The Betting Season (A Regency Season Book) (9 page)

Nearly breathless from their kiss, Jason could only stare after her, watch the way her gown swayed with her dainty steps. Dear God, what he wouldn’t give to lift those skirts and…

“
Wait,” he called after her. Then he quickly followed her into the darkness, farther and farther from the lights and sounds of Vauxhall’s revelry.

As soon as he caught up and his step was with hers, Pippa cast him a sidelong glance. “Where do you hail from, my lord?”

Where did he hail from? Was she serious? Jason caught her elbow and swung her around to face him. “Do you truly mean to interrogate me?”

Her innocent smile nearly unarmed him. “Interrogate you?” She blinked at him. “I doubt I will ever forget that kiss, but I don’t know the first thing about you.” She shook her head. “I need to know who you are. I need to know…”

“
Everything,” he echoed her earlier words.

“
Well, something in the very least,” she said softly.

Jason tucked one of her stray curls behind her ear, and he brushed her soft cheek with his hand. Desire raced, once again, to his loins. He doubted he’d ever forget that kiss either. Clearly, it had been her first, which made him strangely proud. And he’d be damned if it was to be their last kiss. “I’ll trade you answers for kisses.”

Even in the darkness, he could see the innocent pink stain on her cheeks. “Are you trying to jumble my mind so it’s impossible for me to think, my lord?”

“
Do I jumble your mind?” he asked, inordinately pleased to think that he might.

She turned her back to him as though embarrassed to have admitted as much. Jason closed the distance between them, slid his arms around her waist, and drew her back against his front. She truly did fit him nearly perfectly. Pippa shivered, but she didn’t pull out of his embrace.

“
Cornwall,” he said quietly then kissed her cheek.

She looked over her shoulder to meet his eyes. “Cornwall?”

“
I hail from Cornwall.”

The smile that lit her lips made his cynical heart lift just a bit. “Is it lovely there? I’ve never been.”

“
I’d love to show you sometime,” he replied, and surprised himself with his words. Yet they were true. He could see her at Cardinham Park. He could imagine chasing her through the gardens like he’d done here. He could imagine the two of them riding for the coast and her unpinned hair flying in the sea breeze. He could imagine the two of them all tangled in bedclothes in the countess’s chambers. Jason cleared his throat. “Do you ride, Pippa? The coast is breathtaking in its beauty.”

She sucked in a breath, most likely at his use of her nickname. “I love riding. My brother Harry even taught me to ride side-saddle when I was much younger.”

Dear God. “Side-saddle?” An image of her naked and straddling Jason flashed in his mind.

“
Well, until Berks found out.” She winced a bit. “My oldest brother was not amused.”

Jason could well believe her. Berkswell did not seem the sort to throw caution to the wind. But Pippa did, and that thought made Jason’s cock stiffen anew. If he could just get her to throw caution to the wind where he was concerned. “Well, then I think we shouldn’t ever tell him anything that might upset him.”

“
Do you have any brothers or sisters…Jason?”

The sound of his name on her lips made his heart beat faster. But she’d said something else, hadn’t she? What was it? Siblings or something? “I have an older sister,” he said. And then smiled victoriously. He
had
answered another question, after all. So he was owed another reward, wasn’t he?

He lowered his head and placed his lips on her neck. Inhaling her innocent rosewater scent, he nuzzled against the spot where her neck met her shoulder. The softness of her skin, the sweetness of her voice… She could easily drive him to distraction and he’d never even know how it happened.

With one hand he slowly started to draw her skirts upward.

“
Are you close?” Her voice came out in a choke.

“
Close?” He was so damned close to dropping his trousers and sinking himself inside her. He closed his eyes and kissed her shoulder.

“
To your sister,” she amended, brushing his hands away and straightening her skirts.

Were they still talking about Nora? Jason shook his head to clear his thoughts. “I—”

“
Ah, Jason!” came a familiar voice a few feet away. “I wondered where you’d disappeared.”

Jason stepped away from Pippa and turned to face his old friend. “Heath,” he growled. “What a surprise.”

Jason glared at Heath. Damn interfering man. And after all the years they’d been friends. “Shouldn’t you be entertaining your wife?”

Heath shrugged. “Emma is perfectly content with the Lockwells.” Then he glanced at Pippa. “Are you all right, my lady?”

She couldn’t quite meet his eyes, but she nodded her head. “Yes, thank you.”

“
Why don’t you run along back to your box? Lord Berkswell appears beside himself with worry.”

Pippa squeaked. “Oh heavens.” She brushed past Jason, stopped in her tracks, and looked over her shoulder at him. “I do hope to see you soon, Lord Colebrooke.” Then she darted down the path, back towards the main walk and the supper boxes.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Heath folded his arms across his chest. “Colebrooke?”

So now Heath was going to be holier-than-thou? After all the carousing the two of them had done together over the years? “It
is
my name.”

“
It is
one
of them,” Heath conceded. Then he shook his head. “What has happened to you?”

“
To me?” Jason’s voice rose an octave. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

Heath heaved a sigh. “Are you chasing that girl because of that ridiculous bet?”

“
No.” Jason shook his head. And he wasn’t. “Though in all honesty, I would have never given her a second thought if Berkswell hadn’t stormed into my breakfast room that morning.”

“
So this is retribution for her brother?” Heath demanded.

But that wasn’t it either. And it wasn’t even that she didn’t remember him from that first night anymore. That
had
been his original impetus, but now… “What does it matter to you?” he countered.

“
You’ve never chased innocent debutants. You’ve never set out to ruin anyone before, and—”

“
I’m not going to ruin her.” How nice to think his friend thought so highly of his character.

“
Oh?” Deep sarcasm laced Heath’s voice. “Are you planning to wed the girl then?”

“
Me?” Jason’s mouth fell open. “Wed her?”

“
How would you tell her that she’ll be Lady St. Austell and
not
Lady Colebrooke?” Heath continued as though Jason hadn’t spoken. “Because unless that is your goal, Jason, then ruination is her only other course.” He stalked forward. “What would have happened if someone else had come upon you?”

“
You knew where to look for me,” Jason returned. “And why were you looking for me anyway? Since when have you become noble Saint George, saving virgins from dragons?”

Heath sighed. “When it became obvious my friend needed direction.”

Jason snorted. As though he needed direction from Heath of all people.

“
What are you doing, Jason? This isn’t like you. I can’t believe you’d want to ruin that girl.”

Ruin
. There was that word again, and a shiver raced down Jason’s spine.

“
Do you want to see doors shut in her face? Do you want her to be a pariah? Is that what you truly want for her?”

What a ridiculous question. Jason glared at his friend.

“
She’s not some merry widow,” Heath continued. “She’s not some fool’s neglected wife. She is an innocent girl whose life will be ruined if you proceed any further down this path.”

The sudden truth of Heath’s words floated around Jason like wisps of smoke, finally settling in his heart. He couldn’t see Pippa ruined. “I like her,” he offered lamely.

“
Enough to marry her?” Heath asked.

“
Don’t be absurd,” Jason snapped. He was too young to marry. He had many years ahead of him before he had to begat an heir. He wasn’t quite ready to become a smitten lapdog like Heath.

“
Then stay away from the girl,” his friend warned.

Jason touched a finger to his nose. “She has brothers to champion her. And you have a wife to care for. So stay out of my affairs.”

Heath shook his head. “It’s because of my wife that I say these things to you. I could have gone to Yorkshire and seduced Emma. Easily. But…” A frown darkened his face. “…once I’d left she would have been ruined for whatever man Norland found for her and… Well, I couldn’t have lived with that. I couldn’t have lived knowing she was married to another man, that she would have shared another man’s bed, borne some other man’s children.”

“
Who knew you had it in you to be so prone to theatrics? Have you considered treading the boards?”

“
Still the same cynical bastard you’ve always been, aren’t you?” Heath suddenly looked quite tired. “Don’t steal Lady Philippa’s future from her. You’ll hate yourself in the end.” Then he spun on his heel and stalked back down the path Pippa had already traveled.

“
I sent you away to that school so you could learn to be a lady!” Berks bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls in his study.

Pippa lowered her head in submission and waited for her lecture to end, barely listening to her brother as her thoughts kept returning to Lord Colebrooke.

“…
But it didn’t do one bit of good, did it? You ran off as soon as my back was turned.”

“
I didn’t run off,” she protested, lifting her face to her scowling brother. “I simply went to explore the gardens. That is why we were there.”

Berks heaved an aggravated sigh. “That isn’t why we were there. We were there to see and be seen. After that business with Potsdon, St. Austell, and that damned betting book, your reputation is in a precarious position as it is. Your need to appear innocent and serene before all of society, not like a hoyden who runs off and does whatever she pleases, whenever she pleases it.”

“
I’m sorry, Berks,” she mumbled, dropping her head once more.