The Hopeless Hoyden by Margaret Bennett

made your point.  But what was I to do?  I had a chance to catch your killer."
                  “I'm not dead yet, my girl," he commented dryly.
                  “We are dealing in mere semantics if we don't stop the man.  This is the perfect chance to catch him in the act of plotting your demise and--"
                  “I must be mad to listen to you.  It's well past midnight, and if we're found out here together with you in your present state of undress," he added, giving her night attire a more than cursory glance, "there'll be the devil to pay."
                  “Be quiet," she whispered, whirling about to poke her head around the hedge.  "Do you hear that?"
                  Gabriel was incredulous.  Had she no conception of the compromising circumstances they faced?  But then he heard someone racing across the terrace on the back of the house and quickly leaned over her to take a look.
                  A man, short and stocky and in loose fitting clothes, rushed across the terrace, toward the far corner of the house.  The library door was closing, but it was impossible to determine who was the dark form on the other side of the glass.  Within seconds, everything was quiet again.  All except the pounding of his heart.
                  “Did you see him?" asked Emily in hushed tones.
                  “Shhh."  In leaning over to glimpse the running figure, he'd molded his frame to Emily's bent figure, her derriere butted up to his thighs.  His senses were reeling as she wiggled to back away from the bush once the man had disappeared around the corner of the house.  Her fresh lavender scent assaulted his nostrils.  By Jove, with her naiveté, she was going to drive him crazy.  It was with a supreme effort of will that he finally straighten up and backed several paces away from her. 
                  “Well, did you?"  She brushed past him to gain the cover of the hedge again.
                  “Yes, and now it's time for you to get back inside."  Emily was driving him to distraction.  He ought to be chasing after the intruder, but he didn't dare leave her alone.  Assuming she were to follow his instructions and go back to the house, someone could be lying in wait and do her harm.  "Come on."  He grabbed her hand and pulled her down a graveled path toward the house.
                  “Ouch!  Oh please, slow down, my lord."
                  “Emily, where are your shoes?"
                  “I didn't have time to put them on."
              Damn, he even found her feet fascinating as she stood there hopping on one foot while massaging the other with her hand.  The girl possessed bottom, though.
                  Suddenly, Emily found herself swept off her tender feet and in Gabriel's arms.  "Put me down, my lord.  I can walk."
                  “Be quiet, Em.  We're almost there. And quit ‘my lording’ me.  Call me Gabriel.  Or Gab."
                  Once on the stone terrace, Gabriel put her down, then cautiously crept up to the library door.  After peering in, he turned to her.  "No one's in the library.  Come on." 
                  He reached out his hand to turn the knob and swore.  “I don't believe I have heard that one before," remarked Emily rather primly.
                  “Sorry, Em, but we're faced with a bit of a problem." 
                  When he rattled the door, it was clear that they were locked out.
                  “So now what are we to do?" she asked, wrapping her arms about her.  Without his arms about her, Emily discovered it had turned cold.
                  “Try the windows I guess."
                  And they did.  And every last window within reach was shut tight.