Page 16 of Seducing the Knave

Putting a stop to his wandering thoughts with a harsh groan, he had to adjust himself again as the throbbing pressure in his cock became almost unbearable.

He forced himself to think of other, far less provocative things, and his body finally began to relax. He even allowed his eyes to close, and soon, his full belly and the warm body draped atop him soothed him into the rhythms of her breath and the rocking of the carriage.

He had no idea how much time had passed when the sharp and very distinct sound of a pistol shot jolted him awake. The darkness of night filled the carriage with deep shadows and he instinctively tightened his arm around the woman snuggled against him.

“Stand and deliver.” The shouted command was unmistakable.

“Fuck,” he muttered as the vehicle was brought to a swift rocking halt.

Highwaymen.

Elle stirred gently. Her hand on his belly curled into a fist as she murmured something incoherent then drew in a deep inhale.

Dividing his attention between the sound of approaching horses, shouted commands, and the woman he continued to hold snug in his arms, Max looked down to meet her sleepy gaze. The blue-violet of her eyes glimmered like jewels in the gathering darkness.

When she took another breath to speak, he pressed his finger firmly to her pillowy lips. He had to forcefully ignore the spark of desire those plush lips inspired to give a short shake of his head.

Her sharp little frown quickly turned into an expression of dawning awareness as she no doubt heard the rising commotion outside. Lowering his chin to bring his lips against the curve of her ear, he murmured quietly, “Pull up that hood and keep to the shadows. I’ll handle this.”

When she gave a tiny nod of acknowledgment, he slowly released her.

She quickly but silently tucked herself into the corner of the seat, pulling her cloak back into place. But not before he caught sight of her stunned face and wide eyes.

Even in her shock and fear after having just awakened from a deep sleep, she was bloody gorgeous.

A fact he did not intend the brigands currently surrounding their carriage to discover.

Max knew better than anyone that men driven to crime as a means of survival could be unpredictable and dangerous. Of course, once it became clear what motivated someone to such extremes, they were easy enough to manage. If he were alone, Max would already be thinking of ways to taunt the thieves into exposing a vulnerability he could exploit.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone. And his companion could prove to be a greater temptation to the thieves than the jewels he had no intention of giving up.

He was already leaning forward to block the view into the carriage when the door was thrown open by a hulking figure of a man in a heavy overcoat with his face concealed by a mask. The pistol in his hand lifted to point directly at Max’s chest.

Slowly raising his hands, Max met the man’s eyes. “Easy, mate. I’m no’ armed and I’m no’ keen on dying tonight.”

He intentionally allowed his natural cockney to thicken his words, hoping to confuse the highwayman who’d likely expected such a well-appointed carriage to be carrying an equally well-appointed gent.

“Shut it and get out,” the thief ordered.

Max gave a nod and stepped from the vehicle but didn’t move away from the door. A quick glance found a second man standing at the front of the carriage with a rifle trained on George in the driver’s seat. Three horses could be seen along the tree line, but the third robber was missing. No doubt, he was holding Jack at gunpoint around the back, where he could keep an eye on the other side of the carriage.

“Now then,” Max said, returning his attention to the man in front of him, “what can I be doing fer ye?”

“You can start by handing over your valuables.”

Max shook his head. “None doin’,” he replied before a slow smile spread his lips even as his voice dropped to a threatening tone. “I keep what’s mine.”

The highwayman hesitated. No doubt, he wasn’t accustomed to people resisting. Max, however, had faced far greater threats in his life than a desperate country thief.

The highwayman took a menacing step closer to press the barrel of his gun to Max’s chest. “And I say what’s yours is now mine,” he grunted. “Including that fancy piece you’re traveling with.”

Fuck. So much for keeping the chit out of this.

Max tilted his head then slid another quick look at the one with the rifle. “Ye’re the three blokes from the inn,” he noted casually. “Locals, then. I can’t imagine ye see much action out here. Ye’d be better off settin’ on folks closer to London. Bigger pond, bigger fish.”

The pistol wavered as the thief shifted his weight and shot a glance to his partner up front before looking back to Max. “I said shut it. Empty your pockets before I put a hole in that fine coat of yours.”

There was no way Max was going to just hand over his recently acquired jewels. He needed a proper distraction.

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