Tenacious Trents 02 - A Perfect Gentleman by Jane Charles Page B

her. But, she
was tired of coming in second to Audrey, where gentlemen were
concerned. Not that she could blame the gentlemen, of course.
Audrey was beautiful and kind.
    Tears pricked her eyes and Grace quickly
swiped them away. Why so maudlin all of a sudden? She sniffed and
returned back into the house. It has simply been a trying day that
was all. Vicar Trent had shown her kindness and comfort, and until
now she hadn’t realized how much of it had lacked in her life the
past year. She needn’t make anything more out of it than what it
was. He was being kind because it was his vocation and she would
cease thinking about him kissing and holding her and concentrate on
her father. It was most important. And, when Vicar Trent did settle
on someone, she would be happy for him.
    In the meantime, she needed to address her
current situation. Of Thorn, Richards and Draker, who would be the
best match for her?

    Matthew sat atop his horse in the middle the
road, unsure of what direction to go, a bit flummoxed from his
encounter, and near kiss, with Miss Cooper. He needed to go home
and concentrate on the sermon for next Sunday but in truth; his
heart was not in it. He wanted to return to the Cooper home and
take Grace in his arms and kiss her until she didn’t have a care in
the world. He wanted to strip that gown from her body and lay
beside her, touch her, kiss her from the top of her head to the
tips of her toes and everywhere in between. He wanted to lie
between her thighs and share the intimacy that was as old as
time.
    He adjusted his seat, growing uncomfortable
in his clothing. He hadn’t been this aroused in years. Practice and
discipline usually kept him from being in such a needful state.
When his body longed for the comfort of a woman he had been able to
think of other matters until his loins cooled. Such had not been
the case since meeting Miss Cooper and he had yet to be in her
presence without becoming at least half aroused. This did not bode
well for his role as her vicar. He needed to get control of his
lust and somehow ignore what he wanted and focus on her, as his
parishioner, and nothing else. But how did one do that.
    He would ask Jordan but his brother never
denied himself the company of a woman, ever. And, if his brother
even had the slightest suspicion of what Miss Cooper was doing to
him, Jordan would never let him hear the end of it. His brother
would also probably encourage Matthew to enjoy her company, yet
Miss Cooper wasn’t like any other woman, especially those his
brother gravitated toward. Matthew knew if he were to seduce Miss
Cooper, it would only occur after vows had been spoken and he
wasn’t sure he was ready to marry or knew her nearly well enough to
form a permanent bond.
    He had to stop thinking about Grace and her
clear eyes, full breasts, and bed. He had to empty her form his
thoughts and think of something else or he would never be
comfortable, unless he took care of matters himself and he hadn’t
needed to do that in years. No, he would turn his mind from her. He
wasn’t a young lad experiencing lust and desire for the first time.
He had more control.
    Matthew turned the horse toward town. He
would visit his brother. He needed to speak further with Jordan
anyway. All he had gotten out of his brother earlier was an
appointment was scheduled. Surely this was not a matter a
magistrate could decide. What of the courts? Could Miss Cooper take
her case to London?
    He shook the thought away. She would have a
more difficult time trying to convince the courts that she was the
best person to take care of her father. Worse, they would be more
likely to push for confinement in Bedlam. Mr. Cooper was not
mad.
    Matthew blew out a breath and urged his horse
toward the village. He needed to make his brother understand. Could
he convince him to quit working for Lord Stillwaite? And, how had
Jordan managed to become a lawyer without anyone knowing? Father
would be livid if he were alive.
    Matthew