Heaven Scent by SpursFanatic Page B

another man’s scent on her
skin, his seed in her belly?
    Rafe cursed under his
breath, eliciting raised brows from the butler. What the hell was he doing
here?
    “Tarin, when word gets out about what
has happened, your reputation with the Brahmin will be ruined. The
women will oust you and no man will want you.”
    Rafe wanted her. His body could attest
to that.
    Kitty was naïve to think no man would
want Tarin. She had too many assets to ever be considered
unmarriageable.
    “Who is going to tell? You, my closest
friend? Or Rafe, the man who’s trying to improve his family
business, and whose own heroic reputation would be
ruined?”
    Rafe grinned at the butler. Damn, the
woman was a pistol. If anything, life would not be dull with Tarin
around.
    He told the butler, “I assume your
discretion goes without saying…” Rafe added a deep scowl for
emphasis.
    The butler gave him a brief nod. “Sir,
I traveled with the Worthington family from the Motherland. If
anyone should question loyalty, perhaps it is I who should question
you.”
    Rafe grinned. Apparently spunk ran
rampant in the Worthington household. Rafe held out his hand for a
shake. The butler stared at it as though it was covered with
manure. “Sir, I do not - “
    “What, you have something against the
Brahmin, Mr…?” The butler’s rounded eyes were replaced with a brief
shake of his head. “Hobbs, sir.”
    Rafe nodded as they exchanged a
handshake. “Hobbs. You’ll be seeing a lot of me around
here.”
    “I assumed as much, sir.”
    “So, are you going to announce me or
should I just surprise her?” Again.
    Hobbs’s wide eyes and straight back
alarmed Rafe. “Oh no, sir. Surprise her, please. I am under strict
orders from Lady Worthington not to allow you in the
house.”
    Rafe chuckled to himself. He knew he
was in for a battle today. “So, why did you let me in the front
door?”
    “Because Lord Worthington also told me,
in no uncertain terms, that I was to allow you to see Lady Tarin
any time you’d like.”
    Rafe laughed aloud just as the butler
opened the door and ran. Silence filled the parlor. If looks could
kill, Hobbs would be lying in tiny pieces on the carpet.
    Or was that deep frown on Tarin’s
beet-red face intended for him?
    She looked exceptionally beautiful
today with her coppery hair trailing over her shoulders in thick
curls. She wore a pink dress that made her skin look as smooth as
cream. He couldn’t wait to touch her again.
    “Lady Worthington,” he said with a
brief nod. “Miss Hamilton.”
    If the smile on Kitty’s face was any
indication, she had forgiven him his sins from the previous
evening. He wasn’t sure why, considering she had been ready to toss
him out on his ear last night. But he was not one to question her
change of heart. Rafe could use all of the allies he could
get.
    “Mr. Sutherland,” Kitty announced from
where she stood in front of the wall tapestry, “it’s a pleasure to
see you again.”
    His eyes turned to Tarin. She glared at
him from across the room.
    “What are you doing here?” Tarin
barked, her arms crossed over her chest.
    Rafe started across the room. Tarin’s
eyes widened. She took a step back then stood her ground. She
glared at him beneath lowered brows.
    Rafe laughed to himself. She must’ve
realized how close she was to putting herself in the same
predicament as the night before. “I told you I was going to call on
you today.” He stopped in front of Tarin and took her hand in his.
Before he could kiss it, she snatched it from his grasp.
    “I was hoping we could picnic in the
Commons today. My cook fixed a spread fit for a king.”
    Kitty clapped her hands together. “Oh,
how lovely.”
    “I’m not hungry,” Tarin stated, tapping
her foot.
    She was being difficult as he’d
expected. But Rafe was a patient man. “That‘s okay. It’s a
beautiful day to spend in the park. Maybe your appetite will return
once you’re out and about.”
    “I doubt it.” She