The Sweetest Kiss (Brothers of Worthington Series) (2 page)

“Yes, Hawthorne, she’s a handful to be sure, but a wench I can tame, nonetheless.”

“Wench?” she shrieked. “Sir, I’m no wench. I’m a lady.” Judith elbowed him in the chest, which was followed by a soft grunt from him. “And you had better unhand me this second or I’ll injure you in the worst way.”

Hawthorne threw his head back and howled with laughter.

“What’s this?” The one holding her turned her head with his fingers, gripping her chin so she could look at him. Humor sparked his dark blue eyes. “You proclaim yourself a lady, yet you are threatening me with bodily harm?”

She scowled. “Are you not still holding me prisoner? Therefore, you are no gentleman. Now let me go before I follow through with harming your person.”

He grinned, and her heart did a silly flip-flop. Those blasted dimples on his cheeks and his hypnotic eyes had her breathing funny. He couldn’t possibly be a highwayman. Although she still wondered about their purpose here, she didn’t fear them as she first had. Now these two men just annoyed her.

“Pardon me. I didn’t know we were in the presence of such nobility.” His gaze slid over her riding habit. “I wasn’t aware that gentle-bred ladies adorned themselves in such a wicked fashion.” He fingered the tears in her sleeves.

Once again, she slapped his hand.
“You imbecile.
My riding habit is ripped due to the ghastly trees and their branches.”

“What are you doing traipsing through the forest by yourself? From what I understand, gentle-bred ladies are supposed to have an escort.”

“That, sir, is none of your concern.”

Hawthorne chuckled. “I think we have a runaway.”

Her heart sank. They would guess her purpose, to be sure.

The handsome man holding her waggled his brows. “Will your father pay handsomely for your safe return?”

Her heart clenched at the mention of her father. If he were alive at this moment, he would kill both rogues.

They wanted money, which meant they were thieves. However, they dressed in finer clothes, not the rags a highwayman would wear. Even their boots were of the finest quality. She swallowed hard and lifted her chin. “No, my father will not. It would be utterly impossible to get one shilling from him since he’s buried six feet under.”

The man holding her blinked. “He’s dead?”

“I would hope so. I imagine a live person would find it difficult to breathe buried under the ground like that.”

Silence, except for her quick breaths and horses snorting, pierced the air. The thief lost his smile, yet kept his warm gaze on her.

“Please forgive me, my lady. I shall not amuse myself at your expense again.”

She nodded and adjusted herself on his lap. “Will you please let me down?”

“Not until you tell us what you’re doing here. This is private land. You’re trespassing.”

Realizing now what their purpose was, she nearly sighed with relief. “Oh dear, forgive me. I did not know.”

“Obviously, but you have not yet explained why you are here.”

Shouts from down the road rang out along with the crunching of leaves under horse’s hooves. Squeezing her eyes closed, she gritted her teeth.
My servants found me.

She met the thief’s gaze again in a plea. “I beg you, sir, let me down. I cannot allow those people to locate me.”

“Why?”

“Because they want to take me somewhere I do not wish to go.”

“And where might that be?” asked the other man.

She glanced at Hawthorne before looking back at the man holding her. Her vision grew blurred for a moment as dizziness assailed her. Why did she feel as if she would pass out? Perhaps she should have eaten this morning to give her body more strength. She blinked to refocus. “I cannot explain now. They are coming upon us quickly.”

“Then I suggest you give me some hint to your situation, my lady, because I’m the only one who can protect you.”

Voices from the searchers grew nearer. She didn’t have any other choice. “Sir, I’m the newly appointed ward of Dowager Duchess of Kenbridge. There has been a terrible mistake and I cannot be the dowager’s ward. I’m here to meet my fiancé, a Lieutenant in the King’s Navy so we can be married.”

The handsome thief holding her hitched a breath and loosened his arms, as if she’d suddenly burst into flames. She took the opportunity to slide from his horse and step away.

“Thank you, sir. You don’t know how much this means to me.” Glancing around the glade, she searched for her horse.

The man jumped from his mount and took her by the elbow. “You are Miss Faraday? Lord and Lady
Manderville’s
daughter?”

Her heart bounced to her throat as panic consumed her. “How—how do you know?”

He shook his head as he ran his fingers through his wavy black hair. “Oh, my dear Miss Faraday, this is certainly not your lucky day. Nor mine.”

“Explain yourself, sir.”

He released her arm and gave her a mock bow.
“Lord Trey Worthington, at your service.
We knew each other as children. The dowager duchess is my mother.”

Oh, no!
The fog thickened in her head as dizziness completely consumed her. Her chest tightened, making it impossible to breathe. Voices and sounds from all around grew dim as the ground rose up to meet her. Everything around her dissolved into darkness.

~*~*~*~

Trey caught the unconscious woman before she hit the dirt. Judith’s limp body pressed against him, branding him in sharp reminder that she was no longer a child. Closing his eyes, he groaned. What had his mother done this time? Actually, it was his older brother, Trevor, who should take the blame since Trevor had passed his ward to their mother for safekeeping.

Trey looked at Hawthorne’s wide-eyed stare and shook his head. “This cannot be happening.”

A broad grin stretched across his friend’s face and his eyes twinkled with humor. “What a delightful day it has turned out to be, do you not agree?”

Trey grumbled under his breath, not wishing to voice how he truly felt. “What am I going to do about her now?”

Dominic Lawrence, Marquees of Hawthorne, shrugged. “I suggest you rouse the poor woman. Her search party is getting closer.”

“Don’t you see?” Trey growled. “If they think she has run away, her name will be ruined. In turn, my mother’s reputation will be tarnished for accepting this girl as her ward.”

“So what do
you
suppose we do with her? As you want to avoid her search party’s gossip if she’s caught fleeing, I suggest we get her out of here.” Hawthorne glanced at the shelter. “Or hide her in the woodsman’s cottage.”

Confusion swam in Trey’s head. The others couldn’t find her. His mother would have heart palpitations if she ever discovered her ward had run off.

Dominic nodded toward the structure. “Let me unlock the door. You can put her in there.” He jumped off his horse and strode to the door. As he located the key above the doorframe, he glanced over his shoulder at Trey. “We cannot leave her in there alone.”

“Why not?”

“Because this is the first place her search party will look.”

Trey adjusted Miss Faraday against his chest as he glanced down at her delicate face, marred by a few scratches. Full lips drew his attention, then her lush eyelashes as they brushed her cheeks. He didn’t remember her looking this pretty when she was a child. However, he did recall her stubbornness. The girl had been spoiled beyond reason.

He met his friend’s stare. “So, what do you suggest?”

“You could stay inside with her.”

Trey crinkled his forehead. “Why?”

“In case she comes to and makes a noise. I’ll be out here to direct her searchers away.”

“What if we are caught in the cottage together? You know as well as I how that will ruin her reputation.”

Hawthorne tilted his head and smirked. “You forget, my good man, her reputation will still be intact because they will not know who is inside with you. I certainly will not tell them.”

Trey dropped his jaw. “You must be insane to believe such nonsense…”

The voices and pounding of horse’s hooves grew closer. Dominic motioned his head inside. “Make haste. We have no time to argue.”

Grumbling under his breath, Trey carried Miss Faraday to the bed and settled her gently upon the mattress. Dominic closed the door behind him with a resounding thud. Panic settled deep in the pit of Trey’s stomach. Hawthorne’s plan had better work or they’d both be in trouble. Trey had spent the past ten years making certain women couldn’t dig their claws into his life and trap him into marriage. All it would take was for one person to spot him with Judith Faraday, and Trey’s future would be doomed.

He left her on the mattress and searched for a blanket to cover her. Outside, voices called out to Dominic in greeting. Trey’s heart sank. What if the searchers wanted to see for themselves who was inside the cottage? Trey must hide under the blanket with her. There was no other way.

Beside the bed, folded on a chair, lay a blanket. He flipped it open as he crawled on the mattress. Adjusting himself, he pulled Miss Faraday closer. Unconscious, she was nothing but dead weight. Yet in his arms, she fit perfectly. He didn’t want to examine why he felt this way, so he yanked the quilt over their heads and cuddled closer, resting his chin on her forehead.

Inhaling her jasmine scent, he smiled. He’d always loved women who smelled like heaven. Mentally, he scolded himself for thinking such a thing. And what made it worse was her warm breath blowing against his skin, creating shivers throughout him.

With effort he halted the improper strain of thoughts. Strange she hadn’t moved, other than her steady breathing. Was something wrong with her? His mother wouldn’t be able to handle a sickly ward when the older woman battled with health issues herself.

The crowd of searchers gathered near the window, and Trey tried to pick up bits from their conversation. As he strained to hear, the woman next to him stirred and let out a small moan.

Silently, he grumbled. He knew exactly what she’d do when she regained her bearings. He tightened his arms around her body to keep her from lashing out. Although he had her arms pinned, he worried what he’d do if she screamed. And most assuredly, she would.

Her eyelids fluttered open. A frown pulled on her lips as she tried to move her arms. Blinking the haze of unconsciousness from her eyes, she looked at the blanket covering their heads before turning to meet his stare. Her eyes widened. Recognition must have struck, because panic lit her gaze, and she opened her mouth. Without thinking of the consequences, he covered her mouth with
his,
silencing the scream he knew was forthcoming. He couldn’t let her go. Her reputation was at stake—not to mention his cherished bachelorhood.

“
Shhh
,” he mumbled against her mouth. “I’m not going to hurt you. We must be quiet.”

She jerked her head away and pummeled his chest with her fists. He yanked her hands above her head and held them with a strong grip. “A search party is after you. Please, I’m trying to hide you and save your reputation.”

“I don’t think kissing—”

“Now is not the time to
think
!” Using his free hand, Trey held her face while his mouth took over again. Though he only kissed her to shut her up, warmth spread throughout him this time and he found he quite enjoyed this intimate embrace. Soon her lips softened, and he sensed her surrender. The kiss turned into something
more tender
.

Her mouth responded, the touch tentative and so sweetly naïve he was consumed by the need to show her his gentle side—a side he didn’t normally show to women. As her lips matched his kisses, he slowly released her hands. Hesitantly, her palms slid over his arms to his shoulders and settled naturally to his shoulders.

What was he doing? And why, pray tell, was he enjoying it? He was more than enjoying it, thunder roared in his ears and pounded in his head. No woman had ever affected him thus.

Slowly, he realized the thunder he’d heard was the sound of the riders leaving.
Nic’s
plan had worked. Judith was undiscovered. Trey stilled, hesitant to pull away, but nevertheless he broke the kiss and lifted his head. Her glazed emerald eyes met his. Quick breaths fanned his face, but no words were spoken.

Trey swallowed the cotton collecting in his throat. “Miss Faraday, I hope you understand—”

“
Augh
!”
She shoved him in the chest. “How dare you.” She glanced around the tent he’d made for them with the covers. “What do you think you are doing? Get off me, you big oaf!”

He hoped the riders were a good distance away as he threw off their cover and began to slip out of bed, but he didn’t expect her foot to help him to the floor. He thought she’d be mad, but not enough to kick him.

She shrieked and leapt off the mattress. “I cannot believe you took such liberties. What in heaven’s name were you thinking?”

Tilting his head, he met her eyes, waiting for her to shrivel under his intent glare. The stubborn woman didn’t. “Well, obviously I wasn’t doing what you
thought
I was doing.”

Brilliant color stained her cheeks as she stood before him, fists on her hips. Her breaths released from her mouth at a fascinating speed. “How dare you speak to me in such a
way.
”