Page 36 of One Scandal Too Many
Jaclyn nodded. “I intend it to be a wonderful time. I’ll miss having you there. But go ride. I know how much you love it.”
Charlotte took a deep breath. She was a little reluctant to leave her friend alone. Slowly, she turned and walked over to the stable hand. She was the only one that went with him. Once there, she roamed through the stables looking at the horses. They were all so lovely.
“Does one of them catch your attention?” Declan asked from behind her.
She smiled at the sound of his voice. This was why she’d wanted to go on the hunt. Charlotte had thought he might try to dissuade her from riding with them, but he’d surprised her instead. His encouragement was a balm to her soul. No one seemed to believe in her capabilities more than this gentleman did.
“They’re all gorgeous,” she told him. Charlotte turned around to face him. “They’re your horses. Which one do you think I should ride today?”
He glanced down at her. His gaze held something warm and delectable in it. She licked her lips and wished she could ask him to kiss her, but there were too many people around. “That’senough of that,” he said in a husky tone. “You’re a temptation I have difficulty resisting.”
“That’s too bad,” she replied. Her own tone held a hoarseness that she couldn’t hold back. “I like it when you capitulate to your desire for me.”
He groaned and clenched his hands into tight fists as if he was barely restraining himself. “I’d pull you into my arms if I could.” He leaned down and said softly, “and I do intend to do just that—later.”
“I look forward to it,” she told him, breathless.
*
This woman... God help him. It wasn’t the first or probably the last time he’d sent up that silent prayer. He was starting to understand her, and he liked everything he had learned. Instead of giving in to the temptation to press his lips to hers, he took several breaths to regain control. “Until later, then.” He glanced past her. “As to a horse...”
She glanced in the direction he’d motioned toward with his hand. The mare he had selected for her pushed its nose in her direction. The horse had a coat of jet black, with a white mane mixed with silver. “That is Kallippos,” he told her.
Charlotte frowned. “That is a little on the nose, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He held back a grin and waited for her to respond.
“Greek,” she replied nonchalantly. “Beautiful horse.”
“I wasn’t aware you knew about the meanings of Greek words,” he told her. “Is that a normal thing for a lady to have learned?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know it isn’t.” Charlotte stroked Kallippos’s mane. “One of our instructors likes to teach us obscure things. Well, I’m not sure that’s the right term for it.”She sighed. “She teaches us things that no one else will. We haven’t learned all things Greek,” she began. “It’s more like she’ll pick a topic for the day and teach us a little of that one thing. We happened to discuss horses one day, and we learned different words that had ‘horse’ as part of the meaning.”
“Such as?” He lifted a brow. “What is another word you learned?”
He was testing her. Declan couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t wait for her to expand on this topic. It gave them something else to concentrate on other than what they both wanted. He prayed he would be able to find some time with her alone later. It had been far too long since he’d last kissed her. One day, he hoped to never have to hold back that desire. He would never be good enough for her, but he no longer cared. He wanted her, and that was all he cared about now.
“Like . . .” She crinkled her forehead as she concentrated. “Let’s see . . . um, Caballus.”
“Latin,” he said. “Or, well, a version of it. That’s not the classical version of the language.”
“Correct.” She grinned. “But I liked how that one sounded better.”
He nodded. Declan had to agree with her. It had a nicer ring to it than equus, the classical version of the word for horse in Latin. “Well?” He lifted a brow. “Do you wish to ride Kallippos here?”
“I do,” Charlotte agreed. “Should I tell a stable hand to saddle her for me?”
“I’ll do it,” he told her. “Wait here. I’ll return shortly.”
Declan left her alone to go in search of one of the stable hands. He couldn’t believe she wanted to join the hunt. It might give them the perfect opportunity to break away from the group and find some time alone together. No one would think anything of it. A lot of times riders didn’t keep up with the hunt. He couldcare less about the hunt itself. This morning had everything to do with Charlotte. She was his end and his beginning for all of the plans he had made. He was ready to give all of himself to her, but he had to be certain she was prepared for what that meant.
Once he had told a stable hand to prepare Kallippos, he returned to Charlotte. She was still stroking the horse and making cooing noises. “You’re a beautiful girl, aren’t you?” she said.
“You’re beautiful,” he told her.
She blushed. “You don’t have to keep saying that.”
“I only speak the truth,” he told her. “You will always have that from me.”
