Page 26 of Vanquished By A Viscount
“No, it has not,” Charlie agreed a little too quickly. He continued to watch Gray for a moment as if he would say more, and when he did not, Charlie went on with, “What do you propose we do to remedy the situation?”
There was a spark of hope in Charlie’s eyes. Or was it a spark of challenge and temptation? Either way, it came with a flash of inspiration on Gray’s part.
“I propose that we reassess our current course of action,” he said.
Charlie blinked, then frowned at him. “What do you mean by that?”
Heat seeped through Gray, chasing away the chill of damp clothing, a wet carriage whose windows were now fogged, and the drumming of rain on the leaking carriage roof. He squirmed, leaned forward until he could rest his elbows on his knees, avoiding a drip from above, then said, “I propose that instead of keeping our distance from each other, we deliberately enjoy each other’s carnal company.”
Charlie’s frown deepened, but his face flushed. “I beg your pardon?”
Gray’s heart raced. “It will be an arrangement of convenience only,” he said. “I will come to your room at night or you may come to mine. We will take from each other what we each need without sentiment or emotion. It will be a purely physical arrangement to slake this thirst we both feel.”
“You are proposing that we spend our nights fucking in secret so that we are too satisfied to desire each other during the day?” Charlie asked bluntly.
Gray had no idea whether Charlie was offended by the proposal or whether he relished the idea, which meant he had no idea how to make himself appear to be the wiser and more superior of the two of them for making the suggestion. He could only proceed artlessly with the truth.
“Yes,” he said. “That is precisely what I am suggesting. We know that we are well matched in bed. We are each already familiar with each other’s preferences. We would not even need to speak when we engage with each other. It would be solely forthe purpose of reducing out latent desire for each other so that we truly could avoid each other during the day.”
“If we already knew precisely when and where we will meet and for what purpose, we would not spend our time preoccupied with anticipating the unknown,” Charlie said, tilting his head slightly to the side as he did when he was considering something.
“Correct,” Gray said with a curt, formal nod.
Inwardly, his heart thumped and his blood rushed through him. Knowing that he would have Charlie every night for the next three weeks, that the two of them would pulse and twine and sweat together as they once had, that he would once again know the exquisite feeling of his lover buried deep within him, their bodies joined in the most intimate way possible, made him happier than he wanted to admit to being.
“It certainly would relieve the pressure of uncertainty,” Charlie said, staring at nothing as he rubbed his chin in thought. His gaze focused on Gray, and he nodded. “Very well, then. I agree to this purely serviceable arrangement.”
Gray only just stopped himself from whooping with joy. He schooled his expression to neutrality, as he would if he were finalizing a business arrangement. “It is agreed, then?” he asked, extending a hand to Charlie.
“It is agreed,” Charlie said, taking Gray’s hand and shaking it.
Their hands remained joined between them. Charlie’s strong, soft hand felt good and right in Gray’s own. It took an effort of will not to thread their fingers sentimentally together.
He pulled away, sitting back against his seat once more. Their deal was done, and now? Now they had nothing to do but to sit there, water dripping down from splits in the carriage ceiling, staring at each other and knowing they would be naked and horizontal within twelve hours.
It was the longest hour of Gray’s life. The first ten minutes were spent in awkward silence, but when that became toopainful, they fell into reluctant conversation about railroads, advances in steam power, and their opinions of Robert and Barbara’s marriage.
Under any other circumstances, Gray might have considered it a morning well spent.
When Jimmy, their driver, finally returned with saddled horses, Gray was so relieved he could have cried.
“There’s no one to come collect this carriage at the moment,” Jimmy called to them over the din of the rain as Gray and Charlie mounted the horses. “The other carriages turned back before they could reach Maidstone. They took the west road instead of this one. Now we’re all up to our necks in repairs and cleaning.”
“What about Lady Felcourt?” Charlie asked, his concern for his sister clear. “Has she returned to Hawthorne House?”
“Yes, my lord,” Jimmy said. “Her and the rest of the guests. There was some concern about the two of you before I arrived. Lord Felcourt sent the horses so you can ride back to the house. I was told to inform you hot baths are waiting for both of you, and that your valet, Olivier, has warm clothes at the ready, my lord.”
Part of Gray felt guilty for being so glad that Olivier, who had arrived the day before, had everything arranged for him when poor Jimmy would likely have to trudge a mile back to Hawthorne House in the rain, or spending his day finding a way to take the dilapidated carriage somewhere for repairs. He did not feel so guilty that he would stay behind to help this time, however. He told himself he would make certain there was a bath for Jimmy when he returned home as well, along with a few extra coins in this month’s pay packet.
Once he and Charlie were secure on their mounts, they headed back to Hawthorne House as quickly as they dared for the safety of their horses in the rain and mud. Any efforts Gray might have made to prevent his clothing and boots from beingruined were in vain, and by the time they dismounted in front of Hawthorne House and handed their mounts over to the waiting groom, both Gray and Charlie resembled sodden vagabonds more than a viscount and younger brother of an earl.
“There you are at last!” Barbara greeted them as soon as they stepped into the front hall, dripping muddy water everywhere. “You have no idea how glad I am that you are home.”
Despite Charlie’s messy state, Barbara ran forward and threw her arms around him.
“All is well,” Charlie said.
“Barbara!” Robert snapped from the other side of the front hall, where he’d just come forward from the hall off to the left. “What in the devil’s name are you doing?”
