Page 15 of The Seduction of Lord Sin
Masculinity had rarely been on display in her life, and she longed to see such a specimen in the flesh. To feel the heat of his skin, to scent him, to run her fingers over hard, pronounced muscle. To finally see a man naked… She wished he’d win and as soon as she’d made her silent wish, she wanted to take it back. She needed Devlin to win. He was the best choice and the man most likely to agree to wed her.
“I suspect it’s not the archery capturing her attention.” Dharma’s knowing laugh hurt.
“I am not holding this week for your amusement, Dharma. Some of us are not fortunate enough to be young, beautiful, and wealthy. I’m doing this because I want to wed in order to have a child. One day you might understand and you will feel remorse at how you mocked me so.”
Dharma’s smile faded. “I’m not mocking you, Lottie. I love you and want you to be happy, but you didn’t have a child when you were married to father so….”
How could she explain the details of her marriage to Dharma? “I want to try marriage again because having a child will make me happy,” but having met Lord Sinclair, she wondered if that statement was wholly true. A most unfortunate longing had settled in her breast. A longing for more. For a marriage based on love, but she brushed that fantasy away like she would an angry bee. She’d waited years for that, and it had never eventuated. Hoping simply led to disappointment.
An hour later and Charlotte was anything but bored. She sat on the edge of her seat. Sin and Devlin were tied and a shoot off was underway.
She watched from under the tree as Dharma strolled down to join the men. What was she up to? She saw Sinclair hand Dharma a coin. It looked like they wanted her to do a toss-up to see who shot first.
“It doesn’t matter who wins. Both men would make for a wonderful outing.”
Flora’s words ended with a sigh of delight. It certainly bothered Charlotte that there was only one man she wanted to win, and he was most definitely the wrong man.
Her fingers gripped the armrest of her chair as Sinclair took the first shot. She hardly noticed that she was chewing her lip as he drew the bow back, his chiseled face a mask of stern concentration. It seemed like hours before the twang was heard and the arrow took flight.
She almost closed her eyes, willing the arrow to find its mark.
Flora clapped. “Gosh, he almost hit the Gold but not quite.”
Charlotte would not let her disappointment show. The shot wasn’t good enough. Devlin would never miss the Gold. She, too, clapped politely.
Lord Sinclair clapped Devlin on the back as his opponent moved to take up position. Sinclair knew it wasn’t good enough.
Dharma handed Devlin the arrow. She was standing quite close. Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. Oh, no. She wouldn’t.
Devlin drew back the bow, took aim and then… It all happened in slow motion. Just as he was about to shoot, she watched as Dharma leaned close and—did she just blow in his ear? The movement was so tiny only Charlotte, and it would appear Devlin noticed, for the shot went wide, embedding in the target's edge.
She heard Devlin sportingly say, “The breeze must have caught it.” And for some reason, his face was holding a wide smile.Why was he so pleased that he’d missed?Her hopes of a private arrangement with Devlin were fading by the minute. It would seem he was not as desperate as she’d imagined.
All she could focus on was Dharma’s gloating smile. She’d done this on purpose the little hussy.
Charlotte could feel the heat radiating from her face as she realized both Devlin and Sinclair fully understood what had just occurred. Neither gentlemen seemed very upset by the outcome and her nerves stretched and fizzed with excitement, and a bit of fear. Lord Sinclair—Sin—was not the best outcome for her first outing, yet she wasn’t disappointed.
“Oh, how lovely. An outing with Lord Sinclair. Who would have thought?”
“Yes, Flora, who would have thought,” she added dryly under her breath.
“Now you’ll have a chance to tell him your secret.”
Sometimes she could hit Flora. “Don’t be ridiculous. One does not share intimate details of one’s life on the first outing.” As she watched Sin slip his jacket back on across those broad shoulders, she wondered if perhaps Flora was not right. “I don’t even know if he’s looking for a wife.”
Flora scowled. “Of course he is. He has no heirs. The man has an obligation.”
“Do be quiet. He is coming this way.” She tried to gather her scattered wits as he approached. Gooseflesh rose on her arms even in the heat. He stopped before her, and the look of victorious satisfaction flaming in his eyes made her heart pound and long for something she knew she would not get from this man.
His heart.
If he had loved his first wife, if he was indeed looking for another wife, she doubted that he’d risk his heart again. She only had to look at Flora to understand once you’d shared a grand love, you clung to it to the exclusion of all else. It would take a special woman to win this man’s guarded heart and as she knew all too well, she’d never been, nor ever would be—special.
“Lady Charlotte, your victor has come to claim his prize.” He bowed low over her hand.
“Lord Sinclair, I shall be ready to collect at three for any outing you so choose.”
“Any? How interesting.”
