Page 76 of Nothing But a Rakehell
She felt a good bit of the tension drain out of him. “Thank you.” His hands moved back up to frame her face and he pulled her down to press a soft kiss to her lips. “Thank you.”
She let her hands slide down to his chest and then around to his back as her gaze ran over him, drinking him in. This was it, then. As far as they would go.Please, let the passing of these moments go slowly.
He kissed her again, and this time he didn’t draw back. His tongue slid against hers, smooth as hot silk.
The bulge she perched upon shifted and grew. The sensation sent exultation and excitement and relief coursing through her. He wasn’t immune to her. Lucy and her notion of pity, be damned. In this, at least, he felt something for her.
She moved upon him, opening her legs a little wider and settling more snugly against him.
He sucked in a breath and kissed her again, deeply and fiercely, as if he wished to devour her. She returned the kiss, stifling the moan of longing that was building in her chest.
As if he sensed it, he pulled back. His eyes filled with regret.
She braced herself against what he was going to say.
“Well, this is far worse than I expected.”
Confused, she blinked down at him. It took her several seconds to realize that he had not spoken the words.
Tension rushed back into his frame. His head turned toward the stall door.
Her gaze followed. A stranger stood there. Older, but still tall and ramrod straight. A sneer curled his wide mouth and his eyes roamed contemptuously over her. Her own eye fell on the distinctive line of his jaw and she knew whom he must be.
“Hello, Father,” Keswick said calmly. “What in blazes are you doing here?”
* * *
“I’m here to attend a ball,”his father replied.
Keswick held out an arm to steady Glory as she scrambled off of his lap. He climbed to his feet, then helped her to stand up next to him. Only then did he roll a scornful glance his father’s way. “Not in a thousand years will you convince me that Tensford invited you here.”
His tone bit out, sharp as ice, as it always did when he addressed the earl. He reached for the calm impassivity that was the only face he ever showed the old man, but Glory had had him on fire a moment ago and her presence—bloody hell, within feet of his father—blocked his grasp of that utterly necessary mask of indifference.
“He did not. I had business in Birmingham. On the way south, I heard that you were staying here. Naturally, I stopped over to see you. It has been some time since we last met.” He narrowed his eyes at Glory.
Keswick set his hand at the small of her back and gave her the smallest nudge, a motion that his father would not see. “Run on back to the house,” he murmured.
His father’s brow cleared.
“Ah. She’s a servant? That is a relief. I’d heard that you were in danger of a seriousmésallianceout here, and for a moment, I feared it was worse even than I expected.” He raised a brow in Glory’s direction. “Run along and tell your mistress that I will require a room. I came in a hired carriage and it has already headed back.”
“Go. Now.” Keswick said it under his breath and prayed she would let it go.
He should have known better.
Her shoulders straightened. “I am no servant, sir.” Glory took a brace of steps toward the door and his father’s sharp gaze focused right in on her limp. She turned to look back at him. “Won’t you do the honors?”
He sighed. “Father, may I present Lady Glory Brightley? Glory, my father, the Earl of Braunton.” He cleared his throat. “Lady Glory was just leaving.”
She curtsied and his father raised a brow. “LadyGlory?” he said doubtfully. “Well. You will forgive my mistake, of course.” He glanced around at the stall, the piled straw where they’d sat and the jumble of sleeping kittens.
Glory’s chin went up. “The house is full, sir, but I’m sure my sister will . . .” she glanced over as Keswick shook his head. “ . . . be glad to find you a respectable room in the village.”
“Will she, indeed? Perhaps you will go along and inform her of my arrival, while I have a moment alone with my son?”
She cast an uncertain glance his way, but Keswick nodded and she took her leave, murmuring her thanks as his father swung open the stall door.
Keswick followed her, and then they both waited as her slow footsteps faded away. After a moment, his father whirled on him.
