Mistletoe and Mayhem - Cheryl Bolen Page 0,58

about what we talked about the other day. About what you want and need. I want to spend Christmas with you and Pip. I want you, and Pip, too, to have the time to decide if I’m worthy of being part of your lives.”

“That statement only goes to prove that you are.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Your actions have forever placed us in your debt.”

“I don’t want that, but I do want to be the man who protects you.”

She burrowed into his arms. “You know, you are not the scoundrel you make yourself out to be, my lord.”

He smiled. “I suspect my days as a scoundrel might be done.”

“Poor Hector. Perhaps you could be a little scandalous every now and then.”

“Now there’s an idea. I could happily spend my life seducing you,” Hector mused, a slow smile lit up his whole face.

“A lifetime? Do you mean that?”

Hector leaned down and rubbed his nose against hers. “I do.”

But then he became aware that Parker was clearing his throat loudly. Hector glanced at the man. “Is something the matter?”

“I was thinking that I could stay by the boy’s side tonight while you and Mrs. Roper finished planning your future together.”

“That’s not…” Hector began.

“… a bad idea,” Ruby finished. “Thank you, Parker. Pip would normally sleep until morning but if my son wakes before we return, we will be just down the hall in my room. I have a few items to collect to take with us tomorrow.”

Hector nodded. “Yes. You stay here with the boy, keep the door locked, and we’ll be back to make arrangements for our departure before morning comes.”

“Very good, my lord,” Parker promised.

Hector turned to Ruby and ushered her out into the hall. All was silent as they made their way to her room and let themselves in.

“This will only take a moment.” Ruby moved about in the dark, collecting things and stuffing them in a satchel.

Hector could not wait to take Ruby and Pip away from here. Somewhere he could be assured of their safety.

It troubled him how fast Mr. Roper had found the estate, though, if Pip’s abduction had been by Roper’s hand at all. How could the man have deduced Ruby would have ever come to her uncle so quickly? How could Roper have afforded to hire those men if they were not well off?

Those doubts made him now wonder if the real culprit behind the abduction attempt was wealthy, much nearer to hand and devious to the bone.

Hector put his arm around Ruby protectively as another likely explanation occurred to him.

Ruby turned in his arms and before he could voice his suspicions, she rose up and pressed her lips to his. The kiss took him by surprise, but it was not unwanted.

He had thought of kissing Ruby again and if they were going to be together, he looked forward to a great many more such exchanges.

She drew back. “When you have a child, you will discover you must take advantage of every moment of solitude for pleasure.”

“I’ve always been a fast learner.”

He swooped in to kiss her back, and when she looped her arms about his neck, her next kiss promised endless pleasures. When her tongue teased past his lips to tangle with his, Hector drew Ruby closer, delighted that they had found each other again.

Hector drew back. “Tomorrow, I must speak with your uncle.”

“We don’t need his permission,” she promised. Her hands slid down to his chest, and he was nudged back toward the bed firmly. “In fact, since I’m a widow, I don’t have to listen to anyone at all again. No one but you. Now, let me tell you what I think we should do before we return to my son. And I hate to say that some haste will be required tonight.”

Ruby quickly divested herself of her attire and Hector quickly understood. Hector grew hard as her pretty breasts and curves were suddenly within reach of his eager fingers.

Ruby pushed him onto his back on her bed and climbed atop him. She lifted her hands to her hair and released it from its confines.

Soft, long locks fell over his hands and tumbled down around them. He grasped a handful, then tossed Ruby over onto her back. “Lovely woman, now I’ll never let you go.”

“No more talking.” Ruby drew him down for a kiss and further conversation became completely unnecessary.

Chapter Fifteen

A night of lovemaking hadn’t improved Hector’s temper very much. He shut the door to Vyne’s study in