14. The Unexpected Assignment #2
Jason released a long breath, too aware of her proximity.
This was dangerous territory—the kind of flirtation that could too easily tip into something he would definitely regret later.
And yet he couldn’t seem to step back not even an inch, couldn’t break the magnetic pull of her eye contact, nor the invisible force that had him rooted to the floor.
“Kate—”
“When you return,” she interrupted softly, her voice catching slightly on the words, “perhaps we might continue our conversation,” she added in a hushed tone, almost a playful one.
“Which one?”
“The one we keep avoiding.” Her gaze dropped again to his lips, lingering there before rising again to meet his eyes. “After we…”
She let the words trail off, but her meaning was unmistakably clear. His eyes drifted to her mouth almost involuntarily again, noting the curve of her lower lip, and the way her skin reddened more and more on her cheeks. His hand flexed at his side, reaching for nothing.
“I look forward to it,” he said, his voice dropping low with each word.
Kate made a soft sound of approval—a sensual hum that vibrated right through his chest. Her fingers drummed once against the desk. “Good.”
They stayed like that for long, torturous seconds. One word, one gesture, one moment of weakness from either of them would destroy the boundaries they were trying to keep.
But neither moved. Neither spoke. They simply existed in that suspended moment of want and restraint, both knowing that when morning came, the distance between London and Thornfield would be nothing compared to the chasm of things they dared not say. Or do.
Finally, Kate drew in a breath and straightened, stepping back with visible effort. Her fingers trailed along the edge as if reluctant to let go of something solid. “I should go. Lady Rutledge is expecting me for supper, and I’m already late.”
“Of course.” His voice came out rougher than he intended.
She collected her reticule and gloves slowly, fumbled with the clasp of her reticule for a moment before managing it, and something like a small, private smile played at her lips.
Jason watched her cross the room, his eyes tracking every step, unable to look away even as she moved toward the door.
Once there, she glanced back over her shoulder.
“Uhm… Jaison?”
“Yes?”
“The roads to Thornfield can be treacherous after heavy rain. Perhaps take the northern route—it’s longer, but safer.” Her concern carried a warmth that caused his heart to skip. “I’d rather you arrived in one piece.”
“I’ll take your advice,” he said softly, and she saw him swallow hard again. “I’ll see you at breakfast before I depart?”
“I’ll make certain of it.” Kate’s smile was brief but genuine, holding a promise of more conversations to come. She lingered there a moment longer than necessary, as if her feet wouldn’t quite obey the command to leave. “Don’t work too late.”
“I won’t.”
Then, she was gone. And he felt the loneliness of her absence more acutely than ever.
Mr. Moore remained standing for a long moment, finally allowing himself to breathe properly. The breath he released was long and necessary to gather himself. But that didn’t help the wetness Gina could feel now soaking through the fabric between her legs. Oh, boy!
He closed his eyes for a heartbeat, twisting his head, then opened again and moved to the window in time to see Kate walking toward her carriage with her confident stride, pausing to speak briefly with a clerk before disappearing from view.
Five days suddenly felt like an eternity.
He let out another sigh—one that carried the full weight of his growing feelings for Kate Moore-Sullivan, his wife in name, if not yet in truth.
* * *
Dawn came wrapped in fine mist that clung to the cobblestones of the Sullivan estate courtyard. The traveling carriage stood ready, the driver securing the last of the luggage while two horses stamped impatiently, their breath visible in the cold morning air.
Mr. Moore emerged from the house dressed for travel in a dark greatcoat, Vikram following with a small case, excitement evident despite the early hour. The boy had barely slept, too thrilled by the prospect of his first real journey.
“Is everything secured?” Mr. Moore asked the driver while surveying the preparations.
“Yes, sir. Weather looks to be holding, though there’s rain predicted for tomorrow.”
Mary appeared at the doorway, carrying a small leather pouch that she handed to Mr. Moore with meaningful discretion. “Your additional supplies, sir.”
He took the pouch with a pointed look. “Thank you, Mary.”
“Five days at most, you said?” Her voice carried the weight of deep concern.
“Yes. We should return by Saturday, weather permitting.”
Mary’s expression betrayed her worry despite her attempts to hide it. “You’ve never gone so long by yourself…”
She glanced meaningfully at Vikram, who was proudly showing the driver a small knife Mr. Moore had given him for the journey.
“Everything is under control,” Mr. Moore said quietly. “I sent word to reserve two rooms at the inn midway, and Thornfield has enough rooms to choose from.”
Mary nodded, still troubled but accepting. “What about the boy?”
“Will be kept occupied with tasks. I’ve thought it through, Mary. I can handle this.”
The sound of the front door opening again drew their attention. Kate emerged from the house, dressed in practical traveling clothes, with Jane following behind carrying a hastily packed case. Not so small as Vikram’s.
Mr. Moore stared in surprise. “Kate?”
Kate approached, pulling on her travel gloves with such casualness. “Good morning, husband. I see we’re nearly ready to depart.”
“I wasn’t aware you would be joining us.” The words came out more sharply than he’d intended, born of sudden panic rather than displeasure.
“A last-minute change of plans. My meeting with the solicitors has been postponed until next week.”
Jane handed the case to the driver, who looked to Mr. Moore for confirmation before adding it to the others. Mr. Moore nodded automatically, his mind racing.
“You’re coming with us, Mrs. Moore-Sullivan?” Vikram asked, his excitement doubling at this unexpected development.
Kate smiled warmly at the boy. “I am. Thornfield was my mother’s favorite property. I know every inch of it.”
She turned to Mary, who had schooled her features to hide her alarm but couldn’t quite manage it. “Mary, I’ll need you to oversee the household in my absence. Mrs. Harper has the menus for the week.”
“Of course, ma’dam,” Mary replied, her voice neutral betraying nothing of the storm below.
As Kate moved toward the carriage, Mr. Moore and Mary exchanged a brief, loaded glance.
The driver opened the carriage door with a small bow. Kate paused before entering, looking back at Mr. Moore.
“I hope my joining doesn’t disrupt your plans?”
“Not at all,” he managed, forcing his voice to remain steady. “Your knowledge of the property will be invaluable.”
Kate studied him for a moment, then smiled slightly. “I thought you might say so.”
She entered the carriage gracefully. Vikram climbed in after her, sitting in the opposite seat and leaving ample space at his side. Mr. Moore turned to Mary one final time.
“If we’re delayed beyond Saturday, I’ll send word,” he said to her.
Mary nodded, her concern evident only in her eyes—eyes that held a thousand unspoken warnings and worries. Mr. Moore squared his shoulders, forcing confidence into his posture, and entered the carriage to take his seat beside Vikram.
As the carriage pulled away from the estate, the clip-clop of hooves on cobblestones marking the beginning of their journey, Mr. Moore stared out the window at the passing city streets and wondered how he would survive this.
Five days without Mary. Five days managing the binding alone—the complicated wrapping that required careful adjustment, the precise layers that created Jason’s form beneath his clothes.
Mary’s practiced hands could complete the task in minutes; alone, it took nearly half an hour of awkward contortion, and any mistake in tension or placement could reveal itself through his clothing throughout the day.
Five days of dressing and undressing without her help, without her steady reassurance when the performance felt too heavy, without her knowing presence to catch the small slips before they became dangerous.
And, on top of that, Kate would be there.
Always there. Not across a dinner table in London with servants and social protocols to structure their interactions, but in the intimate confines of a country house where casual moments revealed more than formal ones ever could.
Her sharp eyes would notice things. She knew Thornfield intimately, would be comfortable there in ways that gave her even more confidence, even more authority.
He’d be the outsider, the visitor, constantly aware of being observed.
Vikram’s presence added another layer of vigilance. The boy worshipped Jason, watched his every movement with admiring attention. Any inconsistency, any crack in the facade, and those innocent questions would come, questions Mr. Moore couldn’t afford to answer.
And the staff at Thornfield, strangers for now, who would form their first impressions during these five days. Every interaction would require perfect execution. No room for the small lapses Mary helped him correct, no buffer between him and constant scrutiny.
But beneath all the practical concerns, the deeper danger pulsed with every beat of his heart: Kate, and the mounting sexual tension that was becoming increasingly uncontrollable.
She would have more access to him than she had ever had, far from the demands of London society.
The very proximity he’d been craving since the day they met was now the thing that could destroy him.
Because without Mary’s steadying presence, without the safe retreat of his familiar chambers and routines, he wasn’t certain he could maintain the distance he needed.
Wasn’t certain he could keep Gina buried deep enough when Kate’s presence made her want, desperately, to be seen—truly seen—by the one person she could never allow to know the truth.
The very woman she wanted closest was the one who needed to remain furthest away. And for five days, that impossible balance would be all that stood between Jason and complete exposure.