The Sweetest Kiss (Brothers of Worthington Series) (31 page)

What could he possibly be thinking? He’d just told her how she shouldn’t give up on
Trey, that
she was the woman who would break through to his heart. Dominic loved Trey, so why was he taking liberties with her—

“Excuse me for interrupting.” Trey’s voice boomed from the doorway.

Judith jumped. She pushed away from Dominic and clutched her throat, focusing on Trey. Strength sapped from her limbs. Even the words in her mind wouldn’t form on her tongue. All she could do was stare, and wish she could hide in a hole.

Chapter Fifteen

Inwardly, Judith died. Why did
Trey
have to choose this time to come home early, especially when he hadn’t done so in two weeks?

Casually, Dominic stood and adjusted his waistcoat.
“Trey.
What a surprise to see you this fine afternoon.”

Her heartbeat thudded in a crazy rhythm as she watched Trey. Anger lines creased his forehead and around his mouth, and his beautiful blue eyes were dulled with pain. Slowly, her heart broke, piece by agonizing piece.

Trey lifted his chin. “I’m quite certain it is a surprise, Hawthorne.” His gaze briefly touched Judith before he glared at Dominic. “Tell me, what are your intentions toward my mother’s ward?”

Straightening, Dominic clasped his hands behind his back. “Purely honorable, if you must know.”

“Of course I must know. You were caught kissing her, you jackanapes.”

She stepped forward and reached out to Trey. “It’s not what you think—”

“Judith, my dear,” Dominic interrupted. “Let me take care of this.”

Oh, no!
 
This wasn’t good at all. Trey would never forgive her. She had to make him understand she didn’t encourage Dominic’s kiss. For some reason, she doubted Trey would believe her. Emptiness consumed her chest and she couldn’t breathe.

“Hawthorne,” Trey barked. “All I want to know is if you are going to make your intentions known. You had mentioned a while back how you wished to court her, and I clearly discouraged your request. Now I see you have gone against my word.” He folded his arms across his chest. “What are your plans with Miss Faraday? Are you going to lead her to believe she will be the next Lady Hawthorne like you do to most women?”

Dominic glared. “That was uncalled for. You know Judith is different from those other women.”

She wrung her hands against her middle. Dominic wanted to make Trey jealous in hopes he would realize his love for her. Should they continue with the ruse? If Trey’s reactions were not as Dominic had planned, would the man she loved be lost to her forever?

“Trey, I request permission to speak with you in private,” Dominic said.

Trey’s jaw hardened, his mouth pinched in a frown. His accusing gaze switched to Judith and her world slowly slipped away. He wore his feelings on his shoulders, and it was obvious his soul was aching as much as hers. All she wanted to do was run to him and hold him, kiss him and let him know everything was all right.

“Judith? Do you wish to say anything at this time?” Trey asked.

Oh, what a loaded question. What could she say that he would believe, anyway? She shifted her shoulders back and lifted her chin. “I will speak with you in private too, my lord. However, I shall wait until you have spoken with Dominic.”

Trey nodded,
then
looked at his friend. “Meet me in my study in ten minutes. Don’t be late.” He spun around and marched out of the room.

Groaning, she sank to the couch and covered her face with her shaky hands. What had they done?

“Judith, my dear.”
Dominic sat next to her, removing her hands from her face. “Don’t fret. All will be made right, I promise.”

“Are you insane?” She blinked with wide eyes. “He caught you kissing me. I can only imagine what he’s thinking.” She scowled. “
Which reminds me, I would also like you to explain that kiss.
Not more than five seconds before, you were convincing me how I was the right woman for Trey.”

Dominic grinned. “It was a pleasant kiss, I must admit, but I heard Trey coming up the hall. I knew he would see me kissing you.”

She gasped. “Why?”

“Why do you think? We must make him jealous. How else is he going to realize his true feelings for you?”

She wiped the moisture from her eyes. “But, did you see the way he looked at me? I fear he will never forgive me now. How can he love me when he thinks I have feelings for you?”

“Now, now, Judith.”
He patted her hands. “You must trust me. I know Trey better than you. When I talk to him, I will make him see how much he cares for you.”

She sniffed. “Dominic, I pray you know what you are doing. I don’t think I can live with the knowledge that Trey loathes me.”

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Please don’t fret. Trust me.”

~*~*~*~

Trey paced his study as he poured the full snifter of brandy down his throat. Pain spewed through his veins as quickly as the alcohol burned down to his belly. The heavy cloak of confusion and betrayal hung thick around him and he couldn’t think straight.

How could
Nic
do this to him? Worse, how could Judith? She knew how he felt about love and the circumstances that made him harden his heart.

Obviously, he shouldn’t have changed his opinion of women. He should have treated Judith just as he’d done the others. At one time he thought she was different, but she wasn’t. She flew to any man who opened their arms and showed her a little affection. He should have realized how flighty she was.
First with Mr. Cutler, then with Trey, and now Nic.

Agony wrenched Trey’s heart again and he doubled over. He couldn’t react this way. He was stronger than this, and…he was
not
in love with Judith.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened and gulped down another swallow of brandy. He needed a level head when talking to
Nic
, and especially Judith. Trey couldn’t become weak now.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts and he looked toward the sound. Hawthorne stood holding his hat in his arm, looking like he was coming to call. The imbecile! Why was he acting so superior when Trey could crush him with one step of his boot?

“Come in, Hawthorne and close the door,” he snapped.

Nic
did as instructed then moved to the brown leather chair and sat. The steady gaze of his friend remained on Trey until he walked to his desk and planted his butt in the chair.

“So, Hawthorne, what are your intentions?”

“Miss Faraday is my friend.”

Trey rolled his eyes and snorted. “When have you ever kissed your friend? In fact, the whole time I have known you, I have never met a woman friend who was not your mistress.”

“There is a first time for everything.”

Trey arched his brow. “Come now, Hawthorne. Be truthful with me.”

“I am. Judith is my friend. I was kissing her because…well, because…”

“Go on.” Trey leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. His friend wasn’t going to get out of this one very easy without lying.

Nic
huffed and rose to his feet. “The reason I kissed her was because I knew you were coming up the hall.”

Trey blinked and shook his head, not believing what he’d heard. “You did it because you wanted to be caught?”

“Yes.”

Chuckling, he gulped down the remaining brandy in the glass before standing. “Tell me, why would you do something like that?”

“To see your reaction.”

“Hawthorne, you are not making any sense.”

“Forgive me, my dear friend.”
Nic
walked closer until he stood right in front of Trey. “I wanted to see how you would react when watching another man kiss the woman you love.”

They stood eye to eye in silence. Trey glared at Nic. This was not a game of words. His friend was serious.

Trey pushed past
Nic
and stormed toward the liquor tray. “You don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t love her. I love nobody.”

“No, you love Judith. I can tell.”

Anger filled Trey as he poured a good amount of brandy in his glass. “Hawthorne, I’m beginning to think you have gone insane. You, out of all people, know how I feel about that.” He turned and faced him. “Why would you think such a thing?”

A grin stretched across
Nic’s
mouth as he came closer.
“Because I have watched the two of you together.
I see the passion on your face, I hear the emotion in your voice, and I see the tender way you touch her. You care deeply for a woman you claim not to love, my dear friend.”

Trey tightened his grip around his snifter as he took another long swallow, his glare never leaving Nic.

“It’s all right to admit you care about her,”
Nic
continued. “Lightning will not spear from the sky and strike you dead if you admit your true feelings.” He shrugged. “It’s easy to see why you fell in love. I have been riding with her for a while now. I know the woman she is, and I can only hope to find my true love as you have.”

Trey’s heartbeat pounded against his ribs, while the strange emotion that consumed him since meeting Judith filled his chest. “I cannot love her,
Nic
,” he said softly. “I have no desire to suffer as Tristan suffered.”

“You won’t.”

“I most certainly will,” he shouted as he threw his drink in the empty hearth, watching it shatter. “I have seen firsthand what love does to a man. And I have seen it tear apart my mother for loving a man who could not return her feelings, and every night she cried herself to sleep and the pain nearly killed her.”

Trey leaned against the wall and dragged his fingers through his hair. When would the alcohol start to work? He needed the magic to dull the pain in his head and in his heart immediately. Emotion grew in his chest, making it harder and harder to breathe.

“You forget one thing, my good man.”

Trey glanced over his shoulder at Nic. “And what is that?”

“Judith is not your mother.
Nor is she Lady Diana.”

“I know this. What difference does it make?”

“Your father was never in love with your mother. Lady Diana was never in love with Tristan.”
Nic
grinned. “Judith is very much in love with you, and you feel the same for her, but you are too stubborn to admit it.”

Growling, Trey pushed the heels of his hands against his eyes, willing the confusion inside him to disappear. “I don’t want to love her,” he muttered.

“Do you not wish to be happy? Judith would make you very happy. Trust her. Trust in her love. She will not disappoint you.”

Trey sighed and lowered his hands. His head throbbed, and he wanted it to go away. He wanted
Nic
to leave, too. His friend’s words were very confusing and he didn’t want to think about this right now.

“How do you know I will not get hurt?”

Nic
shrugged. “Name one man you know who has not been hurt a time or two in his life. It’s something we all must experience, my dear friend.
Because to experience this helps us to love stronger and deeper.”

Chuckling, Trey rolled his eyes. “When did you become so educated on the subject? You are a rakehell just as me.”

“Very true.
But I’m a romantic at heart. I do want the right woman to come along and sweep me into another world and make me fall in love with her and only her.”

Trey shook his head. “Who are you and what
have
you done with my friend?”

Nic
laughed, walked to him and clapped his hand on Trey’s shoulder. “I’m here. I will always be here, and I will always be your friend. Even if it means kissing the woman you love to make you jealous enough to admit your true feelings.”

Trey chuckled and pushed
Nic
away. “Get out of here you awful person, and don’t come back.”

“Do you wish me to send Judith in here?”

Trey froze, yet his heart accelerated. Could he talk to her now? No, he needed more time to think about what
Nic
told him. Needed more time to debate whether he should take his friend’s advice or continue to live his life as he’s done so far.

He needed to choose whether he could be miserable without Judith or blissfully happy as her husband.

“No. Tell her I don’t want to see her yet. I have much to think about.” He rubbed his head. “Plus I have drunk more than I should and I don’t think I will be responsible for my actions around her.”

Nic
nodded.
“As you wish.
But I beg of you, don’t take too long in deciding. Judith is a woman, and women are impatient when it comes to men.”

“This I know very well.” Trey smiled, and for the first time in a long time, it felt good and didn’t make him feel guilty.

~*~*~*~

Judith couldn’t concentrate on anything. Dominic had informed her of his conversation with Trey, and she cried again. What an emotional sap she’d been lately, but she couldn’t help it. She loved Trey deeply.