beads over her body with a look of both carnal knowledge and awe.

  He sped the slick beads over her faster and faster, the zipping sound of the strand demanding she take her pleasure now. She cried out in an ancient song of ecstasy and came. At once Maxwell pressed a finger up inside her, sending even more pleasure to her core and shock waves over her body.

  “Beautiful, absolutely astounding,” she heard him declare as she pitched sideways to take hold of the nearest post. How was it that he was panting as hard as she? He removed his hand and the beads and helped her recline upon the bed. He stepped over to the wash basin but returned quickly. Just how he’d got undressed so fast she’d never know.

  As Maxwell drew a cover up and arranged it around them just so, her body trembled with the after affects his naughty beads had had on her. She’d never heard of such a thing in all her life. But, God, how she’d enjoyed it.

  “Katrina,” he murmured, still out of breath.

  “You don’t have to say a word. Just take me.”

  “Oh, God, Katrina.” Maxwell’s voice sounded like the harsh whisper of a dying man. “How desperately I’ve wanted you.” He shifted to hover over her, cool air stealing under the covers where their warm bodies had created heat, and placed himself between her legs. He sank the full, hard length of him deep inside her. Her inner muscles accommodated him and clasped at the width of his cock. He made to draw out and she bore down on him so as not to allow it. He groaned. “So unbelievably tight.” He doubled his efforts and as if her body knew instinctively what to do, her hips rose to meet his, establishing a primitive rhythm that reverberated to the depths of her soul. He’d pleasured her with the beads and now her insides were being served the same indulgence.

  Without missing a beat, Maxwell drew one of her legs up so that her knee dug into the side of his ribs. He angled his cock and thrust so hard that she felt as if she were going to shatter into a million shimmering pieces.

  She clutched at his shoulders and held on, taking in his scent and feeling the strength of his body as it crashed down against hers. “Oh… Maxwell…” Was she pleading with him or did she wish to convey her unfathomable joy? There was no safer haven, nor more blissful pursuit such as what he provided. Handsome, strong, kind…certainly knowledgeable in the sexual arts.

  When she came, stars exploded behind Katrina’s eyes and her body reacted just as intensely.

  “Katrina,” he moaned. Maxwell’s muscles strained beneath her hands, she could feel his orgasm as it hurtled through his body.

  With the euphoria she felt coursing through her, she now understood what all the to-do was about.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Well, do I look the part?”

  “Mr Brenner, you seem entirely well-to-do—impeccably dressed—a member of the elite.”

  Max and Brenner stood at the side entrance to White’s. Max elaborately primped and fluffed Brenner’s evening wear, picking imaginary lint from his sleeves, ruffling the jacket fibres to a noticeable softness. The man, thief or no, certainly had a demonstrative regard for the dramatic. “Now, go on in. No one will question you.”

  “What? You won’t be joining me?”

  “I couldn’t possibly be seen after all that my family has been through,” he said, not only with a straight face but managing a palpable concern via his drawn together eyebrows. He was defiantly getting the hang of this.

  “And what if they do question me?”

  “If they ask by which member you gained your entrance, tell them—” A smile nearly blossomed upon his face at his inspired idea. “Tell them ‘the youngest man ever to get silk in the history of Great Britain’ and that they’ll have to wait until the end of the week for the papers to divulge that information.” Max chuckled then. “I promise you, they’ll be more than accommodating especially after the whispers begin. You’ll be the most favoured guest of the evening.”

  “A judge, eh? My, my. You did run in elevated circles, didn’t you?”

  “We can gloat later, Mr Brenner. Through this door is an entire flock just waiting to be fleeced.”

  “Right you are.” Brenner grinned and Max returned it.

  Max’s smile faded when the side door to White’s shut with Brenner inside. What a bastard. He had no doubt the rat would succeed in his dubious efforts that night and into the wee hours of the morning. “Let him do well,” Max whispered the wish to the sky. He was certain the contemptible man’s end was coming soon, one way or another. Very soon.

  After walking a few blocks in the opposite direction of White’s, Max fortuitously found a hackney waiting to be hired. “To Lovat Lane.” No sooner did he take his seat when the carriage lurched forward. Back to Katrina, he sighed, torn between elation and agony, and the hideout of the East Side Den of Thieves.

  * * * *

  Max found Katrina standing in the middle of Jimmy’s old room.

  “They do work fast, don’t they?” Her voice was soft, but it echoed off the walls of the barren space.

  He came to a stop next to her, aching to put his arms around her. She looked so forlorn in the golden light of the oil lamp she held.

  “They’ve removed everything. Who knows where they’ve taken it all?” She let go a cold chuckle. “They’ve even taken his bed.”

  “What will they do with it all?”

  “Sell it. Trade it. Hoard it. It could be any number of things. All done without regard to the owner. That’s how they work, you know. Entirely without feeling.”

  “You miss your friend very much, do you?”

  She sniffed and raised her ch
in a notch. “I do.”

  Jealousy coiled around his insides. Did she think of him when he was away from her like she did that boy? He cleared his throat. “I was thinking that perhaps we might look for the murder weapon.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Even though she’d acquiesced, she didn’t move from her spot. Max stood for a few moments while emotions like whispers skittered across her features. At once she took a shuttering breath and turned, inching her way to the door, whispering as she went.

  “We must be careful. Follow my lead. Move when I do, stop when I stop. At least until we get to Brenner’s room.” She lowered the wick so that the lamp flame was nearly out. “This time of night most everyone is out gathering goods, but just in case there are a few lingering—”

  There was no need for her to finish her thought. Max fell into step behind her.

  In moments they were ascending the half-flight wooden staircase to Brenner’s room. They hadn’t been seen, but were forced to pause their steps at least twice before entering yet another corridor while Katrina listened for movement.

  Once inside Brenner’s room, Katrina set the lamp down, turned up the wick, and quietly wedged a chair beneath the doorknob.

  “Now, if I recall, Susanna said something about—” She swallowed. “That he was beaten first then stabbed.”

  “So we are looking for perhaps a bludgeon?”

  “Or some sort of d-dagger.”

  Katrina’s voice wavered between strained and helpless. He felt genuinely sorry that she insisted on subjecting herself to situations that brought her pain.

  “We don’t have to do this now.”

  She stiffened her spine as if it would boost her fortitude. “Of course we do. It seems everyone is out and Brenner is occupied. There is no better time I could think of to search the premises.”

  She now seemed near hysteria, the poor darling. “Could we take a moment to gather our wits?”

  Katrina sighed restlessly but surrendered.

  Max closed the gap between them with two strides and took her in his arms. She tilted her head forward to lean against his chest. He held her close and murmured, “I wish we were in a different place altogether—a different time, surrounded by different circumstances.”

  He felt her nod again. He couldn’t blame her for her lack of conversation. Max pulled away just far enough to place his right knuckle beneath her chin. She tilted her face up towards his when he applied the tiniest amount of pressure. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her beautiful lips looked moist and inviting.

  Without thinking, he brought his mouth to hers.

  She kissed him back without the slightest hesitation. As their lips pressed together, he reached for her tongue with his and she moaned at first contact. Her hands slid up to cup his jaw. He enjoyed the sensation, wishing she’d wrap herself around him and remain that way.

  That did it. He was lost. He lowered them to their knees, to the plush Persian rug beneath them.

  He pulled away from her to look into her eyes. “I’m going to bring down Brenner. This I promise you.”

  “I trust you,” she whispered.

  His heart soared. Knowing how many times she must have been promised things by the men who had treated her so cruelly throughout her young life, he silently vowed to do everything in his power to prove himself worthy of her trust.

  “But how could I ever thank you?”

  Max reached down and grabbed a fist full of her skirt fabric.

  “We really don’t have time for this,” she warned.

  “Indeed we do, but it will have to be hurried this time,” he growled playfully and found the drawstring of her drawers. He dragged the cotton to her knees. In an instant he lay between her thighs and released his cock. She freed one of her legs from the inside of her drawers, spreading herself wide to his impulsive deed. Lust surged through his body, further stiffening his eager rod.

  They could be caught. She must know this. But her excited breathing told him she was up for a quick fuck. Hell, she’d barely protested… His sweet, brave little mouse.

  He manipulated her clitoris with his thumb and forefinger, soft and fast. She came so quickly it seemed she’d been halfway there before he’d touched her. He shifted, pressing his demanding shaft into her and she drenched him with her cream, her inner muscles greedily milking him while he pumped his hips against hers.

  Aside from the fact that danger undeniably played a part in his excitement, the hunger he felt for Katrina was irresistible. To lure this intoxicating creature, and convince her to let him inside her could very easily become his own personal drug. They obviously weren’t married, not even engaged, but everything about it felt right, settling into his mind as if he’d been called home from a lengthy absence. He gazed upon her rapturous face, about to speak her name.

  “Maxwell—” she whispered.

  He came the instant he heard her sweet voice call for him.

  In the seductive haze of afterglow, they lay there for a few moments, catching their breath, when Max noticed a lone item—it looked like a small pile of fabric under Brenner’s bed. He disengaged himself from Katrina, fastened the front of his trousers, and reached for the object, pulling it from its hiding place.

  “What is that?” she asked while hitching up her drawers.

  “Don’t know.”

  They moved towards the lamp. It was a small carpet bag. Max pulled apart the handles. Inside sat an expensive, jewel encrusted dagger that still held traces of blood on the slim blade.

  Katrina looked away. “Why would someone keep such an awful thing?”

  Max didn’t dare touch it. “Don’t know. A trophy, perhaps? Regardless, it’s got to be the murder weapon.”

  “Agreed,” she said, still averting her gaze.

  “This bag holds vital evidence—if we’re caught with it, the only hope of putting Brenner away will be Susanna’s testimony.”

  “Which would never be enough on its own.”

  “Precisely. Now we need to get your things—”

  “What? Why?”

  “Did you think you’d be out of harm’s way here?”

  “As much as I’ve always been.”

  “Which means not at all.”

  “I’ll have you know I’ve survived on my own since concluding my father’s affairs—”

  “Be that as it may, you are no longer safe. Once we remove this bag, I’m sure Brenner will interrogate everyone at the Den until he finds out the truth. Where will you be then?” His argument was sound, he reminded himself, but he needed to keep focused so that he would know for sure that he wasn’t doing this for his own selfish reasons.

  She went still and quiet for a long moment. He had her. Now if she’d only admit it and go without a fight.

  “Where, exactly, would I be able to go if not here?”

  “My townhouse.” The words rolled off his tongue much easier than he’d anticipated.

  “Don’t be absurd.”

  “All right then. Where?”

  “I’ll stay here.”

  “Out of the question.” She made to protest again, but he cut in. “I have servants who will watch over you round the clock. What better protection can you garner other than that?”

  “I can’t possibly put your staff in danger.”

  ”You wouldn’t know this, but both Walters and Simmons belong to gun clubs. They each have an impressive arsenal at their fingertips and would defend my home and those within its walls like mother bears. So I can assure you with great confidence that you will not be putting anyone in danger. And I’m afraid it will have to be an extended stay—at least until we can be assured of your safety.”

  She gave him a murderous look, but, thankfully, she conceded with a stiff nod.

  Katrina removed the chair from in front of the door and they wove through the corridors and hallways to her hovel.

  She opened her trunk and stood over it.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I
don’t think I want to keep any of this.”

  “Are you sure? This is all you have in the world.”

  She shrugged. “Far too many memories attached to these items—memories I’d be happy to put behind me.”

  “Up to you. However, if you take but a few things, it might give the impression that you’ve gone far afield.”

  He watched as Katrina chewed on her lower lip for a moment. “Very well.”

  She went to her tiny bed and straightened out the top sheet. She then dug through her trunk, pulling out bits of clothing—tossing them onto the bed and making it look like her things had already been rifled through. “I’ll take my latest gown. Brenner hasn’t even seen this one yet. I hid it so he wouldn’t sell it like he has everything else I had of value.”

  “Like what?”

  She moved over to the bed and began tying the corners of the sheet so that it gathered the items together. “My hair,” she said coldly and took up the bundle.

  His gut wrenched for her as she bravely marched towards the door. He stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders. “I’m so sorry. But I must say, I think the way you wear your hair is most attractive.”

  She gave him what was likely a placating smile. He couldn’t imagine how Brenner had convinced her to sell her lovely black locks, but he found his stomach burning with even more contempt than before for the bastard. Max embraced her for a moment hoping he conveyed how much he admired her forbearance. “Now, let’s get the hell out of here.”

  As they sneaked around corners and through a network of alleys, he contemplated how to present all this to the police without implicating Katrina.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “So with your permission, sir, I shall begin making inquiries about a second groom tomorrow morning.”

  “That will be fine, Simmons. We may need an extra maid as well. I’ll leave it all to your discretion.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Simmons bowed and left the dining room.

  Katrina had merely toyed with her dessert while Simmons came to inform Maxwell that his household was in need of filling a position. She wondered if she shouldn’t consult Simmons about finding her a situation with a reputable house—perhaps one with children.