Bad Boys Ahoy!

last for days, with the roads being impassable for weeks after they passed.

She would have to be careful or he could learn more about them than she wanted him to. She would have to keep him occupied so he wouldn't sneak around in his boredom.

And she liked that idea far more than she should.

Chapter Two

'Will he recover?'

Hugh glanced over his shoulder and found the lovely Charlotte lounging against the stall door. 'I expect so. A minor sprain, I think.'

Returning his attention to the task at hand, he continued to apply salve to the scraped and swollen front legs of one of his carriage bays. Unlike the main house, the stable was warm, well tended, and in excellent shape, a fact that didn't surprise him at all.

'Allow me to have a look,' she murmured, coming toward him.

In the tight confines of the stable stall, there was no room to avoid her. She squeezed in between where he knelt and the front of his horse, her breeches stretching deliciously over a lush derriere. Hugh's mouth dried at the sight, his entire body hardening as her scent, a soft mix of flowers, enveloped his senses.

'I agree.' Her tiny hands soothed over the raw scrapes, and the animal breathed a soft whinny. Watching the caressing strokes of Charlotte's hands, Hugh swallowed hard. It was a common enough task she was performing, and yet his interest in her was so unusually strong, it made the everyday action startlingly erotic.

Earlier, while struggling to remove his trunks from the disabled carriage, Hugh's gaze had continuously strayed to the beautiful redhead as she set his footman's broken arm and tended to his abrasions. There was a quiet confidence to her deportment and an unflappable air of control that he admired. He'd struggled most of his life to find that sort of confidence in himself, but to Charlotte it seemed innate.

Most women of his acquaintance would have been no assistance at all, but Charlotte had been invaluable. With her help they'd finished quickly and returned to the Kent estate with barely a moment to spare. Outside the wind howled and blew around with such force it was hard to see. Even now, her gorgeous red locks were dampening, the snow in them melting in the warmth of the stable.

'You shouldn't have ventured out here,' he said.

'I wanted to be certain you found the salve.' Still crouched, she turned to face him, bringing her ripe mouth within inches of his own. Across her nose was a light dusting of freckles, the bane of most women's existence, but a trait he'd always found charming.

Hugh studied her with a frown, trying to reason out why he found her so desirable. Charlotte was beautiful, yes, but no more so than he was accustomed to. The revealing breeches could have much to do with his constant state of arousal, although he'd never before considered men's clothing particularly enticing. Of course his brother-in-law would beg to differ.

'What are you doing out here?' he asked.

She arched a brow. 'I told you-'

'No. Not here in the stables, here in Derbyshire.'

Charlotte sat and crossed her legs. Hugh did the same.

'I grew up here. I left for a while and then returned.'

'Your family is here?'

Hugh reached for a nearby towel and rubbed the salve from his palms. Then he picked up her hands and cleaned them as well, taking note of the calluses and ink stains that marred her fingers. The nails were trimmed to the quick, neat and without vanity, similar to the way she comported herself.

'No,' she murmured, a bit breathless. 'I have no family.'

Finished with the cloth, he set it aside, but kept her hands within his. She didn't protest, for which he was grateful. He enjoyed touching her, relishing the way it made his entire body prickle with a singular sensual awareness.

'Tell me about the duchess.'

If he hadn't been holding her hand, he wouldn't have known she tensed at his query. Her adeptness at hiding her feelings intrigued him. She was too young to be so expert at evasiveness.

'What would you like to know?' she asked, looking away.

He snorted. 'What wouldn't I like to know? Is she mad, like they say? Does she mistreat you? Why does she live like this? The horses live better than you. Why-'

Charlotte covered his mouth with her hand. 'No, no, and she doesn't have any other choice.' She stood and tugged at their joined hands. He rose to his feet.

'Allow me to show you to your rooms, my lord. You'll see things are not so dreary as they appear at first glance.'

'You're avoiding my questions.'

She smiled, a potent mixture of sweetness and allure, and his stomach clenched in response. 'Not so,' she assured him, releasing his hand. 'I simply want to answer some of your questions without words.'

There was a bit of promise in the sparkle of her eyes, a hint that told Hugh she found him attractive. He was glad of that, for it made his goal much easier to attain. It was bloody freezing outside, and he'd be trapped here for days. The time would best be spent in bed with a lovely companion, and he wanted Charlotte with a sharpness he'd not experienced in a very long time, if ever.

Hugh stepped closer, gauging her reaction, and smiled when she stood her ground, her emerald gaze neither frightened nor wary. 'I thank you for your help today,' he murmured, reaching for her hand.

She lifted hers to meet his, startling him. 'It was nothing.'

'It was wonderful. The way you handled James's injuries and set his broken bone… I don't know that I could have done it.' He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand and felt her shiver.

'You might be surprised at the things you can accomplish when the need is dire enough.'

'You sound as if you speak from experience.'

'Perhaps.' Charlotte tilted her head and frowned, studying him with a far-too-perceptive gaze. 'And you?'

He shrugged. 'I never seem to reach the dire point,' he confessed, attempting to make the words light but failing miserably. 'I'm always rescued before it progresses that far.'

Her grasp tightened, giving him a comforting squeeze. 'I think you did well enough today, barging into the house and cornering Her Grace. There was no one to rescue you or your servants, yet you managed quite nicely on your own.'

Hugh's eyebrows rose.

Charlotte touched his mouth where he was attempting to curb a smile and said softly, 'I am a very good judge of character, my lord, but I misjudged you.'

'Oh? In what way?'

Her smile matched his. 'I was very impressed with you today. Earlier, I wouldn't have thought you'd need to hear that. But apparently you do.'

And with just that simple statement, the sharp edge of Hugh's desire honed to a burning point. Suddenly the cozy warmth of the stables was too hot, the air around them crackling with sensual energy. He'd never experienced anything like it, this itching, burning feeling coursing over his skin. That it was brought on by simple verbal praise astonished him. But, then, everything that had happened today astonished him.

Charlotte recognized the change in the atmosphere. Her pupils widened, her mouth parted. Hugh stepped back a fraction, forcibly preventing himself from moving too fast and frightening her. She took a step forward, closing the distance he'd just created.

Against his better judgment, Hugh tugged her nearer. When she came forward willingly, he reassessed her. Charlotte was comfortable with his touch and his bold approach. In fact, he would say her approach was just as bold, belying her innocent exterior.

'Charlotte.' His free hand came up to brush across her cheek, finding her creamy skin as soft as he'd imagined it would be. 'I believe you are the loveliest thing I've ever seen.'