Page 4 of A Wager With A Rake (Wicked Widows #32)

Court

C ourt sat across from Theodosia at the tavern in the local inn.

The room smelled of ale, stew, and the stench of sweat from the onslaught of men who’d just stumbled in after completing a hard day of labor in the summer sun.

It didn’t go unnoticed by him that Theodosia appeared to ogle one man’s form as he passed.

It shouldn’t have annoyed him as much as it did, yet he looked down at his own taut form in his finely tailored clothing, mentally comparing himself to the other man.

For a man of the peerage, he also cut a fine form, if he said so himself.

Not that she’d taken to noticing. Beneath his clothing, he had hard lines on his chest and stomach, and his thighs filled and stretched his buckskin breeches.

He flexed his calf, further stretching the fabric around his thighs in a display that was only for himself, it would seem.

If he were a less confident man, he’d challenge the brawny man by the bar, smiling far too widely at her, to an arm-wrestling match or something else that might allow him to display his manly brawn to the room.

Not that Court cared if she noticed him, he supposed.

But was it a crime to find joy and satisfaction when a woman noticed him?

And he could admit that he preferred to be the man that women showered attention on.

And the woman before him appeared as if she would rather sit between the group of field laborers than give him a second glance.

He’d had to convince her to allow him to dine with her at all, let alone sit at the same table. And his jaw clenched as he wondered what she would have gotten up to if she had been left to find her own way.

“Your stew is getting cold,” he said to her, biting off only a small bit of his irritation.

She flashed the man at the bar a heated grin that went straight to Court’s cock as well as the pit of his stomach, and then she refocused on her meal.

“You shouldn’t encourage that man,” he said through his teeth. She didn’t understand the way of men, but he did. That man would lead her into an alley and fuck her against the wall without a second thought. And as his sister’s best friend, it was his responsibility to ensure no harm came to her.

That was it. That was the reason for his reaction. He felt an obligation to ensure that she wasn’t offended. Which meant keeping her away from the Greek statue in human form.

Court certainly didn’t sit there imagining what it might be like if he were the one to do to her as the man at the bar hoped.

To raise her skirts and see how wet his touch would make her.

God, he must get control over himself and seek the company of a woman as soon as he could.

That was all it was… it had been too long, and it was driving him to mad thoughts.

“You aren’t the authority on what I should or should not do,” she returned, pulling him from his wicked reveries. “But it is good to know that there is intriguing company in this village. Once I prove that Rosewood actually belongs to me, I believe I shan’t be lonely.”

“Not this again, Tess,” he groaned. The groan was more at the last part of her statement, but she needn’t know that.

She scoffed and looked down her nose at him. “You expect me to take you at your word? I will depart in the morning and have my solicitor open an inquiry.”

“Tess,” he replied, shaking his head.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but a loud burst of hearty laughter came from the group of gentlemen. He and Theodosia both jerked their chins toward the rambunctious men, just as they began singing loudly.

The song they sang was one with improper lyrics, and he watched Theodosia to determine her reaction to the words the men sang. The one who’d captured her attention before stared at her again and appeared almost as if he were singing directly to her.

As much as he would never admit it, the entire scene grated on Court’s nerves and he took a bite of his stew, if only to have something different to focus his attention on besides the nefarious looks of the ruffian.

Theodosia began clapping along to the song. Clapping. Next thing he knew, she’d be ordering an ale and sitting on one of the men’s laps.

When the song ended, she picked up her spoon and returned to the last bit of her stew. “This is quite fun. Don’t you think so, Court?”

“Indeed. Fun.” He didn’t bother to hide his annoyed tone.

He studied her, and she wore a wide smile and appeared to be carefree and content. More full of life than he’d ever seen her before. And she was breathtaking. His entire body pebbled with gooseflesh at the sight.

For a moment, he saw her for everything she was.

Beautiful, vibrant, clever, and one of the strongest women of his acquaintance, given what she’d endured.

Then his mood soured again as he pondered the extent of the tortuous life she must have lived being at the mercy of a decrepit old man.

A fate he wouldn’t have wished upon any young miss on the Marriage Mart.

“And what, pray tell, is bothering you, Court?” She flashed her own annoyed glance and then took another bite of stew.

“It’s nothing. It’s just growing rather late, don’t you think?” And based on the way the bulging man stared at Theodosia, he was only moments away from making his move to coax her into his web. Which meant it would serve them both well if Court should remove her from the situation entirely.

He was far too experienced with the way the man watched her, having done so many times himself. Setting his sights on a woman and luring her to him with heated glances.

She nodded in agreement and wiped her mouth with her serviette. “I believe you are correct. I am to depart early, so I shall be another step closer to reclaiming my home from you.”

Theodosia was relentless, to be certain. He might almost believe her to be the rightful owner, given how assured she was, if he hadn’t already had his own solicitor verify the deed.

“The only way you shall claim Rosewood as your own is if I were to agree to make a wager with you, and you should become the victor.”

“A wager? Are you quite serious? You’d expect me to beat you in a round of gambling to earn the home that is already mine?”

“My home,” he corrected her. It was important that she didn’t get different ideas in her beautiful head. “One of them, I suppose. I shall vacation there often.”

Her expression turned murderous. “You mean to tell me you don’t even wish to reside at Rosewood?”

He waved her off. “Of course not. I shall be needed at my primary estate for long periods of time. And besides, my whereabouts have no bearing on the ownership of the estate, given I am in possession of the deed.”

She folded her arms across her body and it pushed her far-too-enticing breasts into large alabaster globes with her nipples, only just covered, taunting him. By the way the man at the bar stared, Court wasn’t the only one who had taken notice.

“And what if I wish to make a wager for the deed you have?”

“You must have something I want to put up for your bet.” He shrugged a single shoulder, knowing she didn’t possess the kind of funds required to offset the property.

Else she would purchase another small estate and move on.

Something she would have to do regardless once she spoke with her solicitor.

“I believe I am ready to leave,” she said, placing her serviette on the table and rising from her chair.

The man who’d been watching her stood from his stool and approached.

Court scurried to a stand and was at her side in an instant, glaring at the man.

It was like the man hadn’t noticed Court’s presence before then.

Or hadn’t cared. He supposed that, given the way Theodosia had encouraged the man’s attention, he might have assumed she and Court didn’t have an arrangement.

Which they didn’t. But he needn’t know as such. Let him think Theodosia was spoken for.

Court extended his arm to her, and she begrudgingly took it. He led her toward the doorway to the outside. “You don’t have to treat me like a bug you aim to squash, Tess. I never set out to harm you.”

“I know that,” she said, her tone the kindest it had been since she arrived. “But I had a vision and plan for my life and this setback is the same as suffering a devastating loss. Far more painful than the loss of my husband.”

He chose not to reply, a twinge of guilt hitting him.

She didn’t have as much in the world as Court had.

Not as many rights, not as many properties, and not as much money.

But also, she wasn’t his obligation or his responsibility.

They had been friends in their youth, but you didn’t sign over valuable estates for those reasons alone.

The rumors that doing so would bring upon them both would hang over both of their heads, even if he had a fleeting thought to do the very thing. But that was nonsensical.

Court sent for the carriage and a few moments later, he was handing her inside. He took the seat across from her and he could hardly see her face within the dark cover of the carriage.

“Are you going to tell me why you spent supper glaring at that devilishly handsome man?” she asked after a few moments of rolling along in silence.

Her tone was far too smug for his liking. “I don’t know what you speak of,” he replied indifferently.

He could hear her giggle. The woman had dared to giggle at him. “Oh, but you do.”

“Perhaps, instead, you might explain why you were encouraging him to pay you attention. Do you have any idea what he would prefer to do to you if given the chance?”

“I very much have an idea, and I welcome it.”

He wished he could see her face to see if she was serious and meant what she said. But his cock hung on her every word.

“You don’t mean that.”

“You should know better than anyone that I do.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” he asked, slightly offended by her statement.

“Do you even know how many women you have bedded?”