A Hint of Seduction (23 page)

He gave the horses another rub of the leather. “Do you think I’m old?” he asked.

“No, of course not. I consider you a very attractive young man.”

“I wasn’t seeking a compliment.”

“Good. I wasn’t giving one. I simply stated the truth. But you do seem a bit touchy about the subject, John.”

“I am. I don’t want Westerland kissing you.”

He heard her soft laughter again, and he glanced over at her as they bounced along the street at a fast clip. Just hearing her laugh made him feel good.

“Why are you laughing now?”

“I was talking about your age, not about kissing the Marquis.”

John felt as if his heart melted. How could he stay annoyed when she smiled at him like that?

“I guess I am
touchy,
as you say, about both subjects.”

“There is no reason to be. You are not old and Lord Westerland didn’t kiss me.”

“Good to both,” he mumbled.

The thought of him kissing you makes me jealous as hell.

John Wickenham-Thickenham-Fines jealous? That was something he never thought he would be about any woman. Before Catherine, if a lady seemed more interested in another man than she was him, John was quite willing to move on to someone else. Before Catherine, he had never wanted to vie for a lady’s attention.

He noticed they were fast approaching a four-way crossing where they needed to turn left, and he almost had the horses racing. He’d been so caught up with his feelings and the conversation with Catherine that he practically had the team galloping down the street.

He pulled back on the ribbons, slowed the horses, and easily made the corner. The thought of Westerland kissing her drove him to distraction.

“Just don’t do it,” he said as he maneuvered the carriage through the busy traffic of carriages, horses and people crossing the street.

“Do what?”

“Let Westerland kiss you. Even if he tries.”

“Are you worried I might like his kisses better than yours?”

“Hell no.”

“Then why can’t he kiss me?”

You belong to me.

“Because I don’t want his lips touching yours,” he admitted without any guilt.

“You might want to be careful what you say, Lord Chatwin. I think that is the second time you have said something to me that sounds remarkably like a jealous comment.”

John felt a grin ease across his face. She was so delightful to talk to. She had a quick and entertaining wit. She was never shy or helpless with him. In fact, at times he thought her too damned independent for her own good.

“The second time you say? Maybe, but surely it’s the first time for me that it might actually be true.”

“Might?”

“I won’t admit to any more than that, so be happy I confessed to that much.”

She laughed and John realized she could get him hotter and make him feel better than any woman ever had. He’d always loved all women. Short, tall, heavy, slender, young, and even older ladies, but Catherine was different. He couldn’t exactly put his finger on how or why, but there was no doubt that she was different and that excited him.

John directed the horses onto the park path and they fell in behind a long queue of carriages. The warm, sunny day
had the park brimming with people on horseback, strolling, and sitting on the ground with their children, dogs, and picnic baskets.

“I’m going to park the carriage, and we’ll find a place to sit down. That way I don’t have to divide my attention between you and the horses.”

Her eyes twinkled with a playful glare. “That is an excellent idea, my lord. I was aware that the more we talked about the Marquis and kissing, the faster you pushed the horses.”

She noticed but hadn’t said anything. She waited for him to realize what he was doing and correct it himself. He liked that about her.

John smiled to himself. What was there about her he didn’t like?

“I was also thinking it would be difficult to kiss you and manage the team at the same time.”

“So you plan to kiss me?” she asked.

“Most definitely. Why else would we come here?”

“I thought we came so that we can talk about my father.”

“We’ll take care of that, too.”

“There are so many people in the park today. Someone would see you if you tried to kiss me.”

“Not if I am careful, and I plan to be.”

“You are a scoundrel, my lord.”

“Thank you.”

They went a little farther down the path before John pulled off to the side and set the brake of the phaeton. He jumped down and threw a coin to a street urchin who stood waiting to be asked to watch the horses.

John then walked around to Catherine. She rose and extended her hand for him to help her down, but instead of taking it, he reached up and caught her by the waist.

Without effort, he swung her round and set her on her feet, but not before making sure his hands settled comfortably on her waist, spreading his fingers wide to feel the gentle flair of her hips. He liked the way her body felt beneath his hands. Not too thin and not too thick.

The stirrings of passion hardened between his legs. He picked up the picnic basket from the back of the carriage, and they walked toward the grassy area in the park. They looked for a tree with a little shade, but all of them were already packed with people enjoying the warm afternoon.

Catherine assured him her parasol and bonnet would keep the sun out of her eyes and off her delicate complexion, but after a few more minutes of walking through the park he finally found a more secluded area that had a small tree for shade.

With Catherine’s help, he spread the blanket on the ground, and then he helped her to sit down. Much to his dislike, he took a seat a respectable distance from her. Perhaps he could steal a kiss or two once the crowds in the park thinned.

“Would you like something to drink? I brought tea and wine?”

“Not right now, thank you, maybe a little later.”

“Catherine.”

“John.”

They both managed to speak at the same time.

“Ladies first,” he said.

“All right, I have a proposition for you.”

“A proposition? Good Lord, Catherine, you are constantly full of surprises.”

Her face was masked in innocence as she continued, “I have an offer I want to present to you and I’m hoping you will accept.”

What would she come up with next? “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that proper young ladies do not proposition men?”

She seemed to ponder that before she said, “Proper young ladies aren’t supposed to talk about kissing, either. I’m not sure there is any other way to say it. I want you to do something for me, and in return I’m willing to do something for you. Is that not a proposition?”

“Yes, and I don’t think I’m going to like this,” he grumbled, “but what did you have in mind?”

John looked up and saw his old friend Chandler Prestwick and his beautiful wife Millicent strolling toward him.

“John, how are you?”

Damnation. What an inopportune time for them to walk by. He was obliged to stand up and greet them. He rose and then helped Catherine to rise. He took the time to properly present Catherine to the Earl and his Countess.

“I’m so pleased to meet you both,” Catherine said. “Lord Dunraven, I’ve met Lord Dugdale and, of course John, so meeting you makes the circle of the Terrible Threesome earls complete.” Without giving him time to answer, she then turned her attention to Millicent, “And, Countess, just last night Lady Lynette Knightington mentioned you while we were talking. She considers you a dear friend.”

Millicent smiled at Catherine. “Lynette is one of my favorite people, Miss Reynolds,” the Countess answered. “She was the first lady to befriend me when I came to London last year.”

John could see that he didn’t have to worry about Catherine. It was clear that within a matter of a few sentences she had charmed Chandler and his wife.

“Please call me Catherine,” she said to the Countess.

“And you must call me Millicent. Anyone who is a friend of John’s and Lady Lynette’s is also a friend of mine.”

Any other time John would have been happy to invite Chandler and Millicent to sit with them for a while but not right now. He wanted to know exactly what Catherine had in mind.

Chandler moved closer to John as the ladies continued to talk and in a low voice said, “It appears that the scandal over your horse is getting even bigger.”

“You know, I never really minded the gossips like you always did, but this story has gone beyond the pale.”

“Most men think it’s sporting.”

“No wonder. They’re taking wagers down at White’s and talking about a ghost riding The General. It’s absolutely insane.”

Chandler grinned. “If it’s any help to you, my money is on Lady Veronica’s ghost.”

John felt like slugging his friend of more than fifteen years, but instead he just laughed. “We always could trust each other to be honest, but I fear you will lose your money this time.”

“I have a feeling only you and Andrew know who rode that horse—other than the lady herself. Am I right?” he asked as his eyes drifted to Catherine.

That was the trouble with having a close friend. It was difficult to keep things from him. “I plan to keep it that way” was John’s only answer.

Chandler nodded. “That’s for the best, but to wager on a lady ghost was too tempting to pass up.”

“You’re going to lose your money, you know.”

His friend laughed. “Yes, I know. Let’s have a drink and catch up.”

“We’ll do it soon. Andrew and I haven’t seen you since the Season started.”

“I’ve discovered that I would rather spend the evenings alone with my wife than with hundreds of people at a noisy party.”

“I won’t argue that point. It was good to see you,” John said, hoping Chandler would get the hint and move on, and he did.

He immediately turned to Millicent and they bid their farewells.

John helped Catherine to sit down again, and then he joined her on the blanket before saying, “Now let’s get back to this proposal of yours.”

“All right. I know that either Mr. Beechman or Mr. Chatsworth is my real father. I want you to help me find out which one is.”

This was her proposal? John didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed, but he wasn’t surprised by her request. He was ready with his answer.

“No. I don’t pry into other people’s lives for anyone.”

She wasn’t deterred. “But you haven’t heard my entire proposition.”

“I don’t need to. I won’t help you because I don’t think you should do this. Catherine, there are some things that you are better off not knowing.”

“This certainly isn’t one of them. I realize that if you do this for me that I will need to repay you in some way, so I finally came up with something that might tempt you to help me.”

“There is nothing that would tempt me.”

Her brows drew together in a delectable frown that made him want to reach over and kiss the wrinkle from her forehead.

“But you said last night that my kisses tempted you. Were you untruthful when you said that?”

“No. Definitely not. They do.”

Beyond my endurance to control myself.

She smiled. “Good. My proposition is that if you will help me discover which man is my father, I will in return give you kisses.”

Her words hit him like a fist in the stomach. Did he hear what he thought he heard? Could she be serious?

“You want to pay me with kisses for helping you?”

“Yes.”

“You only want to use me?”

She sat back quickly as if he’d struck her. “No, that’s not the way I mean it.”

“But that is exactly what you are saying. You don’t want me to kiss you because of how I make you feel, you want only to let me kiss you for payment.”

“No,” she insisted again.

He didn’t want her to know that his pride was wounded, but he had to say what he felt. “I have never had to bargain for any lady’s kisses, and I don’t intend to start now.”

Catherine folded her arms across her chest defiantly. “You, sir, are deliberately misunderstanding me.”

“I don’t think I am.”

At hearing his name, John looked behind him and saw Viscount Stonehurst and his lady wife, Mirabella, approaching them.

“Chatwin, over here. How are you?”

Bloody hell! Who would show up next?

Ordinarily, he would enjoy talking to Stonehurst, who was only a year or two older than John, but Catherine had just insulted him by wanting to pay him for his services with kisses.

Once again John rose and helped Catherine to stand and once again he made the appropriate introductions to the Viscount and Viscountess. Catherine chatted as easily with the two of them as she had with Millicent and Chandler.

It was hardly two minutes after she met them that she had charmed Stonehurst into telling her about the years he spent in America before he and Mirabella married.