Page 70 of Brave New Earl (The Way to a Lord's Heart 1)

Forgetting was not the problem, Jean thought. There was so much she would be delighted to forget.

“I hadn’t thought of that hideaway in years. I’m glad Geoffrey found it.”

Jean nodded. She began to walk. Movement was helpful in these instances, a sign from her body to her mind that she was unfettered.

Lord Furness fell into step beside her. Blessedly, he said no more. They walked in silence for a bit. Birds sang. Jean’s ruffled spirits settled. They passed a bench under a leafy arbor.

“Would you care to sit?”

They did. Bees hummed in the flowers above their heads. A sweet scent drifted down. After a while, Jean realized that she felt peaceful, which was surprising under the circumstances. Of course, this man also disturbed her peace. Was he going to talk of marriage again? She wanted him to, and yet she didn’t.

“I must thank you for returning Geoffrey to me,” said Lord Furness.

“What?” This wasn’t what she’d expected.

“If you hadn’t come to kidnap him, well, who knows how things would have gone between us.”

“I did not come to kidnap him!”

“I seem to recall a swoop down out of nowhere to do exactly that,” he replied with a sidelong smile.

He was teasing her. And, unexpectedly, she rather liked it.

“Whatever we call it, you restored him to me,” he continued.

“You did that yourself,” Jean answered. “You saw that a change was needed, and you made it.” Which was a rare gift, she thought.

“I never would have done so without your…instigation.” Benjamin liked this word that had come to him. It was exactly right. Miss Jean Saunders was a lovely, lively, occasionally maddening instigator. She’d hurtled into his closed world and shaken him. Shaken him to depths he hadn’t known he possessed.

Her lips were just a little parted. He ached to kiss her. Did she want that as much as he did? He leaned closer, exploratory.

She moved at the same moment, more quickly, and their mouths met with an awkward bump. Benjamin steadied them into a kiss. One searching, tender kiss before he made himself draw back as he ought.

She moved with him, plunging them into another, fiercer kiss. Her body pressed against his. Her arms slid under his coat, and he felt her fingertips on his ribs as if his shirt didn’t exist. Did she have any idea how thoroughly she roused him?

The question was submerged by a deluge of kisses. Rational thought sank out of sight, unregretted. Benjamin’s hands found the curves beneath her clothes. She murmured lusciously at his touch. He wanted to hear more of that—much more. To make this woman cry out with pleasure would be as satisfying as sating the desire that thundered in his veins. If only they could be rid of all these blasted garments.

“Hoorah!” Geoffrey came running up to them. He was astride his stick now, using it like a hobbyhorse rather than to execute innocent vegetation. “It’s time for a ride,” he cried. “Let’s go to the stables.”

Miss Saunders pulled back. Benjamin did the same as he wrestled with a mixture of thwarted desire and anger and chagrin. “You go ahead.” He waved his son away. “I’ll come along in a while.”

“Now,” declared Geoffrey. He pushed the end of the stick between them, jostling as if it really was a restive mount. “Fergus wants to see you.”

“He’ll see me later,” Benjamin replied. He struggled to get his surging emotions under control.

“But it’stime.”

Miss Saunders rose. “I should go in.” She sounded a bit breathless.

He stood beside her. “No, you shouldnot. Go on to the stables, Geoffrey.” Benjamin was aware that his sharp tone was a step backward with his son. But it was the best he could do.

The boy—hands and knees grubby from his excavations, mouth turned down and sullen—gazed at them for a moment, then curbed a revolt from his imaginary mount and ran away. They watched him go.

“He’ll be all right,” Benjamin said as much to himself as to his companion.

“You should go and watch his ride.”

“I will watch Geoffrey ride on many future occasions. But not just now.” He sounded annoyed. Hewasannoyed at the interruption, but he mustn’t be. “I’ll speak to him later. He’s a child; he’ll forget.” Benjamin made himself take a deep breath. Miss Saunders was a guest in his house. He couldn’t ravish her in his garden arbor, or anywhere else. With that thought, a number of other tantalizing locations occurred to him.

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