'Me too!' Ben declared cheerfully through a mouthful of charlotte.
'Indeed,' Hedy replied, casting an annoyed look at the boy before turning an expression of adoration on Sam. 'Lord Ranelagh, let me congratulate you on your horse's win at Ascot. I couldn't help but notice, he was sired by Fernie Bey, who is related to my jumper. Have you had Invincible long?'
'Three years. And he's been a sweet goer from the beginning.'
'Sam let me ride him, didn't you, Sam?' Ben cried. 'And I went really, really fast on him, didn't I, Sam?'
'Faster than anyone,' his uncle agreed pleasantly.
'Yes, I'm sure you did,' Hedy noted curtly. 'I was wondering, Lord Ranelagh, if you might ride in the park with us when my brother comes to town. Oliver has the most wonderful black out of Bright League.' The Alworths were all first-rate riders, and Hedy wished to show off her equestrian skills.
'If my schedule allows,' Sam replied politely.
Hedy offered him a winning smile. 'I'll have Oliver send you a note.'
Sam nodded in a clearly evasive way.
Coming to his brother's rescue, Marcus glanced down the table at his wife. 'If you'll excuse us, Evie. Sam and I still have some work to do on our course plans.'
Sam caught his brother's eye. 'It can wait.'
Hedy preened.
'Can we play some more golf after lunch, Sam?' Jeremy asked, not wishing to miss out on his uncle's time.
'In a few minutes,' the viscount replied quietly, pushing his chair back and rising. As he walked down the length of the table, every luncheon guest followed his progress with rapt interest.
Alex stiffened at his approach.
He spoke very softly when he reached her, but the room was so expectantly quiet, his words were clearly audible to all. 'Miss Ionides, might I impose on you for a moment?'
Uncomfortable as the center of attention, and uncertain how to deal with such brazenness, Alex glanced at her hostess.
After her husband's comments concerning Sam's interest in Alex, Evelina had anticipated something audacious from her brother-in-law and she quickly stepped into the breach. 'Sam was hoping you could give him some information on Sir Leighton,' she improvised.
'If you wouldn't mind, Miss Ionides.' His voice was bland.
'No… of course not,' Alex stammered.
He was already reaching for her hand as a footman leaped forward to pull out her chair. 'Excuse us,' the viscount said to the table at large, pulling Alex to her feet. Tucking her hand under his arm, he drew her away, the silence in the room so oppressive, even the boys fell mute.
Once the dining room door closed on them, Alex cast him a sardonic glance. 'Hedy will be annoyed.'
He gazed down at her. 'You look wonderful in green and you were sitting too far away and Hedy Alworth is as insipid as usual, so please don't waste your breath.'
'She said you have a tendre for her.'
'But then, she's an idiot, as you must have noticed. This isn't your first time at the reading group, Marcus tells me.'
'And what else did Marcus tell you?'
'He told me not to embarrass him, but then, I didn't care to sit through a long afternoon on the slim hope I might have a chance to talk to you alone, away from everyone.'
'I see.'
'I adore that prim tone.'
'You're compromising me, Sam.'
'You mean them?' He nodded back down the corridor.
'Of course them. Hedy has the biggest mouth in town, and she's not going to sit idle while I take away her beau.'
'Is that what you're doing?'
She blushed. 'I didn't mean it that way, and you know it.'
Stopping, he backed her up against the wall gently, and bending low so their eyes were level, he whispered, 'How
'In the most generic, sensible way,' she said, trying not to notice how his powerful body dwarfed hers, trying not to remember how exquisitely he utilized that brute strength. 'Because Hedy's after you and not afraid to tell the world.'
'You're not intimidated by Hedy Alworth, are you?'
'Only by her nasty tongue. There's my mother, if you recall, who has this misguided notion of what a lady should be. And'-Alex sighed-'much as I wish to ignore my family, there are limits to my indiscretions.'
'And I'm the limit?'
'No, Hedy Alworth's malevolent interpretation of your actions toward me may be the limit, Not for me personally,' she explained quickly. 'But for my family.'
He leaned closer, his eyes so near she could feel the heat. 'So if I were to deal with… our friendship… with the utmost discretion,' he softly suggested, 'I could make love to you again?'
She shut her eyes against the wave of desire that flared through her body. 'That's not fair,' she breathed.
'I'm not interested in being fair.' His voice was velvety and low. 'I'm interested in having you in my bed-just as soon as possible. Or better yet, we could go upstairs and find an empty room.'
'Under other circumstances…' She looked at him from under her lashes, a feverish warmth in her eyes. 'I might be willing.'
'As I recall, you're always willing.'
She shivered. 'Don't do this to me. Not here. Not now.'
'When… where? Tell me.'
'Sam, please-what do you want me to say in this corridor where someone may intrude any second?'
'I don't know, but you've been on my mind constantly since you left me.' He softly inhaled. 'And I feel like carrying you away right now, and to hell with everything.'
'Lord, no…' she breathed. 'You can't…'
'Tell me about it,' he muttered.
'We have to be sensible.' She was trembling.
'Or Hedy will be troublesome,' he said with a sigh.
She nodded.
He bent to kiss her, his mouth gentle, lingering, reminding her of their first kiss at her garden gate. But then her lips parted beneath his, her passions immune to rational thought, and as his tongue slipped inside her mouth and the hard length of his erection pressed into her stomach, she gently sighed.
He growled low in his throat, pulling her closer so she felt the imprint of his arousal swell against her, his tongue exploring her mouth as though in prelude, and for a tenuous moment of unalloyed pleasure, they melted into each other.
Then with a soft groan he raised his head. 'I think we've discussed Sir Leighton long enough, Miss Ionides,' he said, half breathless with the fierceness of his need. Restraining his urges, he took a step backward. 'May I escort you back before it's too late?'
'Thank you,' she whispered, her pulses racing. 'Because I'm not sure I had the resolve.'
Running his hands through his dark hair, he exhaled softly. 'No sense in letting Hedy Alworth eat you up.' Smiling faintly, he ran his fingertip over the curve of her jaw. 'I'm reserving that pleasure for myself. So send your carriage away. You're going home with me.'
She nervously brushed his hand away. 'Just make sure you don't sit anywhere near me. I'm not sure I can survive the afternoon if you do.'
'Nor could I. I'll take the boys outside,' he offered. 'But once everyone leaves, you're coming home with me.'
'If I could say no, I would.'
'There's my girl.'
