Harker's Penchant (A Count Series Novel Book 1) Read online

  The warm glow from the fire bathed them in its glow where they were seated in front of it upon the soft throws.

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and smoothed her hair back with one hand while the other she tugged and tucked the ends of the furry throw around her bare toes, which felt cold all of a sudden.

  Harker shifted next to her and Ledi was surprised when his hand covered hers as he leaned close and nuzzled her neck. His whiskers scratched softly against her neck, sending undeniable fingers of lust to her gut.

  “I’ve a brother. He lives off the coast

  Ledi was glad he could not see her smiling. She relaxed under his soft lips against her skin. His face buried there, then he moved down to her shoulders, to her breasts and pushed the throw down to expose them to him and the heat in the room.

  “We haven’t spoken in six months over something I’ve already forgotten. I have a cousin who is like a brother to us both, well he was at one point. There’s more bad blood there.”

  He said no more as he took her pebbled nipple into his hot mouth. Ledi slid her hand up his back to his nape and into his silky dark curls, sighing with pleasure and sadness because of the pain that laced his tone.

  Though his face had been hidden, there had been no mistaking the pain in his tone. She closed her eyes and gave over to the exciting feelings he evoked in her. “Harker…” she whispered on a strangled cry of desire.

  God how was she ever going to walk away from this? From him?

  CHAPTER TEN

  Ledi never imagined herself having such an illicit tryst, let alone a sordid affair for such a length of time. Yet, here she was doing just that and liking it. Bloody liking it a lot.

  Ledi smiled and closed the apothecary’s door behind her, head held high and her good spirits returned. Her mother’s medicine in the bag she carried.

  Her mother would have medicine for a year, a year’s supply. Ledi would make the next payment at the start of the coming New Year. Past balance, three months, paid in full plus paid the year out.

  She could also pay the servants that had remained and replenish their cupboards. Surplus all around and use the remainder to purchase a few things to revitalize their home, bring some brightness to the dreary place and with any luck, lift her mother’s spirits.

  Bond Street was lined with carriages, people in top fashion gowns and men in fine suits, walking by. Ledi heard the count’s name through the surrounding din.

  She stopped, her hand poised to reach for the carriage door of Harker’s carriage when she caught sight of two women. Both dressed in high fashion and twirling their umbrellas about with gloved hands. In their pastels, they stood out amongst the rest and the nice black carriage behind them seemed to be garnering plenty of attention. One of the ladies stepped aside. Both were lovely, very attractive. Ledi’s breath squeezed out in a strangled wheeze.

  It was Harker’s coach, his crest on the door. A different footman up front and coachman at the back.

  It was the same gilded carriage or looked very similar to the one he had sent her home in.

  Ledi was unaware her hand fluttered to her throat just as she heard the woman in blue say,

  “He said it will take all night. That is why I must stay. He’s so wicked.”

  Both women giggled as the footman helped them into the carriage, oblivious to all around them.

  Ledi’s heart plummeted to her feet. She jerked open the hackney’s door. The broke handle came off in her hand.

  “I’ll get that, miss.”

  “No. I have it, Simm. Just help me close it.”

  “Yes, miss.”

  Ledi waited until they were on the edge of town before she let the tears fall and the burning ache in her chest have its way with her.

  Harker Benning was a liar! A cheat!

  How stupid she was to have believed a single word that devil had spoken. His sweet words. The blackguard had spewed them, knowing they were true and through lies before they’d even tumbled off his tongue.

  A few hot passionate nights with her…Had she truly expected him to change the lusty beast he was? Had he not said no one woman could satisfy him when they’d first met? How stupid was she to think he’d grown fond of her as she had him. Oh, Ledi what have you done to yourself? Her heart wrenched with her ache.

  As if to torment her further, her reticule fell to the carriage floor when they hit a bump. The sound of the coins inside cut her deeply. An insult to her true place. A paid whore.

  She had sold herself and she had enjoyed every bloody second of it.

  Ledi buried her face in her gloved hands and sobbed.

  Sulking as he’d done for the past fortnight, Harker stopped his mad pacing, lifted the snifter of brandy from the edge of the table and drank it down in one gulp. Then he headed for the bedroom door and stormed down the staircase.

  “Chayton!” he bellowed. “Chayton!” Damn that man for not being where he usually was, lurking.

  The older man appeared from a room off the bottom of the stairwell. “Sirr?”

  “Get me a carriage,” Harker barked.

  “The missus is not coming back. She’s better off.” Chayton uttered.

  Harker glared at him. “If you hate it here so much why do you stay in my employ?”

  Unruffled and standing tall, Chayton faced his lord. “I don’t hate it, sir. Just the things you do. The lady was your light. A light we all enjoyed witnessing. Don’t go after her unless you intend to keep it bright.”

  Harker relaxed his shoulders with a sigh of resignation leaving him. Chayton had been with him far too long and because of that, those words coming from him hit the mark where it mattered. “The carriage, Chayton.”

  Since her arrival, he’d turned them all away. He’d told Chayton to turn all the women seeking his services, away.

  “Who will be in attendance? I thought you got no visitors save for…” Ledi bit her lip unable to finish.

  Harker finished for her. “Women of the night? I hate to inform you. I do have others who like to be around me. But fear not, it is only the dregs of London’s society who will attend. The most sexually depraved. What? Is that not the answer you wanted?”

  His harsh words were like a slap. Ledi sniffed, straightened back her shoulders. “I don’t appreciate your jest. I did not mean to offend when I asked. I was just curious. I have no doubt a man of your station…uh…status would have a sphere of affluent and influential friends that I would not. I expected no less.”

  Harker stopped her by reaching out for her elbow as she went to walk past him. She looked aside as he drew her near. She resisted so he took the last step, closing the distance between them. “I should not have snapped at you,” he said with a sigh and lifted her face up to his with a finger under her chin. She refused to look at him. He arched a brow. “Will you not accept my apology?”

  She nodded. It was faint and Harker would have preferred her words but the spots of anger on her cheeks told him to not seek more. He had let her words sting him when that had not been her intent. He dropped his hand from her chin.

  “So you will attend?” he asked her.

  She walked to the door and gave him her side profile then finally her sweet voice. “The contract is still in effect, so yes, I will be in attendance.” Then she was gone.

  In her room, Ledi fumed over the harsh reaction Harker had given her in his study. He had not been the same since the night he mentioned the party. Why would he even have one when it was obvious that it irritated him so. His forcefulness and little restraint in the bedroom last night, was even different. He had not hurt her, but he had left the bed after they’d finished. She had missed his warm body next to hers. She had not seen him again, until just now when he’d called her into the study.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “How can you bear that scoundrel’s touch? All of his money and wealth is not enough to lower yourself to that! By god, he’s slept with half of the women in London. Between him and his brother, I’m not
sure which of the two is worse.”

  “You’ve had your fair share of half the women in London as well, brother. Besides, that exaggeration is not only ridiculous but impossible.”

  “The man is a debaucher! Everyone knows it. He balls ladies and spits them out with the next days’ trash. Without a care.”

  “And you don’t? You seemed not to care this much when you bargained off Rena to him.”

  “That’s because it was Rena! Not you. God, Ledi. She knows what to do with a man.”

  Ledi scoffed and folded her arms. “Oh and I do not?”

  He shrugged and gave her an askance repulsive look. “Well, apparently, now you do.”

  When her arms dropped and her eyes flamed anew with more fury, Evann rushed on. “Wait, that came out wrong.”

  “Lest you forget, you were the mastermind behind the deal. I just took it upon myself to see it carried out.”

  Ledi could see in his eyes that she’d struck a nerve. Evann had great, wonderful ideas, unfortunately, he never carried anything out to fruition. No matter what it was. She knew her words bit but she did not care. He’d said and done things far too long that had done much more damage to her than she’d just done to him.

  “Touché. Look, it’s not what I meant. I just meant, Rena knows how to handle herself. You—you’re inexperienced to the seedy side of life. I’m just trying to save you heartache, Ledi.”

  “That’s rich, coming from you, Evann.”

  Evann sighed. “You should know that the longest relationship Benning’s kept lasted no more than a few days and that was with a widowed duchess.”

  A certain duchess she had already met. Her brother’s words stung. “Since a duchess I am not, I can expect much less. That I set the bar too high for myself. Is that it? she snapped. “By the way since you think you know his habits so well, I feel I would be remiss in informing you that my time with Benning lasted well beyond a few days.”

  Silence. Evann’s mouth dropped open then clamped closed on a sharp fume. It was too late. The hurtful damage of his condescending words had hit their mark. “I want to thank you for your thoughts here today, however. It’s nice to hear your true and honest opinion of me from your sudden high and mighty self. I must tell you that you’ve failed severely in trying to regain your moral compass, brother.” Ledi hurled her words at him before she whirled sharply, headed for the door of the library.

  “Ledi, wait!”

  She answered without turning around. “We’re done. Good night, Evann.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  A low rumbling burr stirred a wicked delicious heat inside her and Ledi shifted. Her action made it worse. Her sensitive flesh quivered below. Shocked by the sensations she barely had time to cover the sound that escaped her lips with the back of her gloved hand when he turned his dark head in her direction. Ledi froze. He’d heard.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked her.

  Ledi, eyes wide, quickly tried to regain her composure and lowered her hand to the side. He caught it halfway, his warmth spread up her arm. Ledi resisted the urge to close her eyes. With a groan, she wet her lips. “I—yes, yes. I think the duchess’s punch, though delicious, it’s not settling well with me. Too much sugar.” She offered the lie, cursing herself that it was the first thing that had come to mind.

  He stared down at her a moment, those slate-blue eyes alight with what she knew he knew. She’d lied. Then his gaze dropped to her mouth. Ledi closed it.

  Harker wanted to take her right here. Punch too sweet? Ha! Miss Ledi Barrton was the one too sweet. He caressed her inner palm with his thumb, the act hidden behind by the folds of her skirts and out of sight from prying eyes.

  “Sugar has always been my downfall. A sweet tooth from hell I possess. Care to look inside my mouth and find it?” Harker asked her.

  Her sigh and jerk against him had his cock stirring more. The flushed look on her face was too much to bear. Ledi’s passion was all over her face. She had not mastered the knack of schooling her emotions.

  Harker stifled a groan. If he pushed this game, any further he would have to move his whole body behind her to hide the growing bulge inside his tight trousers. He leaned down to her ear. “Come with me,” he said softly on a hot breath.

  She resisted and he tugged at her hand. “But the guests—”

  He cut her off. “Are otherwise engaged. Come.”

  Within seconds he had squired them both out of the room down a couple of corridors and finally to an oak door at the end of the dimmed hall. As she caught her breath, Ledi realized the noise of the grand ball was muffled and seemed far away. The party guests in attendance could be heard off in the distance.

  They seemed worlds away yet they were but mere feet from the sprawling stone veranda behind closed doors. Through the French doors, she could see shadows moving out there in the garden. She was thankful for the minimal light the lamplight posts shimmered across the area.

  Her focus had been trained on his back, his butt and thighs in the fitted blue-gray waistcoat and matching breeches to take note of any servants or anyone else about. He had veered off the garden, changed direction and pulled her to a door on the side of the veranda.

  “Harker,” she breathed, her hand still clutched snugly in his warm clasp as he pushed the ancient oak door open. A slight creak broke through the sounds of their heavy breathing.

  Harker could barely contain himself as he drew Ledi into the dark room. Both his hands he placed on her shoulders, and next to her left ear, his lips teased her skin. “Don’t move,” he ordered. She nodded her answer. He could feel her trembling beneath his palms.

  Ledi closed her eyes and tried to calm the storm of passion rising within her and her racing heart. Mere thoughts of the wicked things Harker had shown her had her wet and trembling with need to be ravished. His smoldering look had pushed her close to begging him to take her right there in the ballroom, shove his long fingers up her thighs and into her.

  She nearly laughed at how close she’d been to asking him just that before he had whisked her away. Now, she waited in the chilled dark room he’d brought her to. She listened for him in the darkness, her breaths heavy, and her throat dry.

  The insults he lobbed at her and her brother stole her breath away and cut her like nothing else had ever done before.

  “No matter the wrongs Evann has done or brought down upon his head, you forget one very important thing. He is still my brother. Your disparaging comments are unfair to Evann.”

  He seemed to grow even angrier, his handsome face darkening as he glared at her in disbelief. “Unfair to him? You are the one who’s been treated unfairly, madam and by the very fool you stand here to assuage of his part. By god, Ledi, he bartered you, soul and body, to save his thieving neck. What will it take for you to see the wrong in that?”

  Ledi could see that he shook with control to rein in his rising temper, his large hands balled into fists as he leaned toward her across the desk. And thankful she was that the desk stood between them.

  What did she truly know about him besides his performance in the bedroom and his knowledge around the female form? What did she really know? Harker hid many things and revealed nothing. He had a cold heart. He’d proven there was nothing to them besides sex during the month she had agreed to.

  Ledi blinked back tears, grabbed her gloves off the arm of the chair and cleared the emotion from her throat. “I do see. He may have bartered me but I know he would not have done so without his reasons—”

  Harker exploded and straightened. “Good lord you are a reluctant bitch to see the truth before your very eyes! Without good reason? Even you cannot be that stupid. Ledi, please tell me you cannot be serious?”

  Ledi could only stare at him, so taken aback by the fury lacing his tone and insults. She trembled, a mix of emotions coiling through her. “How dare you insinuate that I’m stupid and a bitch? By no means am I that. The only thing stupid about this whole thing is that I agreed to stay well past my
time here. You are so blind to anything that does not serve your gain or purpose. You talk of my brother bartering me, using me. Did you not do the same by asking him to do so first?

  You saw a female silhouette and had to get her in your bed. Her name—ha!—it did not matter. That you had the means at your very tips to have it happen—a kin of hers in your debt was something that fell your way. You took and used it to your advantage like a chess player.

  How stupid are you not to see your fault in this too? Men seek what they cannot have and will go to any lengths to get it,” she threw back at him.

  His grin was nasty and his words mean. “You’re damn right. I will go to any length to get what I want and I wanted you in my bed. No matter the cost.”

  The rope of anger she’d held onto snapped and her arm snaked out before she even realized it was happening. The crack stunned her and she clamped her hand over her own mouth. Harker did little more than rake his hand through his hair and glare at her.

  Eyes filling with tears, Ledi shook her head, red-faced and ashamed at her violent action. “I should not have done that,” she stammered. Where she’d struck him reddened further, but he remained unmoved.

  “You may not be stupid, Ledi. But that, that was truly a bitch move.”

  Ledi turned and walked out of the room before she struck him again.

  -after the fight

  “What we’ve done makes you no less a respectable woman in my eyes, Ledi.”

  That he could not see that he was continuing to insult her hurt her a great deal and through the mist of unshed tears blinding her, she said nothing and pulled on her shoes.

  “I’ll have Chayton see to the carriage as I see you still plan to take your leave.”

  When she still said nothing, her back rigidly set, Harker walked slowly to the door hoping in doing so that she would reconsider. Anything! Just not leave. Not leave him.