Page 47 of West End Earl
If he could have outridden his worries, he’d have spurred Murphy until his hooves left the ground altogether and they flew over the packed dirt. As it was, Cal rode ahead with one thought in mind—Phee.
Now he stood in the doorway to her chambers, unable to tear his gaze from the sight of her. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to find her waiting in bed for him. At rest, her face relaxed, making her sharp features appear softer. Bedding piled around her, framing the creamy pale expanse of skin with its enticing freckles peeking through the wide, open neck of the thin lawn shirt that had slipped off a shoulder and clung to the tip of one breast. She looked like a pixie resting amidst clouds.
Cal wiped a palm over his face and blew out a breath. Dear Lord, she had freckles all over her chest. Like little sweet spices scattered across a feast, and he was ravenous.
He possessed enough presence of mind to turn the key in the lock on her door before shrugging out of his coat and unwinding the cravat from his throat. The carpet swallowed the sound of his steps.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he pulled his boots off. The shifting of the bed under his weight didn’t stir her at all, but she let out a tiny snore that made him smile.
When she asked him to come to her bed as soon as he arrived, he hadn’t expected that promise to be quite so literal.
In her place, he’d love for her to wake him with kisses. Crawling on all fours across the covers, he stretched out beside her. He trailed his mouth over her shoulder, inhaling her familiar warm sandalwood scent. With sweeping fingers, he tugged the hem of the shirt up until an adorable freckle at her waist shaped like Scotland caught his attention. It needed a kiss.
Any second now she’d come awake, sleepy and smiling. His cock hung heavy in his breeches, and he could hardly wait for her to come apart in his arms. Logically, it hadn’t been long enough since he’d held Phee to feel this desperately starved for her, but it took a massive effort to restrain himself from falling upon her like some kind of slavering beast.
Dragging his lips up her belly, he pushed the shirt over the ridges of her ribs. God, she was perfect. Small breasts with dusky nipples and cinnamon freckle sprinkles. Desire coiled like a spring, prepared to release as soon as she was ready. Sucking one nipple, he closed his eyes.
Utter bliss. If her skin was this soft on her breasts, he could only imagine the velvet perfection she hid between her thighs. Damn, he’d missed her.
The punch didn’t register right away. First, his eyeball rolled back in its socket. Then the pain and pressure battled for dominance in response to the single hit Phee landed to his face.
Howling in pain, he rolled off her, clutching his face. “Shit, Ophelia!”
Phee jerked to sitting, instantly awake. Horror dawned on her face. “Oh God, did I hit you?”
Cal paused midwhimper to stare out of the eye that didn’t feel like a throbbing mass of ouch. “You didn’t mean to?”
“No, of course not. It must have been a reflex. Let me see.” She peeled one of his hands off his face and winced. “On second thought, cover that.” She gently replaced his hand and patted it for good measure. “We need to get a steak on your eye.”
“Just give me a minute. That’s quite the right hook you have.” Cal blinked experimentally before deciding he wouldn’t be doing that again anytime soon. Damn, his face hurt. “I thought we were in agreement, but if you’ve changed your mind and don’t want me in your bed, I’ll respect that.”
“I want you here. But maybe don’t try to wake me up like that until I’m used to sharing a bed with you, all right?”
Cal winced. “Fair. That’s fair. I’m sorry. I didn’t think.” Even her lightest touch on his cheekbone made his breath hiss. “You should have joined me at Gentleman Jackson’s.”
She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned that her shirt hung off one shoulder, nearly putting that delicious breast on display. The sight was almost enough to distract him from the pain in his face. Almost. “Sometimes the fights are bare-chested, otherwise I’d have been right there beside you.”
Someday this would be a funny story. They’d laugh about it and joke about how he should have known better than to sneak up on a scrapper like Phee. He shot her a one-eyed leer. “You’re right. You’d cause a riot. I’m certainly enjoying the view, love.”
Not even trying to hide how he stared, Cal held out a hand toward her. Without hesitation, Phee twined her fingers with his, giving him a crooked smile.
“We both know there isn’t much to see here. Prinny has a better set of breasts than I do.”
“I beg to differ. My face aches like a son of a bitch, but I’m still hard as a pike looking at you, and you aren’t even naked. All I see are freckles I want to trace with my tongue. Nipples I need to suck until you moan—preferably without you blackening my other eye, thank you. You’re perfect.”
Phee cocked her head. “Are you trying to start something again, milord?”
Tugging her hand closer to where he sprawled, Cal grinned, ignoring the throb of his face. “Miss Hardwick, I think it’s safe to say I’ll always be starting something with you.”
“But what about your eye?” It was a half-hearted protest at best, as she left her puddle of blankets to kneel beside him. Holy hell, she wasn’t wearing anything but the shirt.
“I can see fine out of one eye. Come here and let me taste you. Please.”
She laid a gentle kiss on his aching cheek, then rested on her heels. He swept a palm from her hip, then under her shirt to cup one breast. Even though she arched into his touch, Phee shook her head.
“You’re incorrigible. That eye needs attention far more than your cock does.” With a teasing wink, she straddled his waist and ran a hand over his chest. “Let’s get you taken care of. We have all the time in the world for the rest.” Phee wiggled against the tent in his breeches, apparently just for the fun of torturing him, then crawled off the end of the bed.
Indulging in an unobstructed view of her miles of leg and flashes of a pert behind, Cal groaned. Sure, this encounter hadn’t gone the way he’d imagined. At. All. But goodness, she was all limbs. Soon enough, those legs would wrap around him, and the wait would be worth it.
