Page 12 of Vanquished by a Viscount (Tales from the Brotherhood #3)

“Barbara always had an uncanny ability to convince her friends’ mothers to host balls whenever she was inclined to attend one,” he said, only remembering he’d been asked a question at the last minute.

“She was always able to plant the idea in someone or another’s head in such a way that it sprouted and bore fruit.

Not once has my sister gone without a ball when she has been inclined to dance. ”

Gray huffed a small but genuine laugh, staring at nothing, seemingly lost in his thoughts for a moment. He finally peeked at Charlie and said, “I believe she convinced my brother this house party would be a splendid idea.”

“Oh, I’ve no doubt the entire thing was her doing,” Charlie said, relaxing into his fond feelings for Barbara. “But she is a countess now. She has no need to cajole and manipulate to have her way.”

“Except where the two of us are concerned,” Gray said. To Charlie’s surprise, he still looked at ease and even amused, even when he said, “This is all her way of forcing us into each other’s company, is it not?” He gestured to the targets.

“It is,” Charlie said, frowning again. “I cannot say I entirely approve.”

“Of her meddling or of us?” Gray asked.

The question was pointed. Even more so because Charlie could not determine by his expression alone whether Gray meant the question to initiate another argument or a reconciliation.

He did not want to reconcile with Gray. He did not want to open himself up to a rake at the risk of being hurt.

He did not want to ruin Barbara’s reputation by hinting to her guests in any way that there was an inappropriate attachment between him and Gray.

Just because they were all older and had more settled places in the world did not mean that their reputations would not be irrevocably harmed by discovery now.

“I do not?—”

Those were all the words Charlie managed to speak before Gray stepped closer to him, hooked a hand around the back of his neck, and pulled him close so that he could slam his mouth over his.

To say that Charlie was surprised was a colossal understatement.

He was shocked, floored, and baffled. But none of those emotions were enough to stop him from grasping tightly to Gray’s shirt and his hard, fit body beneath it, nor did they dissuade him from kissing the man back with as much sudden passion as was directed at him.

Gray groaned deeply, which only spurred Charlie on.

He turned aggressor, thrusting his tongue into Gray’s mouth to take and taste as he wished.

It had been so long since he had felt the intensity of Gray’s kiss.

Time hadn’t dimmed his want. If anything, it made him want the closeness and connection even more.

He tugged a handful of Gray’s shirt out of his breeches so that he could feel the warmth of Gray’s skin.

“Yes,” Gray whispered before mirroring Charlie’s action and yanking his shirt out of his trousers. Gray’s hands felt so good on him after so long without that Charlie made an indignant sound of need and kissed the man harder.

It was every bit as wonderful as Charlie remembered things being between them and then some.

Gray was no longer the more inexperienced of the two of them.

In fact, Charlie quickly felt himself outmatched as Gray devoured his mouth and gripped his sides.

He lowered a hand to squeeze Charlie’s arse and tugged them flush together as well.

The sensation of Gray’s erection pressing against his own, their bodies far more honest than either of them would ever dare to be with words, brought Charlie close to the edge.

Too close. He didn’t want to unman himself so quickly, in the dust and dark of a garden shed.

If anything, he wanted Gray naked and panting in his bed, his gorgeous body on display for him to touch and taste and play with.

He wanted the two of them tangled up the way they used to?—

A clattering from just outside the shed followed by one of the footmen saying, “What’s all this doing out here?” in a voice that carried was just the intervention Charlie needed to push away from Gray.

Gray stumbled back as well, breathless and flushed, and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth. “We should?—”

“The targets,” Charlie spoke nearly on top of him.

Gray grunted and nodded, and the two of them just barely managed to grab either side of the target at the front of the stack before two footmen stepped into the shed.

“My lord, my lord,” the young man said, nodding first to Gray, then to Charlie. “We were sent to fetch the archery targets.”

“They’re just here,” Gray said, turning his face slightly away from the two young men and positioning himself so that the front of his trousers was hidden by the target.

Charlie did the same, though his erection was well on its way to flagging out of sheer fright. Lord help him and Gray both if the servants got wind of their activities.

Then again, judging by the looks the footmen gave them and the way the one had spoken loudly outside the shed, there was as good a chance as any that they’d seen Charlie and Gray before stepping back and announcing their presence.

“Lady Felcourt wants these taken out so that her guests can shoot later this morning,” Gray spoke the obvious as he and Charlie slowly moved the first target toward the doorway. “She said you lot were too busy to come fetch them for her.”

“We, er, were busy earlier, my lord,” the second footman said, sending the first a sheepish look. “We finished up there and were sent down here.”

If that wasn’t proof that the two of them were in collusion with Barbara then Charlie did not know what was.

“We’ll just carry this out to the garden,” Gray mumbled, concentrating on moving the target instead of looking either at Charlie or either of the footmen.

“We can take the rest, my lord,” the first footman said. “If you please, my lord, breakfast is already being served.”

“We should attend that,” Gray said once they were out in the sunshine.

“I need to bathe first,” Charlie said.

Gray nodded. “Quite.”

They left the target where they were and headed back to the house as quickly as they could without looking suspicious.

Charlie had the horrible feeling that they looked suspicious enough as they were, particularly as neither of them spoke as they headed into the house, then up a secondary staircase to the first floor.

“Are you following me?” Gray snapped, sinking back into his antagonistic self as they turned the same corner once they were in the quiet hallway.

“No,” Charlie said with a frown. “My room is just this way.”

Gray’s expression darkened. “ My room is this way,” he said. “This is the family wing.”

In an instant, Charlie saw what Barbara had done. “My sister has settled me on this hallway as well,” he said.

More than that, when he stopped at his door and grasped the handle, Gray had stopped at the door directly across from his.

They glanced up and locked eyes.

“With all due respect,” Gray said carefully, “your sister is a menace.”

This time, Charlie could only agree with him. He nodded shortly, then turned the handle and marched into his room, shutting the door behind him with more force than was necessary.

As soon as he was safely alone in his room, he sagged and made his way over to slump on the bed.

His mouth still tingled with the feel of Grayson’s lips against his and his skin still felt hot where Gray had touched him.

So much for keeping their distance from each other and avoiding each other for the remainder of the house party. That was never going to work.