The Hellion and The Heartbreaker (10 page)

Despite the fact that she no longer acted like the spoiled
hoyden of her youth, Alec recognized that Scarlett McPhearson was still very
much accustomed to getting what she wanted.  She was young and reckless
and still far too willful for her own good.
 
“You don’t mean that, Scarlett,” Alec said softly.

Did she?  Was she willing to cast aside her virtue for a
chance to capture the heart of a man who wasn’t interested in marriage? 
But what other choice did she have?  In a few days he would return to
London and to the scores of women who were more than willing to surrender their
bodies to the glorious Duke of Worthe.  So what then?  Did she dare
enter into a scandalous affair with Alec Weston, with only the hope that he
would fall in love with her as she had with him?  She didn’t have time to
think or to question the possible ramifications of her actions; she only knew
what she was feeling at that moment.  She was in love with Alec Weston and
she intended to have him, one way, or another.  “You said you weren’t in
the market for a wife.”  Though she was trembling inside, she curved her
mouth into a seductive smile.  “Perhaps
I’m
not in the market for a
husband.”

Alec had been the recipient of the exact same smile more
times than he could count.  Lowering his hand he studied Scarlett, his
expression speculative.  Was she serious?  Could he have been
mistaken about her?  Was it possible that she wasn’t the innocent he had
taken her for?  Had her reckless streak taken her down a similar path
before?  Regardless, the fact that she was Colin’s sister remained the
same, and unfortunately made the point irrelevant.

“Scarlett…” 

Much to Scarlett’s frustration, whatever Alec had been about
to say was interrupted by the sudden sound of voices.  He quickly stepped
away from her, and a moment later the door swung open as Colin and Gavin
entered the stable.

“I thought I would find the two of you in here,” Colin
greeted.

“Had the poor chap out riding at the crack of dawn, didn’t
you, Scarlett?”  Gavin joked good-naturedly as he moved forward to stand
at his brother’s side.

“Indeed she did,” Alec responded jovially, praying the pair
didn’t notice Scarlett’s red, kiss-swollen lips.  To her credit, Scarlett
appeared totally blasé and completely unaffected by what had transpired between
them only minutes before.  Hmm, perhaps she
was
more experienced
than he’d thought.

“Isn’t it a bit early for you laz-abouts to be up and
around?” Scarlett teased, a look of exaggerated surprise on her face.

“I’ll never understand you early risers,” Gavin said, shaking
his head in bewilderment as he moved forward and draped an arm across
Scarlett’s shoulders, pulling her to his side for a brotherly squeeze.

She flashed him a sunny smile.  “Alec let me ride
Brutus.”

“She handled him magnificently,” Alec stated with obvious
admiration.

“You were lucky to get that fine animal,” Colin piped
in.  “Our Scarlett wanted him for herself the minute she laid eyes on
him.”

“Did she now?”  Alec queried with the quirk of an
eyebrow.

“Indeed she did,” Gavin added.  “And believe me, she
wasn’t too happy to find out she couldn’t have him.”

“Now that’s an understatement,” Colin teased, regarding
Scarlett with brotherly affection.  “I’m afraid our little sister was
rather accustomed to getting what she wanted.”

“I was a bit of a terror in my younger days,” Scarlett
admitted with an impish smile.

Alec brushed his thumb along the tiny scars on the back of
his hand.  “I would never have guessed,” he said with an amused smile.

Fortunately her brothers were oblivious to the conspiratorial
twinkle in their eyes, as he and Scarlett were unwittingly reminded of their
first encounter.

As Alec and her brothers drifted into a discussion regarding
the previous racing season at Newmarket, Scarlett found it difficult to keep
her eyes from lingering on Alec’s handsome visage.  Seemingly against her will,
her gaze repeatedly drifted to the full, firm lips that had been pressed so
deliciously against her own only minutes before.

Though Alec felt the recurring heat of Scarlett’s gaze, he
did his best to appear unaware.  It was a difficult struggle.

Realizing that her brothers were bound to notice that she
couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off Alec, Scarlett politely excused herself a
few minutes later, leaving the men to continue their discussion without
her. 

Alec stood before the mirror in the bedchamber he had been
assigned, trying with no small degree of difficulty to perfect the damnable
knot in his cravat, momentarily regretting his decision to leave Thomas
behind.  Frowning in irritation, he finally dropped his hands.  He’d
given it his best effort and that would have to do.  In truth, his
frustration had less to do with the state of his attire and more to do with his
unwarranted attraction toward a certain flame-haired vixen, an attraction that
tempted him as no other had before.  Though Colin and his brothers had
kept him busy with various amusements throughout the day, thoughts of Scarlett
had plagued him without mercy.  

Grabbing his dinner jacket, he slid his arms into the
sleeves, silently cursing himself and his nefarious desires.  He never
should have kissed her.  He knew that.  His behavior had been
inexcusable.  Not only was she a young, unmarried lady from a highly
respected family, she was the sister of his closest friend, a dreadful
combination.  Despite the question of her innocence or lack thereof,
whichever the case may be, he knew that he had to keep his distance. 
Anything else would be an unpardonable breach of friendship and trust, as well
as an appalling compromise of his integrity.  He may be a man unfamiliar
with denying his temptations, but deny them he would.  In this instance,
he simply had no other choice.  With one last parting glance in the
mirror, Alec buttoned his jacket and then turned toward the door.

As the only female in the family, Scarlett’s bedchamber
wasn’t located in the same wing as her brothers’.  In fact, it was at the
opposite end of the house, directly across from the chamber that Alec now
occupied.  When she heard the door to his room open and close, she
realized that he had gone down to dinner.  Taking a deep steadying breath,
she fought to calm her nerves as she smoothed a tiny wrinkle from her
indigo-colored skirt and once again readjusted the low cut bodice of her silk
gown.  She had spent extra time on her appearance, wanting to look her absolute
best, and could only hope that her efforts proved worthwhile.  Reaching
for the small glass perfume bottle that sat atop her vanity, she dabbed the
expensive French fragrance she had received on her last birthday onto her
wrists and along the sides of her neck.   

When she exited her room a few moments later, Scarlett drew
on every last bit of courage she possessed, knowing that the decision she had
made earlier in the day had the potential to change her life forever. 
Rash and reckless though it might be, she was about to do whatever she possibly
could to win the heart of Alec Weston.  She was allowing her emotions to
rule her head, she knew that, but she didn’t care.  Taking one last
calming breath, she stubbornly refused to consider the possibility that she
might be setting herself up for a terrible heartbreak.

As Scarlett descended the stairs, she found Colin waiting for
her at the bottom.  His gaze swept over her and he smiled in admiration.

“You look beautiful as always, Minx,” he told her, as she
reached the landing.

“And you are as handsome as ever of course,” she returned
with a grin, linking her arm through his as they made their way to the dining
room.

Crossing the threshold, Scarlett’s eyes were instantly drawn
to Alec’s tall frame.  He noted her entrance and though he smiled warmly
in greeting, she thought she detected a slight reserve in his expression. 
Her brothers greeted her in their typical jovial fashion however, effectively
distracting her from her perusal of Alec.  As they playfully jockeyed for
positions around the table, Scarlett found herself seated between Alec and
Rory.  As always, Alec’s nearness caused her pulse to quicken, as did the
now familiar faint yet tantalizing scent of his cologne.  The combination
was doing crazy things to her senses and she struggled to appear unaffected.

“So, Scarlett, I heard you finally got your wish,” Rory said,
nudging her with an impish grin as the first course was set before them.

She turned, eyeing her brother in confusion.  For a
moment she forgot to breathe.  Surely he couldn’t mean what she thought he
meant.  “My wish?”

“You finally got to ride that black you had your eye on.”

Of course, Rory was referring to Brutus.  “Oh,” she
recovered quickly.  “Yes, Alec was kind enough to allow me to ride him.”

Unbidden, Scarlett’s words took on an entirely different
connotation in Alec’s thoughts, and he very nearly choked on the sip of wine
he’d just taken.  Fortunately no one seemed to notice.  “She handled
him beautifully.  In fact, I’ve never seen the brute so well-behaved.”

“Scarlett’s an amazing rider,” Conner confirmed from his seat
across the table.  “She was astride her first pony shortly after she
learned to walk.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Alec chuckled. 

“Rory’s promised to take me riding on Rotten Row when we are
in London,” Scarlett said, turning to Alec.

“The park is lovely this time of year.  I’m sure you
will thoroughly enjoy the experience.”  As will every gentleman who has
the good fortune to see you pass by, Alec thought somewhat wistfully. 
Scarlett was going to be a head-turner to be sure.

As it had the previous evening, the conversation flowed
easily and continuously and Alec did his best to keep his thoughts from
straying too frequently to Scarlett.  However, being seated so close to
her, made it far more difficult than it should have been.  Whenever he
turned his head in her direction, he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes from
lingering on the delicate curve of her neck, or falling to the lush rise of her
breasts, the latter enticingly accentuated by the revealing cut of her
gown.  Even worse were the soft, gentle tones of her voice and the
delicate ring of her laughter, the sweet, beguiling sounds like potent
aphrodisiacs.  Perhaps it was the fact that she was forbidden fruit, he
wasn’t sure, all he knew for certain was that despite his best efforts, he
wanted her more than any other woman he had ever known.  The notion was
disconcerting to say the least.  Actually, it was frustrating as hell. 
Thankfully, the presence of her brothers was a constant reminder that Scarlett
was hopelessly out of his reach.

As they dined, Scarlett got the distinct impression that Alec
was trying to distance himself from her, emotionally if not physically. 
Although he appeared as charming and cordial as ever, she detected a subtle
difference in his overall demeanor.  She understood perfectly.  He
had told her that she was off limits to him, and it was clear that he was doing
his best to adhere to that decision.  Unfortunately for him, she intended
to do everything she could to change his mind.  And so, as the evening
progressed, she smiled and laughed and did her best to garner his attention.
 She had worn one of her most revealing gowns, one that put her generous feminine
curves on blatant display, and she deliberately leaned into him when she spoke,
repeatedly awarding him an unobstructed view of her copious charms.  She
peeked at him from the corner of her eye when she thought he was looking and
cast inviting smiles in his direction when no one else was watching.  She
was playing the unfamiliar role of coquette, but as the night wore on, it was
becoming easier and easier. 

By the time the final course was served, Scarlett was quite
pleased with the change in Alec’s disposition.  Although he tried to
maintain his reserve, it was obviously becoming more difficult for him. 
She deliberately brushed her hand against his arm as she reached for her
wineglass and the air between them nearly crackled with awareness.  She
recalled what Bethany had once told her.  “
Men are ruled by their
desires Scarlett.  A woman who possesses both beauty and intelligence can
bring even the strongest of men to his knees.”
 Though she couldn’t
imagine Alec Weston brought to his knees by any woman, she had definitely
regained his attention.  It was a start. 

She had to be careful though, for she dare not raise her
brothers’ suspicions regarding her interest in Alec.  Despite the physical
and emotional changes she had undergone in the past years, they still thought
of her not as a woman, but as their baby sister.  She could only imagine
their reaction if they knew she had set her sights on one of England’s most
illustrious rakes.  

“It appears that the weather has taken a turn for the worse,”
Colin commented once the desert was cleared and they had all risen from their
seats at the dinner table.   

Turning to the window, Scarlett could see that the light snow
that had begun to fall as they had sat down to dinner was falling much harder
now, and the wind seemed to have picked up as well.  Though she was
careful not to let it show, she could scarcely contain her joy.  She’d
feared that her brothers had been planning to take Alec to the local village
later to partake in the offerings of the local tavern, as well as the local
women.  It had been a decidedly unpleasant notion, and Gavin and Rory’s
grumbling comments quickly confirmed that her suspicion had been correct.