Charming the Elusive Earl (Charmed By Chance #2)

Chapter 5

5

J ane’s whole body seemed to come apart at the seams in an explosion of sensations.

Heat rippled through her, and her tense muscles seemed to melt with that flood of warmth.

Her racing mind went suddenly and completely blank as her whole world came down to this moment. To the feel of Marlin’s arms around her and his lips pressing against hers.

Her hands instinctively came up to his chest, but while she pressed them there, she didn’t try to push him away.

Truth be told, she didn’t want to. The crushing feel of his lips on hers was decidedly…lovely. His lips molded to hers. Or maybe hers molded to his?

All she knew was that they seemed to fit together in a way that was startling. Even the way he pulled her into his heat, and wrapped his arms around her back…

It all felt so very…right.

So warm, and welcome, and oddly comfortable while still being the most nerve-rattling experience of her life.

And that was before she noticed the smugglers’ arrival.

A whistle cut through the blissful haze that had enveloped her the moment their lips met. And now she pulled back quickly, embarrassed and…terrified.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” a low voice growled.

She looked past the Earl to the dirty, bearded men watching them with amusement and laughter. She was definitely frightened as well.

Her fingers curled into the Earl’s shirt, and she glanced back up at him, bracing herself for that resigned, determined glare she’d received just before he’d kissed her.

But instead, she found he looked just as dazed as she felt. That look made him seem almost…human.

A drop of liquid dripped from his hair onto her cheek, and only then did he blink, and the dazed look was gone so completely, she questioned if she’d ever seen it at all.

Marlin straightened and turned, keeping her tucked behind him.

“Who’re you?” the same man asked, and…

Oh dear. Jane swallowed hard, clutching the Earl’s arm.

The man talking held a dagger…and it was aimed at Marlin. Her grip on his arm tightened until her knuckles turned white. Her head was spinning with every possible worst case scenario.

Marlin held his hands up, palms out, and for a moment she thought the tense silence might crush her as the weapon-clad men gathered in closer.

The one with the dagger had a thick mustache and beady eyes, which were made even smaller as he squinted at them in the dim light.

The other men shuffled around them, coming so close Marlin reached back and tucked her in even tighter against him until she was pressed against his back from head to toe.

And then, just when she thought she might scream from the tension, the mustached man broke the silence…

With a laugh.

A guffaw, really. And this seemed to be the clue for the other men, because now the whole handful of rugged men were laughing.

It didn’t seem to be a cruel sort of laugh, so that was something.

The mustached man wiped at his eyes. “Looking to steal some time with your lover, eh?” The man wagged his dagger. “Naughty, naughty.”

“Uh, er…” Marlin’s hesitant voice was hardly recognizable, and Jane had to stare up at his profile to make sure it was even him speaking. He sounded far younger, and much less…an Earl.

“Apologies, sir,” he said. “Didn’t know this place was being used.”

This made the other men laugh again, knowing chuckles as they shared smirks and grins. Jane could only gape as the Earl—the man she was to marry. The intimidating, powerful, critical Earl appeared to shrink before her very eyes.

“What’re you, a servant for one of these stuffed shirts?” one of the other men asked, nudging Marlin’s shoulder.

“Er, yes, my lord. Er, sir.”

The men laughed at that. Jane nearly did too. A hysterical laugh, but still. Her whole body felt numb with shock at the change in him.

They truly mistook the Earl of Marlin for a servant. Oh yes, a laugh threatened, but one look at the dagger had it fading fast.

She couldn’t blame these men for not seeing Marlin for who he truly was. She supposed they both looked a mess, all soaked through as they were. She was still buried under his coat, and they were both bedraggled, the Earl’s clothes a soggy mess.

“Oy, you tell anyone what you saw here and we’ll cut your pretty lass from her belly to her neck, you hear me?” the mustached man said.

Jane’s mouth went dry at the casual, awful threat, but Marlin was bobbing his head, all stammering thanks and apologies as he grabbed her by the hand and tugged her along behind him.

“Just keep walking,” he murmured as they left the shed.

A flood of relief rushed through her the moment the rain hit her face. They were out. They were free!

For the second time that day, Jane reveled in her freedom, drawing in the fresh air like she might never taste it again. Her pulse still clamored, and she kept waiting to hear footsteps following…

But none came.

They walked in silence for a while. She wasn’t sure about Marlin, but she, for one, was terrified they were being followed. Would smugglers really just let them…walk away?

She glanced back once, twice.

Yes. She supposed perhaps they would if they truly believed she and Marlin were young lovers sneaking off for a tryst.

Her cheeks flamed despite the cold rain coming down. Which was ridiculous, obviously. They’d escaped death thanks to his charade. They hadn’t really been in the midst of a tryst.

And yet…

Her fingers came up to touch her lips. She could still feel the heat of his lips against hers. Her belly fluttered all over again, just as it had when he’d kissed her.

So that was what a kiss felt like.

A smile tugged at her lips. Were they always so…dizzying? So…delicious?

She swallowed a giggle that was wholly inappropriate for the occasion. But truly, she’d been reading romantic novels for as long as she’d been able to read. She’d read about kisses, fantasized about kisses…

Of course, in her fantasies it had never been the Earl of Marlin.

No. Even imagining that possibility had left her cold.

Her brows furrowed as she picked her way over the wet undergrowth. Odd, then, that in reality his kiss had made her feel so warm.

“They’re not following us.” His low voice just beside her had Jane ducking her head, as if he might be able to see in her expression that she was still thinking about that kiss.

To her surprise, he caught her hand. Her breath hitched…until she realized he was only helping her over a fallen log. The moment they were over, he let her go.

She exhaled sharply in relief.

And then she heard him sigh.

Or perhaps it was an exasperated huff.

She winced. Yes, of course it was. He was no doubt furious with her for getting him into such a pickle.

When they finally reached the clearing by the stables, she turned to him. “I’ll be all right from here.”

She…should not have said that. It was instantly obvious she’d said the wrong thing. Jane gulped at the glower he fixed on her. “Jane, I am not leaving your side until you are safe and well in your home.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded.

There was that sigh again.

Blast. She’d suspected he hadn’t liked her to begin with—avoiding her for the vast majority of the time they’d been engaged rather gave it away. But now he had true reason to think her a silly ninny.

The future she tried her best not to think about loomed even darker and more ominous than ever.

What sort of shared life lay in store for them now? Him sighing in exasperation every time she spoke? Her trying not to irritate him any more than she already had?

Her whole life she’d been a failure of a daughter, a sad excuse for a niece. And now she’d make a pathetic countess to a disappointed Earl.

Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She hadn’t really thought her future could look more bleak. But somehow she’d managed to make her situation even worse.

She never should have gone along with the game of dares.

She never should have run away.

She should have done what she did best. Kept her head down, her mouth shut, and her feelings stuffed way down deep inside.

“Here we are,” he said. As if perhaps she didn’t recognize her own front door. Still, she allowed him to escort her inside.

And when sweet Mrs. Harwich ran over to her and began to fuss, she kept her head down.

Marlin filled the silence easily. “I ran into Lady Jane on my way out and insisted she escort me on a turn about the property.”

She was keenly aware of his low voice making explanations on her behalf.

Covering for her wicked behavior.

Shame rose up in her, and it was physically painful to tear her gaze away from her feet and look at him.

Mrs. Harwich was fussing, calling for servants to fetch towels and run a hot bath.

“My apologies for keeping her out so long and in such conditions,” he added.

Jane was certain she was the only one who caught his sidelong glance in her direction. And she wasn’t even sure herself if that twitch of his lips was an actual smile or not.

She frowned. It couldn’t be.

And then, completely unbidden, her mind filled with the memory of his firm but gentle kiss. Of the warmth there, and the way he’d kept her from harm.

A thank you was on her lips, but he was already turning away, making his excuses to the housekeeper.

She’d missed her chance. Her shoulders sank.

“I must be off to address a matter of urgency.” He turned back in the doorway, the rain a soft melody behind him. His gaze burned into hers.

She swallowed hard as she nodded in understanding.

Of course he would need to alert the authorities to what he’d just discovered. No doubt he’d know who to report it to and have it handled readily.

He was nothing if not efficient. She let her gaze fall once more.

“But Jane…”

She glanced up and her cheeks burned at the intensity of his stare.

“We are not through,” he said softly. “With our discussion.”

She blinked. What discussion? And was that a promise…or a threat?

“I’ll look forward to continuing our conversation when we next meet.”

And then the door swung shut, and Jane found herself doing what she always did when he left. She peeked out and watched him go.

But this time it wasn’t with relief.

She swallowed hard and her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of this emotion.

If she didn’t know better as she watched him disappear…

She’d say it was disappointment.