by Jenna Hart
"I'm here. Right now, with you. And there's more than you know about what happened. The last time I saw you, I didn't have an opportunity to explain."
"Tell me now," Serena said, her voice husky and low.
Hadden recognized the tone. He needed to get away from her before he did something they would both regret.
Desire radiated from every part of her, and Serena reached out to touch his chest, grazing her fingertips across his chest.
She moved to do it again, and Hadden caught her hand, pulling her to him.
His lips crushed hers, silencing any objections she had.
He tasted the brandy on her and knew she would never have tried to touch him had she not drunk it.
It was too late. Christ, she felt good. Too good!
To his surprise, she pressed her body into his and threaded her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to him.
Her mouth opened, allowing her velvet tongue to chase his, dancing back and forth. A soft moan escaped Serena's mouth, and Hadden deepened the kiss.
He could feel himself getting hard, his body aching to satisfy his need, a need that came with too high of a price.
Hit by that harsh reality, he broke his mouth away.
Damn! Nothing good could come from this!
Still dazed, Serena grabbed the wood behind her.
What had just happened?
"Serena, I'm sorry, I should not have allowed that to happen," Hadden apologized, stepping away from her. "You did not deserve that or anything else I have caused you!"
Before she could reply, Hadden stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Serena took a deep breath, trying to steady herself from what had just happened. She was supposed to make him regret ending their engagement. She was supposed to humiliate him before society. She was NOT supposed to find him in her papa's study, alone, and then allow him to kiss her.
Her head swam, and she swore never to take another sip of spirits ever again.
She had to get back before any realized she was missing.
Hopefully, the Duke would make his appearance and leave. There was no way she was going to be able to exact any type of revenge on him tonight if she saw him again, not being as flustered as she was.
Serena smoothed her skirt and patted her updo. She left the room, heading into the ball, unaware of the shadow that watched both her and Averton depart from the same place, moments apart.
The shadow moved back to the ball, working their way into the crowd. With just a few whispers, the gossip began to fill the ballroom, and the only thing everyone would be talking about would be Lady Serena's secret rendezvous with the Duke of Averton.
Serena scanned the ballroom, looking for her sister. She spotted Winter, enjoying the company of a group of young men who gathered around her, each competing for her attention.
She would speak to her later. They would have time to catch up then. Her sister deserved to enjoy her evening. Serena soon looked for another person, someone, anyone, who would have a calming effect on her. She needed that now, more than ever.
Not that she had many friends any more to help her.
Spotting Emily, she made her way over to her friend, smiling and nodding lightly to those she passed, ignoring their curious glances and pointed stares.
"Where have you been?" Emily asked concern showing across her face. Her eyes moved to Serena's swollen lips. She knew her friend too well and knew something happened.
"Later," Serena pleaded. She didn't want to chance someone hearing them.
"Right," Emily said, letting the matter go.
The pair stood together quietly, Serena avoiding the eyes of those who she knew whispered tales about her. She wanted this night to be over.
Hadden tried to move through the crowd as discreetly as possible. He saw Serena standing to the side with a young woman. No one else speaking to her. Anger flared in his chest. How dare they treat her like a leper!
"So lovely to see, your grace," Lady Lavinia Stratdale gushed, stepping in front of him. "It has been so long. Please allow me to introduce my daughter."
"Good evening, Lady Stratdale." Hadden gave the pushy woman a nod, looking over her head as he spoke. "I'm afraid our acquaintance will have to wait. I have something I must attend to."
Before he could move towards Serena, Lady Stratdale grabbed the arm of a young woman cowering behind her and shoved her in front of him.
"My daughter, Cecily," Lady Stratdale said, victory crossing her face.
The rumor was that Lady Stratdale had her heart set on her daughter landing a duke, and Hadden suspected that he was now her target.
"My apologies, Lady Cecily, but I'm afraid I'm in a bit of hurry at the moment," Hadden said, bowing slightly to the younger woman.
Lady Cecily looked ready to faint the moment he spoke to her.
"I…I...understand, Your Grace," Cecily managed to sputter out.
Her mother's eyes glared into her, and Cecily knew she would be in trouble later. Her mother had decided at the start of the Season, that Cecily and Averton would wed. Her mother instructed her to speak to Averton at any given chance that came around.
HIS acceptance of the situation would be a mere formality, her mother had said.
Hadden stepped past the pair, hearing Lady Stratdale's exhale at his dismissal.
She watched as Hadden made his way over to Lady Serena Danerly and Lady Emily Mauldin.
"Good evening!"
Serena immediately recognized the voice without having to turn around. She let out a sound one could mistake for both relief and irritation.
He was still here.
Serena would have to turn around and acknowledge him. Or perhaps she could snub him, right here, in front of all watching their interaction.
That was her original plan, after all.
"Your Grace, how nice to see you tonight," Emily greeted, allowing Serena time to recover from her shock.
Watching Serena, who swore she would give Hadden the cut direct as soon as she saw him, blushing a shade of pink one only achieved with the addition of rogue, Emily realized the culprit behind her friend's disheveled appearance.
"I'm sorry, but your name escapes me." Hadden acknowledged Emily's greeting politely, his eyes never leaving Serena's face.
"Lady Emily Mauldin," Emily said, smiling at Hadden, as she stepped forward to grab Serena's hand and give it a light squeeze.
"Mauldin? As in the Earl of Ailey?" Hadden asked Emily, still not looking away from Serena.
Serena wanted the room to open up and swallow her. If a great crack did open on the floor, she would throw herself willingly into it.
"Mmhmm," Emily nodded, continuing to smile. She looked from Serena to Hadden and back again, her smile growing larger as she noticed the intensity of Hadden's gaze on Serena.
"Ah, yes, I know your father." Hadden did look at Emily then, nodding as he spoke.
"Is your father here tonight?" He asked, glancing around the ballroom. "I would like to say hello to him."
Lady Emily was a pretty woman, with large honey-colored eyes, framed by thick, dark lashes. Her hair was a light brown color, and like Serena's, had been pinned up in the current fashion. Slightly curvier than most women, with large breasts and a plump, round bottom, she would make her husband very happy on their wedding night. Or any night, for that matter.
"He is, but I am afraid you shall have to tear him away from Lord Harris, as he is using my father as a shield to hide from Lady Harris."
Emily raised the small finger on her free hand, pointing towards a corner in the room, where two middle-aged gentlemen appeared to be arguing over the ingenious hiding spot of Lady Danerly's enormous plant.
Hadden assumed it was safe to say that both men were trying to hide from their wives.
The sight made Hadden laugh-a deep, rich sound that caused all those who weren't already staring at them, including Serena, to turn their attention to Hadden.
In her few encounters
with the man, he always looked ready to break someone's neck, and she never heard him laugh-not once.
She finally met his eyes.
Serena saw the same look cross his face that was visible in the moonlight in her papa's study, moments earlier.
Raw. Dangerous. Carnal. Serena felt a warm pit in her stomach start to form.
Now, he was here, relaxed and laughing, and staring at her as if he couldn't get enough of her. Tonight was supposed to go much differently.
What was happening?
It had gotten away from her.
Serena had sworn if she had ever seen him again, then she would give a good kick, square in his manly parts. Or at least that's what Ethan had sworn he was going to do since their mama had forbidden him from challenging Hadden to a duel.
But no, here he was, in front of her and the only thing she wanted to do was move closer to him.
Viscount Redding joined the group, glaring at Hadden. His glare changed to a slow, smirky snarl that gave him a slightly sinister appearance.
"Your Grace, we are so glad you could join us tonight, what with your usual perversion to balls and such things," Sanders said smugly, glancing over at Serena.
Only Hadden had picked up on Sanders's meaning. Serena.
Hadden was one of the most powerful men in England, but he rarely chose to attend the social gatherings of the Season. He decided to stay busy with the tasks at hand of finding Charlotte and her cohorts.
It was a shock to some that he had accepted the invitations to some of the events this Season. However, that was not how Sanders had meant it, and it was most definitely, not how Hadden had taken his remarks.
He watched Serena's body stiffen as Viscount Redding began talking to her and kept trying to press himself closer into her side.
He had intended to wait to speak with Serena until later-originally wanting to talk with her papa first. Edward was busy with Lady Winter, and he knew had he approached them, that their encounter would be the topic of conversation for the rest of the night.
Out of instinct, Serena stepped away from Sanders, uneasiness splashing across her face.
Hadden's anger flared, and he felt a sense of possessiveness pour out of him over Serena. He quickly pushed the feelings deep down where they had come from and allowed his calm demeanor to resurface. The likes of Sanders wouldn't goad him into a fight. Not tonight anyway.
There had been rumors Sanders lost his inheritance and was now on the hunt for a rich heiress. It seemed that Sanders was trying to stake his claim on Serena.
"I'm surprised Lord and Lady Danerly invited you, Viscount Sanders. Wasn't your membership to White's revoked-something about unpaid debts, I believe?" Hadden said, no expression on his face.
Hadden had stepped close to Viscount Sanders and had spoken so low that only Sanders could hear him. "Be careful with what you imply, lest you find yourself in an unforgiving position."
"Excuse me, ladies." The words were curt and cold. Sanders glared at Hadden as he moved away from their group.
"My apologies," Hadden said, attempting to salvage his meeting with Serena. "Lady Emily, if you would excuse us, I owe Lady Serena a dance."
CHAPTER FOUR
"Dance?" Serena asked as if the word was foreign to her.
"Of course," Emily replied, winking at Serena as she headed off in search of Winter.
Hadden and Serena joined the other couples on the dance floor and prepared for the next dance. Serena could feel eyes on them from every direction.
Her mama was surely having a fit somewhere. Serena smiled at the thought of her ever proper mother, becoming publicly upset.
Hadden watched her face, wondering what had made her smile.
"Tell me your thoughts, Lady Serena," he said, returning her smile.
The music started, and they began to move together.
"I was thinking, Your Grace, that my mama is going to faint when she sees us dancing together. You, sir, are the enemy." Serena let out a throaty laugh.
Hadden wanted to kiss the place from which the magical sound had come.
"Do you know she threatened to shoot Papa after you called off our engagement," Serena mused.
This time Hadden laughed.
The thought of proper Lady Danerly shooting the marquess was the most outlandish thing he had heard in quite a bit. Hadden couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much as he had this evening.
"Serena, I owe you an explanation, but I am afraid I cannot give it to you, not now anyway."
Hadden stared down into the blue eyes-eyes that he had tried to forget. "But, please know, what happened, what happened with my decision to end the engagement, was not your fault."
He sounded so sincere that Serena wanted to believe him.
"Thank you," Serena replied, mustering up a weak smile.
"You know Your Grace, for a while, I did think it had been something I had done, or perhaps I was just a fanciful notion you had but couldn't follow through with."
Serena shrugged and continued, "My papa assured me, of course, that it was not my fault, but it still does little to help one's self feelings."
"My name is Hadden, Serena, and I only wished I handled the situation better." Hadden gazed over Serena's head, looking for a place he could fix his gaze on, instead of continuing to stare at Serena.
"Serena, I wish to help you address the rumors so that you could make a good match with a respectable husband if you wish to do so."
Hadden hated the words as soon as he had spoken them, already despising her future husband.
Lucky bastard, Hadden thought, feeling the jealousy welling up in his chest.
Even after what had just transpired between them in the study, Serena still blushed at the mention of rumors. Rumors that implied she had been intimate with Hadden.
She attempted to change the subject. "The cut on your face, it's fresh."
"The cut? Oh yes, damn tree branch caught me in the face when I was riding earlier this morning."
Hadden gave the white lie without guilt, not wanting to tell her the truth that he almost blinded by a dangerous, glass-chunking lunatic who was still on the loose.
The dance ended, and Serena and Hadden moved to a corner of the room, still in plain view, as to not give the appearance of anything inappropriate or scandalous, not that they hadn't already crossed that bridge tonight.
Serena knew that no matter how appropriate and innocent their interaction was, it would be twisted into something else. Serena continued to wait for her mama to notice her guest.
They stood quietly, observing the other guests and watching the dancing couples swirl past them, smiling merrily.
"Do you ride?" Hadden asked, breaking their silence.
"I beg your pardon?"
He knew he had jarred her out of her thoughts. Thoughts he would give his fortune to know.
"Horses, Lady Serena. Do you ride horses?" He asked again, laughing, his green eyes twinkling, teasing her.
The warm, burning feeling returned to Serena's stomach, accompanied with an ache she could feel deep in her body.
"I do, Your Grace…err…Hadden, but I fear I haven't had much chance to do so while we have been in London. I do ride quite often when we are at Danerly Hall."
"Serena, darling," her mama called out, pushing her way through the crowds that were now gathering close to Serena and Hadden.
"Oh, lovely," Serena said, almost under her breath. Her mama had discovered her guest.
"What is it?" Hadden asked, picking up on Serena's sarcasm and unaware of Lady Danerly's enclosing siege upon them.
"My mother is coming to join us."
"Do you suppose she's coming to shoot me?" Hadden began laughing again, and Serena, despite her frame, elbowed him in his ribs, a sign that he had better stop laughing before her mama reached them.
"Not right now, I'm sure she will wait until most of the guests have left, as not to spoil the evening for them."
Serena sighed heavily, p
ressing her finger between her teeth.
Serena's action made Hadden laugh harder.
So hard that Serena found it impossible to resist. She began to join in, causing whispers to pour from the groups that had gathered around them.
Soon they were both laughing as her mama reached them, followed by her sister and her group of admirers.
A score of young bucks had gathered around Lady Winter, vying for her attention, including Hadden's younger brother, Greyson.
Greyson was eight years younger than Hadden and enjoyed the carefree lifestyle afforded to the younger son of a duke-all of the benefits with none of the responsibility.
Out of the two Bearingston brothers, Greyson inherited all the charm and rake-hellish ways of their father in his younger days. Traits Hadden was happy to allow his younger brother to stake a full claim upon.
Greyson, at one and twenty years, would be the future Duke of Averton if Hadden never married and produced an heir. He could care less either way.
He loved his brother very much, but often thought Hadden too stiff and already set in his ducal ways-but it seemed, he wasn't too concerned with continuing the family line.
"Lady Danerly, a pleasure to see you," Hadden spoke to Serena's mama before she had the opportunity.
Serena, knowing her mama would not make a scene in public, smiled weakly back at her and gave a small shrug of her shoulders.
"Your Grace, I must say that I did not expect to see you HERE!" Her mama stressed the last word, and Serena winced, pressing her lips together tightly.
"I did accept your invitation Lady Danerly, and as I did not want to offend you or your husband, so here I stand."
She nodded her head, acknowledging his answer.
Lady Judith Danerly stared at the handsome man before her.
The man who had ended a marriage that he had asked for to her Serena. And now here he was, dressed impeccably and looking every part the handsome, proud duke of his title, beside her Serena.
And he had been laughing when she had walked over to them-she had never seen that before. He seemed to be at ease tonight-perhaps there had been a great misunderstanding in the whole debacle, and her husband had failed to tell her some critical detail.
Admittedly, it appeared this was not the one and same man that had caused such a mess but looks could often be deceiving.
