Page 40 of The Beastly Earl

“Guilty as charged. My family knows not to tell me any secrets because when I deny knowing anything, my face says otherwise.”

“Then you have no secrets to share?”

Ewan’s voice was filled with amusement, but her heart skipped a beat at the possibility her features would betray her to him. Admitting she had secrets didn’t mean revealing what they were. She smiled at him and shook her head.

“Everyone has secrets.” At her reply an odd expression flitted across his face before he grinned at her. It was a look of wicked amusement, and her heart skipped a beat once again, only this time it wasn’t in apprehension.

“Agreed, but there are many ways to extract a confession.”

“That sounds as though it could be quite painful.” Laughing she shook her head at him.

“I can think of several ways to learn all your secrets…some of them quite pleasurable.”

Ewan’s battle-scarred features tightened with an emotion that made her draw in a sharp breath. His expression created a tactile sensation on her skin as she remembered their kiss in his study. Fire burned her cheeks as her gaze locked with his, and a small tremor slipped through her.

His blue-gray eye had darkened, and she knew he was remembering the blazing heat of their kiss too. Her mouth went dry as she suddenly realized she wanted him to kiss her again. The dangerously wicked thought made her jerk her head to look out at the landscape in front of them.

“I think I’ll let Morag stretch her legs across the moor,” she said breathlessly in an attempt to control the emotions spiraling through her. “It will take a little while for the wagon to reach the forest.”

“Perhaps another race?”

If sin were a voice, it would sound like his. It held an invitation she wanted to accept. She trembled as she met his gaze. What would he demand as his prize? The intensity of his gaze told her exactly what it would be, and the fact that she wanted him to kiss her again stole the breath from her lungs. With a shake of her head, she kept her eyes focused on the sun-bathed moors in front of her.

“As I recall, you asked me to remind you never to enter into a wager with me again.”

“A request I’m deeply regretting at the moment.” The dark seduction in his voice made her body tighten in response.

“If I agreed to give you a head start, Louisa, would that make you reconsider?”

“If you gave me a head start, you would lose just as you did the last time.”

Although she tried to keep her voice steady, she failed. Ewan maneuvered Lachlan closer and leaned toward her until there were mere inches between them. The heat of him washed over her as she inhaled the fresh scent of evergreen and leather. It was a heady aroma that tightened her body, most notably the spot between her legs that had begun to ache with a need for satisfaction.

“I have no intention of losing especially as I will demand a kiss as my prize,” he murmured. Like a piece of soft velvet, his voice caressed her senses, and a tremor of excitement skimmed across her skin. Louisa swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat.

“I…I don’t think—”

“For a woman who continually challenges me with regard to Ross, your reluctance to accept a small wager surprises me. Unless of course, you know you’ll lose.” The laughter in his voice made her stiffen in the saddle.

“I would not lose,” she snapped as she turned her head to glare at him.

Satisfaction settled on his scarred features as a wicked smile curved his lips. The air in her lungs disappeared as she saw the fire in his gaze. Her heart began to race at how quickly her impulsive tongue was sending her down such a dangerous path. She quickly shook her head, but he’d already looked away to pull a pocket watch from inside the vest beneath his coat.

“We’ll race to the tree line. I’ll give you a three-minute head start.”

“But I didn’t…”

“Agree to a wager?” His blue-gray gaze met hers as a wicked smile slowly curved his mouth. “Aye, but you did, my bonnie lass. Are you trying to renege on our bet?”

Louisa’s heartbeat quickened it’s already fast pace. There were only two choices available to her. The first meant admitting she was afraid of losing. While a Rockwood was a gracious loser, they never walked away from a challenge. The second was following a reckless path to a destination she found far more exciting than she should.

For not the first time in her life, she cursed the trait that had earned her family the infamous reputation for being reckless. A small sound escaped her as she met his glittering gaze. Knowing she couldn’t possibly back away from a challenge, Louisa pressed her leg into Morag’s side. Startled by the hard nudge, the mare bolted forward, and Louisa heard Ewan utter an exclamation of surprise.

He’d not yet opened his pocket watch, and the delay would add several seconds to the handicap he’d agreed to give her. She quickly silenced the laughter in the back of her head at the idea Morag could outrun Lachlan even with a generous head start. If she were to make even a respectable showing, she would need every one of those seconds to win.

As she raced past the wagon, she heard the boys shouting as they suddenly realized there was a race happening. The tree line seemed a great distance away, and she leaned forward with her cheek almost pressed against the mare’s neck. The wind had picked up, and a sharp gust tugged her hat off her head.

“Blast,” she muttered as she urged the mare to go faster.