The Cracksman's Kiss (9 page)

His muscular legs were stretched out in front of him, crossed
at the ankles, his arms folded across his chest, chin touching the black collar of his coat. His eyes were closed and she realized he was snoring.

She settled in the seat and closed her eyes, leaving the baby a
sleep at her breast. She had no idea of their destination and, in truth, it did not matter so long as she was with her son. Tomorrow she would figure things out.

Chapter
Twelve

Kassie became aware of the bouncing rattle of the coach a
nd opened her eyes. The lamp on the floor was extinguished and daylight brightened the interior. Sometime during the night she laid down across the bench and someone covered her with her cloak. The comté sat opposite her, rocking the baby in his arms. She could not help but smile as he gazed down at the little bundle with an adoring expression.

He glanced up, caught her watching him and frowned. “You
do not happen to have a change of swaddling do you? He is wet and hungry again.”

She sat up and rummaged around in the pillow case until she found the swaddling c
lothes and one of the outfits she and Sally sewed for the baby.

The comté handed him to her. The baby began to whimper
as soon as she took him in her arms. By the time she had him changed and wrapped him in a dry blanket he was wailing, his tiny fists balled tight, his face red. Before she could get the child to her breast the front of her dress was damp with milk.

The comté smiled at her frustration. “We can stop at the next to
wn to eat, and I shall see if I can find a wet nurse.”

Kassie shook her head. “I am fine.”

He gave her a look which clearly said he thought she was anything but fine. “You cannot go around leaking milk all over the front of your gowns.”

She blushed, pulling the cloak around her to allow her some modesty. They sat in silence
for a few moments. “Where are we going, my lord?”

“We are going to Bristol, my ship is docked there. In a f
ew weeks the ice will be thawed enough for us to sail on to Bordeaux, France, and then travel cross country to Marseilles. My home is there.” He paused and then added, “My name is Cohen, by the way.”

Kassie switched
the baby to her other breast.

“Have you a name for our son?”

She shook her head. “He was born just prior to midnight the night before last. The earl took him away before I had a chance to name him.”

“As his sire I claim the task of naming him. I have alway
s thought to name my first born Lucca after the town in Italy where I made my first archaeological dig.” He nodded as if pleased.

“Does the name suit you, Kassandra?”

“Kassie,” she corrected. “Yes, I like the name Lucca.”

“Good, then Lucca it is.”
He looked out the window until Kassie was done feeding Lucca. When she would have put the child to her shoulder to burp him Cohen reached over and took him. He put the baby to his own shoulder and gently patted his back. “We are almost at Newbury so you might want to take the opportunity to change your dress.”

She gaped at him. “You expect me to change here? In the coach?”

He shrugged, continuing to pat the baby’s back. “Where else are you going to change? I could have the coachman stop so you could dress in a snow bank.”

“I cannot disrobe in front of you!”

He shot her an annoyed look as the baby burped and gurgled. “I have made love to you and held a hot water bottle to your delightful breasts, Kassie. There is not much left for me to ogle,” he assured her with a bold grin.

Kassie bit her lip and
crossed her arms over her breasts to hold the loose top of her gown in place. “It is not decent, my lord, even my husband has not seen me unclothed.”

“Cohen,” he corrected her, “and I am not your husband.”

“We could stop at an inn in the next town. Surely they will have a room where I can change.”

“We do not have time to stop at an inn if we are to mak
e Bristol before sunset. We are simply going to get fresh horses.”

She held her ground with stubborn determination
. “Surely there is enough time for me to change whilst we wait for the horses to be switched.”

The corner of his lip twitched, but his face remained blank. “
The less attention we draw, the better. The earl will have men scouring all of London by now looking for you and believe me when I tell you, it will not take them long to pick up our trail.”

Kassie recognized the truth in his words. “You admit Lucc
a is your son so what could the earl do if he caught us?”

“I would not want to put you through the humiliation of a publ
ic inquiry, if in fact the earl lets it go that far, which I doubt. There is still the fact you are married to him. England does not look kindly on one who steals another man’s wife. You are his property, which by law he is entitled to do with as he sees fit.”

“You did not steal me from him, you rescued me.” Her irri
tation began to grow. “Besides, the earl does not even want me.”

“Call it what you will, Kassie, but the truth remains I took
you from him the same as I took his Egyptian cat and his ancient tablet. He may not want you, but he does not want to lose you to the likes of me. He would kill us both first.”

She gasped in horror. “Surely he would not resort murder, he would spe
nd the rest of his days in prison.”

Cohen shook his head with a grim look. “You are too naive.
He would have us both killed in a heartbeat and make it look like an accident to cover his crime.”

Kassie shuddered at the gruesome thought. “So what do we
do? Spend the rest of our days running and hiding?”

“I have left a number of false trails for the earl’s men to fol
low. By the time he realizes we are not in England we will be safely in France where I can deal with him on my own terms.”

“Are you so sure he will know it was you who stole from him?”

“It will not take him long to figure out I took his artifacts. He will know I have you.” Cohen laid the now sleeping baby on the bench beside him, and then looked out the window. “You have only a few minutes to change, Kassie.”

Kassie rummaged through her sack for another chemise and
dress. When she found what she was looking for she set the articles down on the bench beside her. Using her cloak for privacy she tried to shrug out of the soiled gown, but soon realized she needed to undo all of the buttons down the back in order to slip out of it. She looked up, frustrated, to see Cohen watching her with a bemused grin on his face.

“Perhaps I can help.”

She hesitated. She certainly did not trust him anymore than she trusted her own body’s response to his touch. Since she did not have a maid, the only options were to allow him to help her or tear her dress. The dress she might need, since there was only room for a couple in the sack.

Giving him a warning look she slipped off her cloak. Cl
utching her sagging bodice, she turned her back to him. The seat springs creaked. She sucked in a deep breath as his fingertips brushed her bare skin, sending little shivers through her. He worked the last button free, and she quivered at his breath on the back of her neck. His lips brushed the sensitive spot between her shoulder blades. Before she could protest he returned to the opposite bench.

She kept her back to him and reached for her cloak. After
she pulled it shut and tied it she turned around. Cohen was sitting in his seat, watching her under half closed lids. She glared at him, then shrugged out of the dress, letting it fall to the floor. A little more wiggling and her chemise followed the dress. Still clutching the front of her cloak, she reached out and snatched up the clean chemise. Trying to keep the cloak closed and get the garment over her head and arms proved to be a challenge she was not prepared for.

“Could you at least close your eyes?” she complained
with undisguised bitterness.

He gave her a mischievous grin. “It would be easier if you would let go of the cloak.”

With a snort, she stood up in the swaying coach, and turned her back on him so she did not have to worry about the cloak staying closed. At that moment they hit a pothole in the road and she was flung backward. She landed face up across Cohen’s lap, her cloak gaping open to expose her nakedness underneath.

Wrapping his arm around her to keep her from tumbling to the floor, he chuckled. “See?”

When Kassie blushed and tried to scramble from his lap he held her in place. She watched, mesmerized by his brilliant green orbs as they traveled downward to take in her exposed flesh. His eyes darkened, and his tongue slid along his bottom lip to moisten it as he trailed the fingers of his free hand down her neck to cup a full breast. Before she could glean his intent he dipped his head and kissed her. Kassie moaned as his lips brushed hers light as a feather, then pressed more urgently against them. He nipped her bottom lip, and she opened for him. With a groan he deepened his kiss. Her heart began to pound in her ears, her body turning to mush as he touched his tongue to hers. Without warning he released her. Kassie blinked, realizing the coach had slowed.

Cohen’s voice was husky and thick as he untied the lace
s on her cloak. “You better get dressed.”

Kassie scrambled to her feet as he whipped off her cloak a
nd held it in front of her. She shrugged into her chemise, snatched the dress from the bench and tossed it over her head.
Good Lord! The man must think I am a harlot.
Yanking the dress down, she shoved her arms into the sleeves, and looked out the window. The horses pulled up in front of a shabby livery stable.

Cohen tossed her cloak onto the seat and motioned for her to turn around so he
could fasten the row of tiny buttons down the back of the pale, mauve water silk gown. She turned her back to him.

“Do you have any cloth to put in your bodice?”

Kassie frowned at his familiarity. “I do not think any will fit.” She looked down at the material stretching tight across her chest. “I seem to have outgrown my clothes.”

“I remember my sister having a similar problem after h
er first child was born.” Cohen chuckled as he finished with the buttons, and then gave her a gentle push toward her seat.

She slipped her cloak back on and sat down.

Cohen handed her the sleeping baby and added a couple pieces of coal to the brazier. When the coach came to a halt he opened the door without waiting for the coachman. “Wait here.” He climbed down and crossed the muddy stable yard to the barn.

Kassie watched him, admiring the way he covered the grou
nd with long confident strides. He was always in control of the situation whereas she floundered in his presence. She supposed when one was born with money and a title they naturally acquired confidence. They could buy a solution to most any situation. Well, any dilemma except this one, it seemed.

Cuddling her
son she watched as their muddy, sweaty horses were lead away and another team of fresh prancing ones were hitched to the coach in their place. Cohen entered her field of vision, making his way across the yard, carrying two large baskets. When he reached the coach, the driver opened the door for him and he climbed in.

The first basket he placed at Kassie’s feet. It was empty excep
t for a fluffy blue blanket. “I thought Lucca would be safer in a basket,” he said at her questioning look, “that way we will not have to worry about him falling from the seat when you sleep.”

“Good idea.” Kassie smiled and laid the baby inside.

Cohen sat across from her and set the second basket down at his feet when the driver shut the coach door behind him. “I got something for us to eat.”

Her stomach rumbled. “I am famished.”

When the coach rattled forward Cohen opened the basket. He passed her a napkin on which he placed a still warm biscuit, a piece of cheese, and a thick slice of ham. Kassie made a sandwich and savored the simple but tasty fare. “It is not the fanciest meal, but it should tide us over for now.” With a smile he followed suit, making a sandwich for himself.

When she finished eating he passed her a water skin. She pulle
d the cork and lifted it to her mouth, choking on the first mouthful when she realized it was wine instead of water. He grinned and passed her his handkerchief. The baby whimpered, and Cohen nudged the basket with his boot to set it rocking on its rounded bottom.

Kassie wiped her mouth and handed the water skin back
to him. “How is it you know so much about babies?”

He made himself another sandwich before he answered her
. “I have three younger sisters and an older one. Three of them are married with seven children between them. The youngest, Emily, has always been sickly so she never married. My sisters, myself, and my older brother all live together on a winery, our main estate Le Montennee, just outside of Marseilles. There are always babies around it seems.”

“So you have spent a lot of time around your nieces and nephews then?”

“Yes, the house is never quiet.” He smiled. “I like the noise and commotion, without it a house as large as ours would be like a giant crypt.”

Kassie nodded in understanding. “I always felt the same wa
y at the earl’s. Everything was always quiet—he hated noise. Makes me wonder why he even wanted children, besides needing an heir, that is. I suppose those of us who grow up in large families find the noise and energy familiar and comforting.”