Read The Bonk Squad for Free Online Page B

house. She was free—and Castleton Bridge was an easy walk
away.
    Chloe released her breath
with a shivering sigh. In truth she should not be doing this. It
was imprudent in the extreme. No young woman of good family ever
risked being compromised by meeting a man unsupervised. But the
Earl of Wainsborough was a gentleman, surely? She could come to no
harm...
    She leaned against the
warm stone of the bridge, idly toying with her reticule as the long
minutes passed.
    Then she heard it—the
thrilling thrum of hoof-beats. Out of the golden sunset a galloping
silhouette drew ever nearer. Chloe straightened, shading her eyes
to try and confirm the identity of the horseman.
    Each thud of the hooves
raised a small puff of dust from the country road. And then he was
upon her, reaching low, swinging her up onto his mount, holding her
fast against his broad chest. He had barely slowed.
    Chloe gasped in disbelief
as she twisted to look up into his face. This was not the Earl of
Wainsborough, but his dark-complexioned younger brother!
    She struggled in
consternation. He overcame her without apparent effort, growling a
warning that if she did not accede to his dominance he would pitch
her off his steed at the next high bluff. Death would be certain.
Chloe blanched—and clung to him, whimpering.
    Minutes later he slowed,
and turned in beside an old barn a little distance from the road.
It was near dark now, but a huge golden moon floated up over the
horizon.
    He released her, and Chloe
stumbled to the ground, still restrained by the steely grip of one
warm hand.
    He dismounted, fixing his
prey with deep-set black eyes. She quailed before him as he looped
the halter around a handy branch. His foaming horse shuddered and
snorted. It had been a frantic ride.
    “ So, my beauty,” he said
with indolent amusement. “Not the brother you were
expecting?”
    “ Indeed, no Sir,” Chloe
snapped, finding spirit from somewhere. “I would be much obliged if
you would return me to Lancaster House forthwith.”
    “ And not enjoy my pretty
prize?”
    He caught hold of her
other hand and pulled her toward his rangy frame. She stumbled on a
tree root and pitched against him. His musky masculine scent
surrounded her, and she trembled with fear—and something else. For
he was so tall and broad. So warm and strong. Her face flushed with
confusion where only outrage should be.
    Now his arms pinned her
close to his hard hot body. Chloe chanced a look upward to judge
his intent, and found herself snared by his dark haunted
eyes.
    “ My brother has boasted he
will have you,” he muttered. “Even now he is planning to approach
your father to negotiate betrothal terms. But you are meant
for me .”
    She gasped, but could not
tear her eyes away. He took instant advantage of her parted lips
and kissed her passionately, sliding his tongue over
hers.
    She shuddered at the
delicious intrusion, frantic to escape, desperate to stay. With shy
determination she returned the pressure of his firm lips. This was
no cousinly peck on the cheek, and that was all she’d so far
experienced in her sheltered seventeen years.
    God, he was beautiful!
With great daring she slipped her own tongue between his lips, drowning in
the taste and feel and smell of him.
    He flinched away from her
and her heart contracted.
    “ No more, my beauty,” he
said in a voice husky with desire and regret. “I came to take you
as mine, to ruin you for him. But I find I would rather forego such
base pleasure and pursue you with honor for myself.”
    Chloe gazed at him in
rapture, blue eyes brimming with unshed tears of joy.
    “ I am only the younger
son,” he muttered. “I shall not inherit a fortune as large as
Edward.”
    He kissed her again, more
gently this time. She raised a hand to his face and her fingers
rasped against the darkness of his early-evening
stubble.
    “ Could you be happy with
me?” he demanded.
    “ I could never be happy
without you, now,” she whispered, pressing