Page 5 of The One With the Wayward Duke (The One With the Wanton Woman #5)

“I T SHOULDN’T BE TOO long of a journey,” said Tobias, filling the silence he had earlier coughed into, as he sat back down. “I don’t intend to pry into anything, but for my own preparations, do you anticipate anyone will try to follow us?”

Her furrowed brow of consternation gave him pause to think, maybe he shouldn’t ask any questions.

In some ways, the less he knew, the better.

But for better or worse, that wasn’t his style.

And though he rather thought his question had a quick and simple answer, her delayed response was giving him heart palpitations.

Procrastinating an answer meant either someone exceptionally dangerous was going to follow them, or she didn’t know whether someone was going to follow them or not.

And one of those options was significantly superior to the other.

“I-I don’t know,” she said with a shrug.

“Do you want someone to follow us?”

And then much more quickly than the last response, she answered, “No.”

His intrigue was piqued, but he wanted to give her her privacy. He knew only too well what it was like to have family, friends, and strangers inquiring into his most personal affairs. His stomach grumbled, and he reached for it as surreptitiously as he could.

“Are you feeling quite well?”

“I don’t usually travel facing this direction. I’m loathe to admit a weakness, but my stomach doesn’t seem too happy with me.”

“I’m the same way.” She patted the seat next to her. “We can both face forward. As you said, it’s not a long journey.”

But plain as day Tobias could see it, that if he moved seats, in that way lay danger. Unfortunately, his stomach didn’t care today. It would be far more awkward for him to cast up his accounts on such a short trip.

Steadying himself, he got up and sat beside her. There wasn’t as much room in the carriage as he remembered, so when she released the skirts from her grasp after clearing space for him, they were slightly overlapping his breeches. It was delicate. And harmless. Or at least, it should be.

With a yawn, she mumbled, “I’m feeling quite tired. I think I shall just rest my eyes for the remainder of the journey.”

“That’s” —probably best since he wasn’t sure more conversation wouldn’t lead him to having further complicated feelings for her— “good.”

She leaned her head back and promptly closed her eyes.

Only for a second, not too many more, did he watch her before he turned his head to watch the passing trees.

She was so trusting around him, without even knowing him.

This position, everything about it, made her so vulnerable, yet she proceeded without caution.

There was a small part of Tobias that was wondering if this wasn’t her way of closing down conversation and shutting him out, but that was fine by him. Totally fine. He crossed his arms and harrumphed. A bit, but not exactly, like a small child.

He was here to redeem himself. Rescue the lady. Drop her off at her destination, and then be on his way.

Also, it was the perfect excuse to avoid that wedding he was supposed to be attending. Seeing the happy couple profess their love held no appeal. Weddings. Ugh. The shuddered at the thought, the memories too much a drain on his pride.

Not more than a few minutes later, he felt a small bump on his shoulder. When he looked down, he saw her head resting on him.

Completely guileless.

This woman.

What was he going to do with her?

For now, her soft breaths provided a rhythmic comfort to him.

Allowing her to sleep on his shoulder was the only kind option to choose.

And, since he had just been reminding himself that he needed to prove himself valiant (or at the very least, kind) that’s what he did.

And when she nuzzled more into his shoulder and put an arm around his waist…

Well, it would only be rude to disturb her slumber.

So of course that was permissible. Then, when she dropped her head to his chest, in search of a softer pillow for her head, he couldn’t allow her body to topple over him.

So really, the only gentlemanly action to take was to put his arms around her to steady her body.

The warmth, her softness, the soft moans of contentment… they played no part in his decisions.

And then he was having the most glorious dream of her.

He was on his knees on the carriage floor, her skirts were over his head, his tongue was between her folds.

Licking her. While her moans drove desire deeper and deeper into his cock, he drove his tongue deeper into her.

And then she screamed her pleasure. Only, she didn’t stop there.

She dropped to her knees in a scramble and opened the placard on his breeches.

His cock sprang free and her luscious red lips were locked around his manhood.

She kissed, licked, and then slid him into her mouth.

Her cheeks were hollowed out, and she was sucking on his cock.

It was giving and taking and sharing and having and all of it all together and when he came he—

He must have fallen asleep, for when the carriage lurched to a stop, he jolted awake to find her legs propped up over his.

The two were in a near-intimate embrace.

He was hard. So hard for her. Yet his heart was soft toward her.

He didn’t want to let go, and he couldn’t remember the last time feelings of this magnitude had attempted to dictate his actions.

Certainly not in his last relationship. Perhaps not ever.

With a small yawn, she gingerly fluttered her eyes open.

“Good gracious, I’m sorry.” She pulled her arms from around his neck, and dragged her legs off of his. “I have no idea how that happened.” Her cheeks were red and her hands were trying to pat the redness away.

He didn’t suspect that she had felt the bulge between his legs, but he wasn’t certain. Either way, he needed a few minutes to will the man down. “No apologies necessary. Sleeping in a carriage is deuced uncomfortable.” He discreetly adjusted himself.

“Still. I’ve never crawled up on one of my sister's laps.”

While her confession pleased him immeasurably, Tobias chuckled to lighten the mood.

He watched her hands nervously touch the column of her throat. “Don’t worry. No one shall ever know.”

“Thank you.” She caught his eye quickly and smiled. “And thank you for bringing me here. It’s more than kind of you.”

If she only knew the thoughts he was having toward her, she wouldn’t think him so kind.

“I wish I had money to repay—”

“No. That’s not necessary.” More or less in full control of his body now, he moved to open the door. “We’re here. Shall we?”

“Oh?” her eyes flew to him in shock. “I was just going to go in by myself.”

To give himself a moment—and a reason to follow her in—Tobias twisted the ring on his finger. “You couldn't possibly think that I would drop you off at some unknown location and just leave you.”

“It’s not an unknown location. It’s The Man Trap.”

He rubbed his hand up and down his jaw. “That it is. No need to remind me.”

“It’s just that you said it was unknown, but everyone knows about The Man Trap.”

“That they do…” his hand rubbed his jaw more tightly. “It’s just that—”

“I’ll be perfectly fine in The Man Trap.”

“Can we perhaps not refer to the tavern by its name?”

“The Man Trap?”

“The very one.”

“Why?”

Tobias covered his face with both of his hands.

This was not a conversation he had ever thought he would have.

Surely everyone knew what a man trap was…

.but apparently at least one person did not.

And that one person was sitting in front of him with the most innocent looking eyes. She was blameless.

“It’s just that…well…”

“Well, what? You can tell me anything.”

That was a bit reaching. Surely, he could not tell her anything. Especially if that anything had to do with her man trap and all the things he wanted to do to it.

“It’s just that one day your husband will tell you all about it.”

“That shall be on my list of things I talk to Herman about then.”

“Herman?” His heart stilled and his blood ran cold. Who the deuce was Herman?

“Oh…erm…yes. The man I’ve come to see.”

First shock. Then a world of freezing. Now. What? What could he call this? How could Tobias describe the feeling of the ground vanishing from beneath his feet? Was there a word for it when nothing was as it once was? How in the world of words could he label the sensation he had of being…untethered?

“I’m dropping you off to see a man?”

At least she had the decency to nervously rub her fingers down her neck again. “I kind of mentioned him before.”

“I don’t think you did.” He was probably glowering at her now, but there was no stopping it.

“I told you that I think I’m in love.”

“Yes. There was that.” He waited for her to acknowledge the significant gap in her communication from earlier, but when she didn’t, he supplied the follow up question. “And that love is directed at Herman?”

“I think so.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, you think so, or yes it is.”

“Erm…I don’t know. You just said to listen to my heart.”

“And your heart told you to go to Herman?”

“That or Phyllis.”

“Phyllis?”

“My sister.”

“Why were those your only two options?”

The real question was, why was he interrogating her? He had no right. She wasn’t his. He wasn’t in love with her. He didn’t even believe in love at first sight. And Even. If. He. Did. She. Didn’t.

Ugh. Tobias rubbed his fingers over his signet ring.

He could certainly use the help of the Wayward Dukes Alliance right now.

None of his friends connected to Freya or her family were part of it, but he knew that he could contact and trust the alliance easily.

But what would he ask for? Help me pull my head out of my arse? Yes. That would do nicely.

“Well, I don’t know what my heart is telling me. But I think we love each other.” She just stared at him. “Herman and I. Not,” —she waved her finger back and forth between him and her, just to be clear— “you and I.” As if he would make that mistake twice.

A grunt was the best response his body would permit.

“So…erm…do you still need to come in with me?”

“Yes.” He said it so fast, faster than he had ever said yes to something in the past. Another whiskey?

Yes. A game of piquet? Yes. Does the sun rise in the east?

Yes. Are you going to ensure this woman’s safety even if it disturbs you to no end to see her with another man even though you just met her and couldn’t possibly be in love with her? Yes. Yes. And yes again.

“All right,” she drew out the word tentatively and then pushed open the carriage door. “Let’s go then.”

And somehow Tobias knew that the danger that awaited his heart had only just begun.