pressing her body closer to his, buoyed by his heated strength.
He hesitated at first, but then seemed to understand. His arms tightened around her, the full length of her body snuggled against the hard curves of his, the clean scent of him embracing her. Hart dropped a soft kiss next to her ear and then just held her as she needed to be held. She closed her eyes, trying to regain a sense of security in the sanctuary of his arms.
After a few moments, she forced herself to pull slightly away to look into his eyes. Instinctively, she reached up to kiss his cheek. At the same moment, he turned his head as though to release her and their mouths collided.
His entire body stiffened, his shock obvious. But his lips caught and kept hers. Soft and gentle, he gave her the lightest of kisses, as though she were fragile and could shatter at any moment. Warmth and tenderness swelled in her chest and her sense of balance wobbled, her legs feeling like glowing masses of air.
Somewhere far away a commotion sounded, loud voices followed by the door to the storeroom being flung open. Willa almost protested when Hart’s lips pulled away, leaving her dazed and swaying on her feet.
“You sodding bastard.” Cam stood on the threshold with his legs braced apart, hands fisted at his sides, the look of astonishment on his face mutating into a feral snarl when he took in their embrace and her ravaged gown. “I’ll kill you for this.”
Chapter Seven
Hart barely registered Cam’s words on account of the pounding in his ears. Realizing he still held Willa’s soft sumptuousness in his arms, he gently disengaged from her, guiding her to sink into one of the hard chairs at the small wooden table.
Turning to face his friend, he said, “I can explain.”
“Stubble it, you white livered son of a bitch.” Cam’s voice shook with fury. “You will explain it to my saber while I’m running you through.”
Willa’s murmur of protest distracted Cam. He moved to kneel before her, wrapping his hands over hers. “Willa? Did he harm you?”
She held the fabric of her torn gown together over her chest to cover herself. “No, of course not.”
“He tore your gown.” Disbelief filled Cam’s voice as he surged to his feet and spun to face Hart, a savage gleam in his eyes. “You bastard.”
Still trying to gain his bearings, Hart planted his feet, readying himself for Cam’s assault. “It is not what it seems.”
“No? I find you alone in a room with the door closed.” He stalked toward Hart. “Your hands were all over her.”
“Cam, don’t be absurd.” Willa pushed a tendril from her face, cheeks rosy against porcelain skin. Her mass of chestnut curls had partly fallen down, tumbling about her shoulders. Hart forced his eyes away from the extra bit of pale flesh left exposed by the torn décolletage of her gown.
“Hartwell didn’t attack me,” she said, the words weary. “He saved me from a man who attacked me in the alley. If it hadn’t been for His Grace, who knows what would have happened.”
“Saved you?” Cam tilted a look at her. “What were you doing alone in the alley?”
“I was riding with Augustus.” She glanced at Hart and then back to her cousin. “I decided to alight and walk the rest of the way.”
“Alone? Willa, what were you thinking?” Cam’s voice rose in exasperation. “This is London, not some country village.”
“The traffic was intolerable,” she said. “So you see, we owe Hartwell our thanks.”
Hart barely registered the exchange. All he heard was that she’d been with Bellingham.
“Allow me to understand,” Cam said to Hart. “My cousin was attacked and you saved her from certain ravishment only to tip the velvet yourself?”
Willa blanched at the coarse language. “Cam!”
His eyes blazed. “Do you deny it, Hartwell?”
Hart’s gut tightened. How could he refute it? Their tongues might not have been involved, but there was no denying that kiss. As fleeting as it had
He hesitated at first, but then seemed to understand. His arms tightened around her, the full length of her body snuggled against the hard curves of his, the clean scent of him embracing her. Hart dropped a soft kiss next to her ear and then just held her as she needed to be held. She closed her eyes, trying to regain a sense of security in the sanctuary of his arms.
After a few moments, she forced herself to pull slightly away to look into his eyes. Instinctively, she reached up to kiss his cheek. At the same moment, he turned his head as though to release her and their mouths collided.
His entire body stiffened, his shock obvious. But his lips caught and kept hers. Soft and gentle, he gave her the lightest of kisses, as though she were fragile and could shatter at any moment. Warmth and tenderness swelled in her chest and her sense of balance wobbled, her legs feeling like glowing masses of air.
Somewhere far away a commotion sounded, loud voices followed by the door to the storeroom being flung open. Willa almost protested when Hart’s lips pulled away, leaving her dazed and swaying on her feet.
“You sodding bastard.” Cam stood on the threshold with his legs braced apart, hands fisted at his sides, the look of astonishment on his face mutating into a feral snarl when he took in their embrace and her ravaged gown. “I’ll kill you for this.”
Chapter Seven
Hart barely registered Cam’s words on account of the pounding in his ears. Realizing he still held Willa’s soft sumptuousness in his arms, he gently disengaged from her, guiding her to sink into one of the hard chairs at the small wooden table.
Turning to face his friend, he said, “I can explain.”
“Stubble it, you white livered son of a bitch.” Cam’s voice shook with fury. “You will explain it to my saber while I’m running you through.”
Willa’s murmur of protest distracted Cam. He moved to kneel before her, wrapping his hands over hers. “Willa? Did he harm you?”
She held the fabric of her torn gown together over her chest to cover herself. “No, of course not.”
“He tore your gown.” Disbelief filled Cam’s voice as he surged to his feet and spun to face Hart, a savage gleam in his eyes. “You bastard.”
Still trying to gain his bearings, Hart planted his feet, readying himself for Cam’s assault. “It is not what it seems.”
“No? I find you alone in a room with the door closed.” He stalked toward Hart. “Your hands were all over her.”
“Cam, don’t be absurd.” Willa pushed a tendril from her face, cheeks rosy against porcelain skin. Her mass of chestnut curls had partly fallen down, tumbling about her shoulders. Hart forced his eyes away from the extra bit of pale flesh left exposed by the torn décolletage of her gown.
“Hartwell didn’t attack me,” she said, the words weary. “He saved me from a man who attacked me in the alley. If it hadn’t been for His Grace, who knows what would have happened.”
“Saved you?” Cam tilted a look at her. “What were you doing alone in the alley?”
“I was riding with Augustus.” She glanced at Hart and then back to her cousin. “I decided to alight and walk the rest of the way.”
“Alone? Willa, what were you thinking?” Cam’s voice rose in exasperation. “This is London, not some country village.”
“The traffic was intolerable,” she said. “So you see, we owe Hartwell our thanks.”
Hart barely registered the exchange. All he heard was that she’d been with Bellingham.
“Allow me to understand,” Cam said to Hart. “My cousin was attacked and you saved her from certain ravishment only to tip the velvet yourself?”
Willa blanched at the coarse language. “Cam!”
His eyes blazed. “Do you deny it, Hartwell?”
Hart’s gut tightened. How could he refute it? Their tongues might not have been involved, but there was no denying that kiss. As fleeting as it had
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