“I think you’re safe.” Sophia backed toward a different door than the one they’d come through. “No need to demonstrate again.”

“I don’t know. You said multiple times a day, and I’ve only proven myself once in the last hour.”

Sophia backed away, but the smirk on her still-swollen lips said anything but stop. “We should at least eat first. Aren’t you hungry?”

“Famished,” Vic admitted in a tone that sounded wolfish even to her own ears.

“Don’t you want to eat something?”

Vic closed the distance and pinned Sophia to the door with the weight of her body, relishing the way they melded together. Leaning close to Sophia’s ear, she practically growled. “I fully intend to eat something.”

A sharp gasp escaped Sophia as her hips jerked forward. “Your Ladyship, I had no idea you even had such vulgarity in you.”

“Then I’ll have to redouble my efforts.” She bit Sophia’s ear a little harder than usual.

“You’re scandalising me. What would your people think?”

Vic fought off a little grimace as she scraped her teeth along a pronounced shoulder muscle. She should probably worry about that very question at some point. Then again, she probably should have thought about it many times before now. Why make this moment any different?

Shifting her weight, she dropped a hand to Sophia’s thigh and grabbed a handful of robe before slowly working upward over smooth skin. Then, while moving her other hand to balance against the door, she nicked the brass handle. She processed the click of the latch only as the door gave way and sent them both tumbling into the corridor.

It took every bit of the skill and athleticism they’d been congratulating themselves on a moment earlier not to sprawl across the floor, but as she manged to catch hold of Sophia and tangle their bodies together, she couldn’t quite manage to miss the imposing figure standing just to the side of the doorway.

She straightened as quickly as she could and stepped in front of Sophia in a vain attempt to shield her should there need to be any robe adjustments for the sake of propriety. The move proved futile, as James had already seen everything he needed to see and now stared straight ahead with his chin lifted, lips pressed tightly together.

“Sorry, James,” she said automatically.

“I should say,” he huffed.

“Are you all right?”

“Quite.” He raised his nose a little higher.

“Was there something you needed?” she asked, as her surprise faded and confusion set in. “I’d expected you to have finished in the residence by this time of night.”

“Obviously,” he said. “I heard noises coming from the office, and since no one is supposed to be in those quarters, it raised concerns.”

“Ah,” she said, though the explanation still didn’t cover why he’d been close enough to notice anything amiss. “Very well then.”